Northwest Secessionist Forces

The Northwest Secessionist Forces, or NSF were the forerunners of the National Secessionist Forces, founded in 2031 in the wake of Utah's secession from the Union, and the declaration of secession by similar groups in Texas. The NSF were a loose alliance of paramilitary groups in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Texas, tied to the New Sons of Freedom founded by Juan Lebedev. The looseness of this alliance was its critical weakness: NSF units were armed with whatever they could muster, down to hunting shotguns with shells, and lacked basic military equipment - most notably uniforms - and training. This undisciplined militia had to face the ruthless United States Army.

Although the balance of power favored the Army, the NSF managed to inflict a number of defeats on its foe, including a devastating rout during the siege of Squalnomie, when thermoptic camo  allowed NSF troopers to infiltrate and destroy a large Army unit. The eventual defeat provided brief respite, as the failure of the Northwest Secessionist Forces became a vital lesson for the future insurrectionist movement, the National Secessionist Forces.