HECU

The Hazardous Environment Combat Unit was formerly the top military team for the United States during the events of the original Half-Life. Ever since the events of Half-Life 2, however, they have almost entirely been wiped out, likely due to the Seven Hour War, but SMOD: Redux reveals that a few units have survived, and are still fighting on.

Overview
The HECU is an allied faction in SMOD: Redux, appearing rarely in various chapters, such as 'We Don't Go to Ravenholm...' and 'Highway 17'. They are allies with the Resistance, and appears to have lost their hatred for Gordon Freeman since the events of the original Half-Life, as they freely assist him in his journey whenever possible.

The HECU act similar to Overwatch Soldiers in their combat style and choice of weapons, preferring to stick together and cover each other while moving from place to place, firing their weapons in short bursts, or fully automatically, depending on what they were given. They generally rely on SMGs, such as the Grease Gun, but they also tend to use heavier weapons such as the AK-47 and the Karabiner.

HECU soldiers first appear in 'We Don't Go to Ravenholm...', where at the very beginning of the chapter, two soldiers are seen fighting off a horde of Zombies with Grease Guns, and will tag along with Gordon when they first see him. Another lone unit appears later in the chapter attempting to fight off several zombies inside of a building, but almost never survives.

Two more soldiers are found in 'Highway 17', one of them is armed with a Karabiner and is attempting to fend off a group of Soldiers alone, while the other is attempting to rush to his partner's aid alongside a group of Rebels and Father Grigori. This particular unit is armed with an AK-47.

A total of six appear in the chapter 'Anticitizen One', scattered around multiple different areas and rooms. Most of them use the AK-47, but two of them appear with the Garand, while another appears with the MP5.

Eight more appear in 'Follow Freeman!', two of them at the start facing off against the Snipers, the rest appearing during the battle against the Striders.

Tactics
-HECU soldiers are very tough compared to ordinary Rebels, and are almost always armed with powerful weapons. If you feel you can't tackle a threat head-on, let them soak up some damage and deal with a few enemies for you. But remember, they are far from invincible.

-While they make valuable allies, HECU soldiers are very rare, and almost never spawn in groups larger than 2. Protect them well, if you can.

-Due to their effectiveness in combat, you can often let your units deal with a few enemies at once while you deal with others. Just remember not to get carried away; it's very easy to get overwhelmed.

-Remember that HECU soldiers can heal themselves with medkits on the ground. If you feel a unit is too valuable to lose, consider leaving a kit or two for them.

Trivia
Upon death, HECU soldiers will make the sound of a Combine Soldier dying.