StarBase 118 Marines: Difference between revisions

Bravo Company trains and fights at both the platoon and company-level, although the planning and direction for an air assault operation usually is organized into ‘chalks’. A chalk is simply a term for a group of Marines, or personnel to be loaded onto a runabout or shuttle together. The chalk commander is not necessarily the most senior ranking official there, however they are the person appointed by the operational commander to lead that chalk. For example, during an evacuation of a planetside Starfleet facility, several Fleet Captains demand that the shuttle touch back down to pick up several civilians on the ground. The chalk commander/chalk leader, a Corporal, denies this – despite the pilot being ordered. The Corporal may understand that other shuttles are coming in and they require the airspace to be cleared. This distinction between rank and positional authority is important, as it ensures that air assault operations can move quickly. Within every air assault operation, chalk commanders report to the operational commander’s senior NCO, who compiles load lists and manifests of equipment to allow for a basic tracking of personnel.  

Within Bravo, the training and fitness standards are similar to those of regular Marines. However, a greater emphasis is placed on basic warrior skills, such as knot tying, belaying, mountaineering, long-distance marksmanship, ethics and values, SERE (Survival, Escape, Resistance, and Evasion) as well as a host of other light infantry specific tasks. This reflects on the expeditionary nature of Bravo Company – once disembarked from their shuttles, there is no guarantee that they will be resupplied or supported.