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Originally Posted by fjtorres
UN peacekeepers are not elite combat forces.
They're glorified traffic cops, for the most part.
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This is an interesting possibility, IMO. UN peacekeepers are whatever troops governments feel like contributing, operating under whatever rules of engagement their governments feel like imposing.
Usually they are from third world countries looking to earn a bit of extra cash, and 'peacekeeping' usually implies that things are already peaceful and just need someone to keep an eye on things with "not getting involved in a war" as their No1 priority.
But conceptually there's no reason why a first-rate military couldn't contribute some of their Tier-1 troops with orders that if trouble breaks out they pull a camo cover over the blue helmet and wipe out any troublemakers sharpish. E.g. if there was something fragile and of vital importance to their nation stuck in the middle of the peacekeeping zone - like perhaps a space elevator. If the space elevator was in Kenya and civil war broke out there, China/Russia/US might not want to invade or take responsibility for fixing the mess but might be willing to put some boots on the ground to keep anyone from damaging the elevator.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DustyDisks
Maybe the heroine of your story happens to live in a reality that "Press" gangs and shanghaiing are common. Because the military at the time was a less than desirable occupation. And she was in the wrong place at the right time.
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Seems unlikely. Combat operations in one of the most technically complex and hostile environments imaginable doesn't seem like the kind of thing where you want to trust your life to people you've snatched from a bar and are forcing to do their jobs at gunpoint. Nowadays most decent militaries don't even want to rely on draftees/conscripts - it's volunteer professionals all the way.