Training in Africa

[Joel James]

[b]Just off the Legion Coast[/b]

[i]"There it is."[/i] When the shore of the African continent came into view, all the soldiers gaped at it in awe. This place was completely different than where they were used to living. The most obvious difference was te huge amount of greenery. Other than the greenhouses and farms in the Eastern Federation, there weren't large groups of greenery like this. When they approached the coast, they saw their destination: Mogadishu. The soldiers were also kind of nervous. Just before they had departed, all equipment had been pulled from them. Of all 3,000 men, there was not even a single pistol to be seen. From there, they sat in sience unti they touched down on the shore.

[b]Legion Coast[/b]
When they anded on the beaches, the soldiers began to unload. The General in charge of this regiment signed with relief [i]"Thank God that it is somewhere around midnight. I don't want the Legion citizens freaking out when they see thousands of foreign soldiers unloading on the their beaches."[/i] The general knew why he was here. These 3,000 men had been picked by the President himself to go to Africa to train to become instructors for the Eastern Federation Miitary. Through their effort, the Eastern Federation would have a more respectable military. While the soldiers were leaving the ships, a Legion officer pulled up near the general, pulled out a pistol and aimed it at him. [i]"Who are you and what is your business on this beach? You look foreign to me."[/i] The general didn't say a word, but reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was a letter from the President of the Eastern Federation requesting them to be sent to West Africa and armed for training. The general said [i]"I need you to give this letter to anyone who has authority in the national government, preferably someone by the name of Dellion or the Empress. They will know what it means."[/i]

Edited February 9, 2012 by Joel James

[Captain Enema]

While the Legion Coast Guard Auxiliary Beach Safety Officer is in a complete state of confusion as to the origin of the 3000 or so men on his lonely stretch of beach, the Legion Special Forces Group hiding in the dunes behind him aren't. Their leader, Rol Mbembe, wanders out of the darkness. He looks the men over and whispers into his tactical radio,"Call up the Navy and have them double check to see if this is the last of them."

"Navy AWACs and Coast Guard ships both confirm that there are no more incoming landing craft or anything of that sort," a voice whispers back.

"Alright, tell the Navy they can unclench their poopers for a bit, it'll only get in the way of their authorized Naval Recreational Activities if they are all tensed up," Rol s!@#$%*s as he wanders towards the formation of Easterners.

"Uhh, copy sir," the force giggles back silently in Rol's ear.

Rol, a veteran of the Kickapoo War, Haas War, and a few other miserable scraps politely informs the General, "We have motorized transport coming in. We'll be hosting you in our National Training Center for about a week before we all fly out to our AO. This will give us some time to familiarize yourselves with Legion gear and weapons. If you could have your lads follow me you'll find the trail starting behind those dunes. Just have them stay between the strobe lights. It's about a five mile overland march to the road."

With that being said Rol turns and wanders off back into the darkness as he whispers into his microphone, "Keep an eye on them, unfamiliar ground, don't let anyone get lost. You know the drill, can happen to the best of us in this mucky terrain where everything looks the same."

"Copy sir, will follow up on the sides and rear with thermals and NVGs as ordered," the 2iC responds.

"Motor Transport, what's your status?" Rol asks as he moves on to the next item.

"Parked, waiting, and bored," a cranky Legion Reservist replies.

"Copy, we'll have them there soon. They look like any other soldiers, ready for motor transport rather than a walk, can't blame them this sand is nutsack deep in places," Rol observes.

"Copy, glad I'm driving sir, we have water and rations on board, and it's a quick run to the NTC from here," the Reservist replies.

"Good, keep a light on we'll be there soon," Rol concludes.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Joel James]

The general listened carefully to what the man was saying. After he had finished giving the orders, the general had turned around and said [i]"You heard what the man said. Get behind those dunes. We will be waiting for motor transport. We have a week to get used to the Legion weapons. If any person cannot do something like that in one week, I will stick a gun up his arse and make him swim all the way back to the Eastern Federation. Am I understood?"[/i] After a moment to let the soldiers understand, the soldiers retorted [i]"SIR YES SIR!"[/i] The general continued by saying [i]"OK, get moving then. Do not make me or our country feel embarassed, or you'll be eating African dirt forever"[/i] The soldiers began moving silently, cursing if they got their foot stuck in the sand or sank into a hidden hole. While they were moving, the general pulled out his radio and gave an update back to Military HQ [i]"Contact established between the Eastern Federation and Legion forces. We are going to be given one week to familiarize with Legion weaponry and then we will be shipped to the front. No further information." [/i]

Edited February 9, 2012 by Joel James

[Captain Enema]

The Legion Special Forces Group and the Eastern Federation Regiment arrive at Legion's remote and massive National Training Center just as the sun is coming up. The National Training center embraces a vigorous and all multifaceted philosophy towards training and hosts a variety of venues. A medium sized abandoned city for urban warfare, firing ranges, mortar ranges, artillery ranges, mountains, beaches, simulated mine fields and much more. The training team waiting the Eastern Federation men are the same men who will be embedding with them during the Easterners tour of duty.

Lt. Colonel Fortuna, formerly of Legion's War College, had volunteered for this assignment and was promptly given the task of recruiting a Legion Support and Training Task Force. Fortuna had put the word out and within hours had a few hundred messages from Legionnaires offering their services. Fortuna selected Rol Mbembe's entire Special Forces Group and one hundred other well qualified Legionnaires to make up the ranks of the Task Force. The men quietly make their way into the ranks of the Eastern Federation Regiment and take up position with their assigned Battalions and Companies.

After a few minutes of handshakes, greetings, and so forth a warehouse door is swung open and a group of surly looking Legionnaire Logistical Specialists wander out and shout for everyone to get in line and do what they are told. What happens next is an embarrassing ritual perpetuated on all men departing overseas by Logistical and Medical specialists out of sheer sadism.

The Easterners and Legionnaires line up in four equal lines. They then proceed into four different warehouses. The first station they strip themselves of their clothing and have their heads shaved. Next station the are deloused. At the next station they get a series of shots. At the next station they get a field blood typing performed. At the next station they get harassed with a series of questions designed to get their full medical history. Once that is completed the medical records are uploaded into a medical database for the medical support team assigned to the Regiment during it's tour of duty.

After that the naked men are ushered into a second even larger warehouse containing their equipment. They are issued uniforms, body armor, helmets, boots, field equipment, ALICE vests, water storage containers, and all the specific items used to weigh down an infantry man to the point of him collapsing but all vital for keeping him alive in a harsh environment. Once completed the men are issued out their Legion compatible weaponry.

The Galil ACE 5.56x45 rifle has a tried and true history with Legion. It is rugged, dependable and has been upgraded regularly to serve the needs of the men it is issued to. It is produced with a series of picatinny rails for the housing of sights and under-barrel grenade launchers. With the rifles each and everyman is issued a holster and pistol in the form of the Legion .45 para-ord. The hefty .45 caliber pistol holds a lovely assortment of 14 .45 rounds in a staggered magazine. The Negev 5.56x45 Squad Automatic Weapon is distributed at a ratio of two per squad. Each squad is also issued a single MGL-32 40mm Six Shot Grenade launcher. These are the basic weapons issued to the Regiment and heavier weapons are to be distributed in a day or two.

Once the tired looking mob of now bald Legionnaires and Easterners assemble on the field behind the warehouses with their new uniforms, new haircuts, painful shoulders from the shots, weapons, and bruised egos they are finally ushered to their barracks for a meal and some time to settle in. Lt. Colonel Fortuna says quietly to the General, "Sir, we'll eat lunch, let the boys settle in, and afterwards we'll all head over to the firing range to work out some of our newly found anger for logistical men everywhere," as he rubs his newly shaved head with a look of annoyance on his face.

'Swear to god, I'm going to find away to get even with those logpukes before we leave,' Fortuna thinks to himself.

OOC: normally you never rp another nation's citizens. Never.. never.. never do this.. Even in small ways like surprising a coast guard beach watcher.. but.. we got a story to move so I'm fine with it for now. Once we enter into live operations though.. it needs to stop on both our parts. It'll slow the story down, but it's just better rping.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Joel James]

OOC: Yeah, I understand, we need to get to the interesting part . I Probably shouldn't have RPed that Coast Guard though

IC: When the general looked at the weapons, he couldn't help but smiling. These weren't the greatest weapons in the world, but he knew that they would be more than enough for what was coming up ahead. His happiness went sour when he tried to reach up and rearrange his hair, and then he remembered for the tenth time that he was bald. In the Eastern Federation, it was unusual for someone to get a haircut. While their hair was shrotened in the military, there was always a good amount there. Being bald for the first time made him and the rest of the regiment a little uncomfortable, but the did not show it, trying not to expse a weakness. To take his mind of his lost hair, he turned back and looked at the gun he was issued. It was a great killing machine. With this weapon, he felt more secure tha he had since he left the Eastern Federation. After admiring the gun, he slipped on his body armor. He didn't want to be without it. The Legion had called it the ALICE bodr armor. It wieghed more than a shirt, but if it could save his life, he was ok with it. Dropping to the ground, he grabbed his pack and picked it up, putting it on his back. The pack was a bit heavy, but nothing compared to the hell he had to go through in the desert when he was a kid. He knew that the pack might make him buckle if he ever got exhausted enough, but for now, he was confident that it wouldn''t cause too much of a problem. Finally, he turned and looked at his men. They all looked emotionless, but he knew his men well enough to know what they were thinking. Sure, he was grateful that the Legion allowed this training, but he wasn't sure if he trusted these Legion soldiers yet. He had just met them, and from their reputation, he knew that he would have to be very cautious and vert careful. He looked at the Legion soldiers standing there. He wasn't sure. He might be shaking his hand one day, and the ext might be a fight to the death.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Joel James

[Captain Enema]

The transition from the National Training Center to the Forward Area of Operations in Sector 213 of the African Unity Protectorate took much longer than anticipated. It was decided to have them spend two full months training up for the mission before disembarking. Of course this was met with concerns by numerous parties but in the end the wisdom of properly preparing the unit to act as a fully integrated team and trained unit was seen and accepted.

The entire first month was a month long grueling endurance trial of forced marches, often under fire. When the Regiment wasn't busy marching and getting shot at they were busy doing other field problems. Ambushing enemy forces, urban combat, mine clearance, field medicine, and a slew of other technical skills were improved and taught by the acerbic looking Legion training staff of the NTC. The Legion Special Forces Group under Rol Mbembe was divided up into it's advisory units and attached to the various companies, battalions, and regimental staffs to assist with the flow of information and giving advice to inexperienced commanding officers.

The second month was a simulated insurgency situation in a remote corner of the National Training Center. Several volunteer groups of Legionnaires were recruited to act as insurgents for the duration of the exercise. During the first week the insurgents managed to completely collapse the Regiments Command and Control structure causing the various companies and battalions to stop working together and flail about on their own. The second week the insurgents rack up such a staggering total of kills on the Regiment it was briefly considered ending the exercise. Such a notion was dispelled by the Eastern Federation soldiers who learned those hard lessons, took in the wisdom being taught through a harsh beating, and they adapted to their conditions.

The third week was a stalemate between the insurgents and the Regiment. Losses on both sides were heavy, but most significantly was the Regiment's ability to successfully complete all their mission objectives despite being taken under heavy fire, poorly supported, and a variety of problems facing them. The fourth week showed everyone that the Eastern Federation soldiers were serious about their trade as they went into the field and proceeded to smash their simulated opponents left, right, and center. While they suffered heavy losses they still managed to inflict more than they took.

With training complete the orders descended from Legion Central command for the Regiment to be mated with it's supporting units. A draft of 1000 additional Eastern Federation soldiers had been sent over earlier in the midst of exercises and put through the various Legion artillery, mortar, military police, and medic training courses and the men were added to the Regiments ranks as individual additions or as formed units. This brought the Regiment up to a total of 4200 men.

3 Rifle Battalions

1000 man battalions with 10 companies of 100 men each


1 Services and Support Battalion of 1200 men that includes:

1 artillery company
1 engineering company
1 Motor Transport Company
1 Force Recon Company
1 Forward Artillery and Air Support Party
1 Military Police Company

Legion Units being assigned to Eastern Federation control for the duration of the mission include:

1 Squadron of UH-60 Helicopters 10 per squadron
2 Squadrons of Legion Attack Helicopters 10
1 Armored Company of Legion Main Battle Tanks
2 Companies of Legion Armored Personnel Carriers

Once all the confusion was ironed out the officers, men, and tonnes of equipment were shipped into Sector 212 and a quick handing over ceremony from the former unit, a Legion Mechanized Infantry Battalion, to the newly arrived Eastern Federation Regimental Combat Team.


(OOC: You can feel free to boss around the assigned units with the exception of Rol Mbembe and his Special Forces unit. The rest are yours to play around with. I'll post up a map the next time I post and I will begin rping the opposition shortly.)

[Joel James]

OOC: This is so I know what I can work with:
3 Rifle Companies
1 artillery company
1 engineering company
1 Motor Transport Company
1 Force Recon Company
1 Forward Artillery and Air Support Party
1 Military Police Company

1 Squadron of UH-60 Helicopters 10 per squadron
2 Squadrons of Legion Attack Helicopters 10
1 Armored Company of Legion Main Battle Tanks
2 Companies of Legion Armored Personnel Carriers

IC: The General looked around to see what he had to work with. For killing insurgents, he knew that this would be more than enough. He knew that some of the people standing before him now would not be going back to the Eastern Federation. To make sure that the chain of command would stay in place in the event of his demise, he named a first, second, and third in command of each company. He was in charge of the army in whole, so he also named a second, third, fourth, and fifth in command under him. When he had this ordered out, he got down to business.

The General shouted "OK, I need half of the First Rife Company in the middle. surrounded by a third of the artillery company. Around the artillery should go the other half of the First Rifle Company. A third of the Force Recon company will scout ahead with a third of the Military Police Company. They will be transported by a third of the Motor Transport Company. Back at the mainstay of the group, I want a third of the Forward Artillery and Air Support Party and a third of the engineer company to take care of mechanics and protect the group. This entire group will be called Battalion 1. I want the same thing for Battalions 2 and 3, until there are no more unassigned units left." The General waited until the Battalions organized themselves. "OK, I want Battalion 1 to go to head towards the center of the sector from the southwest, killing an insurgents that are seen. Stay about a mile out from the center. I do not want the 3 battalions grouped too close to each other. Battalion 2 and 3 will do the same thing, but Battalion 2 will close in from the southeast, and Battalion 3 will come in from the north. Always send the scouts ahead to clear out any IEDs or hidden insurgents. Maintain your intervals. I do not want to lose an entire squad to a single explosion. Before I forget, a select few will be transported in UH-60s for early warning systems against insurgents. Don't forget to fire flares in the event you have to. A third of the attack copters will go with each battalion as air support. A third of tanks and armored transports will go with each battalion as well. Injured soldiers will be transported in the transports." When he finished giving orders, he looked over his men and jumped into an attack helicopter. "All right men. Move out!" He turned and watched the pilot as he started the engine. The helicopter rose into the air, ready for its mission.

[Captain Enema]

As the massed force of vehicles and men proceeds into the area of operations the quiet villagers and townsmen watch without much comment. They aren't hostile but there aren't many signs of being overly friendly either. The word spreads ahead of the approaching unit via messenger, cell phone, and the occasional burst of radio traffic. The locals have been dodging the law and government in various forms for decades as they've stubbornly refused to allow foreign domination over them.

The locals headed by a loose confederation of village headmen keep their weapons out of sight. They know how it works and they are patient. The heat, the sand, and the lack of water would sooner or later bring even the best unit to the very end of its wits. A few well aimed sniper shots, mines, and improved explosive devices which would come in good time will only add to the speed of pushing the opposing force into collapsing under their own fatigue or acting in such a matter that it creates a readily exploited weakness.

As the Eastern Federation forces and Legionnaires rumble deeper into the area of operations the eyes on them begin to take in more and more details. Vehicle types are noted, troop formations observed, and levels of training are speculated upon. The information is rapidly disseminated through the disconnected series of local tribal affiliations through cell traffic and face to face meetings. Given the natives speak a dialect that is extremely obscure even by the local standards they aren't overly concerned about anyone listening in.

Even if someone was listening in they'd get nothing but vague references to water buffaloes and other large animals. This is a culture that does not rely on modern technology to achieve what they believe can be done in person. What a modern nation would do in minutes, these natives have no real issue with taking weeks or longer to accomplish. It's the test of their resolve that they endure great hardships thrown upon them by their own society and local environmental conditions.

Normally, Legion would have been willing to leave them to themselves, but local instability in a very fragile protectorate has the very real possibility of causing a wide spread uprising that could spin wildly out of control. Further, their are fears that this region could well be a staging ground for renegade members of the old Republic of Paris that refused to lay down arms when ordered to do so by their own collapsing government. Hence the stationing of a large force in the area to contain and control the locals and their tendency to defy authority for the sheer sake of defying authority.

[Joel James]

Battalion 1 was moving through the heat. It was decently warm, but not much warmer than it was compared to the weather back in the Eastern Federation. They were used to it, and were confident that they could get through with some effort. The problem were the whisperings that were going out throughout the seemingly deserted villages. Some soldiers sweared that they heard people talking in some weird dialect that they have never heard of. Due to this, the army had been put at DEFCON 1, the highest alertness level. The scouts have now been ordered to check everything thoroughly, and a few of them have been given a bomb suit. The Battalions were given the order to move forward, but more cautiously.

[Captain Enema]

The 1st Battalion wouldn't find much beyond a collection of elderly hunting rifles and ceremonial knives. The villages are far from abandoned as well. There are dozens of curious, yet not quite friendly and not quite hostile faces peering at the soldiers as they pass by. There is a sense of resignation amongst the locals as they wonder what this next lot of invaders will bring to them. Most of them wish quietly that the Eastern Federation soldiers would just go away.

Four of them hiding behind a low wall on the outskirts of one of the small villages decided to take an active approach to encouraging the Eastern Federation troops to vacate the area. Earlier, as word spread of the Legion Mechanized Battalion leaving and the Eastern Federation Regiment arriving, the four men prepared a small welcome to Sector 212 party so to speak. They ran a cable from behind the low wall to a command detonated home-made anti-vehicle in the middle of the road. The mine is sited so that it is outside of the village rather than inside of it. Further, the wire is buried underground, and as an extra precaution it first heads completely the other way for a one hundred yards before being connected to a remote detonating device.

Should someone spot the wire, it could well draw their attention to a spot the complete opposite direction from where the four men are hiding. Not only are they hiding, they are under cover as well. They have over their heads a scrap of canvas with a few bits of wood and so forth attached to keep them out of sight from helicopters overhead. They are armed with something more than hunting rifles, they carry three AK-47 assault rifles and a RPG-7. They line of retreat has been well established as well as it leads into a warren of small abandoned houses where they have a series of hiding spots already prepared, some of them well dug in to protect them from artillery fire as well.

[Joel James]

When the scouts moved forward they saw it. Sitting in the middle of the road, was none other than the first bomb the Eastern Federation Forces would have to face. The Eastern Federation forces that were part of the group of scouts all took a deep breath of air and gulped. They had never seen anything like this before. One of the soldiers pulled out a radio and radioed back to Battalion saying "Stay extra vigilant. We found a bomb. Everyone stay on guard, and the helicopters might want to turn on their laser defense systems. (OOC: I will explain it if you want me to) The General said that if the soldiers came under fire, they should use the thanks, artillery, and whatever rocks they can find as cover. They cannot completely break formation otherwise that would just lead to chaos. Meanwhile, the scouts were studying the bomb. They knew there had to be a wire somewhere, so they had to start searching.

OOC: Tell me if I got anything wrong or if I assumed anything.

[Captain Enema]

OOC: Mine is buried.. though normally they are.. I see to have not mentioned that. Will roll with it.


The four men look at each other in disbelief as they realize the full magnitude of their mistake. Not much they can do about it now, considering the hurried nature of the job the fact that they were even to get into place was a small miracle. The leader of the group says nothing as he takes the lesson to heart, bury the damn mine first, worry about the wire second.

He uses hand gestures to get his men ready as he uses the auto-dial feature on his phone to detonate the mine. A loud explosion batters the four men in their hidden position. Without another word they quickly place their weapons and ammunition into a prepared hole and cover them with a piece of plastic. Once disarmed three of the men quietly depart the area by crawling away while the fourth buries the weapons with the soil from the hole. Once finished, a process taking no more than a minute and a process undertaken well out of sight, he moves sweeps the area with a branch to remove their body imprints before he too begins to crawl away.

[Joel James]

BOOM. The explosion could be heard from the main Battalion, and all talking had ceased. All that could be heard were the birds high up in the air. Back at the scout team, three soldiers were too close to the explosion when it went off. One was killed while the other two were severely injured. A medivac was called in to airlift these two injured soldiers back into base. Meanwhile, the scouts were ordered to fan the area looking for the ones who were responsible for the explosion, while the rest of the Battalion was leaving the town. They did not want to suffer any more casualties. Since there was no one left in the town, the order was given to torch it. They did not want to leave anything for the rebels to use. They were told not to keep anything, for fear it was poisoned or booby trapped.

[Captain Enema]

The town the battalion leaves in flames actually was occupied. The abandoned warren of houses outside of the town aren't. The dejected and angry natives take note of this as they flee their houses carrying what few possessions they can as their homes are burnt down around them. Luckily for them no one is killed, and only a few are injured. The four insurgents dressed in civilian clothes take advantage of the confusion to attempt to mix in with the crowd as the local inhabitants begin relocating nearby and start setting up pathetic little hovels to give them some cover from the elements.

No sooner than the first flames begin to consume the small houses do the calls to other local villages and tribes begin. Within in minutes word of the torching spreads around the countryside. Men who fancy themselves as snipers begin to dig up their treasured rifles and ammunition for them as they prepare to go out and get revenge against the Eastern Federation occupiers. Other small groups begin preparing hides and decoys to assist the snipers in escaping the inevitable torrent of munitions and activity that tends to come in response from a single sniper's shot.

Whereas the locals were mostly content with waiting out the occupation forces, they are now being whipped up into a frenzy of rage. Dozens of village headmen give their permission to young men to begin forming their traditional village based units that are called up in the event of an emergency. Wizened elders expounding wisely to the younger men about the necessities of war and how to survive against a vastly more modern enemy. The younger men and women share ideas in sort of an intellectual open market of sorts to best utilize their own few scraps of technology to best the Eastern Federation.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Joel James]

The soldiers decided to end their first day and set up camp. Some of the soldiers' morale was low. The first day and they already faced their first problem. They needed to make a solution. They made camp, but spread the tents around and kept them hidden and covered with brush to keep unwanted people from watching. They were told if they left their tent at night, they would be seen as an insurgent and shot. They had to take no chances. While everyone went to sleep, the first shift night guards took their rounds.

OOC: Not much time, wish I could add more.

[Captain Enema]

Rol Mbembe, Commander of the Legion 1st Special Operations Group, quietly issues several orders. First and foremost he he sends small demolitions teams to the region's cell towers with orders to destroy them. Next he sends a quiet message to the nearest Legion Air Force detachment and requests that drones be put up over the area of operation on a 24 hour a day basis. Last he orders his detachments to report in on the status of their units.

Most of the reports show a declining morale, which isn't much of a surprise to any of the Special Forces Troopers. They are all depressed right along with the Eastern Federation soldiers. Who would have thought that a bunch of backwards small scale farmers and herdsmen would have provided such a unique set of problems? Rol Mbembe quietly takes the time to plan, organize, and prepare a quiet briefing for the Regimental Commander.

Obviously the crisis at hand wasn't going to get any better until a clear coherent examination of the local area was undertaken. He uses his Legion issue rugged looking combat tablet to call up the relevant maps and to examine them carefully. One of the first directives of the Legion Command School is to study the maps. Knowing the terrain can assist a commander in making logical choices regarding dispositions on the field of battle. The very first thing he notices is that the overland routes into the area are limited to a single major highway.

He hacks together a quick list of suggestions for the General and dispatches it to him electronically. Upon completion he quietly turns into the night after pulling his pack and equipment into his fighting hole to keep him company for the night. Legionnaires by the hundreds have been saved by this trick when infiltrators have pumped a round or two into a Legionnaire's rucksack which comes with a steel back plate, which is heavy and uncomfortable at times to wear, makes a great bullet stopper. As is customary Mbembe says his prayers praising Allah quietly from the sanctuary of his fighting hole before going to sleep with his rucksack next to him in case he finds the need to pulling it over him for extra protection.

[quote]General,

Don't kick yourself too much, this is a fairly large area of operations. It's going to take some time in locking it down completely.

I sent out demo teams to blow the local cell towers on my authority. Should someone complain, blame it on me, I have access directly from Legion Special Forces Command that gives me free reign to do just about anything I want if it suits the needs of the mission.

A few suggestions..

Set up check points on the major freeways to interdict large vehicle traffic. Check all of it for contraband.

Large battalion sized patrols can't move fast enough and quick enough to be effective. If anything we need to be breaking this down even further to the platoon and even squad level if needed.

Be patient, this is going to take some time. Do not try to rush it along by destroying civilian property.

I requested drone coverage for us as well. I'm going to have the Air Force intelligence geeks collate it and have a representative assigned to our command staff to pass on time sensitive intelligence rather than running it up and then down the chains of command.

This next suggestion sounds ruthless, but it's necessary. By using our own Force Recon Snipers and other available marksmen we can control vast swaths of countryside. Issue an official declaration making it a capitol crime to possess any weapon that has a magazine capacity over 5 rounds. Semi-automatics are to be illegal as well. Give a kill on sight order for any man, woman, or child carrying a weapon that exceeds that limit.

-Lt. Colonel Rol Mbembe [/quote]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/sqZKN.png[/IMG]




Elsewhere, the various tribal groups and village headmen continue to organize and plan. The sudden outage of their cellphones has put a serious crimp in these operations but the availability of shortwave radio transceivers somewhat reduces the problem.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Joel James]

[quote]General,

Don't kick yourself too much, this is a fairly large area of operations. It's going to take some time in locking it down completely.

I sent out demo teams to blow the local cell towers on my authority. Should someone complain, blame it on me, I have access directly from Legion Special Forces Command that gives me free reign to do just about anything I want if it suits the needs of the mission.

A few suggestions..

Set up check points on the major freeways to interdict large vehicle traffic. Check all of it for contraband.

Large battalion sized patrols can't move fast enough and quick enough to be effective. If anything we need to be breaking this down even further to the platoon and even squad level if needed.

Be patient, this is going to take some time. Do not try to rush it along by destroying civilian property.

I requested drone coverage for us as well. I'm going to have the Air Force intelligence geeks collate it and have a representative assigned to our command staff to pass on time sensitive intelligence rather than running it up and then down the chains of command.

This next suggestion sounds ruthless, but it's necessary. By using our own Force Recon Snipers and other available marksmen we can control vast swaths of countryside. Issue an official declaration making it a capitol crime to possess any weapon that has a magazine capacity over 5 rounds. Semi-automatics are to be illegal as well. Give a kill on sight order for any man, woman, or child carrying a weapon that exceeds that limit.

-Lt. Colonel Rol Mbembe[/quote]

The general got the suggestions and started to plan. He sent a message back to Rol Mbembe.

[b]Classified[/b]
I understand what you are saying. I have actually been contemplating dividing my troops even further. I will start the roadblocks for our immediate location and the the 2 miles that surround it. We can expand from there. For the solders, I will have them break into squads of 5-10 soldiers to scour the countryside. If you can get air coverage, that will be great. Most tanks and Motorized vehicles will be left for open combat and enforcing roadblocks. The list of contraband I am coming up with are, but no limited to: Automatic weaponry, Ant-armor weapons, illicit drugs, explosives, and maybe short-wave radios. I will also implement you policy of guns.

The General went to his troops and distributed the orders. He also made an announcement to his soldiers that somewhat shocked them: Possession of guns with over 5 rounds, semi and fully automatic guns will be treated as a capital crime. Anyone carrying these weapons will be shot on sight. The soldiers slowly understood why this was needed. If they did not do this, many of their fellow comrades would be dead in the coming days.

[Captain Enema]

[quote name='Joel James' timestamp='1329957818' post='2925907']
The general got the suggestions and started to plan. He sent a message back to Rol Mbembe.

[b]Classified[/b]
I understand what you are saying. I have actually been contemplating dividing my troops even further. I will start the roadblocks for our immediate location and the the 2 miles that surround it. We can expand from there. For the solders, I will have them break into squads of 5-10 soldiers to scour the countryside. If you can get air coverage, that will be great. Most tanks and Motorized vehicles will be left for open combat and enforcing roadblocks. The list of contraband I am coming up with are, but no limited to: Automatic weaponry, Ant-armor weapons, illicit drugs, explosives, and maybe short-wave radios. I will also implement you policy of guns.

The General went to his troops and distributed the orders. He also made an announcement to his soldiers that somewhat shocked them: Possession of guns with over 5 rounds, semi and fully automatic guns will be treated as a capital crime. Anyone carrying these weapons will be shot on sight. The soldiers slowly understood why this was needed. If they did not do this, many of their fellow comrades would be dead in the coming days.
[/quote]

[quote]Classified

General,

I think it is important to note that the total vehicle strength of the regiment for armored vehicles is at set at 9 Main Battle Tanks and 22 Infantry Fighting Vehicles. This gives us a total of 110 dismounted infantry for the IFVs. My suggestions are centered on the fact that somewhere in the Legion's Logistical command a massive error was performed. A Regiment for what essentially is straight leg infantry with inadequate vehicle support being spread out across the desert.

This screams defeat in detail. What I suggest is that rather than us scattering the regiment out across the desert in such a way that they get farther and farther from their logistical bases, we consider a more local approach. We do have 12 transport helicopters at our disposal. I called the Legion Air Transport Command earlier and they can commit another air regiment of older model Mi-8 variants, which have been radically modernized. They might be long in the tooth but they are highly suited to the desert environment due to their ruggedness and simplicity.

By pulling back one of the battalions and having them staging a series of deployments into the larger native villages and setting up small scale bases we can expand out network. We do have artillery and air support enough to provide fire support if they come under heavy attack. Send in platoon sized forces with water, food, razor wire, and sandbags for establishing a patrol base right within the larger villages. A full battalion of these ought to give us extensive coverage for the northern half of the theater of operations.

The other two battalions will be put into use by using one of them to create a full scale logistical base to support the effort. While the third battalion will be kept busy patrolling in company and platoon sized units using additional stocks of Infantry Fighting Vehicles and other smaller patrol vehicles which I will browbeat out of Legion logistical command.

The density of the region suggests that the majority of the natives live in the northern upper half of the province, which will require established and supported bases. The lower southern half of the province while more spread out, requires mobile patrolling due to a more violent history of insurgent attacks. By seriously reducing the ability of the Northern top of the province to move south, we can begin isolating the Southerners and running them to ground over time.

- Mbembe
[/quote]

Mbembe sends two rather surly messages to Legion Logistical Command demanding more IFVs and patrol vehicles. He also requests and is given the use of a Legion Air Transport Wing of older, yet well upgraded, Mi-8 helicopters. With them come a two more transport companies carrying supplies needed to establish a logistical base and blocking positions on the freeway. Once he organizes this he send a message to the regiment's Engineering Commander.

"How long to create an airstrip suitable for light to medium transports?"

"Couple weeks if we don't use anything too fancy due to FOD."

"Right, put in a request for steel runway matting and get busy. I want a working strip for medium and light transports organized and operating within 2 to 3 weeks. Once you are finished get ready to pave it."

"Copy."

Edited February 26, 2012 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Joel James]

The general heard of the new runway. He knew that this could prove very useful, but a possible terrorist attacks spot. The General sent a request to Mr. Rol Mbembe asking if he could send a company of 150 soldiers to help guard the runway.

[Captain Enema]

Private

"The proposed airstrip is within the confines of the new logistical base that is also being constructed. I do believe the plan is to station, on a rotating basis, a full battalion of troops at the base. As these are Combat Engineers and most of their vehicles are armed with weapons of their own I think they'll be able to fend off any threats in the short term."


Legion Central Command authorizes the deployment of an additional mechanized armored battalion less attached troops. Recent deployments has stretched the Legion's front-line forces to a thin thread, but the availability of reserve units and equipment allows the quick deployment of a battalion of venerable upgraded Warrior 2b variant Armored Personnel Carriers. These upgraded models include better engines, vastly superior cooling systems, and improved armor with an active defense system for ATGMs.

Most of the Warrior 2b APCs are equipped with a turret containing a 12.76 heavy machine gun. Further, they have two smoke canister launchers, and a thermal imaging system for night operations. The reservist assigned to the units come from Northern Legion where they are acclimatized to rough conditions. Most are older men in their late 30's and early 40s. There is one particularly crusty specimen who is nearly 60 years old. He's deployed so many times and to so many places no one had the heart to tell him to stay home when he showed up for the call out.

The Warrior APCs have a dismount capacity of 10 men. This gives the Regiment the capability of moving 660 infantry men over long distances in relative comfort. The forward parties for the Air Transport Regiment landed a few hours before and were busy marking out landing zones for the incoming Mi-8 (Modernized) Troop Transports. Their assignment is not a permanent one, which requires the Regiment make good use of them as quickly as possible. To encourage this use the helicopters are being loaded with large supplies of razor wire, empty sand bags, and other items needed to construct patrol bases.

[Joel James]

The General was nervous even though he did not show it. It was too quiet. Ever since that bomb explosion near battalion 1 in that village, no other rebel had even bothered to attack. Sure, the soldiers split up into smaller groups and they had roadblocks, but this was different. No one was attempting to kill the soldiers at all. It was almost like the army trying to subdue them was not even worth the effort.

[Captain Enema]

[b]Regimental LogBase[/b]

With the bulk of the base constructed, the helicopters in place, the armored vehicles waiting to proceed, and the roadblocks set up the time seems proper to step up the tone of the operations. Using drone intelligence and satellite footage the picture being painted is that the locals are very much playing a wait and see game. It's frustrating for sure but a necessary one to be played.

Perhaps more will happen once the Northern half of the province is properly occupied after the upcoming helicopter assault, or perhaps not. It could even come to past that the Eastern Federation soldiers impress upon the locals that they are their for their benefit and create a lasting relationship with them.


ooc: Waiting for you to rp the helicopter attack on the northern half of the province. You'll need to start thinking about how to do that, be careful with it and take your time. If you aren't careful with how you write it up you'll get half your machines blown out of the sky.

Gooood luck.

[Joel James]

OOC: I barely know what I am doing, so bear with me

IC: 18 legion attack helicopters were sent to attack the Northern Province. This would only leave 2 helicopters to help guard the airfield and the base, but they knew that they needed to bring the war to the rebels. The plan was as followed:
The 18 Legion Attack Helicopters were told to split into 9 groups of 2 helicopters each. The helicopters were told to keep a minimum of 100 meters between each helicopter in a team. Each of the teams were told to go to a specific target and fire off all the missiles that they except 1, just in case it was needed later. The targets were received from the various drone scouting done earlier. The helicopters were then told to return to base immediately afterwards. To help reduce casualties, the raid was scheduled to occur during the dead of night.

[Captain Enema]

ooc: sighs....

IC:

[b]READ ALL ABOUT IT![/b]

"LEGION PROXY SOLDIERS FIRE ON UNARMED CIVILIANS! FULL INVESTIGATION PROMISED BY LEGION CENTRAL COMMAND!"


[b]Orders to Eastern Federation Commander, Classified

Return to the Eastern Federation, your services are no longer needed.

-Dellion[/b]

[Joel James]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]
The soldiers got their orders, and they were stunned. They had not expected this to happen, but knew that they had no say in it. When they were packing, many of the soldiers had no idea where they were to go. They knew that the Eastern Federation was no more, so they could not return to their home country. Many of the soldiers thought that heading to Atlantis would be a good idea. Many of their friends were already there, so it would be a good place to go. The soldiers knew that settling in would be tough though. A few soldiers did not want to go to any knew country to start a life they did not want to start. A group of 20 soldiers decided to go into the desert and live in an oasis. They remaining of the 3,000 soldiers began their long trek into what they hoped to be their new home of Atlantis.

OOC: What happened?