Southern Cross Who's Who - 21st A.T.A.C. - Blackjacks
The 21st Alpha Tactical Armored Corps (A.T.A.C.) Squadron is a hovertank squadron originally assigned to ASC Dundee Base in northern Australia. The squadron was considered a "last chance" for hovertank pilots with less than reputable military records. Talented but troubled pilots, with black marks, spotty service records, or who had enemies of the wrong people were the mainstay of the 21st. After seeing extensive action during some of the most difficult and pivotal campaigns of the New World Order conflict (a.k.a. World War IV) and the Second Robotech War the Blackjacks went from being the black sheeps of the Alpha Tactical Armored Corps to one of the most legendary and decorated squadrons in the Southern Cross.
Squadron Members
Current Roster
This is the squadron line-up as of 2032. The 21st ATAC is currently operating aboard the Daedalus class submersible mecha carrier SLV Ulysses.
- Lt. Yossef von Varenburg - "Bullseye" - commander
- Sgt. Malcolm Willoughby - "Shark" - combat lead
- Cpl. Geoff Richards - "Punch Out" - mecha ace
- PFC Indira Watanabe - "Tank Girl" - weapons specialist
- PFC Jack Burns - "Brains" - combat engineer
- PFC Fox Maje - "O.L." - procurement & communications
- PFC Damien Ortega - mecha pilot
New Members
By the end of the global recon mission of the Ulysses in late 2032, the 21st had picked up a few new members, a new recruit and three veteran mecha pilots.
- Specialist Charles McKenzie Caplan-Somerset - medic
- Specialist Karina "Karen" Davison - science specialist
- PFC Gabriel McManus - communications
- Pvt. Anna Marie Tessier - combat specialist
Honored Dead
The following members of the 21st ATAC have given their lives in the line of duty. A monument to the fallen was placed near the ruins of Dundee Base in early 2032.
- Capt. John Mace - "Black Jack" - KIA June 2031
- Lt. Tracy Myers - "Tracer" - KIA June 2031
- PFC Julia Crenshaw - "Prom Queen" - KIA June 2031
- Pvt. Cassandra Cormier - "Copycat" - KIA June 3031
- Pvt. Caitlin Marchand - "Thumper" - KIA June 2031
- PFC Tomas Kessler - "Reaper" - KIA May 2031
- Sgt. Maj. Rafael Menendez - "Diamondback" - KIA Jan 2031
- Pvt. Kenji Nakamura - "Fanboy" - KIA Oct. 2030
- Pvt. Josiah Green - "Sci-Guy" - KIA Oct. 2030
- Pvt. Sherri Keller - "Buckshot" - KIA Sept. 2030
- Sgt. Shanna O'Hara - "Banshee" - KIA March 2030
- Pvt. Victor Chen - "8-Ball" - KIA March 2030
- Pvt. Richard Cook - "Dragon" - KIA July 2029
- Pvt. Stuart Selkirk - "Slammer" - KIA Dec 2028
- Pvt. Brian Forrest - "Joyride" - KIA Oct 2028
Former Members
The following members of the 21st moved on to other assignments or otherwise left the squadron.
- Lt. Robert Graves - "Deadman" - promoted to commander of 57th ATAC, North America Quadrant, current status unknown
- Sgt. Ralph Pulaski - "Lost Boy" - resigned from squadron, currently serving with provisional government in New Zealand
- Cpl. Mark Andrews - "Lunch Box" - reassigned to Perth and later to Monument City, current status unknown
- Cpl. Dalton Edwards - "Snoop" - deserter, current status unknown
- 2nd Lt. William Hardy - "Cavalier" - executed for desertion June 2031