[freddieflatline]

As a paramilitary unit, the Texas Rangers as an organization handles the state's intelligence and counterintelligence operations. Spy Games also mentions that fully badged Texas Rangers, not deputy Rangers or other uniformed officers, etc., are expected to run their own espionage and CI rings and be very self-sustaining as part of the whole "One riot, one Ranger" ethos.

Thank you for the information.  That is very interesting to know.

[Kol_Saresk]

First, it's awesome that the Coca Cola analogue gets Minute Men lol.

But to my on topic point, I noticed that the Tir Na Nog Paladins are not listed. My knowledge of the Sixth World is fragmentary at best at the moment and considering the sheer volume it'll be a while before that changes, so if something happened to the Paladins that moved them off the board then I apologize for my ignorance and I thank you in advance for explaining it. I am merely just curios as to why they didn't make the list.

Also apologies if this has already been answered.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

The Paladins, as far as I'm aware, would never have made it onto the board, as they are less a SpecForce than a general collection of people who use the term.  Some - many - Paladins are indeed highly capable combat individuals, and groups of paladins do indeed work together, but since paladins each individually swear alliegence to something, they are not a group together, per se.

[Crimsondude]

Paladin is a catchall term for a lot of different people. Some of them are also members of the Ghosts, but not all Ghosts are Paladins. Also, a lot of those old Paladins went into exile with Surehand or died. They did swear a magical, lifetime oath to Surehand, after all. Although some interpreted it as to the office, not the man.

Anyway, no Paladins here. Nor their Tír na nÓg equivalents, and specifically the Order of Cú Chulainn. It's a warrior class, and there are elite of the warrior class (Reach Fuileach).

[Mirikon]

According to the Tir Tairngir book, there are basically two kinds of paladins. The most common would be those who swear an oath to a person, group, or cause, and do what they are able to support them. This can include bad-ass assassins, spies, and the like, but it can also be businessmen supporting a specific cause, or other, decidedly noncombat types.

Less commonly, there are the paladins that show up in the parades, decked out in the medieval-looking (but 6th world tech) armor, and acted as Surehand's guards. These guys were certainly no slouches as warriors, but they were basically an elite bodyguard order, like the US Secret Service. Not that they aren't bad-ass, but there's a distinct difference in mission, skills, and training between elite protectors and elite operators. Sure, they can be cross-trained into the other role, but that's similar to cross-training SWAT and Homicide detectives. It can be done, but not necessarily the best use of resources.

[Crimsondude]

I never attached this: Citation list sourcing all of the units mentioned.

http://shadowrun.tumblr.com/post/129408578371/elite-forces-of-the-sixth-world

[Sterling]

I never attached this: Citation list sourcing all of the units mentioned.

http://shadowrun.tumblr.com/post/129408578371/elite-forces-of-the-sixth-world

Thank you for this. Very useful indeed!!!

[Sascha Morlok]

Still can't find the sources for "ATO-M". In SR the BGS merely consists of the different GSG units and the GSG9, as it's only  field of operation is border protection (unlike in RL where the BGS was reorganized into the Bundespolizei (Federal Police)) and protection of special (international) locations like airports, train stations and harbors.

Anyway the list for Germany or German corporations is incomplete, so I will post additional ones here (based upon this here: https://shadowhelix.de/Spezialeinheit )

Germany:
*Mobiles Einsatzkommando, MEK ("Mobile Deployment Commando"; part of the Landespolizei / State Police LKA)
*Observationseinheit Zoll, OEZ ("Customs Observation Unit", part of the Federal Customs Service, comparable to a MEK)
*Spezialeinsatzkommando, SEK ("Special Deployment Commando" part of the Landespolizei / State Police LKA, SWAT-Unit)
*Sonderabteilung für Pharmazeutische und Digitale Suchtmittel, SAPHADIS (Anti-Drug-Unit, cooperation between FCS and the Federal Criminal Police Office)
*Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll, ZUZ ("Central Customs Support Group", part of the Federal Customs Service, comparable to GSG9)

Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces):
*Fernspäher ("Long-Distance Reconnaissance")
*HAZARD-Teams (CBRNN response unit)
*Kampfschwimmer ("Combat Swimmers" - Frogmen)
*Kommando Spezialkräfte, KSK ("Special Forces Command")

MET2000:
*CBRNe Ops
*MET2000 Special Operations Division, MSOD
*Recon Infiltration Commando, RICO
*Sturmfalken ("Stomhawks")
*Tactical Assault Group, TAG

Sternschutz:
*Spezielle Operationen, SOP ("Special Operations")
*Territorialschutz, TTS ("Territorial Defense", comparable to BGS)
*Zugriffskommandos, ZK ("Grasp Commandos", hard to translate as "Zugriff" just means access or grasp, but is the term used when a police unit engage a suspect or storm a house, so it's more used in the meaning of "arrest", Sternschutz's version of an SEK)

Corporations:
*Schwarze Marshalls ("Black Marshalls") - Schwarze Sheriffs (Renraku / Munich)
*Taktische Einsatzteams,TETs ("Tactical Operation Teams") - AG Chemie

[The_Machine]

This is Super Awesome! Now that my team is running in Germany its good to know those names.
Thanks Chummer.

[Crimsondude]

Still can't find the sources for "ATO-M".

Sorry. Lars told me about them.

[Sascha Morlok]

Lokii posted the source before the Forum went down, but the post is now gone. Apparently it's an odd mentioning in DidS 2 (the 2nd Germany Sourcebook, that was never translated) https://shadowhelix.de/Anti_Terror_Organisation_-_Matrix