THE 25TH NAVAL INFANTRY REGIMENT

“They say an unstoppable force and immovable object cannot exist at the same time. Luckily, our adversaries are very moveable.”

Major Elias Bradley, 2164

The 25th Naval Infantry Regiment is one of the newest formations which make up the New Model Army. Headquartered in Fort Navsta, located an hour north of Lakeview in the quiet remnants of North Chicago, the 25th is one of the many naval infantry units fielded by the NMA, specializing in naval and land-based lightning warfare, akin to the Marines of the pre-flash US military. The 25th is made up of a mix of recently-trained recruits, veterans of the old Coalition, and other identities in the Union, including even vengeful human Huronis who have been propagandized against the Coalition. The 25th field an impressive array of weapons, from brand new Midwestern-made small arms to a small detachment of Mackerel-built naval gunboats that drift near the shores, armed with large main cannons. The 25th are one of the forward units deployed in the Eastern Theatre, and have been sent to the Sunrise Isles to capitulate Bargetown and create an opportunity for larger NMA units from the West to launch a naval invasion of the Ohio coastline, where one of the Coalition's largest remaining cities, Cleveland, is located.

The doctrine of the New Model Army calls for rapid advances by their units, which necessitates lightly armed troopers and a lack of large defensive weapons. As such, the 25th fields lightly equipped Troopers designed for offensive maneuvers to quickly end battles before they become long-lasting engagements. This means they are uniquely under-equipped for defensive warfare, but thanks to their fluid structure and battle doctrine they can quickly adapt to most situations thrown at them. With Sunrise being largely cut off from the rest of the war, the 25th is forced to adopt foraging and trading as part of their doctrine, establishing relationships with the many unique groups of the Isles.

Since their time in Sunrise has become much longer than originally anticipated, the 25th have started making more dug-in positions and large defensive areas. Their current headquarters on the Sunrise is Fort Huxley, a recently completed installation that provides ample room for the 25th and other units on Sunrise.

TYPES OF SOLDIERS
The 25th is among the most generalist of the Naval Infantry regiments, and as such plays host to a vast array of origins within the Union. While most of the NMA's current soldier base tend to be former Coalition militiamen or propagandized recruits, your infantryman is your own, and can come from practically anywhere. A few unique examples are below, however you are not restricted to them whatsoever, your character is your story. 

THE OUTCASTS

A significant portion of the 25th’s members are colloquially known to recruiters as Outcasts - young, often uneducated men and women who have been displaced by the changes brought about by industrialization and federalism. Their lives, facing upheaval at a young age, either because of economic hardships or changes in their community, means these people have become “wanderers” who have spent their days meaninglessly toiling away to make an earning on a farm or in the factories. With few life prospects, poor economic standing, and a healthy heaping of anxiety and depression, these souls are often comforted by the offer of glory, adventure, and money that service to the Glorious Union can provide. The outcasts are known to be highly nationalistic, seeing the Union as a parental figure that gives their lives meaning and can guide them out of the confusing times they find themselves in. Underneath their usually determined and social personalities are, unfortunately, isolated and confused people searching for answers. 

THE OUTLANDERS

The Outlanders is a somewhat offensive term to describe the people who originate from the wastelands on the fringes of the Union’s territory. Though some of these people are literally wasteland vagrants, a vast majority are simple wastelanders who have spent their lives fighting for survival in the ruins of the Old World. Often illiterate and totally uneducated, the Outlanders have flocked to the Union in search of stability, education, and safety. Unfortunately, their lack of knowledge of the complex social structures of the Heartlands and the Gilded Cities means these people struggle to find work and community in a society that views them as “savage” or “dangerous.” Many have chosen to enlist (and become highly nationalistic) as a way to legitimize themselves in Midwestern society and become “more respectable.” Since a majority of these people are already skilled with firearms and survival skills, they are talented soldiers - however, they still carry their wasteland sentiments of “waste not want not” and rarely sharing anything, meaning these soldiers are often cold, self-isolating people. The Outlanders are largely rejected by the rest of the unit for being too “uncivilized,” but they embrace one another and form a tight-knit community of people who survive together and find comfort in their shared experienced. 

THE BROKEN MEN

An unfortunate amount of 25th servicemen are former Coalition or Huroni veterans from past conflicts. Sometimes having served for decades, while other times only having served for a year or two, these veterans have been called back into service to provide mentorship and battlefield competency to regiments composed almost entirely of young, inexperienced recruits. The Broken Men have been given their name because of their general war weariness: few of these soldiers want to be fighting, and many outright fear it - however, the draft and economic needs have driven these men and women to take up arms once more. A significant portion of these soldiers are wracked with extreme cases of shell shock and PTSD, and are barely able to keep it under wraps. Most of these soldiers suppress this trauma with alcohol, anger, or excessive violence, making them sometimes dangerous to be around. 

Uniquely, the 25th also has an unusual amount of Huroni veterans who fought for their respective city-states during the Huron Wars. Many of these men and women were drafted by the Union recently and have been forced to fight for a nation that actively colonizes their land and suppresses their cultures. Others, driven by hate and grief for their losses in the war, have willing enlisted to get an opportunity to fight the Coalition again. They are probably the most broken of their compatriots, as most have lost their entire families or towns to warfare with the Coalition. Many of these Huroni soldiers barely speak English and frequently bicker with the “Lakesiders,” their name for the non-Huroni peoples they are now surrounded by. 

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS

VIEWS ON MUTANTS

• Thanks to the long and bloody history between the past generations of Midwestern humans and their Mutant counterparts, especially the Huroni peoples which used to make up much of The Glove, the NMA as a whole is incredibly racist to mutants. The 25th, however, possesses a small group of humans who trace their ancestry to Huroni tribes which allowed for humans and mutants to co-exist. This means that, while the 25th is still mostly composed of incredibly racist Troopers, a select few may tolerate mutants. Mutants are entirely banned from serving the NMA in any capacity besides as penal troopers currently.

CLASS MAKEUP OF THE 25TH

• Being one of the newer formations in the NMA, the 25th is an incredibly diverse unit. While primarily composed of members from the lower classes of Midwestern society, from poor Urban laborers to rural farmers, the NMA also has sizable contingents of middle and upper class members.