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Orbital Drop Shock Troopers

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Template:Ratings Template:Infobox Military Unit The Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (abbreviated as ODST and colloquially known as Helljumpers) are an UNSC Marine Corps Special Forces unit. They are renowned for their toughness and take immense pride in their "elite" ethos.

History

Origins

The Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or "Helljumpers", have their roots in the paratroopers of 20th and 21st century fame, who dropped frequently behind enemy lines to capture buildings, bridges, and other important military and industrial targets in anticipation for a larger advance by more conventional military forces. Such troops were first used in 1939 by the German Wehrmacht in World War Two to overrun the Allied defence forces in Holland and the legendary Eben Emaelfortress in Belgium . However, the origin of dropping humans from orbit comes from the Martian Campaign of 2163, where Marines were dropped onto Mars in support of UN forces against the Neo-Communist Koslovics.[1]

Human-Covenant War

ODSTs were operating as early as 2525.[2] The first, and most elite division of ODSTs were the 105th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Division, most known as Helljumpers ad his phrase (Jump Feet First into Hell!) which quickly gained a reputation as a brutal but effective fighting force. They are often referred to as 'elite' and seem to have a class of their own, often coming right after the Brutes, Elites, and Spartans.

Barring the personnel of the SPARTAN programs, ODSTs are one of the most effective forms of troops available to the UNSC, and the expectations placed on ODST units made them all-volunteer outfits, with some outsiders regarding such volunteers as 'crazy'.[3] By 2552 their strength had swelled to a larger number of divisions in an attempt to fill the demands of the Human-Covenant War.

Some ODSTs actively participated in training the SPARTAN-IIs, but the efficiency of that program was demonstrated when a single SPARTAN-II killed three ODSTs and left one severely wounded during an exercise. These fatalities resulted in ODSTs having a disdain of the SPARTANS, as they were "Freaks" in Silva's case and not even worthy of being Human.

Operations

File:1208308449 200 pageviews yay by zaku0909.jpg
An ODST serves as a Designated Marksman against Loyalist forces, as his teammate provides covering fire.

ODSTs are known for their unorthodox methods of insertion, including orbital drops onto terrestrial environments.

Similar to regular Marines, the ODSTs maintain units of varying strength aboard many UNSC vessels and installations. ODST units were present aboard the UNSC Atlas, the UNSC In Amber Clad, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, and Cairo Station[4].

While they are human, they are, overall, very different from marines in the sense that they take the most dangerous, crazy, and suicidal missions. They have no physical differences between the Marines, but they are always ready to "Jump feet first into hell" as their motto goes (This motto comes from the intense heat inside the HEV drop pods. The heat inside these pods is what coined the nickname 'Hell Jumpers'[5]), and dive into fights they may not return from, which shows an outstanding level of courage, honor, valor and sometimes, pure insanity. Due to this reputation, some contingents amongst the UNSC Navy believe that the ODST soldiers are peculiar, and the ODSTs think that UNSC personnel, due to the fact that they stay in space, rather than join in the fight below.

They also drop into areas that are under heavy fire, or are heavily guarded by enemy troops. Their primary objective for these situations is to clear the enemies and set up an LZ for Pelican drop ships to land or deploy Marine reinforcements. Without the use of the ODST clearing an area, the Pelicans would be unable to land. An example of this is on Delta Halo, during the events of Halo 2. The ODSTs, accompanied by the Master Chief, must clear a landing zone so that Pelicans could drop off a Warthog. Because of the nature of their missions, many dead ODST troops can be found lying on the floor in the Halo games.

Equipment

The Orbital Drop Shock Troopers use advanced equipment, specifically made for their purpose and missions.

Body Suit

Main article: Body Suit
File:Odst13.jpg
ODST helmets as depicted in the Halo 3 "Arms Race" trailer.

The ODST's, in addition to using normal Marine equipment, use a specially made body suit. It is completely black and sealed off, allowing for extra-vehicular operations and makes them immune to being infected by flood. It has heating and cooling systems to mask the infrared signature of the wearer, and it also has a oxygen tank capable of allowing 15 minutes in space. The helmet contains state of the art communications gear, along with a HUD and thermal and motion detectors.

During the Battle of the Ark, the ODST's appear to have colors on their shoulder armor which may denote ranking. There were 3-4 "whites" along with one "red," possibly meaning a red patch stands for Squad Leader or the Sergeant, while white would be more akin to a Squad Member, this is very likely due to the fact that he is far more aggressive than the other ODST's and that he also often leads his teammates into combat. A white patch with a red cross symbolizes a squad medic. (It also bears noticing that in cut scenes showing ODSTs, their shoulder armor does not show any color and just appear black. This is, however, due to how the cinematic were designed for the game.)

Human Entry Vehicles

Main article: Human Entry Vehicle
Size comparison of an ODST and his HEV.

The Human Entry Vehicle (HEV) is a tear-drop shaped pod made of Titanium-A, Lead Foil, and a ceramic skin. They are known for their risky use, as they can die either from the intense heat on re-entry, the extreme G-forces, the force of hitting a terrestrial target, or, the parachute may not open to slow the HEV down. This is the main reason why many consider the ODSTs to be "insane".

The HEV also carries weapons, ammunition, food, a radio, and a cubicle for shelter in case the ODST is ever dropped off target or they need to fight immediately when they hit the ground.

Armed Assault Boats

Main article: Armed Assault Boats

Armed Assault Boats were aerial vehicles used by the UNSC Navy and UNSC Marine Corps to deploy Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. However, the armed assault boats proved to be ineffective, taking heavy fire once within ground firing range and they were also very slow. The UNSC Navy had ultimately replaced them with the HEV's. [6]

Notable Actions

ODSTs were on board the Pillar of Autumn upon the discovery of Alpha Halo. An ODST group led by Major Antonio Silva was later instrumental in frustrating Covenant attempts to purge the ring-world of the Pillar of Autumn's survivors. [7]

Members of the 7th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Battalion would go into the Outskirts of New Mombasa in support of the capture of the Prophet of Regret. They were in a separate Pelican fired upon by a Scarab. They fought through the outskirts before linking up to the main UNSC advance. Their battle is showcased in the bonus video: Another Day at the Beach.

Members of the 7th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Battalion would later drop from In Amber Clad onto Delta Halo. They then cleared a landing zone so that a Warthog could be deployed for John-117. Later, they were dropped from the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn to assist John-117 again, during the Battle of Installation 00 near the Ark and the Citadel [8].

Two ODSTs fought in the Battle of Pawas in 2552. Bravo-21 and Bravo-22, were tasked with calculating the crash site of the Master Chief on Earth, while a Marine Battalion was tasked with defending a narrow corridor between Covenant and UNSC forces in Pakistan. Bravo-21 and numerous Marines were killed in the fighting, while Bravo-22 was injured along with the other marine survivors

List of known ODSTs

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Known ODST Units

File:ODST.png
ODST shoulder patch

Trivia

  • ODSTs only appear in five levels in the Halo series. The levels are Delta Halo and Cairo Station (Halo 2), The Ark, The Covenant, and Cortana (Only dead in Cortana and Cairo Station). The nature of the dead ODST in the flood infested High Charity on the level Cortana is not known.
  • According to Halo: First Strike, ODST's wear and sport normal Marine uniforms during the Battle of Installation 04, rather than their space suits.
  • On the right side of an ODST's body armor is a Chinese character which, when translated, means roughly complete Bad Ass, a reference to the ODST's hardcore attitude. Next to the character is the marathon symbol. Putting these symbols together spells the Chinese word "混蛋", also meaning "Badass" or "Bastard" .
  • The ODST with the Flamethrower has a Marathon symbol on his chest, which is found on the level "Cortana."
The logo on the ODST
  • ODSTs can also be deployed in Long Range HEVs or "Para-sails" from long distances away from the planet.
  • The ODSTs are very similar to the Mobile Infantry from Robert Heinlen's Novel Starship Troopers, in that they use drop pods to reach a planet's surface, and they sport a fully-sealed body suit. However, they are deployed very differently to the Mobile Infantry, working in conventional squads instead of each trooper being spread out over many miles.
  • Onboard the UNSC Carrier Atlas, Spartan-117 had a confrontational moment with four ODSTs in the ship's gym. John had removed a pin from the weights at the bench press, and forgot to put it back. The ODSTs walked into the gym and went straight to the bench press. The weights fell and almost crushed one of the soldiers' foot. A fight ensued and John killed two of the ODSTs and severely injured the others. Ever since then, relations between the Spartans and the ODSTs have had tensed and uneasy relations.[9][10] This does not seem to stop them from working to their utmost efficiency during the Battle of the Ark.<ref>Halo 3 Level The Ark</ref
  • There is an ODST helmet Armor permutation in multiplayer that is unlocked by gaining enough experience to be a Spartan Recruit.
  • The CQB Armor permutations shoulder pads and chest plating look roughly like the pads for the ODST's (even though the C.Q.B. knife is in the frontal chest plate).
  • ODSTs only appear in two levels in Halo 2, Cairo Station (although dead) and in Delta Halo.
  • ODSTs are able to survive multiple head shots from headshot capable weapons, unlike normal Marines in which it will be an instant kill.
  • In Halo: The Fall of Reach, it is stated that the infamous 105th had a reputation for brutality even against fellow soldiers.
  • Before the SPARTANS came, the ODSTs were the best of the UNSC infantry.
  • Their primary weapon is the SMG.
  • In the Halo 3 level The Ark the three ODST soldiers appear to have rank stripes on their arms, red and white, with red appearing to be the squad leader amongst them.
  • ODST units have longer range of attack than standard Marines and even Elites able to snipe and fire heavy weapons and vehicle mounted weapons from great distances.
  • The ODST's helmet is available in multiplayer.

Related Articles

Images

  • ODST-Battle-Rifle.jpg

    An ODST with a Battle Rifle.

  • ODSTbattlerifle.JPG

    A pair of ODSTs attack on Delta Halo.

  • MC and ODSTs.jpg

    Two ODSTs and the Master Chief ready for battle.

  • Odst2.png

    An ODST with a Battle Rifle in a knelt firing position.

  • Halo3ODST.JPG

    ODST Concept Art for Halo 3.

  • ODSTs in their Human Entry Vehicles

    ODSTs in their Human Entry Vehicles

  • ODSTonArk.jpg

    An ODST standing in the sand on the Ark.

  • ODSTsinPelican.jpg

    Two ODSTs next to a Marine on their way down to the Ark in a Pelican.

  • Halo 3 ODST.jpg

    An ODST and his Battle Rifle

  • Two ODSTs in a fight against a Brute.

    Two ODSTs in a fight against a Brute.

  • An ODST--along with two Marines--and the Arbiter.

    An ODST--along with two Marines--and the Arbiter.

  • ODST red.jpg

    An ODST firing on loyalist forces.

  • 1204677264 ODST Sniper.jpg

    An ODST sharpshooter on The Ark.

  • ODSTStacker helmetless.jpg

    Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker.

  • ODST Trooper.PNG

    An ODST with typical equipment.

  • Three ODSTs engage in combat on the Ark.

    Three ODSTs engage in combat on the Ark.

  • ODST helmet is unlockable in multiplayer.

    ODST helmet is unlockable in multiplayer.

  • Odstsinpelican.jpg

    A squad of ODSTs in a Pelican.

  • An ODST prepares to engage a Brute Pack.

    An ODST prepares to engage a Brute Pack.

  • Halo 3 ODST's.png

    An ODST squad.

  • An ODST Squad Leader giving orders.

    An ODST Squad Leader giving orders.

Sources

  1. ^ http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/storyline.htm
  2. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach
  3. ^ Halo: The Flood, page 35
  4. ^ Halo 2. Four dead ODSTs can be seen in the first level.
  5. ^ Halo: The Flood. In Halo: The Flood, on pg. 35, near the bottom, it describes the intense heat in the pod and how that is why the ODSTs are nicknamed Helljumpers.
  6. ^ Halo: The Flood, need page number
  7. ^ Halo: The Flood The ODSTs are never referred to in Halo: Combat Evolved, although it is possible that they were wearing standard marine uniforms in the game.
  8. ^ Halo 3, level The Ark and The Covenant (Level)
  9. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach
  10. ^ Halo: The Flood
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