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RAMADI (Iraq): Mother of All MOUT Maps


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7 hours ago, Erwin said:

I do find the space alien baby interesting.  Whatever happened to it?  

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7861/british-muslims-survey

 

Dunno but I saw one article in the weekly world news once that was so damn funny I had to buy it and cut it out to save.  Unfortunately I lost it over the years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatestone_Institute

The Gatestone Institute (formerly Stonegate Institute and Hudson New York) is a right-wing[2][3][4] think tank that publishes articles, particularly those involving Muslims or the Middle East. The organization has been criticized for publishing inaccurate articles

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LongLeftFlank,

Came across this and thought I'd alert you to what looks like a very significant PB book (condition VG) on the taking of Ramadi. The price ($3.99) is amazing, and the shipping is free!

The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy Seals and the Winning of Al-Anbar by Dick Couch ExL-ibrary

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Sheriff-of-Ramadi-Navy-Seals-and-the-Winning-of-Al-Anbar-ExLib-wbr-rary-/222537464959?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

(Fair Use)

Detailed item info

Synopsis

In this ground-breaking book, best-selling author and former U.S. Navy SEAL Dick Couch reports on the actions of the SEAL Task Unit during the Battle of Ramadi in Iraq's al-Anbar Province between 2005 and 2007. When he began his research, the author thought he would be writing about the SEALs' courage in the face of a losing cause. Instead, he discovered a startling success story whose importance has gone unrecognized in the war against al-Qaeda. Couch argues that the lessons of Ramadi, with SEALs fighting alongside regular forces in an urban war zone, call for using this strategy more widely. One of the most significant military engagements in the global war against terrorism since 9/11 and the most sustained and vicious engagement ever fought by SEALs, the Battle of Ramadi demonstrates both their code of brotherhood and ability to adapt in an urban battle space, which Couch identifies as the keys to the SEALs' success on the battlefield. The story of PO2 Michael Monsoor, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the battle, is a compelling example of their extraordinary brotherhood. First published in hardcover in 2008, the book is now available in paperback for the first time., This is an account of the Navy SEAL Task Unit in Ramadi from October 2005 through October 2007. The text follows the Battle of Ramadi and the deployment of the SEAL Task Unit in that battle. It is based on interviews with Army, Navy, and Marine command and operational personnel who fought in this battle.

Regards,

John Kettler

Edited by John Kettler
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Thanks John, I read it some years ago. While not factually inaccurate, it is "first wave" GWOT history, heavily personality driven to sell copies. Our Heroes In Action hagiography. The 2003-2008 counterinsurgency in Ramadi was not won by SEAL snipers, although they performed very well, nor was it won by Col. Sean MacFarland, though he performed very well.

We now have much better histories coming out that show what was really going down. Read back a few pages in this thread for more on that.

Edited by LongLeftFlank
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  • 1 month later...

Another bump in response to Photobucket vandalism (MINOR SPOILER ALERT):

 

 

 

Bad day in old Ramadi:

imsCZd9.jpg

Don't let 'em get too close:

74G5j2H.jpg

Help is on the way:

HX9UQEs.jpg

Be careful where you drive:

zETra9l.jpg

Truly tricky little mission, but eminently satisfying, even when it goes horribly wrong.....I don't have a current link for this one, but I'm sure @LongLeftFlank can provide.  B)

 

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  • 9 months later...
  • 5 weeks later...

So I finally have a free weekend and want to open a nice red wine and work a bit on my third Ramadi scenario SHARIF DON'T LIKE IT in the old engine. Will that be wasting effort that will need to be totally redone in CMSF2? (setting aside AI plans and reinforcements here)

Basically, has anyone in playtest world tried opening one of the user made CMSF1 scenarios in the new Editor and then tinkering with it? How does that all go?

Inquiring minds want to know... 

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2 hours ago, LongLeftFlank said:

Basically, has anyone in playtest world tried opening one of the user made CMSF1 scenarios in the new Editor and then tinkering with it? How does that all go?

Inquiring minds want to know... 

Yep, doing that every test build. The stated goal is to have user made scenarios work in CMSF2. What you want is intended to work. Myself and others are working to verify that. 

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4 hours ago, LongLeftFlank said:

So I finally have a free weekend and want to open a nice red wine and work a bit on my third Ramadi scenario SHARIF DON'T LIKE IT in the old engine. Will that be wasting effort that will need to be totally redone in CMSF2? (setting aside AI plans and reinforcements here)

Basically, has anyone in playtest world tried opening one of the user made CMSF1 scenarios in the new Editor and then tinkering with it? How does that all go?

Inquiring minds want to know... 

Yeah what Ian said.  You can be pretty sure I've opened your scenarios a few dozen times.  :D  However I would still suggest waiting as there are more options with CMSF2 so you may likely end up redoing some of it anyway. (for example mod tags, overlays etc)  I would go ahead with the wine though!

Edited by sburke
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6 minutes ago, LongLeftFlank said:

Btw, I just noticed that all my formerly removed Botophucket linked screenies have been restored, with no action or baksheesh by me. Anyone else have that happen?

not sure.  Mine never disappeared to my knowledge but I expected they were going to.

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5 hours ago, LongLeftFlank said:

Btw, I just noticed that all my formerly removed Botophucket linked screenies have been restored, with no action or baksheesh by me. Anyone else have that happen?

Yeah I've read on other forums that images are visible again.i think I read that the backlash was so strong that the policy was reversed.

p

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Know, O lions of CMSF, I scratched my Ramadi itch by building out the rest of the Anbar health complex, the high schools and (bombed out) Iraqi army depot on the master map, filling out an area of 150 x 400m, mostly industrial structures. Nice spot for some Marine LAVs to stalk AQIZ RPG gunners.

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On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 9:20 AM, LongLeftFlank said:

Know, O lions of CMSF, I scratched my Ramadi itch by building out the rest of the Anbar health complex, the high schools and (bombed out) Iraqi army depot on the master map, filling out an area of 150 x 400m, mostly industrial structures. Nice spot for some Marine LAVs to stalk AQIZ RPG gunners.

...and he looked upon his works and was satisfied. Or somesuch.

LLF, looking good. I'll dive into this after CMSF2 is released. (Like others stated, you may want to take advantage of the newer CMSF2 engine for scenario development.)

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36 minutes ago, LongLeftFlank said:

Yeah, definitely for AI plans. But I'm taking it on faith that maps will port pretty well.

Yeah they should do - the map that the AAR is being fought over is a modified CMSF 1 map that seems to have survived contact from transitioning to CMSF 2 from CMSF 1. You will probably need to revisit the Ramadi map though to take advantage of some of the new terrain types (eg low wire fences, water and bridges which can be clearly seen in the AAR screenies).

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5 hours ago, LongLeftFlank said:

Well noted, cheers. Fingers crossed that infantry will still be able to move from an upper level via door to an adjacent rooftop. Losing that would seriously mess up the 'Madi. 

Yes they do - took me a while to find one but yeah still happening.

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In the "Why We Fight" department, I just ran across the award winning essay that inspired me to tackle Ramadi not long after the release of CMSF back in 2007. Well recommended for those interested. 

VQR Online: the Jarhead Underground

Ramadi has always been darker and weirder than just about anywhere else. Even now when I try to recall what the city looks like, what comes to me is nothing more than a pocked stretch of boulevard surrounded on both sides by heaps of rubbled concrete, iron palings, trash. Swirls of dust playing over the blacktop. The smell of cordite. Everything still but a grizzled dog patrolling the ruins. It can be like this—high noon, not a soul around, no threat imminent—but you can feel the sheer sinister energy of the joint. As if even the streets want you dead

Edited by LongLeftFlank
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Great article.  The style reminded me a bit of the script for "Apocalypse Now".

"Army troops were too heavy-handed, they said, too enamored of their tanks and armored vehicles, too “kinetic,” too brusque with the locals. It was like crushing a walnut with a sledgehammer. It was no wonder that the Iraqis had responded by planting homemade bombs in the streets, they said. You had to listen to the locals. You had to spend time with regional leaders. You had to rely on what Marine leaders referred to as “the velvet glove” approach."

Sounds like what the Brits were also saying after Gulf 1.  I recall they were not allowed to wear sunglasses in Basra as it made them seem too alien to the population - and were advising the US troops to do likewise.   Nowadays it sounds like another planet in a far away galaxy.

The soldier with the OTAN tattoo who refused to say what it was for - I assumed it was North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in some Romance languages:

  • in French: Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord
  • in Spanish: Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte
  • in Portuguese: Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte
  • in Romanian: Organizația Tratatului Atlanticului de Nord
Edited by Erwin
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Well that's part of the point of the JOKER 3 scenario; the Marines 'community policing' approach didn't work any better,   in the absence of a credible Iraqi allied authority. The real deal needed to be made with the Sunni tribal sheikhs, and it eventually was, but after a lot of bloodshed and destruction.

Read this commentary by a Florida NatGuard officer for an alternate approach they tried in Ramadi prior to the Marines coming in. Of course, running a USD-fueled patronage machine has its own pitfalls and risks. I just discussed this very recently with @sburke (pbuh). 

1/124 Florida Guard experience in Ramadi

The Iraqi Police Chief, Chief Jarda'an, had a close working relationship with the 1-124th's battalion commander, LTC Hector Mirabile, who is himself a career police officer in the Miami-Dade police department.... When the new unit came to town, though, Chief Jardan came calling. The 2/4 sent him away. He had lost his connection to the Americans. And when he lost his connection to the Americans, he lost his power base and his leverage with his constituents. And so he was forced to cut deals with the insurgency in order to survive..... 

Our front man for running the reconstruction effort was a Captain with over 20 years in the Army who was also a construction project manager in civilian life. Between the two of them, they knew how to keep constituents and crews happy. 

As a result, the contracts were carefully divided up among the different clans, so that each clan was dependent upon the others to play ball in order to continue performing the services. If my neighbor's clan screws up with the foundation, I don't get to build the brick walls, and my cousin's clan doesn't get to do the painting, etc.

Each sheikh therefore had a vested interest in maintaining peace and order in his neighborhood. If his area became inoperable, he would lose out on his ability to provide money and jobs for his people. And so when there was trouble in a given sheikh's area, we could go to him and say "Someone's making trouble for you. Find out who he is, and drop him on our doorstep within three days." And very often, that's exactly what happened. 

When the 2/4 came in, though, they regarded the 1-124th's system--well imbedded in municipal politics in the U.S., to be unethical, and forced an open-bid system. 

Penny wise and pound foolish. Yes, they saved a bit of money, but at the cost of freezing out the smaller clans who got frozen out of the work. Boom. Vested interest in success gone. These clans became prime targets for terrorist recruiting, and their areas became nearly inoperable within weeks of the 2/4 taking over.

As the old song goes, "the keys go up an' down, the music goes round an' round and it comes out.... here"

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