Zone Operations Command (ZOCOM) is a GDI unit that specializes in operating in areas of heavy Tiberium contamination. It is led by C. Elena Renteria, one of GDI's first female generals.

Background[]

After the apparent destruction of the Brotherhood of Nod following the Second Tiberium War, GDI shifted its focus from war to the abatement and eventual elimination of Tiberium, and the Council of Directors established a new branch of the military specifically tasked with the enforcement and execution of that goal - Zone Operation Command, or ZOCOM. Their peacetime mission was threefold; to improve GDI's military capabilities within areas of high Tiberium infestation, to establish "beachheads" within such areas allowing reclamation to commence, and to protect existing reclamation operations from any attacks, be they terrorist or mutant in origin.

Red zone service is perhaps the most demanding of any GDI assignment, as most soldiers cannot endure significant Tiberium exposure for more than a few weeks at a time without risking serious physical and psychological damage. There are exceptions however - men and women who find the experience of living and fighting in a near alien environment to be an energizing, engaging experience. These individuals quickly find themselves assigned to ZOCOM - and few, if any, would be happy anywhere else.^[1]

The initiative that led to the creation of ZOCOM also gave birth to the Mammoth Armored Reclamation Vehicle, a superheavy anti-Tiberium tank capable of single-handedly abating Tiberium in Nod or mutant separatist controlled Red zones.^[2]

History[]

During the Third Tiberium War, ZOCOM forces began reclamation in the African Red Zone, and deployed a MARV, which destroyed several Nod scout patrols. Fearing that Nod may lose their foothold in Africa, Alexa Kovacs ordered LEGION to stop ZOCOM. LEGION's forces destroyed the MARV, captured ZOCOM's MARV production facility and uploaded the MARV's data, allowing Nod scientists to develop a counter - the Redeemer. ZOCOM sent in two more MARVs, but they were also destroyed, and ZOCOM was driven out of the African Red Zone.^[3]

Later in the war, ZOCOM forces escorted a convoy carrying the Tacitus in China, but were once again attacked by LEGION's forces, who attempted to capture the Tacitus. The situation is further complicated by the sudden arrival of Reaper-17 forces, which began attacking both sides. Even though ZOCOM was defeated, Alexa Kovacs intervened at the last minute, cutting off LEGION from his forces and preventing the Tacitus from being evacuated, causing it to fall back into GDI hands. Presumably, ZOCOM reinforcements arrived and recaptured the Tacitus.^[4]

After the end of the war, ZOCOM forces were among the GDI forces guarding the Tacitus Containment Facility at the Rocky Mountains base. When LEGION attacked the facility in order to finally capture the Tacitus in 2052, they were once again defeated.^[5]

Arsenal[]

Infantry[]

• Zone raiders instead of Zone troopers

Vehicles[]

• Rocket harvester instead of harvester
• Zone Shatterer instead of Shatterer
• Cannot build Juggernaut
• ZOCOM Orca instead of Orca

Upgrades[]

• Tiberium field suits instead of composite armor for infantry, provides Tiberium exposure immunity in addition to increased armor and hit points
• Ceramic armor instead of hardpoints for aircraft, improves the damage resistance and survivability of aircraft
• Cannot purchase railguns for Predator, Mammoth, and Guardian cannon

Support powers[]

• Orca strike fires sonic grenades instead of rockets, deals more damage
• Zone raider drop pod instead of Zone trooper drop pod

Trivia[]

• The logos used by Steel Talons and ZOCOM in Kane's Wrath were originally made for vanilla GDI in 1999 for Tiberian Sun. However, the ZOCOM logo was considered a favorite in EALA when Tiberium Wars was under development, and certain renders such as the pre-release Predator tank used this logo as the GDI one. The Steel Talons logo was not given much attention, as the vanilla GDI logo from Tiberian Sun can be given simply by flipping the Steel Talons logo horizontally.
• ZOCOM's name is most likely based on the name of the real-life United States Special Operations Command, or SOCOM.

Gallery[]

• 

  Insignia variation

References[]

v·d·e Global Defense Initiative

Leadership Military Supreme Commander General Mark Jamison Sheppard TW1 General James Solomon TW2 General Zachary Harkin Lieutenant General Jack Granger TW3 General Wesley Riggs TW4 Civilian Director-General/General Secretary Lia Kinsburg Redmond Boyle TW3 Evelyn Rios TW4 Council of Directors   Organization Military services GDI United Peacekeepers GDI Engineering Corps GDI First Fleet InOps SigOps TacOps Steel Talons Zone Operations Command Military units & formations 19th Armoured Division 21st Armoured Division 22nd Infantry Division 45th Infantry Division 76th Mechanised Infantry Division Assault Platoon Epsilon Bloodhounds Dead 6 Echo Firestorm Taskforce First Expeditionary Force GDI Spec Ops Operation Lazarus Rapid Assault and Intercept Deployment Administration GDI Council GDI Central Command GDI Treasury Department of Covert R&D Auxiliary services GDI Press Corps GDI Supermax G-Tech Future-Tech lab Bureau of Mutant Affairs Institute for Tiberium Research Misc. Daedalus Team GDI Achievement Medal GDI Field Manuals Hong Kong 2nd Global Tiberium Economic Impact Summit List of GDI callsigns Uniforms of the Global Defense Initiative 2030 combat uniform