Editing 2nd Donegal Guards

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image          = [[File: Donegalguards02rd.png]]
| Designation    = Second Donegal Guards
| formed         = September 3, 2128<ref name=Shr12p208>''One Thousand'' in ''Shrapnel,'' Issue 12, p. 208</ref>
| Previous Designation = 11th Terran Rangers
| Nickname       = The Unwearied Second, The Leinster Regiment (2765),<ref name="FM2765:LCp10"/> Caesar's Legion (3025)<ref name=HS(LC)p71>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 71</ref>
| Affiliation    = [[Terran Alliance]], [[Mercenary]], [[Protectorate of Donegal]], [[Lyran Commonwealth]]
| Parent Command = [[Donegal Guards]]
}}

==History==
===Age of War===
Formed by the [[Terran Alliance]] in the wake of the [[Terran Exoduses|First Exodus]]<ref name=Shr12p208/>, the '''Second Donegal Guards''' were originally the Eleventh Terran Rangers. Following the collapse of the Alliance, the Eleventh Rangers became mercenaries, contracting with the various worlds in the area that would become the [[Protectorate of Donegal]] for protection. When [[Seth Marsden]] formed his Protectorate, he offered the Eleventh Rangers, who had been serving as some of the finest mercenaries in the region for almost a century, a place in their nascent military. They accepted, becoming the Second Donegal Guard.<ref name=FMLA63>''Field Manual: Lyran Alliance'', p. 63: "2nd Donegal Guards Unit Profile"</ref>  Having served the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] for over a millennium, the Guard have fought in every major conflict in Commonwealth history save the Clan invasion.

Like the other early regiments of the Guards the Second were named for a regiment from [[Terra]]n history that shared the largely Irish heritage of the Protectorate; in the case of the Second, this regiment was the Leinster Regiment.<ref name="FM2765:LCp10">''Field Report 2765: LCAF'', pp. 10–11: "Donegal Guards"</ref>

===Star League Era===
Like the other regiments of the Donegal Guards the Second enjoyed access to the best equipment found outside of the [[Royal Guards]] brigade during the [[Star League]] era, and was staffed largely with officers looking to advance through their leadership abilities and grasp of strategic skills, rather than through the political favoritism that often held sway in other formations.<ref name="FM2765:LCp10"/>

In [[2765]] the Second was positioned two jumps away from the border between the Lyran Commonwealth and the [[Rim Worlds Republic]], in anticipation of any action involving the Republic. Stationed on [[Roadside]], a world that was both a forward base of operations and an important logistics hub, the Second's position allowed it to react to a range of possible crisis fronts along the Republic border without leaving a gap in the overall defenses of the region. For some time the Second had habitually maintained at least one [[company]] of forces in an off-world rotation, working with local forces that required assitance and patrolling the local region.<ref name="FM2765:LCp10"/>

===Succession Wars===
====First Succession War====
The Second began the First Succession War on Roadside, but ended the bloody fighting with only 41% of their force combat-ready, stationed on [[Barcelona]].<ref name=1SW139>''First Succession War'', p. 139: "Deployment Table: LCAF"</ref>

====Second Succession War====
Using the break between wars to rebuild, the Second Donegal was overstrength as fighting broke out. By the end of the conflict, the unit would be down to roughly a single [[battalion]] of combat-ready troops stationed on the world [[Csesztreg]].<ref name=2SW99>''Second Succession War'', p. 99: "Deployment Table: LCAF"</ref>

====Third Succession War====
In [[3011]] they mobilized to relieve the survivors of [[Winfield's Brigade]] on [[Sevren]].<ref>''Technical Readout: 3025 Revised'', p. 10</ref> By 3025, the unit and its commander, [[Colonel]] [[Caesar Steiner]], achieved a string of successes against Combine forces that were impressive enough that the Archon was willing to pardon Caesar when his carousing got him into legal trouble.<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 161</ref> The unit was stationed on the Wyatt Theater world of Pollux at the time.<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commmonwealth)'', p. 117</ref>

====Fourth Succession War====
To mark the 900th anniversary of the unit's founding, Colonel Steiner ordered his troops to depart their garrison and jump across the Combine border, where they looted a distillery. Caesar was subsequently arrested and served a week in a stockade before he was pardoned by the Archon. He and his unit then used their plunder to celebrate the unit's founding.<ref name=Shr12p208/>

====War of 3039====
The Second Donegal conducted the first offensive operation of the [[War of 3039]] when they were tasked to take the world of Kessel alongside the [[Fourth Skye Rangers]] and [[Eleventh Lyran Regulars]], defeating the [[Second Sword of Light]], as well as the [[Fifth Sun Zhang Cadre]] and [[Twelfth Sun Zhang Cadre]].

===Clan Invasion Era===
During [[Operation Bulldog]], they made history as the first Lyran regiment ever to be welcomed on to [[Luthien]], and the first to land at all in almost three centuries. Due to the rapid collapse of the Jaguar occupation zone, the Second were only needed for mop-up duty, rather than the subsequent waves SLDF leadership had planned.

===Civil War Era===
The Second was very active in the [[FedCom Civil War]], taking part in the brutal fighting on [[Giausar]]<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', pp. 89, 101, 102, 130</ref> before General [[Caesar Steiner]] called upon them to end the Skye Revolt on [[Hesperus II]].<ref name=FMLA63/><ref name=FMU169>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 169: "Donegal Guards bio"</ref><ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 178</ref> Prior to that, they moved from [[Gienah]] to [[Arcadia (LC)|Arcadia]], where they intercepted the [[Kristen's Krushers]] mercenary force. Pursuant to their orders to "eliminate neutral or hostile forces" they engaged the mercenaries and inflicted heavy damage on them, leaving only two companies of mercenaries alive. They stopped their assault when the [[6th Marik Militia]] landed on world and forced the Donegal Guards to withdraw.<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', pp. 38–39</ref>

===Jihad===
Heavily involved in the Skye-Bolan Offensive against the Free Worlds League, having been led to believe them responsible for the assassination of their commander in 3068, the Second Donegal pulled back in the face of the Marik counteroffensive and focused on keeping the border secure.  Having absorbed the remnants of the [[Third Donegal Guards]] following the liberation of [[Donegal]], the Second made it through the [[Jihad]] cohesive enough to stage attacks in to the Blakist Hegemony.<ref name=frla11>''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 11</ref>  At the end of the Jihad they found themselves rotated to the Clan front, garrisoning [[A Place]].<ref name=frla11/> One of the central pieces of the defense against [[Clan Jade Falcon]], they found themselves faced with troops looking to keep an edge against worthy opponents, and found themselves fighting trials of possession over alcohol and contraband while rebuilding. The Unwearied Second gained a reputation for giving better than they took, and during one such battle, the Unwearied Second captured a Jade Falcon [[Flamberge]] after pushing it into a river with an exposed engine.<ref name="FM3085p100">''Field Report: 3085'', p. 100: "Donegal Guards"</ref>

In [[3099]] the Second Donegal Guards defended [[Graus]] from a raid by the [[3rd Falcon Talon (Clan Jade Falcon)|Third Jade Falcon Talon Cluster]]. The Falcons bid away all their air support, and the Second Donegal's aerospace fighters inflicted massive damage on the Falcons. The Falcons were driven off, suffering heavy losses.<ref>''Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth'', p. 48</ref>

===Republic Era===
The Second was stationed on [[Kandersteg]] as the thousandth anniversary of its founding approached. Archon [[Melissa Steiner (32nd c.)|Melissa II]] and other leaders in the LCAF saw the anniversary as an opportunity to drive up recruitment and planned a grand ceremony that would publicize the unit and, by extension, service in the LCAF as a whole. The Commonwealth's major arms manufacturers also used the opportunity to show off their products. A number of high-ranking officers and noble dignitaries attended the event, as did media representatives from the Commonwealth's media outlets, primarily the [[Donegal Broadcasting Company]], [[Tharkad Broadcasting Company]] and [[Nashan Diversified|Nashan Communications]], who were invited to ride along with the unit's MechWarriors during their parade.<ref>''One Thousand'' in ''Shrapnel,'' Issue 12, p. 202-207</ref>

The event also prominently featured the insignia of the [[Star League]], ostensibly a reference to the unit's time with the [[Second Star League Defense Force]]. In truth, incorporating SLDF colors as part of the parade was intended to provoke [[Clan Jade Falcon]]. The Clan made an orbital drop just before the parade was due to begin, and the unit sent out ad-hoc forces to intercept Clan attackers that were bound for Kandersteg's capitol of Thul. While the Guards successfully repelled the Clan attackers, it was not without casualties. Subsequent coverage of the battle in Lyran media was heavily influenced by the Archon and her staff.<ref>''One Thousand'' in ''Shrapnel,'' Issue 12, p. 207-218</ref>

===Dark Age===
The Second Donegal Guards refused to support [[Duke]] [[Vedet Brewer]] in his 3141 coup, and instead focused on raiding [[Clan Jade Falcon]] forces as they came across the Commonwealth's borders. They also refused to respond to the [[LCAF]] High Command when Brewer was in charge. Despite being branded a "rogue unit" they defended the Commonwealth with distinction. 

In June 3142, the Second was forced to evacuate [[A Place]].  [[Leutnant-Colonel]] [[Claire Hendershot]] fought a rearguard action that allowed most of the survivors to escape.<ref name=NSfVcP>''No Substitute for Victory'', Prologue</ref>

In 3143 after [[Trillian Steiner]] became Archon, the Second was redeployed to [[Crevedia]].<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 127</ref>

==Officers==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Rank
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Name
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Command
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: #efefef;" | '''Commanding Officers of the 2nd Donegal Guards'''
|-
|[[Colonel]]
|[[Caesar Steiner]]
|[[3025]] - post–[[War of 3039]]
|-
|[[Marshal (rank)|Marshal]]
|[[Hiram Trainer]]
|[[3050]]<ref name=20yup27/>
|-
|[[Hauptmann General]]
|[[Delmar Voss]]
|[[3053]] - [[3054]]<ref name=FMLA63/><ref name=ORp19/>
|-
|[[Leutnant-General]]
|Delmar Voss
|[[3062]] - [[3065]]<ref name=FMLA63/>
|-
|[[General]]
|[[Caesar Steiner]]
|[[3067]]
|-
|Leutnant-General
|[[Violet Gates]]
|[[3085]]<ref name=FMLA63/><ref name=FMU169/>
|-
|Leutnant-General
|[[Arnaud Zardetto]]
|[[3128]]<ref name=Shr12p208/>
|-
|Leutnant-General
|[[Herman Henriot]]
|[[3141]]-[[3145]]<ref name=FM:3145p133>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 133: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - Donegal Province"</ref><ref name=FM3145p127>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 127</ref><ref name=NSFVp>''No Substitute for Victory'', Prologue</ref>
|-
|}

==Tactics==
The Second Donegal Guard possessed a reputation for unorthodox, yet effective, tactics. They preferred high-speed combat over the usual Lyran "mountain of metal" tactics, as well as the heavy use of aerospace assets.<ref name=FMLA63/>

==Composition History==
=== 2765 ===
'''2nd Donegal Guards''' (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name="FM2765:LCp10"/>
:- At this point the Second was stationed on Roadside.<ref name="FM2765:LCp10"/>

=== 2786–2821===
'''2nd Donegal Guards ''' (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=1SWp139>''First Succession War'', p. 139</ref>
: Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on [[Roadside]]. In 2821 the command was reduced to 41 percent of its strength and was deployed on [[Barcelona]].<ref name=1SWp139/>

=== 2830 ===
'''2nd Donegal Guards''' (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=2SWp99>''Second Succession War'', p. 99</ref>
: Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on [[Barcelona]] with an operational readiness of 109 percent.<ref name=2SWp99/>

=== 2864 ===
'''2nd Donegal Guards''' (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=2SWp99/>
: Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on [[Csesztreg]] with an operational readiness of 34 percent.<ref name=2SWp99/>

===3025===
'''2nd Donegal Guards''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=HS(LC)p119>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 119: "Deployment Table"</ref>
:*CO: Colonel Caesar Steiner
:Note: At this point in time the Second was erroneously reported as stationed on the still-Marik world of[[Pollux]].

===3040===
'''2nd Donegal Guards RCT'''(Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=HWo3039p137/>
:*CO: Leutnant-General Caesar Steiner
:Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on [[Hyde]].<ref name=HWo3039p137>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 137</ref>

===3050===
'''2nd Donegal Guards RCT ''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=20yup27/>
:* CO: Marshal Hiram Trainer<ref name=20yup27/>
:Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on [[Hyde]].<ref name=20yup27>''20 Year Update'', p. 27</ref>

===3054===
'''2nd Donegal Guards RCT''' (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=ORp19/>
:* CO: Hauptmann General [[Delmar Voss]]<ref name=ORp19/>
:Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on [[Gienah]].<ref name=ORp19>''Objective Raids'', p. 19</ref>

===3062===
'''2nd Donegal Guards''' (1 [[Regiment]]/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=FMLA63/><br>
CO: Leutnant General Delmar Voss<br>
Aide: Colonel [[Ellwood Goulding]]<br>

'''2nd Donegal Guards Aerospace [[Brigade]]''' (2 [[Wing (Military Unit)|Wing]])<ref name=FMLA63/><br>
CO: Kaptain [[Grayson Pakes]]<br>
- 4th Donegal Wing<br>
- 112th Donegal Wing<br>

'''2nd Donegal Guards Armor Brigade''' (3 Regiments/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=FMLA63/><br>
CO: Colonel [[Lionel McGruder]]<br>
Aide: Leutnant Colonel [[Evelyn Basil]]<br>
- 19th Donegal Light Tank: Colonel [[Narayan Iyer]]<br>
- 13th Donegal Armored Cavalry Regiment: Colonel [[Denise McGreggor]]<br>
- 4th [[Arcadia (LC)|Arcadia]] Panzer Regiment: Colonel [[Leonard Ward]]<br>

'''2nd Donegal Guards Infantry Brigade''' (5 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FMLA63/><br>
CO: Colonel [[Nick Lucas]]<br>
Aide: Leutnant Colonel [[Pitr Sarpong]]<br>
- 9th Donegal Heavy Infantry Regiment: Colonel [[Patrick Tregana]]<br>
- 21st Donegal Infantry Regiment: Colonel [[Gimnan Sloane]]<br>
- 26th Light Infantry Regiment: Colonel [[Leslie Conway]]<br>
- 92nd Mounted Rifles: Colonel [[Ashim Roy]]<br>
- 109th Jump Infantry Regiment: Colonel [[May Zoega]]<br>

===3067===
'''2nd Donegal Guards RCT''' (Elite/Reliable)<ref name="FMU177">''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 177: "Lyran Alliance Armed Forces"</ref><br>
CO: General Caesar Steiner<br>

'''2nd Donegal Aerospace''' (Veteran/Reliable)<ref name="FMU177"/><br>
CO: Kaptain Grayson Pakes<br>

'''2nd Donegal Armor Brigade''' (Veteran/Reliable)<ref name="FMU177"/><br>
CO: Colonel Lionel McGruder<br>

'''2nd Donegal Infantry Brigade''' (Regular/Reliable)<ref name="FMU177"/><br>
CO: Colonel Nick Lucas<br>

===3079===
'''Second Donegal Guards RCT ''' (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)<ref name=“frlcaf11“>''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 11</ref> <br>
CO: Leutnant General Viktor Bedolodia<br>
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on [[A Place]].<ref name=“frlcaf11“/>

===3085===
'''2nd Donegal Guards''' RCT (1 [[Regiment]]/Elite/Fanatical)<br>
CO: Leutnant General Violet Gates<br>

'''2nd Donegal Aerospace''' (Green/Reliable)<br>
CO: Kaptain Pramoda Tiraboschi<br>

'''2nd Donegal Armor Brigade''' (Regular/Reliable)<br>
CO: Colonel Elio Schuttman<br>

'''2nd Donegal Infantry Brigade'''(Green/Fanatical)<br>
CO: Colonel Dariusz Nicolescu<br>

===3128===
'''2nd Donegal Guards RCT'''<br>
CO: Leutnant-General Arnaud Zardetto<br>
: XO: Leutnant-Colonel [[Friedrich Steiner]]
Note: The unit was stationed on [[Kandersteg]]<ref name=Shr12p2083>''One Thousand'' in ''Shrapnel,'' Issue 12, p. 203</ref>

===3145===
'''2nd Donegal Guards RCT''' (Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:3145p133/><br>
CO: Leutnant General Herman Henriot<br>

'''2nd Donegal Aerospace''' (Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:3145p133/><br>
CO: Kommandant [[Sergio Owen]]<br>

'''2nd Donegal Armor Brigade''' (Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=FM:3145p133/><br>
CO: Colonel [[Jimmie Collier]]<br>

'''2nd Donegal Infantry Brigade''' (Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:3145p133/><br>
CO: Colonel [[Maria Wood]]<br>

==Notes==
* The Second carried the unofficial nickname "Caesar's Legion" while under the command of [[Caesar Steiner]]. According to Caesar's granddaughter [[Claudia Steiner|Claudia]], LCAF leadership planned to make the nickname official, but he declined.<ref name=Shr12p208/>

* Often, members of the Steiner family not closely in line for the Archonship serve in this unit. The unit's logo, a Steiner fist holding a golden crown, represents this.

* The [[w:Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment|The Leinster Regiment]] was a British Army unit raised in 1881 with the merger of the 100th (Prince of Wales' Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Infantry). Strongly associated with Canada, the Leinster Regiment was headquartered in Leinster in Ireland, and was one of six regiments raised in Ireland to be disbanded in 1922 following the creation of the Irish Free State.

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Lyran Alliance]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Report 2765: LCAF]]''
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)|First Succession War]]''
* ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]
* ''[[House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)]]''
* ''[[Objective Raids]]''
* ''[[Second Succession War (sourcebook)|Second Succession War]]''
* ''[[Shrapnel Issue 12]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3025 Revised]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth]]''


[[Category: Federated Commonwealth Commands|Donegal Guards, 02nd]]
[[Category: Lyran Commands|Donegal Guards, 02nd]]