{"id":2051,"date":"2013-10-10T05:00:58","date_gmt":"2013-10-10T12:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/?p=2051"},"modified":"2013-10-08T12:58:38","modified_gmt":"2013-10-08T19:58:38","slug":"talent-operations-command-bulletin-3-returns-to-print-for-godlike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/2013\/10\/talent-operations-command-bulletin-3-returns-to-print-for-godlike\/","title":{"rendered":"Talent Operations Command Bulletin 3 returns to print for GODLIKE"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2004, Arc Dream Publishing released Talent Operations Command Intelligence Bulletin 3: Marine Talents in the Pacific Theater,<\/em> a sourcebook for GODLIKE: Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire, 1936-1946<\/em>. Sometimes called the Pacific Bulletin, it is an in-character sourcebook meant for players to read. It teaches the Talents of the United States Marine Corps how to fight the Axis in the Pacific. That gives those Talents’ players and game moderators deep resources to improve their games.<\/p>\n

Here are a few excerpts. Written by Dennis Detwiller, \u00a9 2004.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The pitchfork patch of graduates of the USMS Special Instruction School — the ‘Devil’s Own.’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Marine Special Instruction School<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Talent Operations Command\u2014America\u2019s central agency in the assignment of Talents to the armed forces\u2014was established in March 1942 by order of our Commander in Chief. Its purpose is to examine American Talents and transfer them to the branches of service best served by their particular paranormal abilities. The U.S. Marines have received a growing number of these amazing individuals.<\/p>\n

Formed in December 1942 by command of Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, the Marine Special Instruction School trains Marine Talents for action in all theaters of combat. Special focus is given to jungle and amphibious warfare, the specialty of the Marine Corps.<\/p>\n

Based at Paris Island, South Carolina, the program has already sent more than 50 highly trained Talents to Marine positions around the world, and nearly 300 more are currently training at \u201cHell\u2019s Motel\u201d\u2014the Paris Island Marine Special Instruction School. By the end of 1945, the Marines expect to field nearly 2,000 Talents.<\/p>\n

These SIS trainees are the go-getters needed to break defensive lines, locate and destroy enemy outposts, and scout ahead of the main Marine force. Their extensive training and unique abilities place them in a Marine Corps classification all their own. Like their counterparts in the American Army\u2014the Talent Operations Groups\u2014they go in first.<\/p>\n

With the confirmation of the first Japanese Talent in late 1942, few doubt that more are coming or are already here. The Marine Talents are the only line of defense between regular American soldiers and Japanese Talents.<\/p>\n

These specially trained Marines are assigned to regional commands as an ad-hoc force, prepared to do what is necessary to stop the Japanese Talents and disrupt regular enemy offensives.<\/p>\n

The Talented Marine elite represent our best hope of halting the advancing wave of the Imperial Japanese Army.<\/p>\n

The \u201cDevil\u2019s Own\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n

Those skilled enough to graduate the Paris Island Marine Special Instruction School are rewarded with the \u201cPitchfork Patch\u201d\u2014the red and the black. Worn on the left shoulder by the elite among the elite, this patch marks the truly exceptional Marine.<\/p>\n

These Marines are known by many names, but they call themselves the \u201cDevil\u2019s Boys\u201d or the \u201cDevil\u2019s Own.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is an unspoken bond between the Devil\u2019s Own, a need to defend their brother Marines and, above all, to complete the mission placed before them. To the elite, there is no such thing as retreat, defeat, or surrender.<\/p>\n

That is the first unspoken rule of the Devil\u2019s Own. The Talent phenomenon shows us nothing in this world is more powerful than the belief of the human mind. Where there is will, and a Marine still breathing, no mission is a failure\u2014only in progress.<\/p>\n

The second unspoken rule of the Devil\u2019s Own is this: Never leave a man behind. When a boy with the Pitchfork Patch is around, no living Marine will be abandoned to the enemy, no matter his condition. They will give their lives to let their fellow Marines fight another day.<\/p>\n

SIS Organization and Command<\/b><\/h3>\n

SIS teams are composed of up to 10 Marine Talents, commanded by an officer and an executive officer or noncommissioned officer. They are trained to be highly autonomous and independently organized, able to operate miles behind enemy lines and prepared to take the initiative at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

Each man in an SIS team is prepared to carry out the directives of a mission on his own, and, if necessary, to give his life to complete it. It should be no surprise that two Marine Talents have already been nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor.<\/p>\n

SIS teams usually report to battalion command. A few individuals of use in logistics, message-carrying, and communications may be attached to headquarters, but most are placed where they are needed most\u2014at the front line fighting alongside their brother Marines.<\/p>\n

Directives<\/b><\/h3>\n

The men of the SIS have four directives that dictate every action they take in the field:<\/p>\n

1. Locate, report, disrupt, and destroy enemy Talents.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

2. Locate, report, disrupt, and destroy enemy troops by all physical and psychological means.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

3. Protect U.S. Marine and Allied forces engaged in combat against the Japanese.\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

4. Hold the line at all costs.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\"Pacific-Bulletin-Jungle-Fighting\"<\/a><\/p>\n

SIS Training<\/h2>\n

SIS men endure what many consider the most brutal military training the world has ever known.<\/p>\n

Trapped in the bogs and heights of the Paris Island military complex, they suffer through eight weeks of bugs, mud, and disease, as well as relentless marches, close-order drills, and live-fire exercises. Some consider assignment to the Pacific theater a significant improvement over Hell\u2019s Motel.<\/p>\n

The Team<\/b><\/h2>\n

Colonel Stephen Buck, Course DI, SIS Paris Island:<\/i><\/b> In training, the team is everything. Every man is a component in a machine designed to destroy the enemy.<\/p>\n

Like any advanced machine, all good Marine fire teams have redundant components so the machine can continue to operate in case of casualty or death.<\/p>\n

During training, nothing is done until the entire team has done it, no task complete until all members of that team have completed it.<\/p>\n

Only in this way can we hope to make resilient, highly trained fighting groups capable of independent action behind enemy lines.<\/p>\n

The Pit<\/b><\/h3>\n

Captain Peter Link, Combat DI, Paris Island:<\/i><\/b> Few escape the pit without a scar or two. It began as a way to remove the cleanliness from practice fighting. I felt, having endured face-to-face combat myself, that practice boxing and bayonet and knife fighting were too easy.<\/p>\n

I wanted to give the boys something to learn from, not something to imitate. So, there\u2019s the pit.<\/p>\n

Two men go into the mud pit, armed with blunt wood \u201cknives,\u201d and are encouraged to attempt to seriously injure each other. Sometimes a prize is offered, such as a weekend furlough, just to up the ante. The use of Talent abilities is not permitted\u2014and trust me, with half a dozen Talents watching it\u2019s tough to slip one by.<\/p>\n

I once whipped a guy who could bench press a tractor. Left a welt on his chest and took out two of his teeth, but he was still smiling. Now how often does an old Marine get a chance to beat a guy from the funny books and feel like he helped a Marine learn something at the same time?<\/p>\n

Field Living<\/b><\/h3>\n

First Lieutenant Daniel Raab, Field DI, SIS Paris Island:<\/i><\/b> We live in the \u201cBog\u201d\u2014\u201cHell\u2019s Motel,\u201d as the boys put it. It\u2019s a filthy place. Mud, bugs, and disease. Every week, two or three men have to go in for lice, dysentery, and sometimes even malaria!<\/p>\n

This might sound counterproductive, but it prepares the men for much worse\u2014war in the Pacific. A man who has already had the rot, or dysentery, or lice, can get along much better in the field than one who has not. It is a known quantity, something understood. Otherwise it is an unknown burden\u2014a source of worry that consumes precious personal resources best spent on fighting the Japs.<\/p>\n

How do I get along in the Bog? I love it. Then again, I\u2019m from Louisiana. Compared to Ulye, Louisiana, the Bog is heaven on earth.<\/p>\n

Live Fire<\/b><\/h3>\n

Captain Peter Link, Combat DI, Paris Island:<\/i><\/b> Sometimes a guy who pokes his head up too high takes a round. Luckily those incidents are rare, and we\u2019ve never lost anyone\u2014yet. But even if we did lose someone, the live-fire exercises would continue.<\/p>\n

Live fire is important. A large component of enduring war is getting used to the sounds and feelings of combat. Without enduring the bullets whizzing overhead and the thump of explosions, a man is ill prepared for action in the field.<\/p>\n

Fighting is not some antiseptic process. It\u2019s not a boxing match. It\u2019s messy, dangerous, and hard. Training for combat must emphasize these factors, even if they are an order of magnitude less trying than the real situation.<\/p>\n

The \u201cMusts\u201d for the Jungle Marine<\/b><\/h3>\n

A good jungle Marine must:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Keep his mouth shut on the trail.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Recognize common jungle sounds.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Keep his eyes off the ground when on the trail and maintain a constant watch toward the head of the column and a selected flank.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Get off the trail at halts, conceal himself, and observe the flanks.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Dig in at protracted halts.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Report any oddities to his commander, no matter how outrageous.\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Know the Nambu light machine gun by sound, because it is the lynchpin of the Jap jungle organization and is an infallible guide to flanks and strong points.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Black his face and hands and remove any shine from equipment.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Conserve his own ammunition and pick up abandoned bandoliers when he sees them.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Memorize and invariably use the unit\u2019s selected code words for leaders, maneuvers, ammunition, corpsmen, etc.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Be able to select a night position so that the jungle works to his advantage and to the disadvantage of infiltrating Japs.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Appreciate the fact that the Japs do not have cat\u2019s eyes; that they are afraid of the dark; that at night a moving Jap is an easy victim for a silent Marine who believes in his bayonet.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Care for his equipment religiously. Weapons deteriorate with unbelievable rapidity in the jungle and must be cleaned at every opportunity.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Use extreme caution in contacting native cultures. Though many are the Japs\u2019 enemies, some are hostile to all outsiders.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Available in Print with Free PDF<\/h2>\n

Every\u00a0paperback<\/a>\u00a0copy of the Pacific Bulletin\u00a0comes with our free PDF guarantee. That means you can download the PDF free whether you buy it from us or from a store. And of course you can order\u00a0just the PDF<\/a>\u00a0if you prefer.<\/p>\n

The jungle can be even deadlier than the enemy. You’ll need every ounce of training to survive. Order now.<\/p>\n

\"TOC-Bulletin-3-cover-front\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2004, Arc Dream Publishing released Talent Operations Command Intelligence Bulletin 3: Marine Talents in the Pacific Theater, a sourcebook for GODLIKE:<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[88,266,268,269,267],"class_list":["post-2051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-godlike","tag-dennis-detwiller","tag-devils-own","tag-sis","tag-special-instruction-school","tag-usmc"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/TOC-Bulletin-3-cover-front.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1wrNI-x5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2051"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2056,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2051\/revisions\/2056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}