Wounded Warriors in T2K
 

During the American Civil War, the Union placed soldiers invalided by debilitating wounds into a pool known as the Veteran Reserve Corps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veteran_Reserve_Corps

(Wikepedia, I know, but for the most part it looks accurate.)

This group was used to free up able-bodied troops from rear area duties like guarding railroad bridges, headquarters, and supply depots, as well as basic logistical and clerical jobs, thus increasing the combat power of the regular army. I think that armies late in the Twilight War would employ their disabled (from a front-line combat duty, POV) and/or convalescing soldiers in a similar fashion. I've already posited some thoughts on the role of wounded warriors in T2K here:

http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.p...state+army+t2k

See post #38.

Troops from such a unit could add a little flavor to a T2K campaign. I can also see other armies, allied and enemy, fielding the same sort of units in the same sorts of roles. For a group that really wants to get into some serious, unconventional RP'ing, drawing a PC party from such a unit could provide an interesting and formidable challenge.

One could really pick a challenged PC or the GM assign a challenged NPC: A savant, a child that was raised by animals, someone with a serious mental illness (But useful -- like me before I had my breakdown). The guy who knows absolutely everything about any kind of engine or mechanism -- but is 92 and barely ambulatory anymore, etc.

WW2 German "Ear, Nose & Throat" units also spring to mind...

I think there would be quite a few one armed troops in the front line and quite a few missing one or both legs in staff or logistic jobs.

I can't believe I haven't thrown more of these folks into my campaigns being as my players are pretty much well behind enemy lines all of the time.

+

James, I remember one source called them "stomach" brigades, as having ulcers or other digestive problems.

And from Paul (The guy who knows absolutely everything about any kind of engine or mechanism -- but is 92 and barely ambulatory anymore, etc.) this harks back to the superlative mechanical wizard in The Road Warrior who no longer has use of his legs and is maneuvered in a chain-hoist bosun's chair for his work.