[Organization] Greypool

[Comic]

This is just a trial balloon for an organization I'm thinking of building for a future campaign.

 

Greypool is an international mercenary superforce with significant financial backing from apparently legitimate US corporations and quasi-silent political contacts and favors.

 

Greypool's sanction to operate is extremely stringently enforced. It may not function in nor may its 'extraordinary' super-operatives (XO's) even enter the United States or its Possessions unless a specific Presidential writ is issued previous to each occasion.

 

All Greypool XO's are accompanied by their own team of handlers whose first priority is containment of the XO. They keep them happy. They provide their needs. They put them down if they go off the company script. Way after this priority, where it does not interfere with the first priority, is mission support.

 

Greypool has license to recruit XO's from Stronghold, offering a trade: 20 years of Greypool service without violation of the terms of the agreement in exchange for a Presidential pardon at the end of service, full US citizenship, and lifetime monitoring "to help keep the XO on the straight and narrow," plus a hefty salary.

 

Greypool has license to offer the same or variant deals to suspects in federal criminal cases, as well as in fourteen states for lesser crimes, at the discretion of the district attorney.

 

Greypool encourages superheroes to join its organization, as 'Authorized Special-Operatives' (ASO's). The salary is heftier, there are no restrictions on travel while not on assignment, and of course the teams of handlers for ASO's are smaller, friendlier and less likely to use lethal force on them.

 

Greypool operates in any war zone or nation in the US sphere of influence (pretty much anywhere) with the permission of the Pentagon.

 

Greypool is not a part of the US military or US government, and US military, civil and criminal laws do not apply to its assignments.

 

Greypool's mission is to win the war on terror.

 

Though structured like a military force, it is primarily a guerilla organization with corporate oversight. Its bases are generally covert, and it has access to transportation necessary to get it to conflict zones rapidly and reliably.

 

Rescue is not an element of Greypool's mission, although its public-relations material talks about Greypool as a "Rescue and Protection Enterprise".

 

The message Greypool sends to countries that may harbor terrorist threats to US interests is this: if you invite terror into your home, you invite Greypool.

 

So.. does anyone know anything about modern organizations or situations of this sort (I was inspired by Roman history) that could help me set tone, dress up the organization, or suggest uses, background or sample characters?

[Guest voodoo54]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

Is Greypool anything like Blackwater:D

[Comic]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

Well.. This story element is purely fictitious, inspired by Roman history, the French Foreign Legion, and so forth.

 

Any resemblance to actual people, organizations or events is *ahem* purely unintentional.

[Spence]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

Take a look at MITHRIL from Full Metal Panic.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

I built something like this with one of my heros. Checkbook diplomacy works wonders against villains who do it for the money. 'If I hire you, you'll get practically everything you ever wanted. You go places I tell you to go, and trash the people I tell you to trash. Then you come home for cocktails. Sound good? Sign here.'

[Manic Typist]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

What is Blackwater?

[Spence]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

What is Blackwater?

 

I believe it is the security contractor operating in Iraq that is getting pounded in the court of public opinion right now.

[The Suave]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

Blackwater is a Real-Life "private military company".

 

It's pretty much a mercenary\military contract organization on the US payroll.

[CorPse]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

Blackwater also went to New Orleans to do security after Katrina... don't know if that was an official deployment or not. Blackwater is accused of killing civilians in Iraq... the Iraqi government wanted to throw them out, but Uncle Sam said, nope.

 

So much for sovereignty, I guess.

 

I'm sure Wikipedia has a big entry on them.

[CorPse]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

You might want to rent Munich. It gives theearly counter-terrorism efforts by the Israeli's an interesting look. Might give you a few ideas of all the wriggly things that come crawling out when you gone down that path.

[Spence]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

Blackwater also went to New Orleans to do security after Katrina... don't know if that was an official deployment or not. Blackwater is accused of killing civilians in Iraq... the Iraqi government wanted to throw them out, but Uncle Sam said, nope.

 

So much for sovereignty, I guess.

 

I'm sure Wikipedia has a big entry on them.

 

There is actually more to it. Parts of the Iraqi government wanted to toss them, but there were also parts of the Iraqi government who had them on the payroll.

 

The biggest lie/untruth/implication is that they are a US organ. The US isn't the only government or compnay that is contracted with Blackwater.

 

It is just we American are the Great Satan and anything we do must be evil anyone we hire must also be evil.

 

I'm just glad we now have Little Satan to keep us company

[CorPse]

Re: [Organization] Greypool

 

But, wait, the US Gov has to be by far the biggest contractor of B-water's services.

 

I don't buy the Great Satan thing, but I also don't like that Blackwater seems out of congressional oversight even though they clearly have military and para-military functions in Iraq.

 

That's pretty creepy.