Strategic Homeland Division

"The Strategic Homeland Division (SHD) is a decentralized, autonomous entity endowed with executive powers and rules of engagement unfettered by legal constraints. Trained to operate in deadly CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) environments, The Division is mandated to bring order, stability and justice to communities shattered by catastrophic events. The agency also pledges active support to classified Continuity of Government plans should a widespread national disaster cripple normal governing functions."

The Strategic Homeland Division (SHD), referred to as The Division, is a classified unit of highly trained, self-supported tactical agents appearing in Tom Clancy's The Division and Tom Clancy's The Division 2. The players take the role of Division agents.

They are fully autonomous field operatives trained to restore order to communities suffering from catastrophic events, institutional collapse, and societal breakdown. Division agents are embedded in society, leading ordinary lives until they are activated. The Division is not an elite unit in the traditional military sense. They are a civilian agency whose members do not train or deploy like military units. Elite military forces are trained for specific tasks with a completely different mission specification than that of The Division. The Division is made unique by its connection to Directive 51 and its interconnected but autonomous networked organization. It is The Division as a whole that is special, not necessarily each individual agent. Officially, agents of The Division are counted as federal agents, in direct service of the United States federal government.

Their motto is: Extremis Malis Extrema Remedia (Literal translation is "Extreme Evil, Extreme Remedy". More commonly translated as the proverb, "Desperate times call for desperate measures").

Origins
In 2001, two important events triggered further refinement of the Continuity of Government concept in the United States. In June of that year, federal agencies conducted a high-level simulation called Operation Dark Winter to test the nation's ability to respond to a widespread bioterrorist attack. The exercise featured a mock release of smallpox virus targeting Oklahoma City and two other locations in Georgia and Pennsylvania. The purpose was to evaluate national-emergency response protocols and the U.S. healthcare infrastructure in the face of such a lethal threat.

The results were sobering. Decision makers at all levels were remarkably unprepared. Woefully inadequate "surge capacity" in the healthcare system meant hospitals were quickly overwhelmed. According to the official post-exercise report, Dark Winter also exposed major "fault lines" between local, state, and federal authorities, as well as between public and private sector responders. Key agencies such as the National Security Council failed to determine the origin of the attack or contain the spread of the virus. Response times were too long, with a complex web of legal concerns slowing down logistics. Poor messaging and coordination with media outlets accelerated the panic, speeding the simulated transmission of the virus.

Such failures would likely produce devastating real-world consequences. The outcome scenarios included massive civilian casualties, large-scale breakdown of basic services, and widespread mob violence. Again, Dark Winter was just a simulation. But on September 11, 2001, a small band of armed terrorists with an improbable plan executed attacks that killed thousands of Americans, paralyzed the U.S. government, shut down the country's aviation grid for days, and deeply rattled the national psyche. As the 9/11 attacks unfolded, U.S. President George W. Bush fearing additional attacks, initiated COG measures and activated the old Cold War protocols. A reserve government, hidden in a secret location, was on constant readiness in case a decapitating strike wiped out federal leadership.

Presidential Directive 51
On May 4, 2007, President Bush signed National Security Presidential Directive 51 (NSPD-51). This mandate claimed the executive power to invoke and direct Continuity of Government procedures in the event of catastrophic emergency. NSPD 51 construes such an emergency as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

The unclassified portion of the directive was posted on May 9 to The White House website with little fanfare and no press briefing. But NSPD 51 also included a set of highly classified continuity annexes, undisclosed to Congress or the general public for what the executive branch deemed "national security reasons." One of those annexes ordered the establishment of the Strategic Homeland Division. Created as a direct response to the Operation Dark Winter findings, The Division reports directly to the president and is tasked with maintaining order in extreme CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) environments in accordance with Continuity of Government plans. Once Directive 51 has been invoked, the president can activate The Division's highly trained corps of sleeper agents embedded across the nation and immediately commence operations.

In late 2014, an Ebola outbreak created a significant scare in Dallas, Texas. Misstatements on travel documents, misdiagnoses, and other mistakes led to two deaths and a rash of lawsuits. Breathless news reports fanned fears not just in Dallas but nationwide. The incident highlighted the fact that, despite more than $60 billion invested in bioterrorism readiness since 2002, the United States government still struggled to handle a small-scale viral outbreak... and was remarkably ill-prepared to handle a mass-contagion scenario. Also on stark display in the media coverage: how thin and precarious is the line that separates a well-informed public from mass hysteria.

In response to the Dallas events, the executive branch tapped into its top-secret "black budget" (estimated to be $80 billion per year) and reallocated significant funds to increase the operational readiness of the Strategic Homeland Division. In turn, The Division ramped up its covert recruitment and training activities.

Recruitment
Agents of the Strategic Homeland Division are fully autonomous field operatives trained to restore order to communities suffering from catastrophic events, institutional collapse, and societal breakdown. Division agents are embedded in society, leading ordinary lives until they are activated.

The Division is not an elite unit in the traditional military sense. They are a civilian agency whose members do not train or deploy like military units. Elite military forces are trained for specific tasks with a completely different mission specification than that of The Division. The Division is made unique by its connection to Directive 51 and its interconnected but autonomous networked organization. It is The Division as a whole that is special, not necessarily each individual agent.

The ultimate Division agent is loyal, versatile, able, and fit. A good immune system, a proven ability to think on their feet, and the mental fortitude to make the tough calls are essential.

They are pragmatic and direct, capable problem solvers with a natural curiosity and ability to take action.

Every Division agent is expected to possess a self-sacrificing, "first responder" mindset, one that places community above self. To this end, candidates typically have some background in community-oriented or protective services: healthcare, military, or law enforcement; security, rescue or intelligence work; or some combination thereof. But beyond this service preference, the Strategic Homeland Division seeks agents who come from all walks of life.

Field agents of The Division execute a wide range of tasks, both civilian and military in nature. They must be creative, versatile, independent, and capable of operating outside standard rules of engagement. As autonomous operatives, they are free to determine their mission priorities, operational posture, and level of visibility. Agents are bound only by their oath of service and regulated only by the Internal Affairs branch of The Division's Operations group.

The Division is granted priority access to a vast reservoir of restricted data on citizens collected by the United States intelligence community. This access lets Division recruiters identify a sizable pool of prospective agents with suitable backgrounds for service. Candidates are drawn from all aspects of society and are not limited to a specific skill set or profession.

Once a candidate has been targeted, a highly classified vetting process begins. Internal Affairs conducts a background check, including comprehensive financial and medical profiles, work history, and online tracking, followed by extensive active surveillance of the candidate and his/her social network. If the target's portfolio survives this meticulous preview phase, a seasoned Division agent finally makes contact to set up a preliminary interview.

At this point, the candidate must display a keen interest in national service and a willingness to accept absolute restrictions of secrecy - i.e., no one, not even spouse or family, can know about The Division. Then comes a rigorous round of follow-up assessments. Only when this pre-testing is successfully completed can the candidate finally be considered an official "recruit."

Pre -Testing
Once a qualified and willing agent candidate is found, Division recruiters move to the next phase, called pre-testing. Agency psychologists conduct intensive personal interviews, administer cognitive and psychological assessments, and closely monitor performances in VR mission simulators that assess reactions to a wide variety of Directive 51 scenarios.

Based on the results of this testing, recruiters develop a comprehensive Candidate Evaluation Report for every prospective agent. On this report, recruiters measure the candidate's core skills by generating achievement scores for the following essential categories:
 * Loyalty
 * Mental resilience
 * Judgement and decision making
 * Field leadership
 * Adaptability
 * Problem solving and ability to improvise
 * Technical skills/aptitude
 * Commitment to peak physical fitness
 * Immune-system health
 * Raw survival instincts

Mental strength is even more important than physical strength because at the end of the day, survival and crisis management is a mind game. While not all candidates have actual combat experience, every agent must exhibit the aptitude to train and prepare for the worst case imaginable.

Training
Recruits who pass pre-testing begin full physical and technical readiness training. Bringing a new Division agent up to mission-ready status can be a tricky endeavor, however, given the agency's secrecy requirements. The process is intensive and highly demanding, yet it must not put trainees in situations that arouse suspicion or threaten to compromise their cover. Therefore, most training activities are folded into a recruit's day-to-day life, cleverly disguised as common civilian pursuits.

Examples: Unarmed lethal combat instruction may be billed as an exclusive "black-belt-only class" at a neighborhood martial arts studio. Fitness regimens may be high-intensity "gold-level workouts" at a local cross-training gym with special instructors (who happen to be Division trainers). Agents might register for advanced firearms classes at a nondescript shooting range, or enroll in "continuing education" technology courses at their local community college—again, all taught by Division experts and attended only by other recruits or active agents. The Division works with every agent to develop effective, credible cover stories for these activities.

To further protect The Division's clandestine status, new agents are brought into The Division's fold slowly. During the first six months of training, each recruit is reevaluated weekly for progress, including mental strength and psychological stability. Most recruits train under top-tier operatives for nearly a full year before becoming privy to The Division's true purpose and mandate.

Successful trainees eventually earn top security clearance, and are certified by Internal Affairs as active field agents. However, training continues year-round for the entire length of an agent's service in The Division. During peace time, all agents maintain and improve basic skills - survival, combat, CBRN—knowledge, intelligence gathering—through regular practice and exercise. The principle behind this concept of service has active members devoting non-work hours to training and preparation. To this end, the Division's Support department contracts civilian instructors to provide specialist training and conduct advanced group exercises of varied scope each year. In addition, each local cell of sleeper agents is encouraged to coordinate and conduct regular, self-directed exercises and training sessions as they see fit.

Embedding
Once the initial training is complete, new Division operatives simply continue on with their daily lives, functioning as normal members of society. Adapted from the concept of the "stay-behind" project enacted by the CIA during the Cold War, agents live where they will operate once activated, negating the need for centralized mobilization and redeployment. Since Division agents are drawn directly from and embedded into the society they will protect, they can be spread out across the country. Until activated, agents work in a wide variety of regular civilian jobs - police, paramedic, software engineer, lawyer, teacher, corporate manager - jobs that give them local insight and inform their tactical decisions in a crisis. They could be your neighbor, your office co-worker, your doctor, or your yoga instructor.

Being "embedded" this way can be a challenging experience, particularly for any agent with a close network of family and friends. Again, both The Division's existence and the agent's status must remain ironclad secrets, kept even from loved ones. As noted, this is made trickier by the agency's requirements for ongoing training and personal development.

Structure
On the organizational chart of the U.S. federal government, the Strategic Homeland Division is formally listed as part of the Department of Homeland Security. However, The Division reports directly to - and only to - the president of the United States. The Division may commence field operations only when activated by the president pursuant to National Security Presidential Directive 51.

Led by a board of directors, the Division's internal organization is decentralized, based on the assumption that a major disaster or attack could neutralize a single central facility. To avoid such a decapitating strike, the "Rule of Three" is applied: the agency's headquarters are housed in three identical and independently operated bunkers called "Cores." Located in Texas, Kansas, and South Dakota, these Cores are deliberately redundant and distributed across the nation's heartland to better ensure survivability in case of catastrophe.

Each Core is configured to handle routine management and administrative duties during peacetime but can transition instantly after a Directive 51 activation to coordinate intelligence and logistics across The Division network. Each Core is managed by a director with a seat on the board.

Departments
The Division features three separate departments: Research & Development, Support, and Operations.


 *  Research & Development (R&D) : The Division's R&D department builds and supports high-level technical solutions for all agency field personnel. Responsible for the development of proprietary SHD technology - internally referred to as "Shade Tech" - the R&D group also maintains the agency's arsenal of weapons, field equipment, and custom tac-ops gear. To retain its covert status (and avoid intrusive political oversight), Division R&D operates out of a consortium of dummy companies. This branch is always active.
 *  Support : The Division's Support group handles routine tasks related to organizational management such as communications, finance and human resources. However, Support also performs key mission-critical functions such as intelligence analysis and logistical planning. Basic office administration functions are always active, whereas mission support activity ramps up only after a Directive 51 invocation.
 *  Operations : The Operations department coordinates the deployment and field work of its cadre of highly-trained sleeper operatives known as "agents". Division agents are embedded in civilian communities across the United States. Other than top-secret covert training exercises agents do not engage in field work until Directive 51 is invoked and the president of the United States activates them. Operations is divided into three branches: Internal Affairs, Strategic, and Tactical.

Activation
When the president invokes Directive 51 and activates The Division, a first wave of agents emerges from sleeper status. This alpha team mobilizes at a designated rally point for insertion into the hot zone.

Once activated and deployed, a Division agent formally outranks all other tactical units in the field. This superseding authority lets Division teams cut through red-tape and bypass policy restrictions, laws, regulations, and jurisdictional boundaries as needed. Agents can freely organize local assets, civilian or military, to address local needs.

Once activated, The Division's primary task list includes the following:
 * Restore civil order and prevent societal collapse.
 * Facilitate restoration of basic services such as power, water, communications, and medical care.
 * Interdict acts of insurrection, rebellion, or lawlessness.
 * Provide tactical direction and support for local police and military units.
 * Collect field intelligence for key decision makers.
 * Rescue, protect, and/or provide safe escort for high-priority individuals.
 * Procure, protect, and disburse critical supplies: food, water, fuel, medical, and military.
 * Conduct robust counterterrorism operations.
 * Coercive operations against certain actors of violence.
 * Operations to control violence toward other actors who are not identified and can oppose a search for a solution.
 * Humanitarian operations in favor of the populations.

Activation & Deployment
The official "call to action" for Strategic Homeland Division agents unfolds in two phases: activation and deployment. Once activated and deployed into the field, Division operatives answer directly to the President of the United States (as mandated by Directive 51) and outrank all other federal and state actors.

Their primary tasks are to observe the effects of the crisis; relay those observations to key decision makers in the federal command structure; protect what remains of civilized society, including social institutions as well as physical infrastructure; and prevent additional damage by engaging rising threats.

According to Presidential Directive 51, the President of the United States can mandate activation of the Strategic Homeland Division in the event of any catastrophic emergency. Directive 51 officially defines such an emergency as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

The Catastrophic Emergency Response Agency defines a catastrophic emergency this way: "A large-scale event with complex, far-reaching consequences that persist over the long term. Societal infrastructure is damaged or destroyed." The agency goes on to characterize such an event with a list of specific effects:
 * Most or all community structures are affected, including emergency response facilities.
 * Local response is compromised or fails due to the loss of personnel and/or facilities.
 * Aid to the region is not possible because all neighboring areas are affected.
 * Everyday community functions are totally interrupted.
 * Destruction of local and regional infrastructure means national government must take charge—if is still intact and able to do so.

Most scenarios that fall under this definition of catastrophic emergency are straightforward in nature:
 * Nuclear attack
 * Invasion by a foreign power
 * Large-scale terror event - e.g., bioweapon or radiological attack in alpha-level city
 * Natural disaster
 * Pandemic
 * Overthrow or seizure of the state apparatus by coup d'etat

These categories certainly cover most events that typically would be considered "catastrophic": a major earthquake or hurricane; an ocean-basin tsunami (rated as "devastating" at 9 or higher on the 12-point intensity scale); a nuclear exchange; a killer flu pandemic; a "dirty bomb" detonation; a full-scale foreign invasion; or a military coup triggering a widespread breakdown of institutional authority.

In the case of the Green Poison attack on Black Friday, the catastrophe marks the convergence of two scenarios: a terror event (category A bioweapon) that expands into a widespread smallpox pandemic.

Activation can roll out in two ways: either as an incremental effort, where the response is gradually ramped up in waves over time as a crisis intensifies; or it can be a synchronized call-to-arms, summoning all available operational assets at once.

Every Division agent recruit who successfully completes field training and achieves active-duty status is issued an SHD SmartWatch. The wear-able device is a touchscreen PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and communications relay linked to a powerful transceiver worn on the agent's backpack. This digital gearset connects the agent to the Division's encrypted, satellite-based worldwide network.

When catastrophe strikes, The Division rallies its embedded forces via the network. The global-matrix SHD Network features guaranteed, instant and ubiquitous access to all SmartWatch devices. No matter where they are, Division agents receive their activation orders as a coded emergency signal that lights up their watches orange. The watch retains this orange glow until after the agent is killed or deactivated.

Activated agents gain immediate access to high-tech equipment and advanced weaponry stashed securely in secret local caches. When activation is signaled, agents must drop whatever personal task is at hand and proceed immediately to the nearest Division armory to gear up.

Once fully equipped, Division agents head to either a predetermined rendezvous site or a tactical location designated in the activation orders. In either case, the agent's SmartWatch guides him/her to the targeted location via augmented reality (AR) markers seen in the heads-up display (HUD) in the agent's special ScanTek contact lenses.

The Division deployment plan: A.N.S.W.E.R.
Once Division agents arrive at their designated destination, the first objective is to resolve local aspects of the catastrophic crisis scenario. Every field agent is always green-lighted to operate with full autonomy, free to prioritize urgent needs according to their training and rules of engagement. But agents typically look to seize the initiative in accordance with the Division's flexible deployment plan. This plan is called A.N.S.W.E.R., an acronym that stands for the following:


 *  A CTIVATION - The number of Division assets activated is based on the nature of the disaster and its current status. When activated, agents may receive further direct orders. But in most cases, they are expected to assess the situation and then either proceed to the next step of the A.N.S.W.E.R. protocol or take initiative and follow an autonomous course of action.


 *  N ETWORK  - The Division's first and foremost post activation task is to secure its SHD Network, the lifeline that allows all Division echelons to share critical information for long-term operations. While Tactical Division agents establish the network's functionality and generate the raw field intelligence, a highly trained team of Strategic SHD analysts process and present a daily briefing to key individuals within the government. Big-city mayors, state governors, on up to the president and his cabinet - all key elected officials and decision makers rely on Division intel to make sure all operational responses are based on a true and shared picture, as reported live in the field.


 *  S ECURE - Once the SHD Network is operational and intelligence is flowing, the deployed Division team typically takes up a defensive posture to secure the immediate area and establish a safe and stable Base of Operations. Once a base is in place, The Division can more easily interdict ongoing hostile activity and safeguard what remains of the locality's key assets. This includes protecting critical infra-structure (bridges, roads, tunnels, water supply, electrical grid), evacuating endangered officials and civilians, and clearing out hazardous areas. Again, the freedom and power provided by Directive 51 means that agents can move about unhindered and outrank all other officials in the field.


 *  W ATCH & EXPLORE  - Once the local civilian population, leadership, and public infrastructure is secured, Division agents may then push out further into the field. Standard procedure is to explore the scope of the disaster, observe the extent of social disruption, and formulate offensive operations against predatory or hostile groups.


 *  E NGAGE - In situations where laws, jurisdictional matters, or rules of engagement might hold back other law enforcement entities, Division agents are authorized to resolve problems directly and, if necessary, with extreme prejudice. As soon as a threat to the nation or its people is detected, The Division may engage without hesitation or restraint.


 *  R ECOVERY - Once an area is secured, recovery efforts begin. The Division coordinates intelligence, security, and advisory aspects of this work while leaving the hard labor to other departments and agencies.

Field Operations
The Strategic Homeland Division's organizing principles on the ground are flexible and modular. Agency field tactics are based on the core doctrine of "autonomous action" - that is, every Division agent is trained to operate independently in worst-case-scenario environments with little or no direct support. However, agents also receive extensive training in small-group tactics, and often deploy in teams. A cooperative team of agents is referred to as a "cell."

When working cooperatively, agents typically deploy in cells of up to four members, often supported by a remote-operated drone. Cellmates know each other well. They tend to train together and even socialize in their civilian life; they're familiar with one another's tactical and personal tendencies.

As always, the underlying strength of any cell is the fact that it lives in the area where it operates. Not only are cell members already in place when the disaster strikes, but they're familiar with the local utilities grid, know the lay of the land, and have a good take on people, places, and potential problems.

However, cells generally have limited awareness of other agents or cells operating in the field, even in the immediate area. Maintaining such strict unit compartmentalization may seem counterproductive, but preserving tactical autonomy in this way helps keep The Division resilient and less sensitive to outside disruption.

No predetermined rules dictate how cells self-organize and operate. Some choose to assign complementary roles - e.g., forward recon units supported by suppressive fire and a medical expert; or close-range specialists wielding shotguns supported by long-range marksmen with sniper rifles. Other cells feature more flexible roles, with members switching functions on the fly as new situations dictate. In a crisis expected to be fluid and unpredictable, tactical decisions like this are left to each cell based on its mix of expertise, training, temperament and wits.

ISAC and The Network
Access to the SHD Network is one of the most important tactical tools in any Division agent's toolset. Every field operative is linked via his/her personal Intelligent System Analytic Computer (ISAC) to the agency's powerful distributed computing network. System output is routed globally through an array of dedicated, hardened intel satellites in geostationary orbit. Thus, lack of network access is rarely a problem.

These sophisticated networked systems automatically track and record every Division agent's progress, logging every encounter and generating field data to create a shared picture for informed analysis at all levels of the COG decision-making apparatus.

One of the SHD Network's most critically important tactical functions is to provide Division agents with timely identification of units during field encounters. Linked via SmartWatch to the agent's ScanTek contact lenses, ISAC draws from network databases to generate a nearly flawless, color-coded Friend or Foe (FoF) recognition system. This system displays the affiliation and current status of units directly onto the agent's HUD. In the rare instance when the network goes dark and the FoF system does not work, agents are reminded to proceed with extreme caution.

Rules of Engagement
The Strategic Homeland Division's directives specifying the circumstances and limitations under which its field teams may compel compliance by unwilling or resisting subjects, interdict actions by destabilizing players, or engage outright hostile organized forces in combat are broad by design and purposely nonrestrictive.

Division agents are not bound by any local use-of-force continuum or policy. They cannot be held accountable by local, state, or even federal laws or authorities based on any legal standards other than those delineated in the continuity annex of Directive 51. In other words, nobody has the authority to stop or interfere with a Division agent in the field other than another Division agent.

While agents may compel assistance, coordinate joint response efforts, resolve conflicts or jurisdictional disputes between law enforcement and/or military entities, and demand free passage, they cannot usurp control of entire agencies or functions.

Tactics
Tactics are the individual actions undertaken to achieve a specific objective. This is distinct from the term "strategy," which refers to an overarching plan or roadmap. A common explanation of the difference is that strategy focuses on a long-term goal while tactics are the short-term steps you take to achieve that goal. Example: Terrorists seize control of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California and shut down the core coolant systems in both reactors. This knocks out the regional power grid and threatens to trigger a catastrophic meltdown that will spew deadly radiation plumes over the entire southland region.

Your Division cell's "strategy" is to infiltrate the plant and get it back online. Your "tactics" are the specific moves made to accomplish each objective - flank and neutralize enemy snipers overlooking the entrance; infiltrate a utility room full of hostages via ceiling ventilation ducts; toss flash-bang grenades to distract the hostage-takers then free the plant engineering team; escort the team to the main power control room; disarm a terrorist booby trap on the control console; and finally, set up a crossfire kill-zone to hold off hostile reinforcements as the engineers get the reactor coolant towers operational again.

The Division's approach to tactical execution is unique in that its philosophy and training methodologies offer no standard operating procedures in this regard. Tactics vary greatly from cell to cell, depending on team composition and skillsets, equipment available, and objectives. Initiative, flexibility, and improvisation are often the only common denominators between cells and their tactics.

That said, Division agents traditionally focus on developing expertise in all three basic tactical postures: offensive, defensive, and support. But after developing baseline skills in each posture, most agents begin to specialize in one area. When a local cell forms, the agents' various skillsets are often blended into a unique tactical team orientation. This gives the Division an evolutionary resilience as its cells respond to catastrophic situations.

The Go-Bag
Strategic Homeland Division agents are carefully selected, highly trained, and endowed with the statutory authority to operate essentially unchecked by other agencies in the field. But any enforcement agency seeking to restore order amidst catastrophic disruption also needs the best equipment that modern technology can provide. The Division may be small in terms of manpower, but its arsenal of custom-crafted firepower, anti-ballistic body armor, and networking technology is a significant force multiplier in any hostile arena. A fully equipped Division agent is a fearsome, self-contained combat unit, battle ready.

Preactivation, Division agents go about their normal civilian lives. But when the Directive 51 call to duty comes, every activated agent has a two-hour window to report to his/her designated rally point. This puts a critical emphasis on readiness, both physical and psychological. Division agents spend months preparing to move very, very quickly at a moment's notice.

The first important component of readiness is the diligent maintenance of a "Go-Bag". Every agent must keep a Division-issue, armor-lined backpack stocked with a small arsenal of weapons and enough basic supplies to last a minimum of seventy-two hours in the field. This includes food, water, medical items, ammunition, protective equipment, tools, gas mask, Mylar space blanket, and other basic mission-essential equipment.

During training, Division agents develop an individualized expertise in determining their own needs, and tailor the content of their Go-Bags accordingly. Agents also learn to keep a sharp eye out for loose materials in the field that can help them craft upgraded weapons and equipment. Generally, anything (wire, duct tape, electronic parts, even bits of fabric) that can help an agent make, repair, or customize equipment in an emergency environment is good for the go-bag.

After activation, the Go-Bag is the Agent's lifeline, kept close at all times. Much of the gear in the bag is multi-purpose, intended for extended use, and designed to enhance mobility and autonomous movement. For example, instead of stocking bottles of water, most Go-Bags include water purification tablets and a purification bottle or straw. This lets the agent consume water in the field without adding significant carry weigh: relying on logistical resupply.

One critically important Go-Bag item, particularly in a pandemic environment, is the agent's supply of field medications. All Division agents undergo a full regimen of vaccinations, referred to as "the Cocktail," upon officially joining the agency. The composition of this regimen can vary, depending on previous inoculations. For example, former military personnel who've served abroad have received much of the Cocktail already and need only a few booster shots. But the Division's field teams also gain priority access to the latest antiviral medications. Combined with protections from the Cocktail, these cutting-edge field meds make agents considerably more resistant to new diseases - even ones like the weaponized Variola Chimera virus that have no functional vaccine or cure yet discovered.

Every Division agent is encouraged to carry extra water, food, medical kits, and other survival items in their Go-Bag for disbursal to civilians in need. Distributing supplies in this manner is proven to be one of the most effective population control methods in a catastrophic emergency.

Part of every Division agent's operational efficacy within a chaotic emergency environment is the ability to function in a fully independent manner - that is, to deploy into hotspots with no reliance on backup or logistical support. To support this radical autonomy, Directive 51's continuity annex grants every Division agent the freedom to procure any item from any location, without restriction, as long as said item is not currently in the direct physical possession of a civilian or friendly unit. This legal right of procurement overrides all local anti-looting laws. No restrictions related to the collection of private property shall apply to Division agents, no matter the jurisdiction. Given this dispensation, all Division agents are trained to seek, recognize, and procure valuable operational items from the field. This includes clothing items; the refreshment of an agent's wardrobe has great hygienic value in an infectious environment—much like how soldiers regularly don clean socks on the battlefield to mitigate various immersion foot syndromes (such as trench foot) and other diseases.

Protective Equipment
Every Division field-operations team must be able to absorb damage as well as inflict it. Whether a team's tactical maneuvers are offensive or defensive in nature, aggressive or conservative, the odds are good that at least one agent will take a bullet at some point during a given mission. To ensure survivability in hostile emergency situations, the Division issues a basic set of rugged protective wearables. However, agents are also trained to scour every environment for items that can be used to upgrade or outright replace their current equipment selections.

Depending on an agent's background and preferred method of engagement, the nature of protection chosen and its purpose can vary. All agents carry some form of mask for protection against dust and CBRN contaminants. Most agents wear some type of body armor, plus protective gloves and kneepads. Some carry advanced ballistic or melee protection shields, or deployable cover. They also carry means to identify themselves as government officials - to avoid trouble with other agencies and departments.


 * Body Armor
 * Masks
 * Gloves
 * Backpacks
 * Knee Pads
 * Holsters

Weapons
Every Division field agent carries an inventory of weapons, typically with three firearms secured externally for quick access in tactical engagements: one holstered sidearm (pistol, revolver, or sawed-off shotgun) plus one primary and one secondary weapon (rifle, shotgun, or submachine gun). An agent's selected weapons must be easy to carry, powerful, and adaptable to a wide range of scenarios.

It is important to note that The Division is not a "regular" fighting force. Division agents do not carry standardized weapons like their counterparts in law enforcement and the military. Their weapons are highly customized, modified by each individual agent to their exact personal specifications. For group tactics, Division field teams often coordinate their arsenals internally for optimal use, but beyond that, anything goes.

Base of Operations
In military terms, "logistics" is the organized movement, housing, and supply of units and equipment. Directive 51's mandate that Strategic Homeland Division operatives be "independent and autonomous" means that agents must be prepared to conduct field operations without even basic logistical support.

If there is no functional administrative infrastructure or safe zone in the designated operational area - including such fundamental survival priorities as reliable water sources, food, shelter from weather, or safe supply storage - then Division agents must create one by establishing a base of operations.

This base is an area or facility with a secure perimeter, caches of supplies and weapons, and (if local forces are available) a defensive garrison. Civilian, technical, and medical personnel can also be included in the base to facilitate an efficient response. It can include a field hospital, helipad, machine shop, or other facilities, and can be expanded and upgraded to address local needs.

Base Types
Overall, the base's logistical posture can vary depending on its location, situation and resources available. The site can serve as a Base of Operations (BOO), defined as a strategic, permanently manned, well protected facility with multiple structures or nodes used to support deployed forces, often with robust sea and/or air access. An example would be the James Farley Post Office complex in Midtown Manhattan or The White House in Washington, D.C. during the Green Poison crisis. Or a site can serve as a Forward Operating Base (FOB), a contingency tactical location that is less secure but provides improved reaction time to local hotspots. A typical FOB has a fortified Entry Control Point (ECP) plus a mixed assembly of concrete barriers, barbed wire, bunkers, watchtowers, or other force-protection infrastructure.

Beyond constructing larger bases, Division field agents also actively seek to establish a network of designated Safe Houses throughout unsecured areas. These facilitate not only Division field operations but also provide support for Joint Task Force missions as well as CERA.

The First Wave
In response to the burgeoning anarchy in wake of the Green Poison outbreak on Manhattan, The Division activated its First Wave of agents to carry out the mission and aid the Joint Task Force, with the brunt of the wave sent to defend central Manhattan, where the virus was originally released and where the anarchy began.

Infighting and Going Rogue
The Division's operations in central Manhattan failed, and the JTF was forced to evacuate and construct a wall around central Manhattan, creating the Dark Zone, and leaving many First Wave agents to fend for themselves. Angered by the heavy casualties the First Wave suffered in the Dark Zone, Aaron Keener decided to go rogue, convinced many of his fellow surviving agents to do so as well, and killed off those still loyal to The Division. Keener made contact with Charles Bliss of the Last Man Battalion and aligned his agents with PMCs. The former making use of the latter's manpower and supplies, and the latter utilized the Division technology in exchange. In response to the inevitable arrival of the Second Wave, Keener arranged for the LMB to arm a surface-to-air missile to destroy the helicopter transporting Second Wave personnel.

The Arrival of the Second Wave
A Second Wave Division agent (the player's character) has been activated and was currently in Brooklyn. They made their way to the local safe house and made contact with fellow agent Faye Lau. After restoring order to Brooklyn and helping the JTF retake control of the police precinct, the agent joined Faye at the landing zone to meet Commander Chang. However, much to their shock and horror, the VTOL is destroyed by the LMB's SAM, killing Chang and a part of the Second Wave personnel on board, and severely wounding Faye. A JTF helicopter comes to their aid and transports the two agents to Camp Hudson.

After landing, the agent makes their way to the JTF's Base of Operations in Pennsylvania Plaza. Finding the base under attack by Rioters, the agent comes to the aid of the JTF garrison and repels them. After saving the base, the agent meets Faye again, but her injuries from The Division VTOL's destruction made her unfit to carry out the mission alongside the agent. Instead, Faye provides support to the agent by becoming the acting Division Commander.

Role in The Division 2
Roughly seven months after Green Poison crippled New York, escalated cases of agents going rogue have occurred outside of the aforementioned city. Dissatisfied agents have different reasons for such, some followed Keener's lead due to wanton discontent, some for loot and treasures in Dark Zones and/or dangerous areas, and some who simply wish to return home, likely to protect their loved ones as well as live in peace. The SHD Network goes offline throughout the United States, causing select agents who vowed to continue The Division's goal to save what remains to head to Washington, D.C. in which they are billed as modern-day sheriffs by Manny Ortega.

Relationships with other organizations
Prior to the Dollar Flu outbreak, some hint of Directive 51's existence was leaked to the general public but it was never truly acknowledged. Those who knew of Directive 51 and The Division had found them deeply controversial, noting it's deep secrecy, the powers bestowed upon the organization, the relatively invasive qualities through the use of sleeper agents, and it's overall unconstitutional nature.

JTF and the First Wave (New York)
Following the activation of Division agents in response to the Dollar Flu outbreak, relations between The Division and joint CERA and JTF were mixed at best. Roy Benitez, a JTF commander, like many officers in the NYPD and presumably a number of Army National Guardsmen, disliked the idea of federal involvement in the crisis. However, Benitez also urged his men not to alienate The Division and encouraged them to work alongside them, as while The Division are federal agents, they were also New Yorkers. On the other hand, some Division agents, like Javier Kajika and Alicia Coswald, viewed the JTF with skepticism, recognizing that much of the JTF's personnel was comprised of policemen and National Guardsmen who were not trained to handle a crisis of the Dollar Flu's magnitude.

After the JTF's disastrous failure to maintain control of Central Manhattan, which was walled off to quarantine the infected citizens, many First Wave agents were left to fend for themselves as the JTF was ordered to withdraw hastily. The action resulted in the deaths of many of the First Wave agents and numerous civilian casualties.

Division Agents
Players take the role of agents in the Strategic Homeland Division. Their main task is to save what's left of New York City. Because of the independent nature of these agents, and The Division being a self-supported tactical unit, they may attack other agents and go rogue or join up with other agents to accomplish their task.

Division Commanders
These people lead the wave of agents. Each commander is responsible for their respective wave.

Dark Zone Vendors
These non-combatant Division agents reside within the Dark Zone's safe-houses and checkpoints. Their merchandise can only be purchased with DZ Credits.

Rogue Agents (Last Man Battalion)
Dissatisfied and angered by the heavy casualties they sustained in trying to maintain control of the Dark Zone, as well as abandonment by the JTF, many of the remaining agents of the First Wave went rogue. Led by Aaron Keener (who also convinced them to go rogue), they slaughtered other First Wave Division agents still loyal to The Division and formed an alliance with the Last Man Battalion. They are among the most dangerous enemies in the game.

Rogue Agents (Player Characters)
Other agents have gone rogue for various reasons. Some simply deserted, while others stole and killed people. There is also an example of an Division agent working with the Black Tusk.

Trivia

 * Most factions from Tom Clancy's The Division don't seem to be aware about the SHD presence in Manhattan. This is shown as enemy factions battling with Division agents will refer to them as JTF or classify them as civilians trying to be brave, and deploying skills only catches them by surprise and confuses them.
 * The only two factions that seem to know the true abilities of The Division are the Joint Task Force (who have been working very closely with The Division) and the Last Man Battalion (who have Rogue First Wave agents on their side). But even for the latter, only the more elite LMB know about The Division, leaving the regular LMB unaware of The Division.
 * JTF soldiers are often complimenting Division agents as they pass by them in Manhattan, often joking about getting gun like the agent's, saying that they'll be in their prayers, and thanking them for helping them out.
 * As of the introduction of the Underground and of Clear Sky, the Rikers have started to catch on to the SHD presence in Manhattan, as Rikers obtained some new equipment from Division agents for the Secure Quarantine mission and intercepted a V-22 Osprey loaded with SHD Tech (which Slider referred to as "Si-Fi Tech").
 * As of 1.8: Resistance, with the deployment of Division agents to West Side Pier, only then the factions knew about how much of a threat The Division posed to them, leading the LMB to broker a truce between the factions against The Division.
 * Although confused, fearful and very scared, unarmed civilians recognize Division agents as good guys.
 * By the time of Tom Clancy's The Division 2, The Division have fully established themselves, as this is shown that when engaging in most enemy factions usually taunt and threaten Division agents directly
 * Hyenas view The Division as authority figures in a non-authoritarian world, often directly threatening them and warning them to back off before "they get themselves killed" in their propaganda messages.
 * Outcasts view The Division as part of the reason they suffered in the Roosevelt Quarantine, threatening to attack them in their propaganda messages
 * True Sons sometimes use physiological warfare against The Division, attempting to spread the message that The Division should be feared because of ISAC (as the advantages of the highly advanced AI is known only to Division agents). They also try to convince Division agents to go rogue and join their side through their propaganda messages.
 * The Black Tusk are the most dangerous enemies The Division has come across, as they have covertly neutralized several agents in D.C. and caused the SHD Blackout that sent all Division agents in the D.C. area to The White House.
 * The JTF at the White House highly respect Division agents, as sentry guards often salute agents walking by and quickly apologizing should they bump into them at anytime.
 * The Civilian Militia (and the D.C. settlements in general) fully support The Division, as settlement members are heard complimenting agents as they walk by, and Militia soldiers often cheer agents on, even mentioning that children are pretending to be agents and that settlement members have formed Division fan clubs.
 * It is unknown if factions like the Underground and the Ambushers know about The Division.
 * The Manhattan settlement Haven and their faction the Peacekeepers in Warlords of New York did not trust The Division at first, with their leader Paul Rhodes even going as far as turning away a Division agent he knew from the past and kept her from entering the settlement; this untrustworthy feeling only grew when Aaron Keener and his rogue agents showed up and started wrecking havoc on Lower Manhattan. However, the two factions eventually formed a mutual - albeit uneasy - alliance as the Division was slowly able to eliminate Keener and his lieutenants.
 * According to the book The World of Tom Clancy's The Division, once activated, a Division agent outranks every government agent and official in the United States, excluding the President and entire federal agencies

Appearances
Спецотряд
 * Tom Clancy's The Division
 * Tom Clancy's The Division 2