No military force is more aptly named than Next Wave, because, whether or not it really reflects what the future holds for humanity, it is utterly unlike any other fighting force in the Sphere. 
It is part of the Combined Army, and like all the other forces integrated in it, it is as capable as eager to act autonomously.
Next Wave is made up of veterans of the wars on Paradiso, criminals and resistance fighters from the days of occupation, and humans with alien enhancements, a fearsome combination that is very distinctive of this organization.
Nevertheless, the technological contributions of other civilizations within the Hegemony are what set Next Wave apart, turning it into a force as powerful and effective as terrifying and strange to human eyes.