View source for 59th Strike Regiment

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image = [[File:Illician59thrangers.png|150px|59th Strike Regiment]]
| Designation = 59th Strike Regiment
| Formed = [[2572]]<ref name="MSp39">''Mercenaries Supplemental'', p. 39: "Illician Lancers"</ref>
| Disbanded = 
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname = Bradley's Bad Boys
| Affiliation = [[Mercenary]]
| Parent Command = [[Illician Lancers]]
| Sub-Command = 
}}
==History==

===Formation===
One of the founding regiments of the [[Illician Lancers]] mercenary [[brigade]], the '''59th Strike Regiment''' earned the nickname "Bradley's Bad Boys" three years after their founding. The 59th was deployed to the world of [[Valentina]] in [[2575]] to chase down rogue soldiers left unemployed as a result of the formation of the [[Star League]] and the [[Star League Defense Force]]. The 59th finally cornered the rebels, but discovered that not only was it a strong rebel force, but that the rebels had the backing of the SLDF [[division]] present on Valentina at the same time.<ref name="MSp40">''Mercenaries Supplemental'', p. 40: "59th Strike Regiment: Bradley's Bad Boys"</ref>

Commanded by [[Colonel]] [[William Bradley]], the first of nine Bradleys to command the [[regiment]], the 59th were outnumbered from the outset, but Bradley devised an aggressive plan that saw the 59th concentrate their forces against a particular point in the SLDF lines. The 59th was able to punch through the SLDF lines and make fast gains against the opposing forces. First capturing the SLDF division commander, the 59th then struck a series of rebel supply camps before capturing an SLDF brigade and its staging base. The 59th then struck out from the base used by that captured brigade, using the brigade's own equipment, pushing the SLDF division into retreating; the Illician Lancers then crushed the remaining rebel troops and helped round up the remains of the rogue division. This earned the 59th the First Lord's Citation, the highest SLDF unit award possible at the time.<ref name="MSp40"/>

===Succession Wars===
The [[CCAF]] learned to fear this regiment in the past decades, first in [[3039]] and later as opponent in the [[Capellan Civil War]]. The 59th was still rebuilding from losses taken during the Capellan Civil War and had to sit out the [[FedCom Civil War]], remaining on [[Hadnall]] until the end of the war.<ref name="MSp40"/>

===Jihad===
The 59th Strike Regiment secured [[Tsingtao]] for Duke [[George Hasek II|George Hasek]] during [[Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE]] but were unable to defend the planet against [[Vong's Grenadiers]] during the counterinvasion due to supply problems. General Bradley and the 59th fought a war of attrition against the Grenadiers, determined to hold on to Tsintgao for as long as possible; the 59th were finally forced to retreat to [[Redfield]] after both units had been ground down to half-strength and the [[AFFS]] supply lines into the 59th dried up. It was subsequently reported that as the Illician Lancers rebuilt, General Bradley was considering moving into a more active role involving the other regiments, leaving the 59th as command regiment under the command of [[Colonel]] [[Neal Grimm]] .<ref name="MSUp73">''Mercenaries Supplemental Update'', p. 73: "Illician Lancers"</ref>

After the end of the [[Jihad]], the 59th Strike Regiment was stationed on [[Mandaree]], a world along the [[Federated Suns]]/[[Taurian Concordat]] border.<ref name="fra20">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 20</ref>

The 59th Strike Regiment deployed on the occupied world of [[Ridgebrook]] in May [[3080]] alongside the [[Syrtis Avengers]] as a part of [[Operation MATADOR]], the [[AFFS]] counteroffensive against the Taurian Concordat. The campaign for Ridgebrook should have been short; the overall commander of Operation MATADOR, [[Field Marshal]] [[Nathaniel Hasek]], was leading the Syrtis Avengers, his personal regiment. The defending [[Concordat Jaegers]] were heavily outnumbered, the AFFS was intimately familiar with Ridgebrook and there was an active local resistance against the Concordat on what had been a major world in the [[Capellan March]]. Instead, the AFFS forces were unable to capitalize on their advantages, and the death of Field Marshal Hasek in a Taurian ambush on the 14th of June led to a chain of command struggle between the Avengers and the 59th Striker. Adding to the AFFS' woes was the announcement from the Taurian forces on Ridgebrook that the major cities on the planet had been mined with nuclear weapons. The announcement came on the same day that Field Marshal Hasek was killed, and the Taurians stated that if the AFFS moved into any of the cities the nukes would be detonated, destroying the Federated Suns units and killing large numbers of civilians.<ref name="J:FRp27">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 27: "A World Held Hostage"</ref>

This combination of events resulted in the battle for Ridgebrook becoming something of a stalemate, with combat operations limited to small engagements away from the cities; complicating things for the 59th Striker and the other AFFS forces was the arrival of the [[First Taurian Lancers]] in June, who managed to successfully run the blockade of the system and reinforce the Jaegers.<ref name="J:FRp27"/>

===Dark Age===
The Lancers participated in [[Julian Davion]]'s [[Operation CERBERUS]], the reconquest of [[New Syrtis]] from the [[Capellan Confederation]]. They succeeded, but at a high cost: Colonel Ryan Bradley was killed, and his XO, Luciana Morales, replaced him.<ref>''Riptides''</ref>

===ilClan Era===
The end of the Dark Age found the Lancers still in the Capellan Front, on [[Kafr Silim]], forgotten. Morales was blamed for the New Syrtis disaster, and Julian Davion no longer trusted them. Surprisingly, everything changed with the arrival of the [[Clan Sea Fox]] [[Fox Khanate]] saKhan [[Ya'el Labov]], who helped Morales to become the Lancers' new general and negotiated with Julian Davion to return the Lancers to the Draconis Combine front lines, succeeding.<ref>''Riptides''</ref>

Part of the Lancers was moved to the Combine border, but when risk of a new fight with the Capellans grew, Julian moved the 59th to that border, to prevent an possible Capellan attack.<ref>''Dominions divided'', pp. 53</ref>

=== [[Resurgence|Resurgence Era Update]] ===
After the peace created by [[Danai Liao]] and [[Erik Sandoval-Groell]] the entirety of the Illician Lancers were recalled to New Avalon to aid against the encroaching Word of Blake forces under the command of Avitue. The 59th, 21st, and 4th regiments were all reunited for the first time in many years.<ref name="Resurgence">[[Resurgence]]</ref>

==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 59th Strike Regiment'''
|-
| [[Colonel]]||[[William Bradley]]|| <ref name="MSp40"/>
|-
| [[General]]||[[Brenda Bradley]]||[[3050]] - [[3085]]<ref name=20yup21/><ref name=ORp43>''Objective Raids'', p. 43: "St. Ives Military Forces"</ref><ref name="MSp40"/><ref name=FM3085p160>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 160: "Notable Mercenary Forces Deployment Table"</ref>
|-
| [[Colonel]]||[[Ryan Bradley]]||[[3145]]-[[3147]]<ref name=FM:3145p182>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 182: "Notable Mercenary Forces - Federated Suns"</ref><ref name=RT>''Riptides''</ref>
|-
| [[General]]||[[Luciana Araya Morales]]||[[3147]]-present<ref name=RT/>
|-
|}

===Other Officers===
* [[Colonel]] [[Neal Grimm]] acted as deputy commander for the Illician Lancers brigade and had operational command the 59th Strike Regiment since [[3054]].<ref name="MSp40"/>
* [[Major]] [[Xavier Jacoby]] was Luciana Morales' XO at the end of Dark Age Era.<ref>''Riptides''</ref>

==Tactics==
Flanking maneuvers and quick mobile warfare are trademarks of the unit.

==Dragoon Ratings==
'''Dragoon Rating: Unrated'''

==Composition History==
=== 2786–2821===
'''59th Strike''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=1SWp140>''First Succession War'', p. 140</ref>
: Note: At this time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on [[Alhena]]. In 2821 the command was reduced to 57 percent of its strength and was deployed on [[Zaniah]].<ref name=1SWp140/>

=== 2830 ===
'''59th Strike''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=2SWp100>''Second Succession War'', p. 100</ref>
: Note: At this time the assault-weight unit was stationed on [[Zaniah]] with an operational readiness of 91 percent.<ref name=2SWp100/>

=== 2864 ===
'''59th Strike''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=2SWp100/>
: Note: At this time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on [[Zaniah]] with an operational readiness of 69 percent.<ref name=2SWp100/>

=== 3025 ===
'''59th Strike Regiment''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=HD147>''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 147</ref>
:Note: At this time the unit was stationed on [[Jonzac]].

=== 3040 ===
'''59th Strike''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=HWo3039p141/>
:Note: At this time the command was stationed on [[Jonzac]].<ref name=HWo3039p141>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 141</ref>

===3050===
'''First Illician Lancers (59th Strike)''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=20yup21/>
:* CO: [[General]] [[Brenda Bradley]]<ref name=20yup21/>
:Note: At this time the command was stationed on [[Jonzac]].<ref name=20yup21>''20 Year Update'', p. 21</ref>

===3054===
'''First Illician Lancers (59th Strike)''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=ORp43/>
:* CO: General Brenda Bradley
* First [[Battalion]]: [[Kommandant]] [[Victor Illingworth]]
* Second Battalion: Kommandant [[Alica White]]
* Third Battalion: Kommandant [[Julienne Stapleford]]
:Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on [[Ambergrist]] and [[Texlos]].<ref name=ORp43/>

===3067===
'''59th Strike Regiment''' ([[Regiment]]/Regular/Reliable)<ref name="MSp40"/>
* CO: General Brenda Bradley
:* XO: Colonel Neal Grimm
- A medium weight, mobile unit, the 59th was being put through a demanding drill schedule as Colonel Grimm attempted to bring the regiment back up to veteran status after the heavy recruiting it had to undergo following the Capellan Civil War and the FedCom Civil War.
- The 59th Strike Regiment had been almost completely upgraded to the use of advanced technology by 3067, with 90% of the equipment in use being Star League level technology and a further 5% being [[Clan]] technology. 15% of the 'Mechs in use by the 59th were [[OmniMech]]s.<ref name="MSp67">''Mercenaries Supplemental'', p. 67: "Federated Suns"</ref>

'''Eighth Illician Air Guard''' (Reinforced [[Wing]]/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name="MSp40"/>
* CO: [[Major]] Dex "Vacuum" Tutuola
- The Eighth includes a squadron of captured Capellan fighters gifted to the Air Guard by a grateful [[Duke|Duchess]] [[Candace Liao]] following their efforts on behalf of the [[St. Ives Compact]] during the Capellan Civil War.

'''Thirty-eighth Armored Strikers''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name="MSp40"/>
* CO: [[Lieutenant Colonel]] Arman Savignon
- Designed for high mobility and for harassing tasks and is equipped predominantly with fast light and medium units.

'''Fortieth Mechanized Cavalry''' (Regiment/Green/Reliable)
* CO: Lieutenant Colonel Shannon Zuba
- The Fortieth took heavy losses during the Capellan Civil War and had only been rebuilt to ninety percent of full strength by 3067.

===3079===
'''59th Striker''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name="fraffs19">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 19</ref>
: Note: At this time the unit was stationed on [[Mandaree]].<ref name="fraffs19"/> The horrors of the Jihad had reduced the 59th to two-thirds of its pre-Jihad strength.<ref name="fra20"/>

===3085===
'''59th Striker''' (Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=FM3085p160/>
* CO: Colonel Brenda Bradley
: Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on [[Cynon]] under contract with the Federated Suns.<ref name=FM3085p160/>

===3145===
'''59th Strike Regiment''' (Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=FM:3145p182/>
* CO: Colonel Ryan Bradley

===3153===
'''59th Strike Regiment'''
* CO: General [[Luciana Araya Morales]]
* Re-Deployed to New Avalon

==Notes==
* Game rules for this unit in 3067 can be found in ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental]]'' (p. 75), and updated in ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental Update]]'' (p. 125)

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Dominions Divided]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Report: AFFS]]''
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)|First Succession War]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental]]''
* ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental Update]]''
* ''[[Objective Raids]]''
* ''[[Riptides]]''
* ''[[Second Succession War (sourcebook)|Second Succession War]]''


[[Category:Mercenary Commands|Illician Rangers, Strike Regiment, 59th]]