The Union Task Force [UTF] is a joint LBPU program which combines members of Union state military forces into one combined, elite unit. The UTF is employed for counter-trolling and general defense of the Union. Union Protectors must vote for their use in specific purposes. They can automatically respond without vote if the Union is attacked.
History
The Union Task Force was founded near the beginning of the LBPU in 2009 as a task unit of the best of the best in the Union. Commanded by MRLane1 from the H4H Bounty Hunters, the force saw little use except during one online create battle engagement in the RSR War, dubbed the 'Battle of Twisted Forest,' which resulted in a loss for the UTF. After that, President Godman2k7 moved to produce more equipment for the UTF such as tanks, patrol boats and research experimental weapons such as the portable railgun. However, this was of little use against trolls who fought in other ways than simply competition. While interest in weapon development continued, it never contributed to the success of the Union in that era.
It is presumed that the UTF was mobilized against high priority H4H targets as well such as K00n3ss alongside the H4H Bounty Hunters.
After the Union collapsed in a schism in 2011, the Union Task Force was dissolved. The New Union adopted a similar task unit dubbed the Union Survival Operations (USO) which was purely for Online Create Battle. It's presumed that the focus in this area is what caused the New Union to collapse, seeing as interest in OCB led to disinterest in politics and more in warfare, leading to the reformation of the Commando Recon Operations.
It was later in the reformation of the LBPU that the UTF was brought back to life in late 2013. It participated in several operations during the RU flamewars and months later was properly reformed in December of 2014 to participate in Operation Lunar Storm.
Operations
The Union Task Force participated in many operations. Major operations included:
Organization
The Union Task Force was small, thus meaning that an advanced military ranking order is not very useful and would be counter-productive to its operations. Each member of the UTF had 'experience' (XP) which is attained by completing missions. Their performance in the mission would determine how much XP they receive from their commanding officer. Experience grants members ranks, which would increase their likelihood of being priority members of critical operations and possibly ascend to commanding ranks if leadership values are observed.
The UTF organized into squads of four members. These squads had designated officer commanding them. Above these squads was the UTF commander, who commanded all aspects of the group. He received objectives to complete from the Union Protectors, mainly the President and the Minister of Defense during a time of conflict. The Union Commission (previously the Union Security Council) could also order the UTF's use in the case of a police action being passed.
Recruits were chosen selectively, and then given an informational book on what they would be doing in the UTF. At the end of the book, the recruits were required to fill out a short entrance exam. After submission, the recruit was then evaluated by the UTF. Correctly completing the test does not necessarily mean that they would be admitted to the UTF. The test is meant to clarify misconceptions the reader might have had. They may still be refused entry for any reason.
Method
The Union Task Force originally had very few tactics and was employed using whatever was necessary. The very few operations conducted by the UTF before the Union schism was a good reason why few tactics were developed. After refoundation, the UTF initially attempted to focus on online create battle, rating warfare and winning flamewars. However, after the Remnants Union conflict, this focus shifted drastically into a new policy that continued to shape from them onward. Tactical reporting became the main focus of the UTF's ability, followed by rating warfare and then overall to help advise players to block, report and not respond to trolling.