ADVENT: Organizations
The ADVENT Army
"There will be no army raised that shall be greater than this."
- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar
Proposal 0015
Latest Revision: 12/3/2016
Designation: The ADVENT Army Division
Program Type: Standing Army; Military
Authors: The Commander of XCOM; Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Laura Christiaens, Commander of the ADVENT Military; Wayne Kidon, Army-Commander of the ADVENT Army Division
INITIAL PROPOSAL: Many armies have risen and fallen over the long history of our species, and to this day there are many which are still in existence who strive to protect their nations from harm and collapse. However, we recognize now that there is a greater threat, and thus the many militaries of the world must come together and fight to defend our very species from danger; to put purely national loyalties aside in favor of the common good.
Such a proposal does not come without challenges, as the ADVENT Army is intended to be the culmination of all modern military knowledge and doctrine from around the world, and is constantly expected to evolve, iterate, and improve itself upon the discovery of superior tactics, technology, and other developments.
The ADVENT Army will work to protect the citizens of ADVENT – and Humanity at large – from all threats both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial and to ensure the continuing stability of the state of ADVENT by whatever means are authorized. To this end it is understood that a full conversion into the structure outlined in this document will take time and be implemented when it is safe to do so, but it nonetheless outlines what is intended for the ADVENT Army and shall eventually be put into place when it is deemed to be not detrimental to the war effort or of questionable strategic wisdom.
The ADVENT Army is not a force which shall be used lightly or frivolously. It should only be used when there is a direct threat to the safety and stability of ADVENT. It shall only be used when objectives are clear and there is written intent to complete stated objectives and goals. Should such goals or objectives be uncertain or deemed difficult to accomplish with the resources of the Army, said Army shall not be used and the objectives should be accomplished with more suited divisions or arms of ADVENT.
UNIT COMPOSITION AND INTEGRATION: It is important to emphasize the fact that the soldiers of the Army are no longer fighting solely for one nation or people, but for Humanity at large. There are existing emotional bonds to people and homeland which could ultimately prove a detriment to certain soldiers in stressful situations, and should be avoided whenever possible. It is thus suggested that the composition of the Army be heavily mixed with individuals from multiple countries and backgrounds.
Additionally, soldiers should spend a majority of a time deployed in locations which are not their home or they have no emotional connection to. This is for several reasons – the first is that they are less likely to be emotionally compromised if put into situations where they are forced to retreat or otherwise see heavy destruction against the country; another is to lessen hesitation if ordered to act against the people or leadership of the country in question should they pose a threat to the stability of ADVENT.
Integration will be staggered over the course of the current conflict. Regions and nations which are likely to experience attack will maintain their current militaries largely intact, and will slowly be supplemented or enhanced with soldiers deployed from outside nations. The ultimate goal is for no more than forty percent of a nation's standing Army force be comprised of residents of said nation. We expect this to be more easily accomplished after Earth is retaken, and this goal does not supersede strategic necessity.
SQUAD COMBAT ROLES: There are a concrete number of combat roles within the ADVENT Army. Please note that certain positions are covered in other military division documents. The roles listed are exclusively for the ADVENT Army and may be changed or expanded as the war and Army develop. This will not include any electronic warfare, special forces, engineering, or psionic roles.
INFANTRY: The most standard role is the Infantry, which is designed to be the basic combat role for the Army. They will be equipped with gauss or ETC rifles, sidearms, an assortment of grenades, and will be used universally in combat operations and have no further 'specialized' role outside of enemy elimination, objective completion, and objective defense. Depending on interest and education, all Infantry are qualified to eventually be placed into more specialized roles.
GUNNER: Gunners are to be considered capable of acting as anti-personnel and suppression units. They are to be equipped with heavy gauss or ETC weapons, anti-personnel grenades, and access to other equipment intended for suppression and neutralization of enemy personnel. They receive heavier armor to compensate for their more lethal role in suppressing enemies, and should be utilized most in defending positions from approaching enemy forces, or offensively to allow allied forces to advance. Infantry-heavy forces should also be countered with Gunners.
ROCKETEER: These are designated anti-armor units who are more specialized and require advanced training to successfully qualify for the role. Training in explosives, bomb creation and disposal, and other related fields are qualifications to become a Rocketeer. They will be equipped with grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and other explosive ordinance. They should be primarily utilized against defensive fortifications and enemy armored vehicles. Due to the limited numbers of this role, it is not advised they be unnecessarily risked.
SNIPER: This role has a singular purpose – to eliminate specific enemy targets at range. They will also double as spotters and observers of the battlefield, and should relay pertinent information to their nearest commanding Officer. They must be trained to identify priority targets and then eliminate them as quickly as possible. They should be armored to emphasize mobility and lethality, and should not be put on the front lines if at all possible. This role can be qualified for if individuals can pass marksmanship and written tests.
MEDIC: In the event of injuries on the battlefield, Medics will be called to provide triage and on-site care as best can be provided. This is a highly specialized role that requires education in battlefield medicine, surgery, or other combinations of medical education. Medics will have access to a limited support staff comprised of nurses and technicians if relevant, and be provided with whatever tools and medical drugs are necessary to treat soldiers as quickly and safely as possible.
COMBAT ENGINEER: This role is essential for maintaining and establishing defenses against enemy forces. Combat Engineers have the capability to construct and maintain cover in any environment, as well as being capable of reinforcing existing defensive structures. Requirements for this role require some architectural and engineering education, as well as a designated level of Manchurian Restraints due to utilizing MELD.
SHIV OPERATOR: With the development of the Super-Heavy Infantry Vehicle, there needed to be a role that sufficiently handles the machine in combat. The SHIV Operators work to properly maintain, utilize, and otherwise care for their SHIV for the purposes of combat utilization. Each SHIV Operator should be educated in basic electronics and robotics, and be able to perform routine and emergency maintenance on the SHIV should such be required.
SHIELDBEARER: Intended to protect soldiers and other ADVENT positions, the Shieldbearer has access to specialized technology which allows them to deflect plasma fire for a limited time. As such the delicacy of this equipment requires heavy armor, and Shieldbearers should thus be utilized offensively, although they will work in most situations and provide an overall enhancement to all ADVENT Army personnel. Please note that the disruption of plasma fire will also apply to allies, which could include other ADVENT or XCOM Forces.
PURIFIER: Intended to serve as an anti-personnel and anti-group unit, Purifiers are intended to assist in the capture of enemy territory and the elimination of major enemy positions, units, and individuals. This is a highly specialized role for which the required qualifications are high. They are extremely dangerous and lethal, though are slow and more vulnerable to concentrated attack. Protection of these units is a requirement.
OFFICER: The Officer is responsible for leading and commanding the squad in question. They can be of any role and are chosen for their leadership and decision-making capabilities as well as role competence. They are responsible for best allocating the squad upon the stated objectives by their commanding Corporal. All roles can be eventually promoted to Officer, and efforts should be taken to make Officers distinct and visual. In the event of the loss of an Officer, squads are directed to place themselves under the command of the nearest Officer.
SQUAD COMPOSITIONS: Due to the number of roles available, there are going to be multiple combinations to form specialized squads. Please note that Squads are between the sizes of six to ten, with the more specialized a squad is, the smaller it will be. Also note that more official compositions may be developed as the war progresses.
INFANTRY SQUAD: This is considered the 'default' squad for the ADVENT Army which consists of eight Infantry soldiers, one Medic, and one commanding Officer. They will be primarily utilized in all combat and defensive operations, and have no specialization outside of completing objectives and other standard operations. The Medic position may also be substituted for a Shieldbearer.
ANTI-ARMOR SQUAD: In the event of heavy armor vehicles being utilized by enemy forces, the deployment of an Anti-Armor Squad will be authorized. This will consist of One Shieldbearer, one Medic, four Rocketeers, two Gunners, and one commanding Officer. This squad will also be utilized against heavy defensive fortifications and for anti-cover operations.
MEDICAL SQUAD: In the event of mass casualties and or attacks targeting civilian locations, a Medical Squad will be deployed to contain the damage and provide as much care as necessary for the immediate location. This is a highly contextual squad consisting of eight Medics, one Shieldbearer, and one commanding Officer who will only deploy in exceptionally serious circumstances. They will also be accompanied by escort squads to provide sufficient protection.
ANTI-PERSONNEL SQUAD: In the event that enemy composition is largely infantry or otherwise of limited armor, this squad will be authorized and outfitted specifically for thinning their numbers. It will consist of two Snipers, four Gunners, two Infantry, and one commanding Officer. This squad will also be useful against dangerous single targets such as Muton Berserkers, Chryssalids, and Oyariah Titans. They are not cleared to be deployed specifically against Ethereals. In certain cases, the two Infantry can be substituted with Purifiers.
MIXED SQUAD: This squad refers to any combination that does not match the current named and recognized combinations. Mixed squads will be extremely common at this current stage of the war due to decisions made in the early days of the ADVENT Army, which should be appropriately taken advantage of for their unique strengths as well as recognizing possible deficiencies. The singular constant is that there will always be one commanding Officer.
ELIMINATION SQUAD: This squad is created for the sole purpose of eliminating specific enemies in as efficient a way as possible. As these are generally ranking alien officers or units, this squad is composed of five Snipers and one commanding Officer. This squad will be only used situationally, and should be utilized to cause confusion in enemy ranks as well as cover for the Hussars to operate.
SQUAD RANKS: Squads themselves are ranked based on their performance both in enemy casualties and objective completion, as well as other factors such as squad cohesion and limited casualties. Higher ranks will result in Squads being given more critical assignments, being eligible for consultation of operations, and a higher probability of promotion.
TIER I: Tier I squads are the standard level of squad. All newly formed squads start out at this rank and are utilized for basic and unclassified combat and defensive operations. Successful completion of objectives and operations will result in a higher probability of a squad promotion to further tiers. This will be the most common tier reached for the majority of squads.
TIER II: Tier II squads are ones which have demonstrated competence, successful leadership, and being capable of completing objectives and following orders quickly, efficiently, and cleanly. They are ideal soldiers who should be emulated by the rest of the Army. They will be utilized for operations critical for the safety and stability of ADVENT as well as for certain aspects of ADVENT which may be classified.
TIER III: Tier III squads are ones who are composed of hardened veterans and have a significant amount of combat experience who have demonstrated complete resolve, competence, and lethality in the battlefield with unwavering leadership. They are authorized to be utilized for heavily classified operations, be used in operations critical to the safety and stability of ADVENT, and the squad Officers will hold positions on their local Central Unit Command. Please note that Tier III squads are not special forces and should not be treated as such.
ARMY DIVISION SIZES
SQUAD: Squads will be composed of six to ten soldiers of the ADVENT Army. They are managed by Officers.
PLATOON: Platoons will be composed of twenty-five squads. They are managed by Lieutenants and the Unit Corporal.
UNIT: Units are composed of four Platoons. They are managed by a Corporal and accompanying staff.
COMPANY: A Company is composed of ten Units and is managed by a Colonel and accompanying staff.
GARRISON: A Garrison is composed of three Companies and is managed by a Marshal and accompanying staff.
BATTALION: A Battalion is composed of three Garrisons and is managed by a Chief Marshal and accompanying staff.
LEGION: A Legion is composed of two Battalions and is managed by a General and accompanying staff.
NATIONAL ALLOCATION OF MILITARY FORCES IN PEACETIME: The allocation of ADVENT Army forces within ADVENT territory will depend on a variety of factors including population, territory size, importance to ADVENT, and likelihood of attack. There will be at minimum one Legion which can be mobilized for a nation, although a nation's Legion may be mobilized for other combat operations.
Certain cities of appropriate size may warrant dedicated Battalions or Legions to properly protect the number of civilians within it, which will fluctuate depending on the additional factors listed above.
COMMAND HIERARCHY RANKING
LIEUTENANT: This position oversees one ADVENT Platoon, and is responsible for disseminating information from the Unit Corporal and clearly communicating the objectives and goals to Squad Officers. All Lieutenants hold seats on the regional Central Unit Command and are permitted to establish leadership councils or groups, though this is not a requirement. They do not have access to a dedicated command staff.
CORPORAL: This position oversees one ADVENT Unit and is responsible for managing and commanding this Unit, as well as clearly communicating the objectives and mission goals of all participating military operations. The Corporal commands the regional Central Unit Command and is responsible for selecting Officers to hold positions and taking the recommendations of Lieutenants into account. They also have a dedicated command staff as well as attaches from ADVENT Intelligence.
COLONEL: Colonels oversee ADVENT Companies and are responsible for their management and coordination. They are responsible for dictating operational goals and objectives for each regional Corporal and presenting scenarios on a high operational level. The Colonel oversees their regional Joint Company Command and maintaining communication lines with their Corporal subordinates. They maintain their own command staff with attaches from ADVENT Intelligence and the Oversight Division.
MARSHAL: Marshals are responsible for managing and maintaining ADVENT Garrisons and ensuring that Colonels have the most up to date information on the status of the war as well as their own regional directives. They are responsible for deciding military objectives of the region and rely on their subordinates to execute said objectives. They manage the Joint Garrison Command and are allowed to recruit non-military or Army advisors to their own staff. Attaches from ADVENT Intelligence, the Oversight Division, and the Diplomatic Corps are also involved.
CHIEF MARSHAL: The Chief Marshal is responsible for commanding ADVENT Battalions and closely coordinating with the highest levels of ADVENT Military Command to ensure high-level objectives are being met and converting these objectives to a local scale as well as managing their local Joint Battalion Command. They are permitted to have a highly custom personal staff which is tailored to take into account military, civilian, and political ramifications. They have attaches from ADVENT Intelligence, the Oversight Division, Diplomatic Corps, and Congress of Nations present for this.
GENERAL: One of the highest ranks within the ADVENT Army is that of General, which is responsible for managing ADVENT Legions. Due to the high number of soldiers, they are permitted to establish a Regional High Command comprised of various ranking and qualified individuals, as well as local advisors and residents. They are responsible for making final decisions regarding military operations within their own region. They have the same attachments as that of the Chief Marshal.
ARMY-COMMANDER: This is the position which has official command over the entirety of the ADVENT Army and makes all final decisions for operations. They are in constant communication with the Commander of the ADVENT Military and appraised of the operations at the highest levels of ADVENT
COMMANDER: This position is included to show the superior of the Army-Commander, as they all ultimately answer to the Commander of the ADVENT Military.
COMMUNICATION AND COHESION
CENTRAL UNIT COMMAND: Central Unit Command (CUC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Unit. It is managed by the regional Corporal and their staff, and is responsible for selecting Officers for positions on the CUC. All Tier III Squads and Lieutenants are guaranteed a spot, but in the event that there are not enough, the Corporal is authorized to choose Tier II Officers. Plans and strategies on a highly local level are devised here, including how to take specific cities, defending certain areas, and other aspects which are on the ground. All information decided will be passed through the other regional commands for approval.
JOINT COMPANY COMMAND: Joint Company Command (JCC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Company, managed by the regional Colonel and their staff. All regional Corporals have positions within the JCC and are responsible for presenting battle plans for their unit for approval, which will be sent further up the regional commands. In addition, the JCC also works to establish and lock down regional objectives and plans on a limited scale, which can include multiple cities, geographical locations of note, and other aspects which are not necessarily relevant to the CUC. Such directives will be passed down if decided upon.
JOINT GARRISON COMMAND: Joint Garrison Command (JGC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Garrison. It is managed by the regional Marshal and their staff. All regional Colonels have positions within the JGC and are responsible for presenting directives and battles plans which they have previously approved. In addition, they review and decide regional objectives on a state-wide or small country scale, as well as determining contingency plans and potential alien responses. Pertinent information will be passed down to subordinate commands.
JOINT BATTALION COMMAND: Joint Battalion Command (JBC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Battalion, and managed by the regional Chief Marshal and their staff. All the regional Marshals have positions within the JBC and are responsible for presenting directives and battle plans for additional approval. They are also responsible for reviewing the overall state of the region and if they require more or less resources, what their overall strengths and weaknesses are, and what the political ramifications are based upon certain scenarios. Pertinent information is passed to subordinate commands.
REGIONAL HIGH COMMAND: The Regional High Command (RHC) is managed personally by the regional General and is comprised not only of the regional Chief Marshals, but also anyone the General decides is worthy of having a position on the High Command. This typically should include Marshals and Colonels, but could also include Tier III Officers, local advisors, and individuals from other ADVENT divisions. They are responsible for making all major military decisions in the region including pulling additional soldiers or sending them to more important fronts. All battle plans are given final approval or rejection here and everything is considered in the greater context of the war.
ARMY DIVISION HIGH COMMAND: Army Division High Command (ADHC) is composed of all current Generals and overseen by the Army-Commander of the ADVENT Military and Commander of the ADVENT Military. ADHC is responsible for making all major military decisions and operations that will affect the course of the entire war, and all meetings are classified. Based on these decisions, pertinent information will then be distributed to subordinate commands in the regions. ADHC may only convene with certain members at the request of the Commander, but all major operations require at least eighty percent of the ADHC to be present.
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: Recruitment will be heavily incentivized and pushed into the general population using a variety of events, online events, and other in-person and technological advances to prioritize recruitment. Ability for promotion, benefits, and other positives should be heavily emphasized, as well as the impending threat the aliens pose.
Current models indicate that recruitment is unlikely to be a significant issue. Heavily recommend the diplomatic targeting of nations with high populations to rapidly boost ADVENT numbers such as India and China.
Please refer to the attached document on ADVENT training for a full overview.
PROMOTION: Promotion will be awarded to distinguished soldiers and officers depending on a variety of factors including their competence, adaptability, initiative, leadership, service time, experience, and need. It should be noted that high kill counts and simple bravery do not guarantee promotion. Maintaining low squad casualties, objective completion, and defense are looked upon as more valuable contributions of ADVENT.
Squad Promotions
Tier I: Tier II
Tier II: Tier III
Role Promotions
Infantry: Gunner; Sniper; Shieldbearer; Officer
Gunner: Sniper; Officer
Rocketeer: Officer; Dragoon Corps
Sniper: Officer; Hussar Corps
Medic: Officer; Cuirassier Corps
Combat Engineer: SHIV Operator; Officer
SHIV Operator: Combat Engineer; Officer
Shieldbearer: Officer
Purifier: Officer
Officer: Lieutenant; Regional High Command
Command Promotions
Lieutenant: Corporal
Corporal: Colonel
Colonel: Marshal
Marshal: Chief Marshal
Chief Marshal: General
General: Army-Commander
Army-Commander: Commander of the ADVENT Military
MECHANIZED AND ARMOR UNITS: In addition to the infantry forces of the ADVENT Army, there should be some attention paid to mechanized and armored forces which will be utilized in the coming conflict which have previously been relegated to the traditional 'armies'. All armor units will be managed under their own division which will coordinate heavily with the ADVENT Army, while the Army will utilize mechanized units as it sees fit until the creation of a dedicated mechanized division.
AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS: The ADVENT Army has significant authority on all ground operations within and outside of ADVENT barring the revocation of permission from ADVENT High Command or the Oversight Division. They can only execute combat and military operations in aggressive or defensive operations. They are not permitted to hold political or administrative power over a civilian population nor act as any kind of law enforcement.
They do not have complete free reign as they are ultimately a part of ADVENT High Command and all major operations must be approved there along with the support of the Commander of the ADVENT Military. They have input, but not final authority on sea, air, and space operations conducted by other divisions.
CONCLUSION: Our species is facing a power the likes of which has never been experienced in the entirety of Human history, and there is little choice but to respond by fielding the most advanced army ever developed. While there will no doubt be significant challenges along the way, this is a commitment to the development of a military force that does not fight merely for nation, creed, or people, but for our species itself.
The ADVENT Military is one of the more impressive aspects to ADVENT for several reasons. It has successfully formed the largest military force in Human history, as is necessary to properly combat the alien threat. But more importantly, it has successfully managed to integrate vastly different armies and cultures into something, if not resembling something cohesive, that is functional.
ADVENT has made a point to have their military units be of mixed nationalities, even if the forces still tend to resemble that of their home nation, there are a noticeable number of soldiers who would be foreigners were ADVENT something that did not exist. This has not necessarily been without its difficulties, but ADVENT has stated that they are pleased with how the ADVENT Army has developed and are proud of the fact that their soldiers are willing to focus on an enemy which threatens our entire species.
Among the many changes and homogenization of ADVENT, one thing has received notably less attention – combat decorations and medals. It has not necessarily been something which ADVENT hasn't done. In fact, the awards and decorations given out have continued to persist and for the most part have retained the home nation of the soldier receiving it.
This is apparently because specialized ADVENT military awards are low on the priority list, though are actively being developed and standardized. The recent events in China have brought this topic back up as soldiers who participated in the Battle of Beijing – and indeed in most of the Chinese conflict itself – were recipients of the Forlorn Vigil medal – given to soldiers who endured telepathic attacks and emerged with their minds intact.
This is the first combat decoration which has been developed exclusively by ADVENT, although it is not the first medal they have developed. Each major campaign and battle has resulted in the soldiers who participated receiving commendations for it. These include the Battles of Korea, America, Japan, and more.
ADVENT has not made a major public event out of any of these, but have worked quietly behind the scenes to establish a number of combat and military honors for their soldiers – even if now there are only a few which are limited. From what is publicly available, it appears that ADVENT is going to be following a mix between utilizing already-existing honors, and creating their own.
Many militaries already have medals equivalent to the Medal of Honor, and to use this as an example, how ADVENT would handle it is if a person qualified, they would offer the choice of receiving the medal as designed by ADVENT – or the medal which would have been given to them by their own country. Ultimately, ADVENT is standardizing the requirements and what actually qualifies for an award or not, not necessarily throwing out what has already been made.
Some more unique honors such as the Purple Heart have been made standardized in ADVENT, although it has undergone a slight redesign to de-americanize it, and this honor now only applies to 'sustained wounds that do not require organ or limb replacement', as a newer award has been developed specifically for soldiers who have lost limbs or organs in combat – the Enduring Heart.
Interestingly, it has been the PRIEST Division which has developed a number of honors and decorations for the Military Branch as well as other branches. These include the Maelstrom, an award given to psions who single-handedly turn the tide of a conflict through their abilities; the Aegii Award, given to psions who are solely responsible for protecting a position or unit that would have been overrun; and the Xaviar award given to psions who have fought and defeated a powerful telepathic enemy such as an Ethereal or Hive Commander. This award has currently only been given to a small number of people many of whom are in XCOM.
One final note of interest about ADVENT Military awards is that XCOM soldiers are also eligible for them. There is not much ceremony, unlike with some ADVENT equivalents, but they nonetheless qualify and have already received honors and awards for their participation. It remains to be seen what the final state of ADVENT honors and awards will be at the conclusion of the war, and what else they will add to it.
- Article: ADVENT Military Awards – A Homage to the Past
Operation: Overseer Threat
Division: Military intelligence
Report Author: Zar'icaris'vitiary
Authorization: Zar'Chon
To the Zar'Chon,
Given we have identified multiple battlegrounds where ADVENT is concentrating their forces, it is prudent to understand who is ultimately leading them and behind their actions. While this report is by no means a comprehensive overview of the current leadership of the ADVENT Army Division, it nonetheless should provide insight into our military rivals in crucial locations. More reports will be compiled as the war moves to other locations in the world.
Please note that this only includes the Army Division and does not cover Commander Laura Christiaens herself, please refer to her own file for additional information.
General Marka Rashkalov – Southeast Russian Legion 3: One of the older ranking command staff of the Army Division, Marka Rashkalov is one of the longest-serving individuals within the Russian military. A staunch supporter of President Savvin throughout his entire career, he is rumored to be one of the few Russian military officers who was appraised of ADVENT's development before it actually happened.
He is on this list because of what he has been doing since his appointment to the Southeast Russian Legion 3 and given subsequent command. You will note that this is right along the border of China, which at the point of writing this, is still not under ADVENT control. Nonetheless Rashkalov has been steadily preparing for something to ultimately happen, be it an annexation or moving in to defend the nation from an attack of our own.
He'd fortified enough cities, recruited enough soldiers, and brought in a number of experts not just on China, but also on aliens and alien tactics to both handle possible alien attacks and deal with China should something arise. He supposedly keeps in contact with XCOM and has a plan to not just take China, but also fortify it in the event of an attack. One thing we can be certain of is that should something happen in China, it will likely be this man behind it – or at minimum he will have a hand in it.
General Tomas Garrido – Northern Mexican Legion 2: Lest we forget, the Human nation of Mexico shares a border with the United States – the western half of which we are continuing to fight for. In the event that the American Legions are not enough to stop us, ADVENT will almost certainly call upon this particular Mexican Legion to provide support.
Tomas Garrido has been one of the many Mexican military personnel to flourish under ADVENT. Given almost free reign to purge the military of corruption and bribery perpetuated by the Cartels, he rose through the ranks rapidly and for the most part has been working with the SSR in smashing what remains of the Cartels and their operations, while also working to modernize his Legion and prepare it for an inevitable deployment in the United States itself.
Since Operation Sherman, he has specifically brought in a large number of battle trains and had his legion outfit them for deployment sometime in the future. Given how we now know this tactic, it is one we can prepare for better, but the sheer number of battle trains that Garrido is mobilizing is potentially an issue, especially since he's also had ADVENT Intelligence bug the tracks to ensure that they aren't tampered with at critical junctures. And in the event they are, he has at least one cart of every train filled with replacement materials and engineers ready to perform repairs.
Garrido is reportedly also looking to secure Mexico should the fighting continue to spill over, and has proposed a number of solutions from fortifying all northern cities to establishing dedicated garrisons, which is supposedly being looked into. One early proposal involved the construction of a wall along the US-Mexican border, though this was rejected due to being an impractical solution with one of the comments being "It would be a good idea if the aliens couldn't just fly over it". As far as we know, it hasn't been brought up again.
We should keep ourselves informed on this Legion. If they move, it will likely be to surprise us – or indicate ADVENT is attempting another attack.
General Son Mi-Yeon – South Korean Legion 4: If anyone is responsible for the current difficulties we face in South Korea, General Son Mi-Yeon is likely the cause, as she is the woman in charge of the southern portion of South Korea which includes Busan.
A highly patriotic woman, her primary motivation is the protection of South Korea and her people, and to go about doing this, she has gone to extreme lengths to turn every region possible into an impenetrable fortress. She reportedly views the recommended guidelines for city defense as insufficient, and goes two steps further than necessary.
If she had gone by ADVENT standards, Busan would have at least a third less of the defenses and infrastructure which currently exist. And not only have standards been exceeded, but they are continuing to be built upon. The success of Busan has had the unfortunate effect of the rest of the South Korean Generals following suit and we now must face the possibility that Busan will only be the beginning once it is taken – which is to say nothing of North Korea, which we already know is a fortress in its own right.
She's not an especially intelligent woman, just tenacious and single-minded. It's better for all involved if she were eliminated as soon as possible so ADVENT doesn't get any more ideas on how to fortify their cities.
General Liam Horne – Southeast United States Legion 1: Liam Horne is an interesting figure from a Human historical standpoint. He has a long and impressive military career within the United States Navy, held a position within the Defense Intelligence Agency as an Armed Forces Representative and acquired a significant amount of intelligence experience, and was stationed at MacDill Air Force base in Florida which happened to be where United States Special Forces Command was located.
Most of this will be relevant shortly, suffice to say that he was recently nominated as Secretary of Defense by former President Nicole Treduant and subsequently appointed. This man has an intimate understanding of not just the Legion he currently commands, but the United States ADVENT Legions in general. He's a frequent advisor of Commander Christiaens and a member of ADVENT High Command, as well as the appointed General to speak before the Congress of Nations should it be required.
Why he took over an ADVENT Legion is unknown, but it is possible he didn't want a political position in ADVENT and instead wanted a say in how the war would be run. He is primarily stationed in Florida as is his Legion, and has been working with ADVENT SFCOM to fortify MacDill, and the entire city of Tampa, taking several cues from Busan it seems.
He is a very dangerous and important figure within the ADVENT Army, and when the East Coast of the United States is attacked, we will likely soon face his Legion as well as the defenses he has enacted. It is recommended he be removed as to deprive ADVENT of his expertise.
General Tara McMahon – Central United States Legion 4: General McMahon has been placed on this list not necessarily because she is responsible for major military actions, but more on what she is potentially doing now without our knowledge or confirmation. Interestingly, McMahon comes from an intelligence background, not a military one, as she first served a decade in the NSA before transferring to the United States Marines as an officer where she oversaw a number of classified projects.
Currently, she is commanding Central United States legion 4 – which is based in the Citadel which you will likely know is the original base XCOM controlled. The Citadel has reportedly been turned into a fortress more dangerous than it already was, and there is strong evidence that McMahon is using the Legion to protect and fortify a number of hidden military bases and underground structures.
The fact that this Legion is working extremely closely with ADVENT Intelligence, the Peacekeepers, and that it is just barely large enough to qualify for the designation in terms of manpower – with all of the members seemingly absent, to the point where there are two Legions needed where there should be only one required – should indicate that there is something off about it.
There is a notable amount of oddness and suspicion around McMahon and her Legion, and it is entirely possible that ADVENT is expecting the west coast to eventually fall to us, and have tasked McMahon to ensure that we do not get any further. Recommend investigating further, as well as determining the extent of improvements to the Citadel.
Army-Commander Wayne Kidon of the ADVENT Army Division: The leader of the Army Division himself is a notable figure for how uncontroversial he is. Outside of Commander Christiaens herself, there are few who have his qualifications and temperament. He was originally British Military who then took a command position within the United Nations Peacekeepers, and was also a frequent advisor of the United Nations Security Council.
In short this allowed him to develop a strong working knowledge of the military and political leadership of most major nations in the world, as well as minor ones, and he personally made a point to familiarize himself with the military leadership of the nations by personally visiting them. He's an accomplished diplomat, though ironically, tactics and strategy are not his strength.
His appointment to the position of Army-Commander appears to be largely based around the same reasons Commander Christiaens was appointed – they are capable of helping people with different backgrounds, cultures, and ideologies work and finish a project together. Given the multi-national nature of ADVENT, this is arguably more valuable than pure strategic brilliance as that would be worth very little if there was no clear consensus on how it was to be accomplished.
As a result, the majority of his time is not necessarily coming up with strategies and battle plans, but coordinating with the Generals throughout the Army and working to make sure plans are synchronized, disagreements and issues are solved, and everyone is clear on what they are to do. He has his own team of advisors for the grand strategy of the war itself, and heavily relies on them.
While he is unlikely to be responsible for any ADVENT victories, his talent of keeping everything running smoothly will be an issue for us. It is impractical to eliminate him currently, but should an opportunity arise, it should be taken, as it should for everyone else on this list.
[Flagged for review by ADVENT Intelligence]
"It's interesting in retrospect how much things came together in such a short amount of time. There were a lot of squads that were just put together since they were in the same place and an attack was coming. All of us? We were shipped in and essentially expected to make it work. None of us had a problem with it. I wouldn't be good at my job if it couldn't have been figured out."
"Perfect? Obviously not; at least that isn't how I would have gone about doing it. But I understand why they wanted to do that. A lot of soldiers not being used in Europe, or America, and the attacks were going to be coming against the other side of the world. If there's reinforcements, why not implement your plan to integrate militaries?"
"Yeah, exactly. Although I feel that this could have been communicated better, though I have to respect them for having enough faith that things would just…work out. At least they managed to avoid mistakes like putting people together who didn't speak a common language. A minor miracle there."
"Can't say that topic comes up much; at least not with us. Practically though, I see where they're coming from. I mean…we saw what happened to Canada. And sort of in Brazil. ADVENT doesn't want conflict in their soldiers. They don't want another Betos where people leave based on personal or ideological loyalty. It's broken up a lot of units, but is it for the best? Probably. It's not like we don't have near-instant communication now."
"Treatment is fine; at least I don't have any complaints. It's certainly no worse than the Marines. Armor is a bit of a pain to always lug around though, but it'll probably save my life at some point, so I probably shouldn't complain. But when we're just standing around, we all curse the damn thing. Supposedly ADVENT's looking into improving it, but I'm not holding my breath."
"What else do we do? Build, fortify, prepare. Over and over again. We don't have anything better to do when not being shot at by aliens, so why not make things a bit harder for them when they show up? Beats hours of guard duty standing around and killing time. Not always pleasant weather, but we all know it'll pay off some day."
"No disrespect, Miss Wong, but that's an insane question. There is no fucking way my family is anywhere close to where I'm deployed, and none of us are going to put our families in harm's way like that. Seoul was a fluke, the goddamn aliens practically apologized for it. It's a choice between maybe having our families in danger, and knowingly putting them in danger. I'll take a coin flip over certainty any day."
"Do I believe them? Wrong question. You should ask if I believe the Collective is doing stuff without parts of them knowing what's happening. This Imperator can't play ignorant, I know that for sure no matter how much it's denied, but the Battlemaster Ethereal probably didn't know about that. Soldiers don't approve of stuff like that, and that alien is a soldier if I've ever seen one."
"Ah. No, I can't say I'm a fan of aliens. I can say that I understand being put in a position to fight because your boss told you too, but that doesn't mean I like it. So best if aliens just mind to themselves wherever things end up. You stay away from us, and we'll do the same to you. We don't belong anywhere close to each other, and I can say that I'm much more comfortable with an alien trying to kill me than a supposed friendly one."
"At least with the former, I know where they really stand. AEGIS Division or no, you're not going to find a lot of people happy about aliens in our cities. Hopefully they stick to their houses, because the moment any of us think they're about to do something, we'll kill them. This is our planet, not theirs, and they should really just go back to their own and not bother us again."
Interview between ADVENT Officer Henry Oberjun and Journalist Jessica Wong