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Widely known by their nickname Camacho's Caballeros, the 17th Recon Regiment (sometimes abbreviated "17th Recon") is amercenary
unit featured in the BattleTech novels Close Quarters,Hearts of Chaos, and Black Dragon, all written by Victor Miln. Their unit strength at the
beginning of Close Quarters (circa 3057) is roughly a regiment in size, with three full battalions of 'Mechs and an unspecified number of infantry.
Notable members of Camacho's Caballeros include Cassie Suthorn(the main character of Close Quarters and who has a hobby of defeating
BattleMechs whilst she is on foot) and Colonel Carlos Camacho. The unit appeared to be composed of older 'Mechs, such as the Phoenix
Hawk, Shadow Hawk, and Wasp, though they are mentioned as being upgraded with double heat sinks and at least one C3 computer system.
No unifying color scheme or insignia is referred to in the novels. The 'Mechs seem to be custom painted and decorated by each pilot.
Contents
[hide]
1 Unit History
2 Officers
3 Tactics
4 Support
5 Dragoon Ratings
5.1 3067
6 Composition History
6.1 3040
6.2 3056
6.3 3067
6.4 3085
6.5 3145
7 Notes
8 Rules
8.1 3145
9 Gallery
10 References
11 Bibliography
Unit History[edit]
Close Quarters describes the unit as being composed of Free Worlds League natives, and having a diverse mix of different ethnicities. Many of the
members hail from the three impoverished worlds ofCerillos, Galisteo, and Sierra, the so-called "Trinity of Southwestern Worlds" on the League
edge of Periphery that are composed primarily of individuals of Hispanic descent. The novel also states the unit as being involved in battle against
the Clans, Colonel Carlos Camacho most notably piloting a captured Clan Smoke Jaguar Mad Cat. They are employed by the people of Crotch (in a
flashback) and, for the main part of the story, Chandrasekhar Kurita, the CEO ofHachiman Taro Electronics, which is based out of Hachiman.
The Caballeros have been key in foiling the plots of the Kokuryu-kai, as they did when the rebels attempted to conquer Towne from theFederated
Commonwealth. The Caballeros defeated the 15th Dieron Regulars there, earning the Draconis Combine a bruised ego as a line unit was
defeated by corporate mercenaries. The Regiment gains a fourth Battalion in wake of the fighting on Towne in 3058. Many of the 'Mechs and
equipment that would make up their new battalion came from the decimated Black Dragon-aligned forces which included the 15th Dieron Regulars and
its task force of supporting regiments. Prior to June, the unit received a mixed group of new recruits from the Southwest Trinity of worlds, which would
incorporate some survivors of the fighting on Towne. Robert "Navajo Wolf" Begay was promoted to Force Commander and became its commanding
officer. However many within the regiment were ill at ease with the new Battalion due to the nature of its creation and personnel. [1]
The Caballeros were again on hand at Coordinator Theodore Kurita's birthday celebration, which they were invited to as a thanks for their
involvement in the Towne debacle. There, they were able to escort both Theodore and Chandrasekhar to safety when the Otomo, the Coordinator's
bodyguard, attempted to assassinate him.
The Caballeros deployed after Operation Bulldog on some liberated worlds to protect Tanadi assets, and were attacked by forces fromClan Ghost
Bear[2]. The regiment survived the fighting, but lost Force Commander Bar-Kochba and many others of the battalion onLuzerne. Several of the
Cabelleros used Hitman scout 'Mechs to call in artillery strikes on the Ghost Bears. [3]
While in service to the Draconis Combine, the performance ofLieutenant Rosita Ramirez's custom Tarantula convinced the DCMSProcurement
Department to start using the 'Mech. [4]
Remaining with HTE, upon hearing of the imminent disintegration of order in the Free Worlds League and the heavy-handed treatment of rioters in the
Southwestern Trinity by the federally-employed mercenary unit Swann's Cavaliers resulting in the "Bad Rock Massacre", the Caballeros returned
home to defeat the Cavaliers and defend their homeworlds against all possible threats. The arrival of the Caballeros on Galisteo turned the tide against
the Cavaliers. The Caballeros destroyed most of the Cavaliers' AeroSpace equipment and the Cavaliers' Charlie Battalion was quickly eliminated. The
Caballeros then traveled to Sierra and Cerillos to liberate those worlds but found that the Cavaliers had withdrawn from both systems. With the Free
Worlds League destroyed and the Trinity Worlds on their own, Carlos Camacho assumed the office of President of Galisteo. [5]
In 3071 rumors suggested that the Caballeros would be working for the Lyran Alliance and be placed at the Clan Jade Falcon border.[6]The rumors
were overtaken by the malestrom of the Jihad; the Caballeros spent the remainder of the conflict defending worlds across the Duchy of TamarindAbbey. When the Lyran Alliance began annexing worlds from the former Free Worlds League in 3079 the Caballeros found themselves placed in an
invidiuous position, as one of the worlds annexed was Galisteo. [7]
Unwilling to see the Trinity Worlds subjected to further turmoil and conflict, the Caballeros negotiated a surrender to the Alliance that saw the
Caballeros signing an eight-year employment contract. Consequently, the Caballeros were back in combat in 3080, when they spent nine months
defending various worlds against raids and attacks originating from the worlds of the former Circinus Federation.[7]
raiding worlds within the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey in 3113,[7] the Caballeros fought alongside Gamma Regiment on Labouchere and
the Spider's Web Battalion on Saltillo[8] clashing with the Second Tamarind Regulars on both worlds. The Caballeros fought the Second to a
draw on Saltillo, but were forced to retreat from Labouchere. [7]
In 3106 the commanding officer of the Caballeros, Jesus Camacho - son of former commander Gaviln Comacho - died; command of the Caballeros
was taken up by his wife, Anjelah Camacho. Anjelah "Itehtah'o" Camacho was the daughter of famed Caballeros scout Cassie Suthorn, and she was
quick to reaffirm the Caballeros commitment to defending the Trinity Worlds; as such the Caballeros restricted themselves to only accepting contracts
from the Bolan Province of the Lyran Commonwealth and those contracts had to be defensive contracts that wouldn't violate the Caballeros
commitment to the peoples of the Trinity Worlds. [7]
Thirty years later the Caballeros captured the planet Simpson Desertfor the Commonwealth after a fierce campaign against the Third Tamarind
Regulars. Having taken Simpson's Dessert in 3137 the Caballeros were able to join in the attack on Tamarind in 3139, where the Caballeros Fourth
Battalion broke through the defenders lines at the Havison Flats, a decisive action that allowed the allied forces to push forward and capture Zanzibar.
The Caballeros actions on Simpson Desert and Tamarind cost them a battalion of 'Mechs, and the Commonwealth chose to release the Caballeros
from combat actions at that point, giving the regiment a chance to return to the Trinity Worlds to rest and recuperate. [7]
Following the reconstitution of the Free Worlds League the reformed Tamarind-Abbey District began a campaign to recapture lost worlds, leading to
battles between the Caballeros and League forces on bothCerillos and Galisteo. Both battles saw the Tamarind forces draw up overwhelming forces
against the Caballeros, forcing the mercenaries to surrender; the Caballeros negotiated similar terms to those under which they had surrendered the
Lyran Alliance in 3079. Once again, the Caballeros insisted on defending the Trinity Worlds, with their loyalty to the Free Worlds League being simply a
secondary extension of their fanatical dedication to their homeworlds. [7]
Officers[edit]
The commanding officer in 3067 was Carlos Camacho.
As of 3085 Colonel Gaviln Camacho is the commanding officer.[9]
In 3145 the commanding officer is Colonel Anjelah Camacho. [10]
Tactics[edit]
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Support[edit]
Dragoon Ratings[edit]
3067[edit]
Dragoon Rating: B-
Composition History[edit]
3040[edit]
Camacho's Caballeros (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[11]
3056[edit]
-Unit was noted to have 90+ BattleMechs. Colonel Camacho, pilots aClan Timberwolf named Great White, with shark teeth painted its cockpit-like
nose.[12]
3067[edit]
17th Recon Regiment (Carlos Camacho's) (2 Battalions/Elite/Reliable)[13]
3085[edit]
Camacho's Caballeros (Veteran/Fanatical)[9]
3145[edit]
- At this point the Caballeros were operating at eighty percent of full strength.
Notes[edit]
When asked about the origin of the "17th Recon Regiment" designation on the CBT Forum, the official answer was that is was presumably
an oversight based on a unit patch depicted in the oldMercenary's Handbook for the 17th Recon Regiment; however this patch referred
to a sub-unit of the Eridani Light Horse, a distinctly different mercenary unit. [14]
Rules[edit]
3145[edit]
Whenever the Caballeros are the defending force in a scenario they may choose all of the mapsheets used in that scenario. The
Caballeros may also begin play with twenty-five percent of their total force hidden, even if the scenario doesn't normally allow hidden
units.[15]
Gallery[edit]
References[edit]
1.
2.
Jump up Field Manual: Mercenaries: Revised, p. 54 - "The Caballeros deployed after Operation Bulldog on liberated
worlds to protect Tanadi"
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Jump up to:7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Field Manual: 3145, p. 179-180, "Camacho's Caballeros"
8.
9.
Jump up to:9.0 9.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 160, "Mercenary Forces Deployment Table - 3085"
10.
Jump up to:10.0 10.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 182, "Notable Mercenary Forces - Free Worlds League"
11.
12.
Jump up Close Quarters p. 40, 60, 73, 79, 112- - Unit details and commanders as told in the novel.
13.
14.
Jump up In this thread ("17th Recon Regiment - also known as Camacho's Caballeros") on the CBT Forum
15.
Bibliography[edit]
Black Dragon
Close Quarters
Hearts of Chaos
Callie's call - Victor Milan's prequel story from the BattleCorps site (posted by 2005-10-22)
Objective Raids