Military

"I hate the Army."

- Francis "Or they're gonna line us up against a wall and shoot us."

- Nick

The Military is an omnibus term for the unified military forces (or what remains of them) of the United States of America: the country that provides the setting for Left 4 Dead and ''Left 4 Dead 2. '' As a background entity, they play a part in attempting to contain the Infection, as well as scattering improvised military waypoints, outposts, and rescue areas along with military-grade weaponry for any living Survivors to defend themselves from the Infected. Unfortunately for the Military, many of its members have succumbed to the Infection and so appear (in their camoflage fatigues) as part of the huge army of Common Infected.

Involvement with containing The Infection
The Military was working alongside CEDA in an attempt to fight the Green Flu epidemic and stop its spread. As CEDA failed to contain the virus, the Military eventually took over CEDA's responsibilities as the Infection spread throughout the country. Originally, the Military's strategy was to evacuate and rescue as many people as possible, but once that became less feasible, it is evident that a political decision was taken to suspend the Constitution and declare martial law. This enabled the Military to institute more direct and draconian measures to contain the threat and to attack overrun areas of the country. One such measure involved the Military forcibly separating Carriers (people who were infected by the Green Flu, but did not show any symptoms) from non-Infected Survivors (people who had not encountered the Infected) and summarily executing the former and burying their corpses in mass graves (refer The Sacrifice, DLC comic). This fact is also demonstrated in The Park when The Survivors encounter piles of bullet-riddled uninfected corpses next to a decontamination trailer, a fact that both Nick and Coach remark on at the time. Since New Orleans is undergoing more or less indiscrimate aerial bombing by the Military at the time, this provides strong circumstanial evidence that the situation on the ground got out of hand, screening procedures were halted and all survivors Carriers and non-Infected alike were lined up and executed by the Military.

At the initial outbreak, CEDA policy banned civilians from possessing firearms (which many Survivors obviously ignored). However when the military took over these rules were overturned and civilians were encouraged to arm themselves for their own safety. Since it is probable that CEDA was first on the scene and operating in accordance with civil powers and legislation, its handling of the crisis appears to have been less aggressive in dealing with both the Infection and its concommitant breakdown in law and order: which could largely explain why they failed. Under martial law, the Military has a free hand to take whatever actions its command structure dictate, and for this reason its stance is both violent and ruthlessly direct. In this regard, several public notices seen throughout Left 4 Dead 2 make it explicit that deadly force is authorized.

The arbitary nature of martial law is well and subtly illustrated in each volume of Left 4 Dead. In the first volume, the original Survivors are forcibly detained by the Military, escape from custody by a hairsbreadth and vow never to have anything more to do with the Military (and thus organised authority). Their experiences thus lead them to trust no one but themselves and to declare thereby their own 'independence'. However in the second volume, the Military display proof that they once executed civilians out of hand, yet they then pull out all the stops to save a small band of Survivors caught on the wrong side of a bridge set for demolition. At the same time, the second group of Survivors maintain a blind faith in the Military despite ample physical and original Survivor testimonial evidence that their lives and liberty may be forfeit once they fall under the Military's physical control.

Personnel at Millhaven

 * Major Everly (deceased)
 * Lt. Mora (infected, deceased)
 * Sergeant Downey (presumed deceased)
 * Sergeant Hendricks (presumed deceased)
 * Soldier Annie (presumed deceased)
 * Soldier Brooks (presumed deceased)
 * Soldier Davis (presumed deceased)
 * Soldier Jeff (presumed deceased)
 * Soldier Jim (deceased)
 * Soldier Nate (deceased)
 * Soldier Peña (presumed deceased)
 * Soldier Rivera (presumed deceased)
 * Unnamed doctor (deceased)
 * Soldier Boomer (infected, deceased)
 * Soldier Smoker (infected)
 * Rescue 9 (platoon of soldiers who use the APC, presumed deceased)

Others

 * Unnamed military unit guarding Mercy Hospital rooftop (deceased)
 * Unnamed military unit guarding civilian house near Riverside Park (deceased)
 * Unnamed plane pilot (deceased)
 * Unnamed military unit guarding Daughtery Farm (deceased)
 * Papa Gator (presumed alive)
 * Rescue 7 (presumed alive)
 * Rescue 2 (presumed alive) featured in the custom campaign, Suicide Blitz 2

Cities turned Outposts:
Atlanta: According to Graffiti in The Sacrifice, the military along with CEDA was holding out in Atlanta. Day established unknown, but according to a map found in The Hotel, it was overrun by day Twenty-One.

Veterans Memorial Bridge: A double-decker bridge in New Orleans used to get to the Louisiana Naval Base where refugees would be taken by helicopter to cruise ships out in the ocean. After the Survivors escape the bridge, it is destroyed by military F-18 fighter jets to prevent further spread of the infection. Evacuated, overrun, and destroyed by day Twenty-Four.

The Bus Station: A bus station in the heart of New Orleans that was used by CEDA as a evacuation center, the military took over and was separating carriers and the non-infected. Civilians were rioting demanding to be evacuated, which mounted into chaos as the infection continued to spread, where the military was forced to take action and shoot the civilians onsite. Overrun by day Twenty-Four.

Rayford: Used by CEDA as a safe outpost, the military had a small command center at the Army Reserve building (which was destroyed). They also aided in transporting carriers in train car, escorting live infected specimens and carrying supplies and ammunition; however, train crashed. Overrun by day Twenty or earlier.

Riverside: Set up a command center in the town to monitor the situation in Fairfield. However, once the infection spread to the outskirts of the city, the military fled and abandon the town completely. Overrun by day Fifteen or earlier.

Whitney County: Just outside the city of Fairfield, the military set up a small outpost near the bridge in the county most likely to aid the quarantine and containment of the infection in Fairfield as well as aid fleeing refugees. Overrun by day Fifteen or earlier.

Outposts:
Command Center: Location and Status unknown but connection lost by day nine (presumably).

Millhaven: Used to test carriers for the infection as well as discovering a cure. Did not find any cure. Overrun by day Nineteen (assumed).

Safe Zone Echo: Status unknown. Established by day Fourteen or earlier, seems fine by day Nineteen

Ships outside New Orleans: Status unknown. Presumably established on day Twenty-Four.

Other
Mercy Hospital: The Military worked alongside with CEDA and the medical staff at the hospital to help protect civilians and develop a cure for the disease; however, they were not able to hold out long enough. When trying to evacuate everyone by chopper on the rooftop of the hospital, they left a Minigun and a dead soldier's corpse is seen beside the radio.

Daughtery Farm: The Military held out here for a while but had to pull out and return to Safe Zone Echo; they were not able to find any more Survivors. However, they left a radio in case someone should appear after all.

Military Rescue
The military are still active in rescuing living Survivors, though possibly due to thinning numbers, cannot afford to station personnel at every rescue area to greet and coordinate any Survivors. Nevertheless, they usually leave means of contact, generally via radio for any living Survivors to communicate to them. As the Infected are unable to speak any human language anymore, or use technology for that matter, the military can be assured any attempt at communications will be genuine.

Places in which the military will actively send Rescue Vehicles:
 * A military C-130 Hercules plane flies over the city of Newburg at the beginning of Dead Air. The plane lands at the ruins of Metro International Airport to refuel the plane; however, the co-pilot is killed by the infected and the plane awaits for Survivors to help refuel the plane since the pilot most likely refuses to leave the safety of the plane.
 * Farmhouse Finale, Blood Harvest. The military set up a radio along with ammunition and weapons in a farmhouse. When contacted, they will send out a modified Patria Pasi Armored Personnel Carrier to pick up the Survivors communicating with them―if they are still alive.
 * The Bridge, The Parish. The Military have started to evacuate Survivors onto large cruise ships out at sea, having abandoned the mainland. When contacted, the last helicopter is already ready to leave, but will delay their flight along with bombing run if the remaining Survivors on the other side of the bridge can make it to them. The helicopter is a CH-53 Sea Stallion, noticeably equipped for Carriers―Survivors who retain their humanity and are generally immune from the effects, but may still be infected with the Green Flu and able to pass it to others who might not display such a resistance.
 * Fort Harris County Stadium, Suicide Blitz 2. The military are waiting for the final four Survivors to reach the evac chopper (similar to that of the helicopter featured in The Parish). While the evac chopper waits for the Survivors, two Army helicopters are seen escorting the helicopter providing machine gun cover fire and protection for the Survivors.

Military Presence
Throughout the Left 4 Dead series, the Military have also shown their presence via the use of posters and signboards displaying instructions and warnings. The use of deadly force by the Military is repeatedly emphasized showing their seriousness compared to CEDA. Bill also mentions that the military is speaking out to survivors through radios, informing people of where to go. Abandoned vehicles and military weapons have also been left behind as areas are overrun by the Infected. This is seen differently in The Parish, however, as F-18 Fighter Jets are seen flying above the New Orleans skyline making their bomb runs throughout the city trying to destroy the infection.

Military Signs
These military signs can be found all around The Parish in Left 4 Dead 2.