"Being in the Ferrets is like any other special operations unit the world has to offer. Speed, firepower, flexibility, and surprise, as well as brains. The fools in the CAS Senate think that we
aren't useful, hah!, tell me that crap again and I'll shove it through your belly. We are the elite in JSOC, no question about it, none of that "CASMC Ferrets are like the animal, small, dumb and weak", Nope, we are small, but I tell you what. After I down this beer, and get my uniform on, we'll
do a live fire test of your fancy facility, then we'll see who feels small and dumb.
-Unknown Ferret.
The CSMC (Confederated American States Marine Corps) Ferrets are trained to be the stereotypical spies, sabateurs, hostage rescue, deep penetration, and general Special Operations unit. Based in Camp Lejeune, NC, the Ferrets are one of the best in the business of SpecOps. Taking off where the old USMC left off, taking the old facilities and creating the "Ferrets". To
understand the Ferrets, you might have to understand the Ferret, a small, clever creature that is somewhat alive in the southern areas of the CAS. When CASJSOC realized that they didn't have units such as Scout/Sniper or even the SEALs (but they did have SOCOM still, as most assets were located at the old USAF's MacDill AFB, just outside of Tampa, Florida.
The new CSMC felt that without a special operations like the SEALs, or Scout/Sniper, they would lose the capability they had before seperation. Then, a Lieutenant Colonel Harold "Ferret" Jassen, who earned the nickname from the way he acted, proposed a unit like Scout/Sniper, or even the
SEALs, would be necessary for Force Recon. The new unit, called the Ferrets after their creator, was originally drawn from Force Recon, until the Ferrets designed their own training schedules. The new unit is under JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command), which handles CAS's Special operations programs, which itself is under CASSOCOM (Confederated American States Special Operations Command), located at MacDill CSAFB, Florida. The unit had a good start, with most troops in Force Recon implementing and designing strategies
and other necessary things. The Ferrets are so far the newest Special Operations unit, compared to other units, such as the Spetznaz, or the SEALs, both units having a long history of experience to draw from, which the only experience the Ferrets were drawing from their Force Recon training.
Despite thier relative age, the Ferrets are shedding their "innocent" factor very quickly and daily.
Size
The current (2058) size of the Ferrets is 460 soldiers, excluding support personnel.
"I'd read somewhere that at boot camp the DIs (Drill Instructors) were not allowed to touch, abuse or even curse the recruits. First day and we've just arrived at the island on the shuttle and this two meter tall Gunnery Sargeant who looks like he drinks rocket fuel and craps lightning
gets on board and shouts 'GET OFF THE FREAKING BUS. MOVE!'
"'Freaking'. He said 'Freaking'. What kind of word is that? It's the sort of made-up curse they use on video so's not to offend the God-botherers or Hubbard freaks. But the way Gunny says it, it sounds like he's gonna personally pop open your head and spoon out your brains if you so much as look at him funny.
"So we got off the freakin bus..."
- Recruit Arnie Caulfield, Parris Island, SC
Training
Training for the Ferrets is like BUD/S for the SEALs, but they call it Basic Underwater Diving/Recon. All Ferrets are trained in insertion techniques, ranging from a small boat, or from a specialized aircraft for the job. Most types of small arns are taught to them, as sometimes they
can't use the standard AUG-CSL rifle. Hand-to-hand, karate, or some other form of martial arts are taught, plus basic survival. The length of training lasts eight gruelling weeks in the famous camp of the USMC, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, CAS. However, all applicants can join only through Force Recon itself, because the Ferrets are just another integral part of Force Recon, so an applicant cannot go from the regular line Marine Corps directly into the Ferrets. Also, there is no rank restriction to join the Ferrets, the applicant must be a CAS citizen, male. There is no race restriction to join the Ferrets, just the applicant must pass the Army's Delta School to be placed
within the Ferrets. Upon completion, the new Ferret joins the ranks.
"When the "Ferret" program was first implemented, I saw the
opportunity to be a real step up once I graduated college. (I
was going to the Citadel at the time.) However, it has always
had the Force Recon prerequisite, and I had to wait to get in. I
joined Force Recon, and showed an aptitude for digital
surveillance and such (I hope so, considering my major). I went
through Force Recon for 4 years, and then was able to apply for
admission into the Ferrets. let me tell you, it was very
difficult to get in, more difficult than I first expected. At
that time, Col. Jassen was still in the Corps, and he was the
head of the Ferrets. The time had come for me to go the
distance; Delta School.
If you ask anyone in the armed forces, and they will tell
you that Delta School is the most difficult course that the CAS has to
offer. Delta has always been considered the best, or at least
one of the top groups, of the American militaries, and one of
the top groups in the world (Maybe 2 or 3 behind those Irish
SpecOps). By that I mean of any military in North America,
including the best of the UCAS, Aztechnology, and Tir Tairngire
SpecOps. It was my pleasure to train there, and pass.
When I entered the Delta School, I had already been Jump
qualified at Fort Benning, and Dive qualified in Force Recon.
So, I was past those. I also knew from my time in Georgia [Fort
Benning], that the Army didn't exactly appreciate the presence
of Marines in "their" forts, and especially not in [Fort] Bragg.
I took this as a challenge, to prove to them that we were better
than they were. I went into a class of 86, 17 of which were
Marines trying for the Ferrets, and five of which were from
nations that I am prohibited from naming. The course was tougher
than anything I've ever experienced. However, through it all,
the Marines stuck together, because we knew we had to prove the
"Beanies" (several applicants were members of Special Forces)
that we could survive. It didn't help that most of them knew the
area from their training as Special Forces.
The physical tests were nothing special. We just had to do
them faster. We took pride in excelling at the swimming
evaluations, and most of the other tests as well. The marches
were not what we were totally used to. We train in tactical
exercises, not marching, dammit! However, there is one thing in
practicing survival and actually doing it. We were thrown into
messes from day one, and so when it came time for the survival
tests, we didn't go into it. We RAN! We all stuck
together, as most of us knew each other to some extent. We made
it through, although we weren't without our casualties. The
class had been weeded down through attrition and injuries, and
there were only 24 applicants left. Several of the Marines had
not quit, but had been injured through the course.
Those 8 of us who passed had to put up with some pretty
serious testing of all sorts. I look back and remember how we
all ended up spilling our guts to the psychologists after the
last march. However, I managed to get through with my sanity
intact.
The rest of the School was much easier than the entrance
application. We learned a lot of different things, including how
to bypass all sorts of electronic devices and sensors with stuff
that most techheads would give their left nut just to see. We
also improved shooting abilities, and we had to learn how to
operate in HR (Hostage Rescue) situations. I was never
comfortable with the training or the missions, but I did it. I
just looked at it in a way that would not psych me out.
The Simsense Training Center was something I'd never
experienced like that before. That's an excellent training
device. I heard the ship is really loathed, but I saw it as a
way to stand out. Being the second-highest ranking officer, I
lead half the team on a Special Weapons Recovery Mission, which
meant working with two members of the Army's Nuclear Incident
Response Force (NIRF).
They did an excellent job, though. The team was split in
two,
and we were to take the ship from each side. My group: three
Marines, two Beanies, and myself, took the starboard side. We
got onto the ship just as the testers decided to cause a storm.
Not a problem, we've worked in bad weather. The two members of
Delta engaged the enemy while the NBC officers headed below deck
with my team in two.
We got to the hold and the weapons officers got to work on
making sure the weapons weren't active, and got to work on
making sure the couldn't be armed. The ship was full of
hostiles, but the weapons were removed, and we got off ship. We
left immediately because the ship was rigged to blow up. The
team got out of the area and the weapons were taken into
custody.
By this point, we were pretty much done with Delta School,
and left for Camp Lejeune. When we got back, those of us who made it
into the Ferret program them went through a specialty school
again. Just to make us the absolute deadliest creatures walking.
I chose a new class; Urban Survival and Operations. let me tell
you, it was very difficult, especially because of the fact that
the final part was to survive, on our own, in the middle of of a
major metropolitan center. Any call for assistance was failure.
It's pretty damn tough trying to survive in the middle of a city
without anything. At least the jungle has insects you can eat.
However, I made it. I can't tell you how, but I did."
-Captain Martin Wilson, CSMC "Ferrets"
(Inactive).
Specialties and Capabilities
Like any special operations groups, the Ferrets are trained in epionage, deep-cover survaillance, assasinations, hostage rescue, long range tactical operations. Also, they perform tactical weapons and destruction. Note that tactical nukes do qualify as tactical weapons, as they are deployed at the tactical level, and I would not cry a tear if the Ferrets or any other group
destroyed them, as they should be eliminated. Nothing needs to be said more: They can do the job as they are trained, which means well.
"Those specialties are all things that we constantly trained
for. The CAS uses the Ferrets and Delta for all of its covert
operations. I've seen reports or participated in everything
listed. There have been several operations conducted by the
Ferrets in just the last ten years. I'm sure you think you know
where most occur, but they don't. We have very little
involvement there. Actions are almost never taken directly
against the target. they are usually conducted by other assets
under the indirect supervision of the CAS. However, that does
not mean there has not been direct action in certain cases. Most
of the time, we conduct surveillance. This means becoming ghosts
and not being spotted, by any means. This take a lot of skill
because of all the different methods of detection currently
available. This includes the matrix, because we operate there
too; collecting information for intelligence for further
operations. The offensive actions taken are done with the most
extreme care. Anywhere the operation is conducted, it has to be
done quietly, quickly, and perfect. Anything else would be
failure. Hostage Rescue and assassinations are the worst,
because the potential for error is so great that it really has
to be perfectly conducted. If the rescue doesn't go exactly as
it's planned, people die and we're held accountable.
I can't say whether or not I actually participated in any,
but I know what HR is like. For deckers and riggers (thanks to
CCSS), they become a critical part of the operations. They can
tell the team where everyone is, even in most current aircraft.
If they are not operating with the expressed permission of the
organization in charge of the target's position, then the
deckers have to break in without alerting those same people that
you have a group of commandos about to take over the target's
position and probably kill the hostage takers.
Assassinations work under the same principle, except that
you are always in the offensive side. A situation can never occur
with anyone's knowledge, because then you open a can of worms
that no one wants to face up to. However, they are usually
conducted by individuals or small teams which work to make sure
that they are not caught"
-Captain Martin Wilson, CSMC "Ferrets"
(Inactive).
Percentage of Cybernetically Enhanced.
The percent of cybernetically enhanced is not a surprising 95%, as the job requires it. Bioware is common, as it saves money, and precious Essence. Common enhancements include the ubiquitous Smartlink II, Wired or Boosted Reflexes, or lung expansion. Other systems include cyberspurs, all silenced as best as possible. The Cybercomm link is a favorite, as it cuts down on
hand movements or anything that could give them away. However, the Ferrets can still be deadly without all these things, as they should be when cornered.
"Just because the figures say that 95% of the Ferrets are
cybered doesn't mean... anything. Some just have surveillance
cyberware, and headware like tactical computer. Then there are
the deckers with their datajacks and hardware for effective
decking. However, those are the minority. Most of the Ferrets
are "combat monsters" with Wired reflexes, Smartlinks, and all
sorts of combat yberware. However, with the amount of tiome that
we spend int he water, most cybernetics are limited to things
that aren't going to affect a person's weight much, because it
just makes it more difficult to swim and operate in water. I
guess it all depends on what a person's specialty is, because
it's the specialty and person's discretion that determine what
cyberware they have. The ones who are best at HR have reflexes
that are boosted extremely high, because they need them to be.
They also have smartlinks and certain types of detection
cyberware. Shooters and hunters are more likely to have
smartlinks, moderate wired reflexes, and just be well trained in
being covert and good operators. The combat swimmers have those
internal air tanks with seperate chambers for different air
mixes. Myself, I was a surveillance expert. I have a datajack,
and cybernetics for decking (SPUs and an encephalon). I had a
low-level wired reflexes system put in along with a smartlink. I
almost had a tactical computer put in, but I decided against it.
There are also trackers with soem really novahot cyberware.
Bioware is also really cool, btu I didn;t see a lot of it
when I was in the Ferrets. I think there most popular item now is
synthcardium and enhanced articulation.The lung extensions are
also very popular with all the water-borne SpecOps groups,
including the Ferrets."
-Captain Martin Wilson, CSMC "Ferrets"
(Inactive).
Percentage Magically Active
A total of five percent are magically active. However, the majority are physical adepts, as like in Scout/Sniper, the requirements are to taxing on the mage's body. Despite this, mages or the rare shaman are assigned to the unit, to act as magical firepower.
Notes
The CSMC Ferrets are one of the toughest the world of Special Operations today. They have some of the best equipment available, and the training (both from Force Recon, and the Army Delta school) they recieve makes them exceptional on the Special Operations area today. If there is a secret matter the Confederated American States needs to be done, and Force Recon
can't cut it (now that is something tough to handle), the Ferrets will come in and finish the job.
Life as a Ferret:
"Life as a Ferrret? Well, it was the experience of a
lifetime. We trained to be the very best, and we are. We've gone up
against everyone from Delta to the SEALs and everyone in
between, and we've come up on top. We've ended in draws with the
Tir Tairngire groups, and we've gone up against the Irish Elves.
The fact is, this job can be exciting and it can make you
question your faith in God. It can be all the things you want it
to be, as long as no one knows. You have toi make sure you never
tell anyone about anything you've done, anything you've seen, or
anything you've ever heard of. You can't go home at night and
tell your wife that her husband could have been vaporized by a
loose nuke, or that he killed someone that morning. It's a great
job, but it has its drawbacks. It requires constant secrecy
towards everyone you know. While you're a Ferret, they want you
to never reveal that fact. They exist, and everyone knows it,
but broadcasting it while you're active is deadly.
Personally, I liked being a Ferret. Sometimes I wish I were
still in it, other times I'm glad I got out before my wife had
to recieve the news of my death, or before I had to attend the
funeral of another teammate who died in front of me. But I will
always be glad that for a portion of my life, I was one of those
who can truly claim to be the very best that the CAS offers."
-Captain Martin Wilson, CSMC "Ferrets"
(Inactive).
Article on the CSMC Ferrets. Return to Homepage. Shadowrun Military Site.
Comments?
Me.
1997, Fresh Productions.
With thanks from James Meiers for the use of Captain Martin "Marty" Wilson for this file, and well, also because the "bare bones" format annoyed me, especially for groups that deserve more than that.
Article on the CSMC Ferrets.
