The United States Armed Forces is featured in every Medal of Honor game to date as the either the primary or secondary protagonistic faction and are an available faction for play in all games' multiplayer. The Armed Forces falls under the Department of Defense, and as such is directly controlled by the Secretary of Defense, as well as the Joint Chiefs. The main fighting body of the Armed Forces is made up of the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force, with the Marine Corps falling into the Department of the Navy. The Coast Guard operates in a similar manner to the Navy proper, but is a separate body entirely, and is rarely called into open combat.
Although each branch has well-defined goals and purposes, such as the Air Force (formerly the Army Air Corps) being used to control the sky, each branch also has operations which blur the lines between the branches. These include elite units, such as the Navy SEALs, who operate both on land and at sea, and units that are used to allow for greater autonomy, such as the United States Marine Corps' air fleet.
In-Game[]
Medal of Honor[]
The US make their first appearance in Medal of Honor as the OSS, US Army Air Corps, US Army, and various Airborne divisions. The playable character,James Patterson, served in the OSS and US Army.
Medal of Honor: Underground[]
The United States Military return in the Medal of Honor: Underground as the OSS and the US 8th Army Air Force. They appear alongside the French Resistance and are not the primary protagonists, unlike many other Medal of Honor games.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault[]
Allied Assault follows Mike Powell, a U.S. Army Lieutenant. Originally assigned to the 34th Infantry Division, he is transferred to the 1st Ranger Battalion in 1942, participating in the destruction of a tank depot and artillery battery in Arzew, signaling the starting of Operation: Torch, opening a path for the Allied landing at Oran in Algeria. Unfortunately, all the men of his unit besides himself, including the leader of the operation, Captain Richards are killing during the initial fighting. Rescuing SAS operative Jack Grillo in the process, the two team up, destroying a German airfield and completing their mission. In February 1943 during an operation near a German drydock in Trondheim, Norway, Powell and Grillo team up again, now as a part of the OSS, storming the facility with the aim of destroying German U-Boat U-529 and destroying the Naxos radar detector in testing there. Although Grillo dies shortly into the mission, Powell accomplishes both of these objectives, escaping by train with the help of the Norwegian Resistance and U.S. Rangers.
The Rescue Team preparing to deploy.
Over a year later, Powell, reassigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, participated in Operation: Overlord. Landing in Charlie Sector with support from the 2nd Rangers, 29th Infantry and U.S. 7th Naval Battalion, he infiltrates a German bunker, destroying all hostile resistance, as well as taking out an additional four MG-42 position. The U.S. Navy, besides in the form of Naval Engineers, makes a cameo as Naval Coxswains driving the unit's LCVPs. Several days later, Lieutenant Powell and Captain Ramsey are tasked with recovering scattered paratroopers out of the 501st and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments behing German lines, eliminating German resistance along the way. After finding and saving two paratroopers, Ramsey and Powell attack several German positions, eventually destroying a Nebelwerfer artillery battery, although Powell is the only survivor. The U.S. Army Air Force makes an appearance in this level, eliminating German artillery positions. On June 22, Powell, now assigned to the OSS is assigned with recovering U.S. Army Air Force intelligence pilot Joe Baylor, escorting him to a French safehouse, later sabotaging a German rail depot to ensure the destruction of a train. Afterward, Powell infiltrates a manor, acquiring the plans for the Tiger II tank, destroying a couple of such tanks, and escaping with the help of Manon, using these plans later to aid U.S. Army Tank Corps personel to steal and escape with a Tiger II. Powell then participates on a raid on Fort Schmerzen with the U.S. Army Rangers, recovering Army prisoners and destroying the facility.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead []
In Allied Assault's expansion, Spearhead, Sergeant Jack Barnes participates in Operation: Neptune as part of the 101st Airborne Division, linking up with several British paratroopers, eliminating the threat of a German Artillery battery from being deployed via train. Afterward, Barnes participates in the Ardennes Campaign with the 101st Airborne Division, aiding them steal a German supply truck and holding the line against a massive German offensive on Christmas Eve, eventually destroying all German presence in the area the next day.
501st PIR and British 6th Airborne Division paratroopers in a C-47 over Normandy, France.
Afterwards, as a part of the OSS, Barnes aids the Soviet Red Army in their assault on Berlin, retrieving a captured T-34 tank from behind German lines, recovering intelligence and aiding the Russians in fending off a German tank attack until Russian bombers and Yakolev fighters relieve them.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Breakthrough []
In Breakthrough, the player assumes control over Sergeant John Baker, a member of the 34th Infantry Division who takes part in operations near the Kasserine Pass, the Fall of Bizerte, Operation: Husky and the battles leading up to the Battle of Monte Cassino and Anzio. Units featured in this games are the 34th Infantry Division, the United States Army Air Force, the U.S. Tank Corps out of Patton's 7th Army and the 325th Glider Parachute Infantry Regiment out of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Medal of Honor: Frontline[]
The U.S. military in Frontline are the U.S. Army Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Army, in addition to the OSS. Patterson, formerly a pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps attached to the 101st Airborne Division comes ashore on Omaha Beach with the men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, a special forces unit, aiding his fellow Americans in the assault. The United States Navy makes a cameo during Operation Overlord, several destroyers seen off the coast, as well as Naval Coxwsains driving the LCVP's carrying the infantry ashore. Later, Patterson takes part in operations for the Office of Strategic Services, fighting through St. Mathieu with the 101st Airborne Division, destroying the German submarine U-4902, participating in Operation: Market-Garden with the objective of recovering Dutch Resistance member Gerritt, and infiltrating facilities in Gotha, killing Rudolf Ulbricht von Sturmgeist and stealing the HO-IX.
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun[]
Joseph Griffin, a member of one of the United States Marine Corps Defense Battalions aboard the USS California during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, fends off hundreds of Japanese fighters and torpedo bombers with Gunnery Sergeant Jack Lauton manning his PT boat against the swarm of attacking aircraft. The crew of their PT boat witnesses the scuttling of the USS Arizona, surviving the encounter. Months afterward, Lauton and Griffin are transferred to a Marine unit assisting the Army units stationed in the Philippines, linking up with Griffin's brother, Donnie, a member of either the 192nd or 194th Tank Battalions drawn from the United States National Guard. Together, they repair Donnie's damaged M3 Stuart, fending off the waves of Japanese suicide charges, making their way to the bridge. Unfortunately, Donnie is taken prisoner by the Japanese forces, forcing Lauton and Joe to flee with the rest of the U.S. Military.
In 1942, Lauton and Griffin are transferred to the 1st Marine Division. Their fireteam is tasked with destroy the Japanese ability to resist an amphibious assault and secure the airfield on Guadalcanal, succeeding in doing so. After the Guadalcanal Campaign, Griffin is transferred to the Office of Strategic Services, taking part in covert operations in Singapore, China, Burma and within the Japanese Navy.
Medal of Honor: European Assault[]
William Holt, a operative within the Office of Strategic Services fights through several campaigns, including the Operation Chariot raid in St Nazaire, France, the North African campaign, the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of the Bulge, accompanied by the British No. 2 Commandos, the British No. 1 Demolition Squadron "Popski's Private Army," the Soviet Red Army and the American 101st Airborne Division, aiding them in their own objectives as well as carrying out missions independently for the OSS.
Medal of Honor: Vanguard[]
Vanguard's story is centered around the 82nd Airborne Division, telling the combat experiences of Frank Keegan, presumably a part of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who participates in Operation: Husky, Operation: Neptune, Operation: Market-Garden and Operation: Varsity (as part of the 17th Airborne Division). His unit takes down several objectives, including artillery batteries in Sicily and the bridge in Nijmegen. After Operation: Market-Garden, which ultimately failed due to the stalemate at Arnhem, Keegan was transferred to the 17th Airborne Division to take part in Operation: Varsity, backing up the infantry units crossing the Rhine.
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault[]
Tommy Conlin, a member of the United States Marine Corps participates in the Attack on Pearl Harbor as a Marine assigned to the Defense Battalion on board the USS Arizona, the Raid on Makin Atoll and Battle of Guadalcanal as a member of the 1st Raider Battalion and the Battle of Tarawa Atoll as a member of the 2nd Marine Division, along with his squadmates since training at MCRD San Diego, James Sullivan, Frank Minoso, and Willy Gaines.
An LCVP manned with personnel from the 2nd Marine Division.
Conlin also flies a Dauntless dive bomber after the Marine Aviator piloting it bails due to injuries. Additional American units include the United States Navy who drives the LVT-2s, LCVPs, LCTs and naval vessels featured throughout the game, as well as Marine aviators in Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and Naval aviators who pilot the PBY Catalina attempting to land on Henderson Field as well.
Medal of Honor: Airborne[]
Airborne tells the story of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, one of the 82nd Airborne Division's primary parachute infantry regiments. This regiment carries out operations in Sicily, Italy (Operation: Husky), Paestum, Italy (Operation: Avalanche), Audouville, France (Operation: Neptune) and Nijmegen, Netherlands (Operation: Market-Garden), deployed via C-47 Skytrain military transports via parachute, often intended to clear a path of objectives for incoming infantry units. Boyd Travers, a paratrooper in the 505th served galantly with the unit, participating in all of the regiment's campaigns. During Operation: Avalanche in the Paestum Archeological Ruins in the Salerno province, about 85 kilometers of Naples, the 505th was deployed to aid forward combat engineers of General Clark's Fifth Army in clearing out the ruins, destroying the Germans' radar installation there and their 88mm FlaK battery, marking targets for United States Army Air Force P-40 Warhawks to destroy with extreme prejudice.
Boyd Travers of the 505th PIR/507th PIR.
On June 6, 1944 in the early morning, the 505th dropped on the coastline of Normany, France near the town of Audouville, assigned with the elimination of the artillery spotters, RADAR stations and beach defences which threatened the incoming 4th Infantry Division, presumably helping the amphibious soldiers secure Causeway No. 3 coming off of Uncle Red, Utah Beach. This placement leads the player to believe that the infantry unit featured in Operation: Neptune was out of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. After the 505th secured its objectives, the 4th stormed Utah with relative ease, taking significantly less casualties than those landing at Omaha did.
Sometime after Operation: Market-Garden, presumably after the Ardennes Campaign which the 505th also participated in, Boyd Travers was detached from his original unit, reassigned to the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, now a part of the 17th Airborne Division. This unit participates in a combat drop over the Ruhr Industrial Division near Wesel during Operation: Varsity, backing up the infantry units crossing the Rhine. During this operation, the paratroopers, Travers among them, stormed a train depot, destroying several railguns and Tiger I tanks waiting for deployment. Near the end of the battle, the unit is ambushed by a Panzerzug and her compliment of Nazi Storm Elites, suffering heavy casualties but eliminating the opposition.
Medal of Honor: Heroes 2[]
The U.S. forces featured on Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 were the 5th Ranger Battalion and the Office of Strategic Services.
Medal of Honor (2010)[]
In the newest installment of Medal of Honor, the player takes control of several different American characters assigned to different Advanced Force Operations (AFO) units and the 75th Ranger Regiment. These characters include Captain Brad "Hawk" Hawkins, an AH-64D Apache pilot out of the 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Specialist Dante Adams of the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Deuce, an operator of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, attached to AFO Wolfpack, and Rabbit, an operator of SEAL Team Six, attached to AFO Neptune. These soldiers cooperatively participate in Special Forces operations in the Helmand Valley of Afghanistan, cooperatively eliminated the OpFor presence in the area.
Branches[]
- United States Army
- United States Navy
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Army Air Force/United States Air Force
- United States Special Forces
Aircraft Featured[]
World War II[]
United States Marine Corps Aviation[]
[]
United States Army Air Corps[]
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning Fighter
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- P-47 Thunderbolt
- P-51 Mustang
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain Transport
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
United States Army[]
Modern Day[]
United States Army[]
United States Air Force[]
- F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter
- F-15E Strike Eagle Fighter
- A-10 Thunderbolt II Gunship
- AC-130 Spectre Gunship