From the Arctic to the Caribbean, the reach of the infamous Hilltop Group knows no bounds. Some call them soldiers of fortune, others agents of the NEU. A shadow army that does all the dirty work of the government, but without the constraints of bureaucratic red tape. An extension of the USRF in all but name and banner. Details regarding the Hilltop Group are vague at best, with details about their emergence scrubbed from the public eye. The Hilltop Group is known to employ veteran soldiers, civilians, and, as of recent, even sentenced criminals, promising a pardon upon serving in the PMC. 

While most details surrounding the Hilltop Group's emergence have been scrubbed from the public eye, it is known that it began as a security company protecting corporate interests in Douglass in the 2110's, months after the Thirty Year War met its end. Then-Québécois immigrant, pre-war Quebec Army Sergeant, and innovator Richard Reisner created his company, Reisner Inc., with plans to provide security to the infantile corporations that took root in downtown Douglass as the city was rebuilt from ashes, which is how the "From Ashes We Rise" motto came to be. By 2140, Richard Reisner passed away due to unknown circumstances, and his son, William Reisner, inherited the company, using the millions of dollars that the company had generated to create his own loyal private army, and hence the Hilltop Group was born.

One thing is certain: this organization has been present in every theater involving NEU interests since the early 2140’s. In Cuba, they protected corporate interests and trained anti-communist militia groups. At the outbreak of the Southern War, the PMC outfit contributed with hundreds and thousands in manpower. When the Canada War broke out, Hilltop strike groups deployed deep into the Arctic to conduct surgical strikes on the enemy. 

Throughout it all, the Hilltop Group has maintained a separate front in the Wasteland, where it is rumored that the organization works a dozen mines to fund operations all across the continent. Since the Hilltop Group first rose to prominence over two decades ago, it has been accused of committing countless crimes, from murder and pillaging, to exploiting cheap wastelander labor and running security rackets. The PMC outfit vehemently denies these claims, and has yet to acknowledge even a single crime being committed by its forces.

It is said that the Hilltop Group’s influence extends beyond the warzone, where it is quietly understood that top government officials are paid hundreds of thousands to give the PMC outfit absolute freedom, paid out as a yearly salary by Reisner Incorporated, Hilltop’s parent company. Reisner Inc. is said to be one of the most influential megacorps in the NEU, having majority share stakes in companies like Union Arms, who produce most weapons used by the USRF. 

The Hilltop Group is known to make an enemy out of the USRF even, seeing themselves as the superior force. In areas where cooperation between regular service members and PMC contractors is limited, it is not uncommon for the Hilltop Group to make USRF supplies “disappear”. Sometimes, they prefer to go a more direct route, paying the USRF quartermasters to skim a little bit of supplies off the top to go towards funding the PMC outfit. 

The Hilltop Group has garnered quite a reputation in the Wasteland since it first began sending contractors into the Great Lakes throughout the 2140's. The PMC outfit is known to run successful mining operations across the region to fund military operations all over the continent. It is said that up to 30% of Reisner Inc.'s net income comes from these mining operations. It is an open secret that the Hilltop Group utilizes "cheap labor" in the form of captive prisoners, as well as turning profit on the backs of overworked and desperate wastelanders. The most infamous example of this is Point Karakum off the coast of Lake Superior, where dozens of workers are reported to have died due to poor work conditions. 

Another controversial avenue of income for the Hilltop Group is their underground live entertainment combat sport, referred to by wastelanders as the "Blood Sports". An immoral sport, combatants, most often voluntarily, will be released into a staged arena, where they will fight with real guns, and use live ammunition. Crude body armor and first aid supplies are provided to all sport participants. The only rule? They may only shoot until somebody is down, after which they are no longer a valid target. Shooting at the audience is also grounds for instant disqualification.

Most earnings from this avenue come from the audiences, who have to pay a one-time fee of 0.15 $ND to enter, after which they can place bets on their champion or team of champions. The Hilltop Group also runs a bar and allows vendors to set up their own shops inside the avenue for a fee of 0.70 $ND. It is unclear how often "Blood Sports" are hosted by the PMC group, but they appear routinely enough for it to be known across the Great Lakes. The combat sport is often hosted in discreet or secret locations, away from the prying eyes of the USRF and other authority factions.

"Pittsburgh" Detachment

Introduction

The "Pittsburgh" detachment is a decently sized unit, with an estimated hundreds of contractors serving in a dozen of military camps built all over the Lake Erie. The "Pittsburgh" detachment has a range of experience under its belt, with the majority of the unit having fought in the Deep South, where they worked reconnaissance and shaping operations against the Southern Army. However, the "Pittsburgh" detachment lost over 60% of its forces following a botched offensive in the city of Richmond, years before NEU forces captured it. This detachment is made up mostly of seasoned veterans and previous USRF service members. The unit is commanded by Proxy Dominic Adler and Factor Tomas Reyes, both of whom took command of the unit following the botched ground offensive in the 2150's. The Brass Iota oversees this detachment for in region operations.

Location

The detachment also has a number of camps on the Sunrise Isles, the most famous example of which being Forward Operating Base Hood, situated in the Unimata town of Oasis in the Mudlands. The FOB was notably used during the Fall Offensive of 2163 against ALMA's Way and Chrome Skulls. Today, FOB Hood continues to be used as a staging ground for Hilltop operations on North Sunrise Island.

"Detroit" Detachment

Introduction

The "Detroit" detachment is a smaller unit mostly focused around the south of the Lake Erie, with most of the "Detroit" forces concentrated on the island itself. This detachment is very inexperienced and consists mostly of fresh recruits, dominated by desperate rookies looking to make a few dollars. More recently, however, the Hilltop Group has also started recruiting prisoners from work camps and prisons in the NEU, where they are promised a full pardon for any and all crimes if they serve a 6-month stint deployment in the unit. This is the result of a sinister agreement made between the NEU and Reisner Inc. to keep national prisons and work camps from being overcrowded, and simultaneously removing undesirables from the country. In return, the Hilltop Group gets untethered access to a new avenue of recruitment. The unit is commanded by Proxy Melody Black and Factor Chase Miller, who are tasked with using these B-list mercenaries as pawns in battle to achieve success, or shape them into respectable veterans in the process and have them transferred to "Pittsburgh". The Brass Iota also oversees this detachment for in region operations.

Location

The "Detroit" detachment has a small camp situated near the lake on Black Mountain, where they work and live. Unlike "Pittsburgh", men in "Detroit" are not permitted entry into the Black Mountain Complex due to their status as criminals. They are also stationed at Forward Operating Base Hood, and also took part in the Fall Offensive of 2163 against ALMA's Way and Chrome Skulls.