Orbital Drop Shock Troopers: Difference between revisions

{{Status|Canon}}

{{Military infobox

|name=Orbital Drop Shock Troopers

|image=[[File:ODST Crest.png|70px]]<br>The emblem of the ODSTs

[[File:ODSTs.png|300px]]<br>Two standard variants of ODST armor

|branch=*[[UNSC Marine Corps]]<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/odst '''Halo Waypoint''': ''ODST'']</ref>

*<small>''Authority of:''</small><br>[[UNSC Navy]]

Each ODST [[combat team]] specializes in a particular mission set, though they are expected to be flexible enough to adapt to any given situation. ODSTs are known for their unusual methods of insertion, dropping from orbit onto terrestrial environments.{{Ref/Reuse|FG}} Often landing behind enemy lines, ODSTs are sometimes ordered to eliminate enemy units and clear a [[landing zone]] for the wave of troops that follow.{{Ref/Reuse|nb6}} ODSTs also operate as the primary special forces raiding unit of the Marines, deployed to tip the scales in a close battle, raid enemy bases, capture strategically valuable points, and eliminate high-value targets.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/the-art-of-war-s '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - THE ART OF WAR(S)'']</ref> Similar to their infantry counterparts, the ODSTs maintain units of varying strength aboard many UNSC vessels and installations.{{Ref/Reuse|FG}} ODSTs may also occasionally serve as [[military police]] for UNSC installations.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 282'' (2010)</ref>

   

*'''Deep ground surveillance''' ('''DGS''') and '''long range reconnaissance''': Patrols in small groups, in uniform, usually far behind the enemy lines. While direct ground surveillance units may direct air or artillery strikes against enemy positions, they strive to be unobserved, and have only self-defense, not direct action, capability. Groups engaging in surveillance deep behind enemy lines, are commonly known as [[Wikipedia:LRRP|Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols]].{{Ref/Reuse|FG}}

On [[2525#November|November 1, 2525]], the UNSC moved to full alert status after the devastating [[First Battle of Harvest|first contact]] with the [[Covenant]] at [[Harvest]]; this marked a change in objectives for the ODST, who up until that point had been fighting the Insurrectionists.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 94''</ref> As humanity's military turned to meet the threat of the Covenant, divisions of ODSTs prepared to participate in the most critical engagements in the war and also to conduct the riskiest missions in the history of mankind. In [[2526|April 2526]], the [[Corbulo Academy of Military Science]] on [[Circinius IV]] came under attack by Covenant forces. ODSTs were deployed directly onto the campus to reinforce the already-present Marine garrison. But by the time [[Spartan-II]]s [[John-117]], [[Kelly-087]], and [[Frederic-104]] arrived, the deployed ODSTs, along with the entire academy's staff, students ([[Thomas Lasky|save]] [[Chyler Silva|for]] [[Michael Sullivan|four]] [[April Orenski|survivors]]), and garrison were slaughtered.{{Ref/Reuse|fud3}}

[[File:HLC battle for earth.png|thumb|250px|ODSTs during the [[Battle of Earth]].]]

===Battle for Earth and Fall of the Covenant===

[[File:Rymann and Hartley.jpg|thumb|200px|[[T. Rymann]] and [[S. Hartley]] at [[Sector Six]] in the [[Pakistan]]-Afghanistan border region.]]

After Regret's unexpected retreat from New Mombasa, members of the [[7th Shock Troops Battalion]] would later drop from the ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]'' onto [[Installation 05]] during the [[Battle of Installation 05|operation]] to capture the Prophet of Regret. Most of these troopers would perish during the initial firefights against the Covenant, and only a few would escape back to [[Earth]] with [[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]] to lead a resistance against the Covenant occupation forces.{{Ref/Reuse|TGJ}}{{Ref/Reuse|h3ark}}

Overall, the defense of Earth was one of the largest campaigns the ODST fought in during the entire war. The fighting spread across the globe and in space as newly-arrived [[Covenant fleet]]s of [[warship]]s scattered the Orbital Defense Grid.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=goo204}} The fleets deployed troops throughout the continents of [[North America]], [[South America]], [[Europe]] and [[Wikipedia:Asia|Asia]] and a multitude of other locations, including many parts of the [[Sol system]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=goo204|Halo: Ghosts of Onyx|Page=204-205}}{{Ref/Generic|Id=lootcrate2|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]}} The [[Battle of Cleveland]] is one example of the ODSTs' participation during the war on Earth.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI2|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 2|2]]}} On [[2552#November|November 17, 2552]] after the orbital defense grid was almost completely overwhelmed by [[Prophet of Truth]]'s [[Truth's fleet|own massive loyalist armada]] and too much of UNSC planetside forces was overrun during the same day,{{Ref/Level|Id=H3CN|Game=Halo 3|Level=Crow's Nest}}{{Ref/Level|Id=TGJ|Game=Halo 2|Level=[[The Great Journey (level)|The Great Journey]]}} two ODSTs from the [[2nd Shock Troops Battalion]] fought alongside a detachment of Marines in the [[Battle of Sector Six]].{{Ref/Film|Id=arms|Film=Halo: Landfall|Story=[[Halo: Arms Race|Arms Race]]}} Troopers [[T. Rymann]] and [[S. Hartley]] were tasked with calculating the crash site of John-117 on Earth, while a Marine battalion was tasked with defending a narrow corridor between Covenant and UNSC forces in [[Pakistan]].{{Ref/Film|Id=combat|Film=Halo: Landfall|Story=[[Halo: Combat|Combat]]}} Bravo-21 and numerous [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] were killed in the clash, while Bravo-22 was injured along with some of the other surviving Marines. Their actions successfully allowed [[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]] to track and locate the Spartan.{{Ref/Film|Id=lastone|Film=Halo: Landfall|Story=[[Halo: Last One Standing|Last One Standing]]}}

{{Clear}}

Some ODSTs were recruited into the [[SPARTAN-IV program]] after the war ended, prompting the development of a [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|MJOLNIR (GEN2)]] [[ODST armor#MJOLNIR GEN2 variant|variant]] of the ODST BDU.<ref>[http://worthplaying.com/article/2013/7/6/news/89850/ '''Worthplaying''' ''Halo 4 (X360) Champions Bundle To Add New Maps, Mode, Skins, Armor, Bonus Upgrades'']</ref> The ODSTs remain an active military unit, with the [[3rd Platoon|3rd Helljumper Platoon]] participating in the [[Battle of Draetheus V]] against [[Merg Vol's Covenant]] in [[2554]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''', ''[[Mission 11: Descend from the Perch|Descend from the Perch]]''</ref> In [[2555]], a small fireteam pulled from ODST squad [[Alpha-Nine]] participated in a mission at an unknown [[United Rebel Front]] facility on the moon [[Talitsa]].<ref name="New Blood">'''[[Halo: New Blood]]''', ''Chapter 18''</ref> There was a battalion of ODSTs aboard the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} as of [[2558]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Escalation]]''', ''Issue #3''</ref>

{{clear}}

Potential ODSTs are selected because of their performance in their chosen [[Military Occupational Specialty]]; because every ODST candidate is a veteran from another special operations outfit they have already gone through at least two layers of screening and months of intense training—not counting the years of training received before volunteering for the ODST. There are no age or gender restrictions as long as the candidate meets the physical and mental requirements they are guaranteed the opportunity to try out for the ODST. Once in the ODST a candidate's training continues—its entrance requirements serve as a third layer of screening upon two more, where applicants would have theoretically failed to pass. Candidates would therefore already have extensive experience in conducting the types of high-risk missions that the ODSTs typically perform.{{Ref/Reuse|bwu11}}

===Training===

The ODSTs have their own dedicated training unit, the [[340th ODST Combat Training Unit]], used for training UNSC special forces personnel in a realistic combat environment.<ref name="JRH2EODST">[[Joyride Studios/Halo 2 Exclusives#ODST|''Joyride'', ODST (Halo Graphic Novel Limited Edition Exclusive)]]</ref>

===Psychology===

{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of ODSTs}}

*The ODST were heavily influenced by the [[Wikipedia:Mobile Infantry (Starship Troopers)|Mobile Infantry]] from Robert A. Heinlein's seminal novel ''[[wikipedia:Starship Troopers|Starship Troopers]]'', which popularized the use of drop pods in science fiction. The ODST's tradition of officers deploying before enlisted personnel is also inspired by the Mobile Infantry.  

==Gallery==

*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]''{{Ref/Novel|Id=SOR21|HSoR|Chapter=21}}

*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}

{{Col-end}}