Hazardous Enviroment Combat Unit

[fishdbaz]

I'm sure everyone remembers the HECU -otherwise know as "human grunts"- from the original Half-Life.

I'm wondering what the HECU functioned as before the events of Half-Life; their name would imply that they are a combat unit trained and equiped for hazardous enviroments... But I'm wondering if there's more to it than that.

Maybe I'm crazy but I got the impression that the HECU was actually a dedicated supernatural (erm, I use this term for a lack of a better word; I don't mean to say they're ghostbusters or anything like that, I just mean that they deal with unnatural or "supernatural" thingies) taskforce.

I don't know, maybe they dealt with El Chupacabras or UFOs or something. It wouldn't be UNHEARD of in the Half-Life Universe (or well, I suppose it's a Multiverse if you take into consideration Xen and all that) for something strange to have happened before the resonance cascade; I mean, look at the events leading up to Portal.

I'm probably just grasping at straws because I'm bored waiting for news of Episode Three, but who knows... Well, besides maybe Valve.

 

[flamingdts]

They are indeed specially trained to handle any problems that Black Mesa (and even possibly Aperature Science) create, mostly concerning loose creatures. However, since they themsleves are aware of Black Mesa project, when the resonance cascade occurred and they failed to contain the problem, the Government chose to cover the whole thing up with even more specialized soliders (black ops) by nuking the place.

 

[Darkside55]

They weren't aware of the Black Mesa project. One of Adrian's journal entries specifically states he's never heard of Black Mesa.

As for what HECU did before...probably trained for/executed missions in, oh, I don't know...a hazardous environment?

 

[Schall]

Uhhmmmm refer to their full name to find the answer to your question of what they served as before Black Mesa. I don't see any connection between HECU and Black Mesa before, but trying to figure that out would be a shot in the dark.

 

[Ennui]

HECU had nothing to do with Black Mesa or Xen creatures before they got called in to clean up the mess there. They're just badass combat soldiers with training for - you guessed it - hazardous environments, which is a pretty good way to describe post-cascade BMRF.

 

[Zero1979]

I am pretty sure that the Gman mentioned something to the HECU about the possibility of Black Mesa being an upcoming theatre of combat. Otherwise, where would the rumours come from that Shepherd mentions in his journal?

Also, I firmly agree with the view that they were just a badass bunch of soldiers like the Colonial Marines from Aliens who just happened to get landed with the mission.

 

[Darkside55]

The G-man never spoke to anyone in HECU directly. Word of BMRF slipped through whatever commanding officer the G-man was in contact with.

 

[flamingdts]

They are indeed specially trained to handle any problems that Black Mesa (and even possibly Aperature Science) create, mostly concerning loose creatures. However, since they themsleves are aware of Black Mesa project, when the resonance cascade occurred and they failed to contain the problem, the Government chose to cover the whole thing up with even more specialized soliders (black ops) by nuking the place.

Wrong info, my bad. I had a faulty memory. I thought I read it somewhere but it was probably my dream. I think I remember in the first game dead HECU units along with tanks and other vehicles in Xen, then reading somewhere that they were probably involved in capturing Xen.

 

[Schall]

My bad, I had a faulty memory. I thought I read it somwhere but it was probably my dream.

Bad, flamingdts, bad! Why would you shun us with your false memories? OOOOHHHHH the agony!

 

[fishdbaz]

I don't know... I mean, aren't all combat units supposed to enter hazardous enviroments? Isn't that the point of sending them into combat? Perhaps the name HECU is simply that... Just a name?

Come to think of it, considering the Government's response to the Black Mesa incident it seems clear that one of the fuctions of the unit was, in addition to alieviating a situation (whatever it may be), also to cover it up.

Perhaps the name HECU is just a cover... I mean wouldn't it be a bit conspicious to name them the US Paranormal Division or something like that?

 

[Darkside55]

'Hazardous Environment' meaning a place with lots of environmental hazards. BMRF is full of radioactive and otherwise harmful materials and many dangerous indoor and outdoor areas.

Besides, look, why would a paranormal division be outfitted like that? Not one of those HECU marines was even carrying a PKE meter or a neuralizer.

 

[fishdbaz]

Well first of all, the HECU seemed rather ill equiped for Black Mesa's hazardous enviroments; the squad leaders don't even wear helmets for heaven's sake; just those flimsy red berrets.

Second of all, like I said before, I use the term paranormal lightly; while I

 

[Zero1979]

The G-man never spoke to anyone in HECU directly. Word of BMRF slipped through whatever commanding officer the G-man was in contact with.

Thereby meaning he spoke to the CO of the HECU...isn't the training facility in Opposing Force the HECU's?

 

[Darkside55]

I don't think that base was strictly for HECU. I could be wrong.

 

[fishdbaz]

Well first of all, the HECU seemed rather ill equiped for Black Mesa's hazardous enviroments; the squad leaders don't even wear helmets for heaven's sake; just those flimsy red berrets.

Second of all, like I said before, I use the term paranormal lightly; I'm not talking about ghosts or demons or anything like that. Just strange phenomena.

(Sorry for the double post, the computer that I'm using has a TERRIBLY slow connection.)

 

[Darkside55]

HECU wasn't called HECU until Opposing Force. In the first game it was simply "the marines." So those beret-wearing soldiers weren't initially thought up to be a specially trained hazardous combat unit.

 

[Absinthe]

As has been stated before, the HECU were unaware of Black Mesa, or at least the experiments being run there. In OpFor, Adrian's squad was being briefed en route to the facility. Now, that can be a Gearbox retcon for all we know, but I think it's safe. If we take OpFor into account, we know they were probably being prepped up for the incident without their explicit knowledge, so somebody up the chain of command had a greater awareness of what was going on (probably due to some of G-Man's fiddling).

I miss the HECU. I liked the little bits of dialogue they had when you stumbled across them throughout the game, and even how some of them had qualms with the mission (though it didn't stop them from unloading a clip into your face). If there was a way to continue their story, I'd love to see it. But I don't think there's any realistic way of doing that.

HECU soldier #1: So, who is this guy... Freeman?
HECU soldier #2: They say he was at ground zero.
HECU soldier #1: Science Team... do you think he was responsible? Sabotage, maybe?
HECU soldier #2: Yeah, maybe, all I know for sure is he's been killing my buddies.
HECU soldier #1: Oh yeah, he'll pay. He will definitely pay.

From this entry:

One of the more effective plot elements is the re-evaluation of the soldiers. At first, the PC’s colleagues believe that soldiers are coming to rescue them from the monsters they’ve inadvertently unleashed, but it turns out that their orders are to contain the incident by killing everything on the site, scientists included. The soldiers are initially depicted as brutes who enjoy murdering unarmed civilians — “I killed twelve dumb-ass scientists and not one of ‘em fought back. This sucks.” — which justifies in the player’s mind anything you do to them in return. But later, you overhear other soldiers talking about Gordon Freeman, the player character, who’s been declared enemy #1 at that point. One of them says “All I know for sure is he’s been killing my buddies”, humanizing their side of the struggle. The climax of this part of the story is when you overhear a commander declaring in no uncertain terms that he disagrees with the orders. If that had happened earlier, there could have been reconciliation, but it’s too late. When he sees you, he will recognize you as the person who’s been killing his men. He’ll try to kill you to prevent you from killing him, which means you have to kill him to prevent him from killing you. You have to wonder how many real-world conflicts play out the same way, fear of violence making it a certainty.

This resonated with me immediately my first time playing Half-Life. Those small touches in narrative here and there affected my whole perception of the game. I don't think it's something that was done as effectively with the Overwatch/CP.

 

[Darkside55]

They also seemed to be smarter tactically. Overwatch just stands there and let you shoot them. HECU executed all kinds of manuevers against you.

I wish HECU would show up again in some form, like some resistance members got ahold of some old PCVs.

 

[flamingdts]

They also seemed to be smarter tactically. Overwatch just stands there and let you shoot them. HECU executed all kinds of manuevers against you.

I wish HECU would show up again in some form, like some resistance members got ahold of some old PCVs.

Half Life 2 Episode 3 : Homeless HECU bums

Untrained
Unarmed
Un-disciplined
Un-intelligent
But still got that damn Combat Vest.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Its possible that the HECU was specially formed to carry out missions that require a lot of discretion and have threats to national security. If you have watched the X-files, the hitsquads that Mulder and Scully bump into from time to time could be comparable to that of the HECU

 

[nightlord]

my friend thinks that HECU stands for highly experimental combine unit........he thinks there combine because of the voices....

 

[Polaris]

Its possible that the HECU was specially formed to carry out missions that require a lot of discretion and have threats to national security. If you have watched the X-files, the hitsquads that Mulder and Scully bump into from time to time could be comparable to that of the HECU

That would be "Black Ops", not HECU. I guess they are quite ordinary USMC/Army Joint Task Force.

Good to know, nightlord. Really.

 

[Darkside55]

Half Life 2 Episode 3 : Homeless HECU bums

still got that damn Combat Vest.

The PCV will make a hardcore soldier out of any man!

 

[ríomhaire]

I always figured the HECU team were the guys sent in to a combat location involving radioactive or toxic substances, ie, if the US needed to send a combat unit to three mile island or somewhere where there was a toxic spill or where there had been a bio-chemical terrorist attack. They talk about always doing baby-sitting jobs. I imagine their main duty is escorting HAZMAT teams.

 

[Zero1979]

I always figured the HECU team were the guys sent in to a combat location involving radioactive or toxic substances, ie, if the US needed to send a combat unit to three mile island or somewhere where there was a toxic spill or where there had been a bio-chemical terrorist attack. They talk about always doing baby-sitting jobs. I imagine their main duty is escorting HAZMAT teams.

I think you're onto something there. If you look at the 'hazard course' Shepherd goes through it all looks like industrial areas, with toxic spills, broken pipes....etc... it looks like simply a course designed to train someone for entering a hazardous area. Reminds me of the soldiers going into Chernobyl after the reactor exploded.

However, I think it's also likely that this group of soldiers were being primed. Who knows what the G-Man's motives were for being there, but he obviously got them to go there, or had something to do with it.

Someone on another board wrote that the G-Man caused the resonance cascade with the specific intention of drawing the Combine out. He wants to bring the Combine down and realised it was an easy way to catch their attention. I think he got the soldiers in to fight the inevitable influx of aliens that would spill through from Xen to give Freeman a chance to get through the facility alive. I think they were a diversion, something to occupy the aliens and hopefully let Freeman get through and kill the last thing standing between Earth and the Combine.

Freeman is then safely whisked away to be put to use 20 years later.

So, it's pure speculation, but I think the soldiers were there to contain things so no one would know what happened, but at the same time, operate as a diversion to combat the aliens thereby giving Freeman that tiny bit of breathing space.

Fire at will.