Editing 3rd Dragonlords

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image = [[image:Dragonlords -Brigade logo.png|150px|Brigade Insignia of the Dragonlords]]
| Designation = Third Dragonlords
| Formed = ca. 2572
| Disbanded = 
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname = Golden Flame Riders
| Affiliation = [[Federated Suns]]
| Parent Command = [[Dragonlords]]
| Sub-Command = 
}}

==History==
=== Formation ===
The origins of the '''Third Dragonlords''' - nicknamed the "Golden Flame Riders" - lay in the formation of the [[Star League]] and the establishment of the [[Star League Defense Force]]. With the significant drawdown of military forces in the wake of the formation of the SLDF, large quantities of military personnel - including some of the best and brightest - found themselves unemployed. Many carried on with the only skills they had, engaging in piracy and brigandage; as a result, the Star League initiated the [[United Triumph Military Exercises]] (UTEs) in [[2572]] as an attempt to deal with some of the problems.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15">''Field Report 2765: AFFS'', p. 15: "Dragonlords"</ref>

The [[Davion Brigade of Guards]] were due to be dispatched to take part in the UTEs; as the Guards were responsible for protecting the five core Golden Worlds of the [[Federated Suns]] - [[New Avalon]], [[Argyle]], [[Belladonna]], [[El Dorado]] and [[Torrence]] - the [[House Davion|Davion clans]] on those five worlds funded the creation of five temporary garrison units, supplying them with the best and heaviest equipment and recruiting the finest of the recently-discharged veterans from the [[Armed Forces of the Federated Suns]] as manpower. These five temporary units - of which the Third was one - were never disbanded, as the outbreak of the [[Reunification War]] saw the AFFS in need of trained combat formations.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

=== Reunification War ===
The Third and the other regiments of the Dragonlords were all deployed against various of the Periphery States during the Reunification War, with all of the [[brigade]] seeing heavy action. The performance of the various regiments earned them a fixed place in the AFFS as front-line commands.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

=== Star League Era ===
When the [[Star League]] Council issued the [[Council Edict of 2650]] limiting the size of the military each [[Great House]] was allowed to maintain, the AFFS was required to drawdown in strength sharply, as were the other militaries of the [[Inner Sphere]]. The Third was one of three regiments within the Dragonlords to draw down to just a single [[battalion]] as a result of the manpower and unit reductions mandated by the Council Edict.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

When the Star League Council repealed the Edict of 2650 in [[2752]]<ref name="FR:FS2765p3">''Field Report 2765: AFFS'', p. 3: "Strategic Update"</ref> the Dragonlords quickly returned to full strength as a brigade. The Dragonlords' quick return to full strength was made possible by the [[Preparedness Act|rearmament program]] put in place by [[Richard Davion]], which had seen each active [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] within the Dragonlords issued two [[BattleMech]]s, and the strong and active training program for reserves on each of the Golden Worlds, which generated a pool of trained manpower to draw upon.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

As tensions in the [[Periphery]] rose almost the entire of the Dragonlords - including the Third - were deployed to worlds along the border between the Federated Suns and the [[Taurian Concordat]]. Morale within the Third and the other regiments climbed steadily following their deployment as a result of the prospect of fighting old enemies once more.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

The Third's deployment to [[Warren]] in or around [[2760]] wasn't without incident, however; during a routine landing the ''[[Leopard]]''-class [[DropShip]] transporting the Third's command lance was lost with all hands - including Colonel Zibler, the commanding officer. Before the Third could descend into chaos [[Major]] [[Susan Watters]] quickly stepped up to take command of the regiment, ensuring that the deployment continued smoothly and providing the required leadership.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

Major Watters was promoted to Colonel shortly after and her position as commanding officer of the Third was confirmed; she promptly arranged and launched an urban warfare simulation to distract the regiment from dwelling on its losses and to hone the regiment's skills.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

==Officers==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Rank
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Name
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Command
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: #efefef;" | '''Commanding Officers of the 3rd Dragonlords'''
|-
| [[Colonel]]||Zibler||[[2760]]<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>
|-
| Colonel||[[Susan Watters]]||2760 - [[2765]]<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>
|}

==Tactics==
The Third were noted for their proficiency in urban warfare.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/>

==Composition History==

=== 2765 ===
'''Third Dragonlords''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name="FR:FS2765p15A">''Field Report 2765: AFFS'', p. 15: "Regimental Status"</ref>
:- The Third were stationed on [[Warren]] at this point in time.<ref name="FR:FS2765p15A"/>

=== 2786–2821 ===
'''Third Dragonlords''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name="FSWp134">''First Succession War'', p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"</ref>
:- At this point in time the Third was a medium-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Warren.<ref name="FSWp134"/> In 2821 the unit was operating at just over one-third of full strength.<ref name="FSWp134"/>

=== 2830 ===
'''3rd Dragonlords''' (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=2SWp95>''Second Succession War'', p. 95</ref>
: Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on [[Warren]] with an operational readiness of 68 percent.<ref name=2SWp95/>

=== 2864 ===
'''3rd Dragonlords''' (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=2SWp95/>
: Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on [[Warren]] with an operational readiness of 45 percent.<ref name=2SWp95/>

==Notes==
* ''Field Report 2765: AFFS'' attributes the Preparedness Act of 2735 to both [[Richard Davion]]<ref name="FR:FS2765p3"/> and [[Roger Davion (27th c.)|Roger Davion]].<ref name="FR:FS2765p15"/> Because other sources indicate that Richard Davion was First Prince in 2735, and that Roger Davion died in 2703, the latter attribution is probably an error.
* The Third Dragonlords and the other regiments of the brigade were presumably destroyed or disbanded during the later [[Succession Wars (History)|Succession Wars]].

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Report 2765: AFFS]]''
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)|First Succession War]]''
* ''[[Second Succession War (sourcebook)|Second Succession War]]''


[[Category:Federated Suns Commands|Dragonlords, 03rd]]