Profile of Easy ♠

Sturmtiger is anti-infantry not anti-tank?

I used to like teching Captain because he's way more useful. Comes with supervise, on me and a bar upgrade before weapon racks and the AA halftrack is really good for locking down territory and late game for protecting cut-offs and countering recon planes, but I feel like you're missing out on capitalizing on USF's early game strength by not going Lieutenant. The Stuart also works really well with the Jackson and surprisingly very useful late game.

The Recon commander serves no real role currently. I'm proposing to make this commander a hit and run & ambush specialist. It should function like a light reconnaissance force more true to it's name. At the moment it's a real mismatch of units and abilities that don't synergise at all.
* Remove Raid Tactics
* Add M10 Wolverine tank destroyer
* Add option to upgrade Greyhound's turret to function like an AEC
* Remove the mine drop, replace with reconnasaince plane loiter
* Replace Paratrooper support team and Howitzer with ambush paratroopers and AT gun drop.
* Give the paratroopers and AT gun the option to upgrade to camouflage similar to OST's camo.

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* Raid Tactics seems misplaced. If you wanted to take advantage of this ability, you'd rather opt for a fast M20 but getting a Greyhound is main attraction of this commander. The Greyhound however comes out too late to really harass enemy cut offs, by the time you get to 4 CP a 222 will already be on the field and it has an easy time bullying it.

* The IR pathfinders and M10 Wolverine can work together to utilize hit and run tactics using the M10's speed and Pathfinders extended vision, giving the tank destroyer more survivability and an actual use over the Jackson. Locating enemy weak points, they can be in and out. Somewhat of a tactical counter to pwerfer and stukas.

* The Greyhound is really pointless. You can have a Stuart out on the field sooner and it performs better.

* Paratroopers with an AT gun could upgrade camouflage so you can quickly drop them in with the use of Beacons from pathfinders to quickly set up a tank ambush.

* Recon commander with no air recon? It doesn't make any sense. They should have a recon plane loiter instead of the cluster mines so you can take advantage of your opponents weak points and give your lighter vehicles more survivability.

I know some people like to leave the Capt on 1 model as just a supervisor to keep down on popcap. I think that's valid in the late game where you might not have the micro to manage one more squad if you have enough infantry already. It's also not bad if you need to side/back tech for AT Guns (he's more useful to supervise than using the new "Transfer Orders" ability to get rid of him.) Otherwise he's probably useful on the field and you can just time a retreat to coincide with supervising a tank build.

Captain is also incredibly expensive to re-enforce and not much better than rifleman squad so it makes sense to transition him to the supervisor role after a few fire fights.

or simply make ass eng a tier 0 unit

Yeah, exactly. The M3 is just a pointless added step in getting assault engineers. Would be way better to just have them ready to call in from the start. Would also mean you could mix up the strategy early game.
I think the balance team may be over-estimating the M3's usefulness.