Peace Sentinel

The Peace Sentinels were a CIA mercenary unit formed by Station Chief of Central America Hot Coldman during the early 1970s.

Origins
After being demoted from his previous position as DCI in 1964, and subsequently exiled to Central America to become Station Chief in the region, an embittered Coldman decided to act out his belief that only machines could make decisions and act on them without fail. He thus decided to create "a new world order" in which machines would rule over Humanity via "the perfect nuclear deterrent."

After 1972, Coldman founded the Peace Sentinels to help achieve this goal, forming an alliance with KGB agent Vladimir Zadornov to supply the group with equipment and additional manpower, in exchange for providing them land and money. He then recruited Doctors Huey Emmerich and Strangelove into the Peace Sentinels in order to develop the key components of the Peace Walker Project: Huey developed the outer frames of Pupa, Chrysalis, Cocoon, and Peace Walker as well as their respective AI pods (GW-Pupa 5000, TJ-Chrysalis 6000, TR-Cocoon 7000, and AL-Aurelia 8000 (a.k.a. the Reptile Pod)) while Strangelove developed Peace Walker's second AI pod: The Boss AI (a.k.a. the Mammal Pod)), which would grant the weapon its advanced decision-making capabilities, regarding nuclear deterrence.

Around 1973, the Peace Sentinels entered Costa Rica covertly, disguising their activities by acting as members of CODESA.

In 1974, the Peace Sentinels captured an FSLN-owned drug-purification plant in Costa Rica (disguised as a factory for banana and coffee), forcing the FSLN guerillas (led by Amanda Valenciano Libre) to retreat to their last remaining hideout in a boathouse. Several FSLN members were captured and interrogated on the whereabouts of their comrades, before being killed after giving up said information. The Peace Sentinels then made use of the drug smuggling routes that had belonged to the FSLN, and the refining plants they had captured, to ship drugs into the United States, ostensibly out of a fear of a Communist Central America. Afterwards, the Peace Sentinels set up various bases throughout Costa Rica, including the facility in Mount Irazu, the AI facility in a Mayan pyramid, and the production facility underneath a mining facility, located near the border of Nicaragua. The Peace Sentinels also hired mercenaries to operate in the country and shipped in nuclear warheads. The formerly peaceful village of Aldea de los Despiertos was turned into a prison facility against the villagers' will.

The Peace Sentinels later captured French ornithologist Cécile Cosima Caminades, who had accidentally stumbled upon and recorded The Boss's AI while studying the native Quetzal. Afterwards, Zadornov (assuming the identity of Professor Ramón Gálvez Mena of the United Nation's University for Peace) and Paz Ortega Andrade used the tape recording as a bargaining chip for hiring the Militaires Sans Frontieres, convincing Big Boss (Naked Snake) and Kazuhira Miller to assist in the liberation of Costa Rica from the invading army.

The Peace Sentinels were then forced to deal with the MSF, and their attempts to stop their project. In addition, one of the head scientists/engineers of the project, Dr. "Huey" Emmerich, refused to cooperate with Coldman any longer after learning that Coldman intended to launch a live nuclear missile from Peace Walker to test its stance as the perfect deterrent (and presumably to get a leg up in negotiations with the CIA), resulting in Huey defecting to the Militaires Sans Frontieres. Coldman eventually captured Big Boss, after the latter attempted to speak with The Boss's AI. Coldman had Big Boss interrogated for information necessary for the AI's completion, after which he relocated Peace Walker to a U.S. missile base in Nicaragua.

However, the Peace Sentinels' so-called Soviet allies later betrayed them as Zadornov intended for Peace Walker to launch a nuclear strike at Cuba, in a plan to foment anti-American sentiment across Latin America. After being stopped by Amanda's FSLN guerillas' timely arrival and MSF's arresting of the Peace Sentinels, Coldman (who was close to death thanks to Zadornov's earlier gunshot) chose to activate Peace Walker anyway (despite its change in target) and MSF were able to destroy the weapon before it could launch and its transfer of false trajectory data to NORAD was subsequently halted, preventing the potential outbreak of a nuclear war. Despite Coldman's death, as well as Strangelove being left without a job as a consequence, some of the Peace Sentinels would remain active in Costa Rica for some time afterwards.

Members

 * Hot Coldman (leader)
 * Dr. Strangelove (AI researcher)
 * Dr. Huey Emmerich (chief engineer)
 * Vladimir Alexandrovich Zadornov (Soviet ally/equipment supplier)
 * Various CIA mercenaries
 * Various Soviet soldiers (unofficial)

Bases
When covertly invading Costa Rica, and to a lesser extent Nicaragua, the Peace Sentinel established several bases within the region, some of which were also captured from the FSLN unit that was in hiding within the region.
 * Puerto del Alba supply port/depot
 * Bananal Fruta de Oro narcotics plant/farm
 * Aldea de los Despiertos prison facility
 * Cafetal Aroma Encantado narcotics plant/plantation
 * El Cadalso railstop/supply depot terminal
 * Los Cantos checkpoint
 * Fuerte la Ladera fortress/gate
 * Crater Base AI weapon R&D facility
 * Ruinas de Xochiquetzal AI Lab
 * Mine Base AI weapon assembling facility
 * United States Missile Base in Nicaragua

Soldier/personnel types
There were several types of soldiers within the Peace Sentinels that were encountered by the Militaires Sans Frontieres and Sandinistas. Many of the soldiers were former U.S. Army members who saw action in the Vietnam war. Some of the soldiers who later defected to the MSF claimed that they had originally joined the Peace Sentinels because they couldn't fit back into society, feeling that their governments had betrayed them. In addition, the soldiers during a heightened state of alert, can also split up into two color-based teams to split up to search for an intruder as well as guard a key location, respectively.

Patrolmen/guards
The most common soldiers within the Peace Sentinels were those that patrolled or guarded specific operational areas. They were referred to as Patrolmen for the outdoor areas and Guards for the indoor areas. Their senses were also finely honed so as to ensure that they did their job, and they also assumed a more efficient alert posture if an alert was triggered. Their attire was also somewhat different depending on their specific duties. Patrolmen wore green jacket shirts, jackets, a utility belt, green pants, balaclavas, and (sometimes) a battle helmet. The guards wore a bit more bland clothing, which consisted of a white shirt, green pants, and a gun holster. The latter were also one of the few types of soldiers whose faces were exposed. Sometimes they also wore headsets or shades. The Guards also sometimes wore vests and even helmets.

Both patrolmen and guards utilized M16A1 assault rifles, but in some instances carried the M60 light machine gun. Patrolmen also carried RK-47s and LAWs on one occasion.

Commandos
These types of soldiers were an assault team that was often deployed if an alert was raised. Well trained, heavily armed, as well as highly dangerous, these soldiers were relentless in regards to hunting down intruders, which involved searching every possible square area, even likely hiding places until they either found the intruder or the alert was called off completely. The commandos also utilized body armor, meaning that a direct assault would be inadvisable against them.

Shock troops
A subgroup of the commandos, these soldiers utilized shotguns as their primary firearm, and had an endurance level that could allow them to take a few hits and still keep charging at the enemy and firing shotguns. Their uniforms were primarily gray with green utility straps, and wore "t" balaclavas that were adorned with headsets and, should the situation arise, night-vision goggles.

Scouts
Soldiers that were specialized in ambushes. They wore primarily green clothing, in order to blend themselves in with the terrain and the vegetation. They only exposed themselves when about to attack. Their fighting style was similar to the commandos, including the use of clearing techniques to flush intruders out. Aside from normal weapons, the scouts also carried wires in case an enemy attempted to engage them in CQC. Some of the scouts also acted as snipers, with some frequently training their sniping abilities in Camino de Lava's Junction at targets. Depending on the time of day, the scouts wore different uniforms: during the day, they wore bandanas and plain uniforms; at night, they wore camouflage-patterned uniforms as well as a boonie hat and veil.

Ghillie suit soldiers
A subgroup of scouts, these soldiers took their camouflage to the next level, where they utilized ghillie suits. However, their combat ability was not much different than the regular scouts. They primarily operated as snipers, given the fact that they lay completely still and that they are using sniper rifles. During sweep-and-destroy missions or alert mode, ghillie suit soldiers would attack in two ways if an enemy was in close range:
 * If the ghillie suit soldier was stationary he would deploy a knife fairly quickly in an attempt to stab the enemy;
 * If the soldier was being closely pursued, he would drop a stun grenade with a very short fuse time, which was very likely to disorient the enemy (this was a tactic also employed by The End during Operation Snake Eater).

Sentries
Sentries were soldiers deployed in several layers such as watchtowers. These soldiers could attack from a distance such as rooftops and far-off vantage points. Also, their high distance made it extremely difficult for an enemy to perform a Fulton recovery on them, unless a specialized launcher was used.

Escorts
Also referred to as reinforced soldiers, these soldiers accompanied armored vehicles, tanks, and helicopters when on operations. The soldiers themselves were not considerably effective on their own, but they were formidable when operating as a team, meaning that they had a tendency to gang up on any enemy soldiers that were spotted. The escorts often wore reinforced armor, as well as white helmets adorned with the Peace Sentinel logo, as well as wearing a face mask similar to a gas mask.

Original escort units carried M653's however when they were neutralized, extra escort units arrived as back-up and may carry different weapons. The most intense battles may allow up to 36 escorts, although only up to four operated at any one time.

Less powerful units carried basic small arms such as the M653 or M10. More powerful escorts would arrive in greater numbers, carrying different weapons, even more powerful weapons such as light machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades or even shotguns making them even more difficult to defeat.

Escorts were known to carry the following weapons: They also carried knives to use against hostile targets in close quarters. In addition, they also carried stun grenades to announce their arrival to replace their comrades should they either die or end up MIA, as well as smoke grenades to disorient their enemies.
 * LAW
 * M10
 * M37
 * M60
 * M63A1
 * M653
 * PKM
 * RPG-7
 * SPAS-12
 * FN FAL

Other than escorting armored vehicles, tanks, and helicopters, they are also assigned to operations where they are to deliver important supplies to one of the Peace Sentinels main bases.

Commanders/captains
The leaders of the armored vehicle, tank, and helicopter units, these soldiers piloted the vehicles in question. The only notable difference in appearance from other escorts is that these soldiers wore red helmets instead of white. These soldiers didn't expose themselves to fight unless their entire unit had been neutralized. In the case of helicopter units, the captains could also be exposed if the cockpit was blown off by repeated attacks. The captains also had a tendency to fire shells or missiles around their comrades' perimeter in order to flush out any hidden intruders. Sometimes they would toss a grenade when exposed.

Shield soldiers
"Enemies carrying shields can be a real pain in the ass. To hear Amanda tell it, trying to fight those bastards while they sit behind their shields taking pistol shots at you is enough to make you want to rip your hair out. Get around and flank them if you can. You might want to try blinding them with smoke or stun grenades first. Also, armor-piercing rounds should make it a little easier to punch through their shields. Use'em if you can."

- Miller's account of the shield soldiers

Shield soldiers didn't belong to a specific unit, but they were still formidable as they carried riot shields when attacking their enemies. They were susceptible at the legs or from armor piercing rounds, can be blinded with flash or smoke grenades or hurt by grenades that explode behind them. They were primarily stationed at the Mine Base's second underground passage, and guarded the shutter to Peace Walker's hangar.

CIA mercenaries
Although this name applied to the entirety of the Peace Sentinels, the type of soldier that wore orange jackets, olive pants, military ball caps, and carried M16A1 assault rifles were referred to this title by Kazuhira Miller although they were also classified as patrolmen. These soldiers were primarily stationed around the del Alba area, guarding the nearby shipping facility, although one soldier was stationed in Central Heredia, where he stole the ID card that Cécile Cosima Caminades swiped to escape from the AI Laboratory.

Russian soldiers
Numerous Soviet soldiers assisted Zadornov in taking control of the Peace Walker project to further their political schemes, after first masquerading as allies with Coldman for mutual benefit. These soldiers wore brown pants, black boots, beige shirts (similar to office shirts) with a red tie, a red CCCP (USSR) armband on the left arm, body armor as well as a bulletproof helmet with a visor similar to the Battle Dress w/Helmet armor or Riot helmets. Underneath the helmets they wear two-eyed balaclavas. Russian soldiers primarily used weapons such as the RK-47 (AK-47) or PKM. Russian soldiers performed better in combat compared to their American counterparts by responding to threats more quickly and were more accurate with firearms. Russian soldiers were deployed at and took control of the U.S. missile base located in Nicaragua.

Russian commandos
Russian commandos operated in a very similar manner to regular commandos, however their performance, just like Russian soldiers, were superior to their American counterparts. Russian commandos wore helmets and two-eyed balaclavas, sported navy blue-black outfits with the CCCP (USSR) logo on the left arm, and bulked up due to their body armor. They used the same weapons as Russian soldiers and also used the SVD semi-automatic sniper rifle and the M37 pump-action shotgun. Russian commandos were deployed at and took control of the U.S. missile base located in Nicaragua.

Mechanics
These weren't actual soldiers, but they wore orange uniforms with yellow gloves. The mechanics are often found in a prone position, indicating that they were either forced into cooperating with the Peace Sentinels or were frequently abused by the Peace Sentinels. They were often found in areas that required a lot of maintenance, such as the AI hangar at the mine base, as well as the main maintenance dock at the United States missile base in Nicaragua.

Prisoners




These weren't actual soldiers, but they wore yellow uniforms with the Peace Sentinel logo on the back. Some of them were FSLN members captured and held hostage by the Peace Sentinels, although there were some prisoners who were not affiliated with the FSLN at all.

Scientists
Personnel that were responsible for developing the various weapons systems of the Peace Sentinels, and presumably the AI. Huey and Strangelove were some of the top scientists in the Peace Sentinels before they defected to the Militaires Sans Frontieres. Some of the scientists were also forced to work on the weapons against their will. One scientist also ended up escaping imprisonment and servitude from the Peace Sentinels by disguising himself as one of their scouts in the Central Heredia region of Costa Rica, although he used a banana as a firearm, which aided the Militaires Sans Frontieres in aiding him in defecting to their side.

Uniform

 * Balaclava


 * Utility harness


 * Four-pouched backpack w/ canteen


 * Bulletproof helmet


 * Gloves


 * Headsets


 * White T-shirts


 * Body armor


 * Bandana (of the T, eyed, and lined variety)


 * Bulletproof visor


 * Veil


 * Gas masks

Tanks

 * T-72 Urals (at least two)
 * Customized T-72 Urals (at least two)
 * T-72 As (most likely prototypes) (at least two)
 * Customized T-72 As (at least two)
 * MBTk-70s (at least two)
 * Customized MBTk-70s (at least two)
 * KPz 70s (at least two)
 * Customized KPz 70s (at least two)

Transport/Armored Fighting Vehicles

 * LAV type Gs (at least two)
 * Customized LAV type Gs (at least two)
 * LAV type Cs (at least one)
 * Customized LAV type Cs (at least one)
 * BTR-60 PAs (at least two)
 * Customized BTR-60 PAs (at least two)
 * BTR-60 PBs (at least two)
 * Customized BTR-60 PBs (at least two)
 * Cargo trucks (between 16 and 25 )
 * Radio-transmission van (for inputting false data into Peace Walker)

Aircraft

 * Mi-24 Hind As (at least two)
 * Customized Mi-24 Hind As (at least two)
 * Mi-24 Hind Ds (at least two)
 * Peace Walker-decaled light blue Hind Ds (at least two)
 * Customized Mi-24 Hind Ds (at least two)
 * Regular Soviet Hind Ds (one)
 * AH56A Bombers (at least two)
 * Modified AH56A Bombers (at least two)
 * AH56A Raiders (at least two)
 * Customized AH56A Raiders (at least two)

Note: "Customized" in this case means they have a different paint scheme from the regular vehicles of their class and possesses much greater firepower and defense than their base models. The customized versions are easily identifiable by sporting black camouflage patterns, some white, and traces of red.

Peace Walker Project AI weapons

 * Pupa, controlled by the GW-Pupa 5000 AI pod;
 * Chrysalis, controlled by the TJ-Chrysalis 6000 AI pod;
 * Cocoon, controlled by the TR-Cocoon 7000 AI pod;
 * Peace Walker, controlled by the Reptile Pod and the Mammal Pod.
 * Kidnapper drones.

Weapons

 * LAW
 * M10
 * M37
 * M60
 * M63A1
 * M653
 * PKM
 * RPG-7
 * SPAS-12
 * FAL
 * M16A1
 * RK-47
 * M700
 * Grenades
 * M67 fragmentation grenades
 * M18 smoke grenades
 * M116/A1 stun grenades
 * Shield
 * M1911
 * SVD
 * Garrote
 * DShKM Heavy machine gun turret
 * Combat knife

Other equipment

 * Radio to reverse the circuit phase.

Trivia

 * Some of the Peace Sentinel's vehicles were experimental war machines made by the West, such as the MBTK-70/KPz 70 (the American and West German variants of the same tank, respectively), and the AH56A Bomber/Raider.
 * During the fourth search for Zadornov, Kazuhira Miller implies that the presence of the Peace Sentinels in the area was tied to Zadornov's presence. However, it is not known whether it was because they were aiding Zadornov in hiding from MSF or if, like MSF, they are searching for Zadornov to detain him.
 * In the Mount Irazu facility's parking garage, there are eight parked cargo trucks. The license plate numbers for each of the trucks are as follows:
 * Truck closest to the entrance: SHINA GAWA 57577 PEACE SENTINEL (contains rows of fish)
 * Truck second closest to the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 48273 PEACE SENTINEL (containing several "metal gears")
 * Truck third closest to the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 63824 PEACE SENTINEL (contains Hideo Kojima, as he was born on August 24, 1963)
 * Truck fourth closest to the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 64779 PEACE SENTINEL (technically empty, but it was the one that contained the nukes)
 * Truck fourth farthest from the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 00000 PEACE SENTINEL (contains several Master Otenko plushes)
 * Truck third farthest from the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 777 PEACE SENTINEL (contains poker chips and gold coins)
 * Truck second farthest from the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 140.96 PEACE SENTINEL (contains some briefcases and a poster of Mei Ling)
 * Truck farthest from the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA 66447799 PEACE SENTINEL (contains crates)
 * Truck fourth closest to the entrance: CENTRO AMERICA БЕИ PEACE SENTINEL (this is the truck that Zadornov was hiding in when he escaped for the fifth time. It also replaces the truck with 64779 as the License Plate number).

Behind the scenes
According to the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Official Arts book, there were originally going to be female versions of the maintenance crews who were going to be recruited in a similar version to their male counterparts, and the CIA mercs (labelled as US army in the concept art) were originally going to also have German shepherd dogs accompanying them as watchdogs. Various designs were also considered for the Escort Units/captains, such as a helmet that has a vent in place of the area for eyes, an oxygen mask similar to that of pressure suits in Aircraft, and a brick-like helmet. In addition, the Russian soldiers/commandos were originally going to have a variety wearing red berets and also sometimes come with a shield. Lastly, There was also a subtype not included in the game known as AI lab workers who were presumably going to be in the AI lab. The AI lab workers were going to wear all white, with surgical masks over their face and purple gloves, and they were also implied to be of German origin, as their motto had the words "Was nicht ist, kann noch werden.", which is German for "What is not, could still happen." with an owl on top.

In various trailers for Peace Walker, including the TGS2009 trailer and the Tactical Espionage Operations trailer, there were scenes of various Peace Sentinel vehicles patrolling through Los Cantos and being parked at the Mine Base, as well as their travelling through a field with countless Peace Sentinels soldiers travelling enmasse. These scenes ended up cut from the final version.