Here it is:
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I liked staying up late to write it. Your comments are welcome. :D
When the Brotherhood of Steel accepted the first batch of recruits from the surrounding towns and villages, the first problem the Drill Sergeants noticed was the difficulty to communicate with the recruits. Living in the wastes meant the need to farm and toil all day to grow crops and raise brahmin for food which left little in the way of education. This problem was later solved by introducing a screening program that determined which recruit was fit for the different areas of Brotherhood service: training in the use of weapons, training to aid the injured, or in the maintenance of Brotherhood equipment. Those who showed promise were introduced into the art of using tactics in the battlefield in order to get the most work done with the minimum number of men. A few of these gifted individuals were given the chance to prove their worth and gain true acceptance into the Brotherhood.
As time went by, a new problem emerged. Though the Brotherhood kept on accepting recruits from the towns that it protected, its fighting force was significantly reduced after each campaign. To keep up with the demand for fresh troops, the quality of the succeeding batches of soldiers inevitably got below acceptable levels. This fact was further supported by the number of soldiers remaining from the first few batches of training compared to those from the later batches produced by the Brotherhood Basic Training. Upon examining the training process, it was determined that the Basic Training program was no longer enough to produce the types of soldiers that the Brotherhood needed. A new training program had to be made. Thus, the Omega Program was born.
The Brotherhood formed a committee to determine their current needs and decided that a much more efficient soldier had to be trained. Upon examining their resources, it was a harsh blow to them to realize that they no longer had the time nor manpower to train new recruits to the desired level. Their “ideal soldier” was just too expensive and took too long to produce. The committee set their sights a little lower. Instead of demanding so much from each soldier, they decided to spread these expectations around to cover the whole squad. They discovered that putting so much pressure on one individual caused a drop in performance but when applied to a squad, performance ratings were higher than expected. Work was immediately done to set the parameters of an “ideal squad.” The Omega Program was to be squad-oriented.
To train such a squad, the Brotherhood took its best, brightest, toughest, most cunning and most efficient soldiers off the front line and were re-assigned as Drill Sergeants to the Omega Program. They were shown the parameters of the program, which they concluded was already nearly impossible, then they were ordered to push the envelope even further. All the new Drill Sergeants could do was square their soldiers for the task ahead, and got ready to open a big new can of whoop ass. On looking at the parameters of the Omega Program and realizing that even more was expected of them, they all knew that they were going to give an whole new meaning to the word “pain.”
The Omega Program proved to be exactly what the Brotherhood needed. Though not all could make it to the Program because of its high requirements, many aspired for it and this resulted in an unexpected gain in performance levels throughout the Brotherhood ranks. Only the top 5% of each theatre usually made it into the Omega Program, and even so many of the best men the Brotherhood had to offer dropped out due to the extreme training and pressure applied to them. The Brotherhood Basic Training, which took your basic recruit and turned him into a soldier, had an attrition rate of 85%, the Omega Program took the best men available, yet had an attrition rate of 80%. It got to a point wherein just getting into the Program was a cause for rejoicing. Those that made it through the Program were never treated the same way again. They were the best when they joined the Program. When they came out, they were even better.
Squads that made it through the Omega Program are collectively known as Omega Squads, though each squad could choose a name for itself to be approved by their Drill Sergeant. A squad is composed of six men (and women), four of which are usually Weapons Specialists. Their job is to mow down all those who stand in the Brotherhood’s way. Should the Weapons Specialists be in need of help, the other two are good enough with guns to be able to efficiently cover their backs, but combat has proven that four Weapons Specialists is more than enough for any task at hand. When an obstacle that cannot or should not be killed, could not be shoved aside, or cannot be blown to pieces presents itself, the remaining two Specialists come into play. Their job is to solve the new problem while the Weapons Specialists guard their backs. When the obstacle is overcome, the way of the Brotherhood moves on. The Omega Program has been rated to take an Initiate and train him to the efficiency and skill level of a Junior Paladin of old, as modern Junior Paladins often do not have enough skill but are promoted to fill in the ranks.
When possible, a squad is led by a female who is not a Weapons Specialist. It is her duty to take care of the squad both on and off the battlefield, so a squad leader is often a Medic or, if the squad is lucky, a Field Doctor. In combat, the squad leader’s role is to assess the situation and determine if the squad can complete their objective with their current and expected strengths, and to relocate to a different position to better accomplish the squad’s objective. The squad leader is expected to be a cunning tactician and is purposely taken out of the gunfight to be able to assess the bigger tactical picture and to formulate plans to react to current and potential threats. The Brotherhood’s decision to specifically prefer females for this role is more of a psychological one, as the squad has usually had enough of the Drill Sergeants gruff voice from the Omega Program training. It was also noticed that soldier respond more and are more level headed when directed by a female voice, a voice that embodies what the Brotherhood strives to protect.
Second in command is always a Weapons Specialist. His job is to take orders from the squad leader and direct weapons fire in order to best accomplish the given command. An example of this is when given the command to relocate the squad to a new position, it is now his job to actually get the squad to that position in once piece. He directs fire to the most immediate threats and keeps the squad alive by eliminating those that want to harm the squad. While the Squad Leader’s job is to keep the squad in rein, the second in command is responsible for psyching the others up in order to be alert, stay alive and get the mission done.
The rest of the squad members are specialists in their own way, and their job is to watch out for threats, eliminate it if necessary and possible, and to obey the orders from above. An Omega Squad is a very close-knit squad and the loyalty of each member is unquestionable. Each member has the welfare of the squad at heart and thus does his or her job to the best of their abilities. At times when a squad member is sent off alone, the squad usually has a man covering that vanguard’s back, even though at times it is not apparent, there is usually a trigger happy squad member with his gun on full auto, ready to open up on any threat that his vanguard cannot handle.
An Omega Squad is a squad of six individuals who, alone, are better than their peers. These six individuals are trained hard to work together, thus covering each weakness with the other’s strength. This is what makes an Omega Squad unstoppable, and each Squad knows it. It not uncommon to see squad members clad in brightly colored armor, most often, the member with the brightest color (RED) is the member who is responsible for most of the kills, the one who waits in ambush while his squad lures the enemy out, the one, the one who rushes in to clear a room, and the one who is in front a great number of times. The rest of the squad members are free to choose their own armor color, but it has become a tradition for red to be the kill guy’s armor color of choice. Though the number of kills may be a source of bragging rights, it is not one that is used very often as bragging is generally scorned for its destructive effect on the psyche. Besides, the next guy in red armor could have one more kill than the other, and an obvious ego bashing is wisely avoided. Instead, squads talk about how many missions they have gone through and while they do not brag about it, they discuss their tactics amongst themselves and other squads in order to share knowledge and compare notes. This act of discussing kill zones and kill techniques in even the most placid settings is the reason that the Omega Squads are believed to be “invincible, and that the ugliest firefight is just a walk in the park for an Omega Squad.”
It is also common for Omega Squads to be offered the best seats in the house or to be given special privileges by numerous folk, most of whom are grateful to one Squad or the other for a some reason, and once and Omega Squad has made an impression, all squads that follow are treated like royalty. Though most offers are politely turned down by the Squad Leader, offers for a good meal and a comfortable bed away from the Brotherhood mess and barracks is rarely turned down.
The Omega Program is designed to take the best the Brotherhood can offer, make him better, and make him perform his best alongside others like himself. An Omega Squad is designed to be cast into the middle of the most volatile situations and to deal with it in an unquestionable manner. Omega Squads spearhead assaults, open new territories and settle disputes in a bloody way. Finesse and diplomacy are used sparingly. Once an Omega Squad enters the fray, the outcome, though it may take time in coming, is unquestionable. Omega means “the end.” When an Omega Squad comes, many things come to an end.
Omega Program benefits:
65% minimum Small Guns skill
A soldier that is a product of the Omega Program is well versed in the art of using a weapon to make someone else’s life uncomfortable.
65% minimum Throwing skill
A soldier that is a product of the Omega Program is well versed in the art of using a grenade to make someone else’s life uncomfortable.
+10% to one tagged skill
This is the result of the Omega Program honing a soldier’s specialty skill.
+2 perks at start for squad leader
An Omega Squad leader is an exceptionally gifted individual, thus, this feature.
+1 perk at start for squad members depending on specialty
An Omega soldier is better than his peers at his specialty of choice.
*Perk may not require a level higher than 6
+2 to any stats for Snipers
An Omega Sniper Specialist is a serious force to be considered, even though he is not carrying a burst weapon.
+1 to any stat for Assaults
An Omega Assault Specialist exceeds even the best the wasteland can offer.
Standard Issue Equipment:
Leather Armor MK II
Hunting Rifle / H&K MP5
1 x 7.62 Ammo / 2 x 9mm JHP
2 x Stimpacks
Due to the limits on Brotherhood resources, Omega Squads start out with these equipment. However, it has been proven that this is more than enough given the level of proficiency an Omega Squad has in terms of keeping itself alive and bringing death to those who oppose it. Salvaging better weapons and armor in order to upgrade a Squad’s firepower is usually the first on any Squad’s list of priorities.
