View source for 3rd FedCom RCT

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image          = [[Image:FedCom Corps 03rd logo.png|150px]]
| Designation    = 3rd FedCom RCT
| formed         = [[3034]]<ref name=FMFS/>
| Disbanded      = [[3063]]<ref name=FCCWp58/><small>(destroyed)</small>
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname       = The Penitents
| Affiliation    = [[Federated Commonwealth]]<br/><small>(3034 - 3062)</small>
----
[[Loyalist (FCCW)|Loyalists]]<br/><small>(3062 - 3063)</small>
| Parent Command = [[Federated Commonwealth Corps]]
| Sub-Command    = 
}}

The '''3rd FedCom [[RCT]]''' had a history of service on the world of [[Sarna]] until the [[Operation Guerrero|Marik-Liao offensive of 3057]].  The unit being deployed off world during its fall caused its personnel to think they had failed in their duty to protect it.

==History==
===Founding and Early History===
Formed in [[3034]], The Third Federated Commonwealth RCT recruited from both the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] and [[Federated Suns]] member states in an attempt to build loyalty to the [[Federated Commonwealth]] as a whole. The unit was posted to the world of Sarna, where the RCT built a strong relationship with that world's people over the two decades they were there.  The unit was briefly assigned to [[Sadalbari]] during the [[War of 3039]] and scored several victories against the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] while part of a joint task force with the [[Fifth Davion Guards]], but was eventually driven off world.  They suffered heavy losses in the Draconis counterattack and abandoned three DropShips as they retreated, which eventually fell into the hands of the Combine.<ref name=HW3039>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 46–47</ref>  After the war's conclusion, they returned to Sarna to rest and refit.

The Third FedCom did not see any further action until [[3049]], when the [[Free Worlds League]]'s [[2nd Marik Militia]] raided Sarna in response to flawed intelligence that underestimated the strength of its defenses. The Third FedCom inflicted heavy losses on the shocked Second Marik Militia, forcing the [[LCCC]] to order the [[12th Atrean Dragoons|Twelfth Atrean Dragoons]] to extricate the Second from the world.  Though they took severe damage in the process, the Third FedCom was successful in driving off both of the heavily battered [[FWLM]] units with the aid of the planetary militia and the [[Sarna Martial Academy Cadre]].<ref name=FMFS>''Field Manual: Federated Suns'', p. 92</ref><ref name=FMFWL-52>''Field Manual: Free Worlds League'', p. 52: "Atrean Dragoons - 12th Atrean Dragoons"</ref><ref name=FMFWL-55>''Field Manual: Free Worlds League'', p. 55: "Marik Militia - 2nd Marik Militia: The Fates"</ref>

===Operation GUERRERO===
In [[3056]], the Third FedCom was redeployed to [[New Earth]] so that they would be strategically positioned to respond to a [[Free_Skye_Movement#The_Rebellion_of_3056|predicted Skye Rebellion]], but the conflict fizzled out before they saw any action.  They remained on New Earth until the summer of [[3057]], when they were ordered to return to Sarna.  The Third only made it as far as [[New Aragon]] before the Marik-Liao offensive of 3057 launched. The RCT could only look on helplessly as the [[Sarna March]] fragmented under rival claimants and became the [[Chaos March]].  When Sarna eventually fell to the [[Capellan Confederation]], the Third FedCom believed that they had failed in their promise to protect the world.  Many Third FedCom members blamed [[Victor Steiner-Davion]], both for taking actions that instigated Operation Guerrero and for redeploying them from the world.  These anti-Victor personnel argued for joining the [[LAAF]] at [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]]'s request.  Others in the RCT, though not supporters of Victor, believed that by leaving their post they would be abandoning the former Sarna March and also abandoning any hope of reclaiming the world that they saw as home.  They eventually chose to remain in the Davion-controlled half of the Federated Commonwealth.<ref name=FMFS/>

===FedCom Civil War===
Along with the [[Twelfth Vegan Rangers]], the Third FedCom RCT remained on New Aragon to act as that world's garrison while the [[First Aragon Borderers]] participated in [[Operation BULLDOG]].  They remained there even after the Borderers returned.  New Aragon, though, was a contested world prior to the FedCom Civil War, as the planet's population and units were split between the pro-Katherine (Loyalist) and pro-Victor (Allied) camps.  The Third FedCom was given several orders to relocate offworld by higher commanders, but delayed, made excuses, and stalled.  When fighting between Loyalist and Allied forces broke out on [[Kathil]] both [[Leftenant General]] Jimmie Kirston and Valexa PDZ commander Marshall Piper Burullo saw the Third FedCom's wavering morale and refusal to follow orders as a threat.  They gave one last order to withdraw from [[New Aragon]], offering the use of the First Aragon Borderers' JumpShips and DropShips to facilitate the move if necessary.  The Third FedCom's commander, [[Hauptmann General]] Charles Finnigan confirmed the receipt of the order and began to mobilize his forces.<ref name=FCCWp28>''FedCom Civil War'', pp. 28–29</ref>

This mobilization, however, was not to leave the planet but to instead march on the First Aragon Borderers' headquarters in Alexandria.  As intelligence reports detected the advancing column of Third FedCom forces, Kirston contacted General [[Tom Stancel]] of the [[Twelfth Vegan Rangers]] and organized a surprise attack on the now openly rebellious unit.  On 9 December, the Rangers combat dropped in the center of the Third FedCom's column, and in the resulting chaos over a third of the RCT's forces were killed or captured.<ref name=FCCWp28/>

As the First Aragon Borderers used rapid DropShip redeployment to attack the other fragments of the column, the Third FedCom fell into various sub units.  The Rangers and Borderers used this confusion to attempt an attack on two towns held by the Third FedCom.  The Allied forces managed to secure one of the towns but were driven back by reorganizing Third FedCom forces.  Finnigan used this opportunity to marshal his forces and pushed an assault on Alexandria, heavily damaging the Borderers defenders there.  Only the prompt arrival of the Rangers caused the RCT to fall back, and both forces fell to skirmishing.  Eventually both the Third FedCom and the Allies fell back to their respective bases of operation.  On 4 January, Kirston and his Borderers launched another assault on Third FedCom forces, but suffered heavy losses as his troops were slowed by the rough terrain and picked off by the combined-arms defense of the Third.  Again, the Rangers rode to the rescue, combat dropping onto the battlefield and clearing the Borderers an escape corridor.  The Allies used this shift in initiative to maintain a two-week siege but were eventually forced to withdraw, with the Borderers limping from the field with less than a battalion of active BattleMechs.<ref name=FCCWp28/>

Growing very tired of the Rangers running to reinforce Borderer units in trouble, Finnigan devised a cunning trap for the Allies.  He sent out a large contingent to find and fix an element of the Borderers.  When the beleaguered Borderers called for help and the Rangers dropped in a battalion to assist, Finnigan took the bulk of his forces and attacked their base.  Though he and his forces were driven off, he had managed to destroy or cripple most of the mercenaries' DropShips and steal several tons of supplies.  Both sides again fell to probing, skirmishing, and raiding as they desperately attempted to repair and refit their bloodied units.  In April, one of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers probes led by [[General]] Stancel believed they had found a weak point in the Third's defensive line and moved to attack.  This weak point proved to be another ruse, and the Rangers were quickly surrounded by Third FedCom troops.  The First Aragon Borderers dropped in to rescue the Rangers and though they succeeded in extracting the Allied force, were whittled down to just three lances of operational BattleMechs.<ref name=FCCWp58>''FedCom Civil War'', pp. 58–59</ref>

Seeing his opportunity to hit both weakened units, Finnigan ordered a counterassault.  A ten-day bloodbath ensued, and in desperation, the Rangers and Borderers dropped right on top of the Third FedCom's headquarters.  Hauptmann-General Finnigan, riding out to meet the assault in his [[Devastator]], was engaged and killed by Allied 'Mechs.  Lacking a commander and with their headquarters unit fleeing or dead, the Third FedCom fell to pieces.  The Allies pressed the attack and though the Third FedCom put up a savage resistance for a month and a half, they were eventually cornered.  On 11 May, after a six-hour battle, the Third FedCom was routed.  Two-thirds of its remaining forces were killed or captured by the Allies and the remainder fled, disappearing into the native population.<ref name=FCCWp58/>

As the Federated Commonwealth Civil War marked the end of the Federated Commonwealth, the Third FedCom was never reconstituted.  They were removed from the active rosters and forgotten.

==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 FedCom RCT'''
|-
| [[Major General]]||[[Anya Tam]]||[[3039]]<ref name=H3039p45>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 45–47: "Wave One - Sadalbari"</ref>
|-
| [[Leftenant General]]||[[Dane Cooper]]||[[3039]]<ref name=H3039p96>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 96: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Sadalbari"</ref>
|-
| [[Hauptmann General]]||[[Gregory Sykes]]||[[3050]] - [[3058]]<ref name=FMFS/>
|-
| [[Hauptmann General]]||[[Charles Finnigan]]||[[3058]]<ref name=FMFS/> - [[3063]]<ref name=FCCWp58/>
|-
|}

==Tactics==
The Third FedCom trained in defensive tactics, and used its engineering battalion to build fortifications and field emplacements which were utilized to good effect by by its vehicles and BattleMechs.<ref name=FMFS/>

==Composition History==
===3040===
''' 3rd FedCom RCT''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=HWo3039p136/>
:*Base: [[Sarna]]<ref name=HWo3039p136>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 136</ref>

===3050===
'''3rd FedCom RCT ''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=20yup23/>
:* CO: Hauptmann General Gregory Sykes<ref name=20yup23/>
:* Base: [[Sarna]]<ref name=20yup23>''20 Year Update'', p. 23</ref>

===3054===
'''3rd FedCom RCT''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=ORp17/>
:* CO: Hauptmann General Gregory Sykes<ref name=ORp17/>
:* Base: [[Sarna]]<ref name=ORp17>''Objective Raids'', p. 17</ref>

===3062===
'''3rd FedCom RCT''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FMFS/>
* CO: Hauptmann-General Charles Finnigan<ref name=FMFS/>
** Aide: [[Kommandant]] [[Pat Rutherford]]
:* Base: [[New Aragon]]<ref name=FMFS/>

'''3rd FedCom AeroSpace Brigade'''
* CO: [[Leftenant General]] [[Fred Perry]]

'''3rd FedCom Armor Brigade''' (3 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)
* CO: Leftenant General [[Shaw Millikan]]
** Aide: Kommandant [[George McMahon]]
* 3rd FedCom Recon Regiment: Leftenant General [[Sara Robbins]]
* 3rd FedCom Heavy Armor: Leftenant General [[Esteban Norton]]
* 3rd FedCom Armored Cavalry: Leftenant General [[Mitchell Fellows]]
The Armor Brigade also contained artillery and air defense detachments, including a company of [[Partisan]] tanks equipped with [[C3]] systems for anti-air operations.

'''3rd FedCom Infantry Brigade''' (5 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)
* CO: Leftenant General [[Jessica Mao]]
** Aide: Kommandant [[Bernhard Biesterfeld]]
* 5th FedCom Infantry Regiment: Leftenant General Jessica Mao
* 6th FedCom Infantry Regiment: Leftenant General [[Edward Dowlais]]
* 5th FedCom Mechanized Infantry: Leftenant General [[Roland Knox]]
* 6th FedCom Mechanized Infantry: Leftenant General [[Lavinia Strutt]]
* 3rd FedCom Jump Infantry: Leftenant General [[George Baldwin]]
The jump infantry regiment had several platoons of [[Infiltrator Mk II]] [[Battle Armor]] on top of its standard [[Cavalier]] complement.

==Color Scheme and Unit Insignia==
The Third FedCom RCT, mourning the loss of their adopted homeworld, has taken to painting the 'Mechs and vehicles jet black.  Instead of wearing the insignia of the Federated Commonwealth, they opted to use their own logo, a stylized map of Sarna emblazoned in white on a red rectangle.<ref name=FMFS/>

==Reference==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Federated Suns]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Free Worlds League]]''
* ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]''


[[Category:Federated Commonwealth Commands|FedCom RCT, 03rd]]