Known City State Forces in the USA 1

Anyone in the zone and near a city state is likely to come across some of their military or special forces. While they do tend to rely heavily on freelances and volunteers to scavenge supplies. really important jobs require a more organized effort.

Membership in one of these organizations would be a good way to bring players together and keep them under control. Some of them can also serve as long term rivals the players, or be former employers - explaining a character's survival skills.


NEST
RATS Rapid Access Technician and Scavenger: 

Every large building has sub-basements and false ceilings, but in a megastructure, theirs virtually a second hidden behind access panels. RATS know every step of this second map, as well as the secrets to moving though the cities outside the arco as well - and act as the lifeline for new supplies. Although each nest has a functioning police force - in dangerous situations, RATS can be granted temporary power (rarely longer than 24 hours) to act as police, as they are often able to approach and apprehend troublemakers from unexpected directions. 

Detachments: 

Each NEST was large enough to to warrant its own police force, fire department, and national guard protection. This last force came replete with a few light armored vehicles and surface to air missiles to safeguard the giant towers from aircraft. Although their numbers were severely depleted during the even and in clashes since then, there are still people in uniform standing guard.  Most of the time they remain on alert around the NEST itself, or establish outer security perimeters when reanimate activity is low. However, a few enclaves have tried to clear areas and set-up outposts, to limited success.

New Birmingham

Sheppard's Hand

This is the conventional citizens militia of NB - generally serving to secure the gated communities, clear ares for further expansion, and find supplies. Although all citizens are allowed arms training, the service tends to prefer men and generally only accepts women who have had training prior to the event, with little attempt made to train more. Adult males are expected to be proficient in weapons use and to have personal weapons to help defend the area. While service is technically voluntary, the SH is run like a conscript army - most of its troops have only basic training with commissioned officers providing leadership and tactical knowledge.

Council of Inquiry

Officially, the CoI is the justice system of the NB city state. It draws far more on religious law than common - NB all but refuses to acknowledge the standing common laws of the USA. Somewhat less officially, its seen as a net-work of informants and inquisitors. Although this seems backed up by the fact its leaders are drawn from church leadership rosters rather than based on investigative service, the actual extent of this is not a state choice, but based on an individual township's interpretation.

Right Thought

Many of NB's citizens don't know Right Though exits, and those that do are divided over its necessity. This service engages in 1984 levels of double-think, being both an enforcer of extreme religious law, while at the same time maintaining advanced science facilities and nuclear reprocessing centers. RT is the one in charge of the controlled reanimate program and some of even more dubious morality - but its members tend to be all for its programs.

Lone Star

Citizen Watch

CW is set up rather like a neighborhood watch program. Everyone keeps an eye out, and calls a central dispatch if they notice anything odd.  There are graduated tests that allow citizens to earn greater responsibility. One can move from simply looking out for suspicious activity, to the ability to make arrests, to eventually having judgmental powers.Citizens are allowed to have weapons within the confines of the buildings - unlike NEST - but since the complex was never finished it never received a national guard outpost or the accompanying equipment.

Wasteland Patrol

Much like the old French Foreign Legion -  the WP is mostly made of outsiders and generally are not allowed to stay in the arco proper for an extended period of time. However, their families and friends are granted citizenship, and they do receive a stipend in addition to finders fees.

Marine Detachment

As expected, the  LOST-SEC facility has its own guards and soldiers. However, the needs of the event drew away most of the active duty units, leaving behind only those necessary to physically protect the dock yards and keep peace on the remaining ships. Morale is rather low as many of the soldiers believe they're expendable speed-bumps who are only to hold out long enough for the ships to clear the slip-ways. A few veterans of the South American war are trying to reverse this trend and put together expeditions to find supplies and better the facilities.

Unlike many of the other city states, Lone Star does not have any sort of rapid-deployment special forces teams.