21st Illician Rangers

21st Illician Rangers
Twenty-first Illician Rangers
Nickname Drop-And-Stop
Affiliation Mercenary
Parent Command Illician Lancers


The Twenty-first Illician Rangers was a regiment of the Illician Lancers.

History[edit]

Formed for airborne missions and other special force tasks, in the past the unit included enough DropShips to support a quick relocation. The unit worked closely together with the Star League Defense Force as instructors. During the Succession Wars, they lost most of their sophisticated equipment and reorganized for their new operations. The Lancers worked for the AFFS (and later the AFFC) for the last two centuries, and were a feared opponent in the CCAF.

In the Third Succession War elements of the Twenty-first Illician Lancers faced the Black Widow Company on Galtor III.[1]

The Twenty-first Rangers, along with the 4th Rangers and two other mercenary regiments (the 2nd Cunningham's Commandos[2] and Federated Freemen[3]) captured Gei-Fu. The 3rd Capellan Defense Force had no chance and were annihilated. Later in the Operation the regiment captured Imalda. The Fifth Capellan Reserve Cavalry with support of the Death Commandos forced the Twenty-first to a retreat.[4]

After the end of the Jihad, the Twenty-First Illician Rangers were stationed on Keuterville, a world along the Federated Suns/Taurian Concordat border.[5]

During the ilClan Era, the Lancers were relocated to the Dragon's Tongue area, playing some part in the reconquest. In early 3152, the Twenty-first Rangers was stationed on the planet Brundage, on the Combine frontier, and were attacked by the Forty-fifth New Samarkand Regulars in a three-week campaign which forced the Lancers to retreat, leaving the world to the Combine.[6]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 21st Illician Rangers
Colonel Roy Barnard 3050 - 3059[7][8][9]
Colonel Aynsley Zibler 3067
Colonel Kenneth Ramaley 3145[10]

Tactics[edit]

The Twenty-first specializes in airborne operations and high-risk combat insertions, and regularly performs maneuvers that most others would never consider.

Dragoon Ratings[edit]

Dragoon Rating: Unrated

Composition History[edit]

2786 - 2821[edit]

21st Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[11]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Rahne. In 2821 the command was reduced to 35 percent of its strength and was deployed on Alkes.[11]

2830[edit]

21st Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[12]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Alkes with an operational readiness of 62 percent.[12]

2864[edit]

21st Rangers (Regiment/Elite/Reliable)[12]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Alkes with an operational readiness of 39percent.[12]

3025[edit]

21st Illician Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[13]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Jonzac.

3040[edit]

21st Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[14]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Mendham.[14]

3050[edit]

2nd Illician Lancers (21st Rangers) (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[7]

  • CO: Colonel Roy Barnard[7]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Mendham.[7]

3054[edit]

2nd Illician Lancers (21st Rangers) (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[8]

  • CO: Colonel Roy Barnard[8]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Mendham.[8]

3059[edit]

21st Illician Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[9]

  • CO: Colonel Roy Barnard[9]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Mendham.[9]

3067[edit]

21st Illician Rangers (1 Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)

- 7 Companies are Jump-capable - 2 Companies without Jump Jets are grouped separately

13th Illician Air Guard (1 Reinforced Wings/Elite/Fanatical)

  • CO: Major Duilio Arquette

- 3 Squadrons for close ground support through heavy fighters - 3 Flies for cargo duties

25th Armored Cavalry Regiment (1 Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)

  • CO: Lieutenant Colonel Stephanie Wayland

- 1 Battalion design for assault combat - 2 Battalions with lighter equipment

55th Mechanized Cavalry (1 Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)

  • CO: Lieutenant Colonel Larry Patton

- Trained as paratroopers and in the use of Jump Packs - They can operate for a longer period without support

3079[edit]

21st Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[15]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Keuterville.[15] The 21st Illician Rangers were reduced to two-thirds of their pre-Jihad strength.[5]

3145[edit]

21st Illician Rangers (Veteran/Reliable)[10]

  • CO: Colonel Kenneth Ramaley

References[edit]

  1. Tales of the Black Widow Company, pp. 18–19
  2. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 47
  3. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 52
  4. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 73
  5. 5.0 5.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 20
  6. Dominions Divided p. 69
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 20 Year Update, p. 21
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Objective Raids, p. 15
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 108
  10. 10.0 10.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 182: "Notable Mercenary Forces - Federated Suns"
  11. 11.0 11.1 First Succession War, p. 140
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Second Succession War, p. 100
  13. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 147
  14. 14.0 14.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 141
  15. 15.0 15.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 19

Bibliography[edit]