Jack of Harts

The Republic of Texas Marine Corps’ aerospace elements used a mixture of various small short-ranged spacecraft in the past. They flew bombers, fighters, attack craft, and even armed transports in their missions, but none of them could move between planets. Gravtech and the immense increase in range its full implementation provided made them truly interplanetary craft, but the Marine’s twin aerospace missions remained the same. Support the ground pounders in short-term combat missions flying over targets, and protect Navy starships from enemies that meant them harm. The War brought a new range of hypercapable small craft, and the Cowboys adopted the first prototypes of the F-12 Avenger. It quickly proved that they could move independently of large of Navy warships and engage the enemy at far greater ranges than any previous mission had envisioned. That would change everything for the Marine Corps.

The Republic of Texas Marine Corps has two primary components. The ground combat arm, and the ground-support combat arm. Or so those in ground combat would describe them. Those who fly starfighters disagree with that characterization of their arm. Ground pounder Marines come in many flavors. When the President flies, he flies on Marine aerospace craft, which are guarded by Marines. Marines guard the various embassies scattered all over known space. Marines guard every Navy starship in service, and stand ready to jump out of those perfectly good starships when their services are needed on a planetary surface. Many Marines serve on Marine bases in Texas or the various colonies, acting as a fast combat reserve on a system level. It is ironic that the Marines stationed on these fixed bases are the most transient of Marines, as other commands are always seeking to acquire the best and brightest of them for more challenging duties.

The Republic of Texas Marine Corps has been an odd organization since the beginning of the Republic. Part light infantry. Part mobile infantry. Part naval infantry. Part diplomatic guard. Some are lawmen. Some fight in air and space. All wear powered battle armor. Every Marine is a rifleman. They consider themselves the premiere Texas ground, air, and space combatants. The Space Force and the Army disagree with them. The Navy laughs in capital missiles. But it is undeniable that there is a certain mythos to being a Texas Marine that is larger than life. They have much in common with the Texas Rangers in that. They are relatively few in number compared to the other services, but their deeds are the stuff of legends. And wherever the Texas military goes in any numbers, you can expect at least some Texas Marines to be part of that force. Sometimes they are the entirety of the force.