The Social Security Forces-Water; The KFS Part XIV
The Social Security Forces-Water Division is responsible for patrol duties and maintaining traffic on the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers. Numerically, it is the smallest of the three Divisions, fielding some one hundred and seventy patrol boats, some forty tugs and over three hundred barages plus supporting staff. Two Marine Regiments (same organization and equipments as a SSF-L Infantry Regiment) are available for amphibious operations.
The SSF-W currently has three classes of patrol craft.
The Mackinaw-class is a 14 displacement ton vessel equipped with two twin .50-caliber machineguns (fore and aft). It is capable of a top speed of 20 knots, a range of 300 miles and a crew of 7. This is the main patrol craft with over 65 in service.
The sixty Hawkins-class patrol boats are designed for use in shallow waters. It displaces 9 tons, has a top speed of 14 knots and a range of 200 miles. It has a five crew and is armed with a single twin .50-caliber machine gun mount forward and two single MG-3s aft.
The newest addition to the SSF-W is its five Crawford-class gunboats. These displace 28 tons and have atop speed of 24 knots, with a range of 300 miles and a crew of 18. It is armed with a 25mm autocannon forward and three twin .50-caliber machine guns (amidships and aft).
The Marine Regiments provide personnel to supplement the patrol boat crews, provide security for naval installations and provide customs patrols as well as performing their traditional infantry duties. Due to the nature of their duties, the Marines seldom operate in units of larger than company size.
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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