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Mobile Infantry (Starship Troopers)
Encyclopedia
The Mobile Infantry is a fictional military force in Robert A. Heinlein
's novel Starship Troopers
and in the movies Starship Troopers
, released in 1997, the 2004 sequel, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
, the 2008 film Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and the TV series Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
. The MI is portrayed differently in each version.
The Mobile Infantry is an elite fighting force of the Terran Federation. Their training is depicted as extremely strenuous, with a few dying before completion. The book's narrator, Juan Rico, describes how out of his entire 2000 man training unit, fewer than 200 make it all the way through. A Mobile Infantryman is equipped with a Powered Suit as well as an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, some built into the suit. These weapons range from conventional firearms to micro-nuclear warheads. The armor is strong enough to resist any conventional weapon less than high explosives or anti-tank rounds. The servo-motors give the wearer enough strength to crush a tank or tear through a concrete wall, but are dexterous enough to allow them to pick up an egg without breaking it. The armor is also equipped with jump jets and rocket
s, allowing the trooper to move rapidly about the field. One expression used in the book as a compliment to good soldiers is that they are "on the bounce." According to Rico, when one is suited up in the powered armor, they appear like a "steel gorilla".
Usually, an MI platoon
would drop from individual capsules launched from a troop transport in orbit
. The capsule is used only once. The MI platoon will then execute its mission. These missions range from hit-and-run strikes to search and rescue
missions. The MI will usually deploy about one trooper every half-mile. After the mission is complete, the Transport will launch a retrieval beacon for the platoon to follow to the retrieval area. Usually the beacon will play music such as, in the case of the TFCT Rodger Young, "The Ballad of Rodger Young." Once the retrieval boat lands, the platoon boards and returns to the transport.
The MI prides itself in its esprit de corps
. This philosophy includes never leaving a wounded soldier for dead; instead carrying their wounded at their own peril. Also, all MI soldiers are combat soldiers; there are no dedicated support staff.
Further inspiration for the formation and makeup of the Mobile Infantry can be seen to be taken directly from Heinlein's experience at the United States Naval Academy and as a Naval Officer. The link between the Mobile Infantry and the United States Marine Corps can also be clearly seen in the ideology similarities ("every Marine is a rifleman"). In addition, particularly in the movie, the MI seems heavily influenced by US Army paratroopers. The MI drop into combat zones in small groups, as real-world Army paratroopers do.
The MI troops were portrayed as far more expendable than in the book. There is also a clear lack of military tactics, the favoured approach being to run toward or away from the Arachnids spraying bullets with reckless abandon
; this led to unnecessary losses. In the book, tactics were based upon each soldier working alone as part of a larger team (spread over many miles), as the powered armor, communications gear and amount of weaponry allowed them to do so; the MI also took far fewer losses. The movie-MI lack the powered armor of their literary counterparts, instead entering combat in the equivalent of BDU
s and composite armour
. This removes their ability to fight the bugs with hand to hand combat
; as seen in the final battle of the novel. They do retain their miniature nuclear warheads, which can be fired from a rocket launcher
or used as a grenade
with a roughly thirty-second fuse
.
When Johnny and Carmen enlist
, the desk sergeant refers to them as "fresh meat for the grinder
." They are encouraged to kill
their wounded if evacuation is difficult, a far cry from the novel where the MI makes every effort to recover its wounded.
In an analysis, the movie's creators were not specifically attempting to parody or malign Heinlein's work with their portrayal of the MI. However it can be noted that the director did not actually read the novel fully. In the DVD commentary he stated that he read a few pages and got bored with it. Instead, it was created to parody and malign the military in general. The movie had a specific vision satirizing militarism and criticized the Federation's (and by extension, any government or society's) view of the military (i.e. the individual soldier's expendability). There would also be technical difficulties involved in creating the MI armor and other, cinematic rather than literary restrictions (such as Hollywood's taboo against hiding the faces of major characters for extended periods as the MI armor would necessitate). The rocky terrain of the Bug worlds would make effective use of tanks and other vehicles difficult. In the third film, the Mobile Infantry's ground tactics seem to have somewhat improved (they use rank
and file
tactics in an attack against the bugs) along with their weapons and later in the film, the MI deploys an experimental squad equipped with powered suits, called Marauders. In addition, Mobile Infantry are shown serving as marine troopers aboard Fleet battleships.
The Mobile Infantry of SICON (Roughnecks
In the TV series, the Mobile Infantry was a cross between the novel and movie counterparts. While they individually wore armor, they were not "powered" in the same sense as the novel, and they generally kept the same (callously-regarded) role and (limited) capabilities as they did in the movie. The TV series fielded powered suits, though. Each squad or platoon would normally be accompanied by 2 or 3 soldiers piloting Marauder support vehicles. These were mainly designed for squad support and were not meant for direct combat. Unlike the movie, though like the book, they utilize drop pods to transport from orbit to the surface. Though, their capsules are dropped from shuttles rather than from the transport itself. Unlike the novel, MI personnel can be of either sex. Likewise, unlike the novel or any functioning real regular military, they operate in squad-sized elements individually led by officers.
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's novel Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
and in the movies Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers (film)
Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction film, written by Edward Neumeier , directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from Starship Troopers, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise...
, released in 1997, the 2004 sequel, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation is the 2004 direct-to-video sequel to the 1997 feature film Starship Troopers. It had a $7 million budget as opposed to the $105 million of the original. Even though the film received only a direct-to-video released in the United States, it was granted a...
, the 2008 film Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and the TV series Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles was a CGI animated television series based on both the novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven...
. The MI is portrayed differently in each version.
The Mobile Infantry of The Terran Federation (Novel)
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s, allowing the trooper to move rapidly about the field. One expression used in the book as a compliment to good soldiers is that they are "on the bounce." According to Rico, when one is suited up in the powered armor, they appear like a "steel gorilla".
Usually, an MI platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
would drop from individual capsules launched from a troop transport in orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
. The capsule is used only once. The MI platoon will then execute its mission. These missions range from hit-and-run strikes to search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions. The MI will usually deploy about one trooper every half-mile. After the mission is complete, the Transport will launch a retrieval beacon for the platoon to follow to the retrieval area. Usually the beacon will play music such as, in the case of the TFCT Rodger Young, "The Ballad of Rodger Young." Once the retrieval boat lands, the platoon boards and returns to the transport.
The MI prides itself in its esprit de corps
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
. This philosophy includes never leaving a wounded soldier for dead; instead carrying their wounded at their own peril. Also, all MI soldiers are combat soldiers; there are no dedicated support staff.
Further inspiration for the formation and makeup of the Mobile Infantry can be seen to be taken directly from Heinlein's experience at the United States Naval Academy and as a Naval Officer. The link between the Mobile Infantry and the United States Marine Corps can also be clearly seen in the ideology similarities ("every Marine is a rifleman"). In addition, particularly in the movie, the MI seems heavily influenced by US Army paratroopers. The MI drop into combat zones in small groups, as real-world Army paratroopers do.
The Mobile Infantry of the United Citizen Federation (films)
The Mobile Infantry in the movies is vastly different from its novel counterpart, and was considered disappointing by many fans of the book. Instead of an elite fighting force equipped with Powered Suits, they are a conventional army armed with conventional weapons - but apparently without armored vehicles, artillery, most heavy weapons, and other vital equipment.The MI troops were portrayed as far more expendable than in the book. There is also a clear lack of military tactics, the favoured approach being to run toward or away from the Arachnids spraying bullets with reckless abandon
Spray and pray
Spray and pray is a derisive term for firing an automatic firearm towards an enemy in long bursts, without making an effort to line up each shot or burst of shots. This is especially prevalent amongst those without benefit of proper training. It differs from suppressive fire as the shooting is...
; this led to unnecessary losses. In the book, tactics were based upon each soldier working alone as part of a larger team (spread over many miles), as the powered armor, communications gear and amount of weaponry allowed them to do so; the MI also took far fewer losses. The movie-MI lack the powered armor of their literary counterparts, instead entering combat in the equivalent of BDU
Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
s and composite armour
Composite armour
Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different material such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armour are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the same resistance to penetration...
. This removes their ability to fight the bugs with hand to hand combat
Hand to hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...
; as seen in the final battle of the novel. They do retain their miniature nuclear warheads, which can be fired from a rocket launcher
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
or used as a grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
with a roughly thirty-second fuse
Fuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
.
When Johnny and Carmen enlist
Recruitment
Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
, the desk sergeant refers to them as "fresh meat for the grinder
Meat grinder
A meat grinder or meat mincer is a kitchen appliance for grinding, fine mincing or mixing raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. It replaces tools like the mincing knife, for example, which has been used to produce minced meat, filling etc. The producer puts the minced food into a...
." They are encouraged to kill
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
their wounded if evacuation is difficult, a far cry from the novel where the MI makes every effort to recover its wounded.
In an analysis, the movie's creators were not specifically attempting to parody or malign Heinlein's work with their portrayal of the MI. However it can be noted that the director did not actually read the novel fully. In the DVD commentary he stated that he read a few pages and got bored with it. Instead, it was created to parody and malign the military in general. The movie had a specific vision satirizing militarism and criticized the Federation's (and by extension, any government or society's) view of the military (i.e. the individual soldier's expendability). There would also be technical difficulties involved in creating the MI armor and other, cinematic rather than literary restrictions (such as Hollywood's taboo against hiding the faces of major characters for extended periods as the MI armor would necessitate). The rocky terrain of the Bug worlds would make effective use of tanks and other vehicles difficult. In the third film, the Mobile Infantry's ground tactics seem to have somewhat improved (they use rank
Rank (formation)
A Rank is a line of military personnel, drawn up in line abreast .Commonly, troops called to 'On the right, fall in!' do so by forming in line abreast, determining their initial position in relation to a marker. This may be a position on the ground or a single person placed previously to the movement...
and file
File (formation)
A file is a military term for a number of troops drawn up in line ahead, i.e. one behind the other in a column. The number of files is the measure of the width of a formation of troops in several ranks one behind the other.- Ancient Greek use :...
tactics in an attack against the bugs) along with their weapons and later in the film, the MI deploys an experimental squad equipped with powered suits, called Marauders. In addition, Mobile Infantry are shown serving as marine troopers aboard Fleet battleships.