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White Base Crew

White Base Crew

The crew of the legendary SCV-70 White Base during the One Year War.

The White Base Crew was the unconventional complement of military personnel, civilian refugees, and hastily trained individuals who operated the SCV-70 White Base during the One Year War. Formed under extraordinary circumstances after the Attack on Side 7, this makeshift crew became legendary through their journey from Side 7 to the final battle at A Baoa Qu, demonstrating that professionalism and effectiveness could emerge from the most unlikely circumstances.

Formation

The White Base crew’s formation was anything but conventional:

Original Complement

The ship was originally intended to operate with:

  • Professional Earth Federation Forces officers and crew
  • Experienced mobile suit pilots
  • Trained support personnel
  • Conventional military command structure

Captain Paolo Cassius was designated as commanding officer, with a full complement of trained military personnel.

Attack on Side 7

The Attack on Side 7 destroyed the original plan:

  • Captain Paolo Cassius killed in the attack
  • Most trained crew killed or separated
  • Ship forced to evacuate immediately
  • Civilian refugees aboard requiring evacuation

The resulting crew was improvised from whoever survived and was available.

Unconventional Composition

The actual White Base crew consisted of:

  • Ensign Bright Noa, thrust into command
  • Teenager Amuro Ray as primary mobile suit pilot
  • Civilian refugees pressed into crew roles
  • Young cadets with minimal experience
  • Professional officers joining later (Sleggar Law, Matilda Ajan)

This unconventional crew would become one of the war’s most effective units.

Command Staff

Captain Bright Noa

Bright Noa assumed command after Paolo Cassius’s death:

  • Junior officer thrust into captain’s role
  • Learning leadership whilst under constant combat
  • Grew from inexperienced ensign to respected commander
  • Maintained discipline despite unconventional crew

Bright’s evolution from overwhelmed junior officer to effective commander epitomized the crew’s journey.

Mobile Suit Pilots

Primary Pilots:

Later Additions:

  • Sleggar Law – Professional pilot, Core Booster (KIA at Solomon)

The pilot complement mixed teenagers with no training alongside experienced officers.

Bridge Crew

The bridge crew maintained ship operations:

Helmsman:

  • Mirai Yashima – Primary helmsman, civilian turned professional

Bridge Operations:

The bridge crew evolved from inexperienced civilians to professional operators through continuous combat operations.

Engineering and Support

Engineering:

  • Fraw Bow – Civilian refugee, provided essential support
  • Various technicians maintaining mobile suits and ship systems

Medical:

  • Medical personnel caring for crew and refugees

Other Support:

  • Mess crew
  • Maintenance personnel
  • Communications operators

Many support roles were filled by Side 7 refugees learning on the job.

Evolution Through Combat

Early Operations (Side 7 to Jaburo)

Initial period characterized by:

  • Inexperience and mistakes
  • Learning under fire
  • Bright’s harsh discipline necessary for survival
  • Crew bonding through shared danger

Mid-War (Earth Operations)

The crew matured:

  • Improved coordination and professionalism
  • Integration of new members (Sleggar, supply officers)
  • Established routines and procedures
  • Reputation as effective unit

Late War (Space Operations to A Baoa Qu)

By war’s end, the crew:

  • Functioned as professional military unit
  • Legendary reputation as “White Base team”
  • Combat effectiveness rivaling conventional units
  • Losses of valued members (Sleggar, Matilda)

Casualties and Losses

The crew suffered losses throughout:

Killed in Action:

  • Paolo Cassius – Original captain (Side 7)
  • Sleggar Law – Pilot (Battle of Solomon)
  • Ryu Jose – Pilot (earlier operations)
  • Numerous crew members throughout campaign

Supporting Personnel Lost:

These losses affected crew morale whilst demonstrating war’s constant cost.

Civilian Refugees

Beyond military crew, the White Base carried civilian refugees:

  • Survivors from Side 7
  • Children whose families died in the attack
  • Civilians providing support roles
  • People seeking safety whilst contributing to ship operations

The presence of civilians influenced ship culture and operations.

Legacy

The White Base crew’s significance:

Unconventional Success

Demonstrated that:

  • Professional effectiveness could emerge from unlikely circumstances
  • Youth and inexperience could mature into competence
  • Improvised units could equal conventional forces
  • Leadership could be learned under fire

Human Element

The crew showed:

  • Personal relationships sustaining people through war
  • How diverse individuals became effective team
  • That military units were groups of people, not just positions
  • Importance of mutual trust and respect

Symbol of Federation Resilience

The crew represented:

  • Federation’s ability to adapt and survive
  • Emergence of new generation of soldiers
  • That war’s chaos created unexpected heroes
  • How adversity forged capable people

Behind the Scenes

The White Base crew was created for Mobile Suit Gundam to explore how ordinary people – teenagers, civilians, junior officers – could become effective soldiers through necessity. Director Tomino Yoshiyuki designed the unconventional crew composition to demonstrate that heroes emerged from circumstances rather than being born ready.

The decision to kill the original captain (Paolo Cassius) before the story properly began forced the improvised crew structure that became central to the series’ themes. The crew’s evolution from chaos to professionalism mirrored the protagonists’ coming-of-age journey.

Crew Roster

Command

Pilots

Bridge Crew

Support

  • Fraw Bow – General support
  • Various technicians and support staff

See also

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