Talk:Operation: RED FLAG

Marines

Vegerot (talk) 16:46, 6 March 2011 (EST): Don't you think it's odd that it was not mentioned until Halo: The Flood that the UNSC had a whole army of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers also on board, with even a Major on board?

Well, at that point the ODSTs barely existed in the canon. We had a few lines in The Fall of Reach that they were special forces, and John beating three to death, but very little description of what they actually did, and no reason to assume they would be involved with something like RED FLAG. The one thing we knew, that ODSTs didn't like Spartans at all, made this even less likely. The Flood was our real introduction to the cream of the Marine Corps crop. We really have Deitz to thank for fleshing out the ODSTs, from which they have become a staple of the franchise - has there been a Halo game since 1 that hasn't had Helljumpers in some shape or form? No. -- Specops306 ^{Autocrat Qur'a 'Morhek} 23:11, 6 March 2011 (EST)

I'd also like to point out that there is nothing in Fall of Reach that outright says that ODSTs were to assist the SPARTANs, who traditionally considered Marines to be weak links in combat. Additionally, in First Strike, the UNSC Security Committee believed that RED FLAG was as good as failed when they learned that most of the SPARTAN-IIs were left behind on Reach when the Autumn jumped out. I'd also like to take the time to point out that John-117 was not yet Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, and Sergeant Johnson wasn't a Sergeant Major, like the infobox says. -- SFH 23:24, 6 March 2011 (EST)

Vegerot (talk) 16:09, 7 March 2011 (EST): I already think I know. The Marines were to help out with the SPARTANs operations. But for the most part stay the hell out of their way for most of the Operation. They would only play a big role at two parts.

1. If all the SPARTAN-IIs were eliminated than the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers would take over.

2. Once the Covenant home-world was located, they would assist in the raid and kidnapping of the Covenant leaders.

There was no indication of it in the canon that they were involved that I can find. I kept editing the page to reflect this but Vegerot kept editing it back. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 19:43, 7 March 2011 (EST)

Vegerot (talk) 19:56, 7 March 2011 (EST): The evidence is clear, the fact that they are on the ship. What I said above with the 2 facts, THAT is speculation, but it is not speculation that ONI does everything for a purpose, so they did not put a whole army of Marines on board because they could. Especially because they needed every trooper fighting for humanity's survival!

No, I mean there is no evidence or menton they were there AT ALL for RED FLAG. The only time they are seen is in The Flood at that is because they were aboard evacuating from Reach, but they weren't on beforehand in the briefing for the op. Just because it seems like they would have a purpose doesn't mean they were there, otherwise ONI would have mentioned them. They are not mentioned, therefore it's just speculation. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 17:05, 8 March 2011 (EST)