"Should've just run..."

29 June 2291 / Greentop Nursery

Militiamen of the newly formed settlement QRF "G-squad" stand in formation before being redeployed to a new installation to the east.

Quick Reaction Forces (QRFs) are, under Militia doctrine, radio-capable squad-sized elements posted at strategic command posts in each command section and held there on a permanent standby status. Upon activation - usually in response to a security alert, although they have other applications - the QRF rapidly mobilize and deploy to the location of disturbance, with the goal of arriving on site one hour from first call.

QRF selection prioritizes experienced combat-MOS Militiamen, and is held quarterly at regional command centers. Most QRF personnel are seasoned mobile team troopers, typically reinforced by a specialist like a technician or medic, and led by veteran SMT operators, provisioner team members, or staff from other elite combat units.

18 June 2291 / Red Rocket Truck Stop

Major security alert at Red Rocket; a large force of raiders surrounded the installation on three sides and executed a pincer movement. Their RPG team to the south was neutralized without incident, but this bought time for the larger forces on the north and east sides to close in on our lines.

Final body count: 12 EKIA, 2 friendly casualties: Zack, resident machine gunner; and Mario, experienced Minuteman turned Militia squad leader.

15 June 2291 / Somerville Place

Took a few bad hits recently, so I've been hanging around here the last few days, resting up and getting to know the locals. Somerville is so remote that I don't get out here often, so when I do, I try to make the most of it.

These people have a hard lot in life. The house isn't near any trade routes or other settlements, so there's no commerce, no luxury goods, or new faces, often for months at a time. The Glowing Sea is just to the south, and the worst kinds of monsters crawl out of there and wander towards the base on a regular basis. The swamp surrounding the installation is no picnic either - that water is teeming with gulpers, razorfish, leeches and lord knows what else. To top it all off, it rains here almost constantly. I have no idea how the Somervilles survived out here for so long before we showed up.

Through it all, though - through the boredom and isolation, the constant threat of danger and the seemingly eternal drizzle - the folks here stay optimistic. Their constant hardship has taught them to find hope in the most unlikely places, like a tiny beam of sunlight shining through the aperture of a bullet hole. Their fortitude and grit keep them getting out of bed every morning, standing guard, tending the fields and working their posts in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, tomorrow will be better than today.

And sometimes, the sun comes out.

17 June 2291 / Sanctuary Hills

Mass funeral today at the Vault for the Militiamen lost last week. I couldn't make it in time so I had my own private memorial service out in the woods up north.

After nearly 60 days without an accident, this week saw seven fatalities:

Lena and Frances, the reformed raiders who joined for better lives;

Matteo and Ian, fast friends who stuck together until the very end;

Gertrude, who set up her mobile junk stand at Tenpines and decided never to leave;

Linda, fearless doctor without borders who braved unsettled installations despite her age;

and Ollie, the ever-curious technician who always kept the generators running.

These men and women risked their lives to contribute much-needed expertise to our goals, and selflessly paid the ultimate price to make the Commonwealth a safer place.

16 June 2291 / Somerville Place

13 June 2291 / Somerville Place

May's employee of the month is Zack!

Zack is a mobile machine gunner currently stationed at Red Rocket, which serves as a reserve base and staging area for the northern command zone. Zack is famously cheery, and his quick wit, goofy blue hairdo and perpetual grin make long, boring sentry shifts that much easier to endure. When the time comes to open fire, he's an excellent machine gunner who understands his crucial role in the fireteam structure. Zack is a hard worker, a brave fighter, and an all-around cool guy - ideals every Militiaman strives for.

14 May 2291 / USAF Satellite Station Olivia