Bil Hardenberger

About one hour per turn actually give or take... all of these posts were written as I reviewed the turn and gave orders. The actual game is up to turn 17, so I am just generating images and movies until we catch up.

A little misunderstanding for sure The fighters I have in Dumayr were never going to withdraw, they are digging in and absorbing the attacks Baneman is throwing at them. What I am doing now is attempting to move my other irregular force into Dumayr to make him redeploy and break up the strength of his attackers. Thanks Miguel. I appreciate the kudos.

MINUTE 5 Team 2’s ATGM that was in flight last turn missed high again… I think all the incoming fire threw off their aim so they missed both of those shots and in my opinion that is a realistic result. Baneman opened up on them with several Scimitars this turn, however the team was able to pull back over the ridge no worse for wear. The AT-7 is still partially deployed, an advantage of moving just one action spot, resetting will take far less time. They do have three missiles left... next time I use them I need to find a better, more keyholed position, preferably away from the prying eyes of those damned Fenneks. One lucky SOB (composite image to show the missile's path): The BMP 2 is now re-manned and I will be moving them toward a firing position next turn to attempt to engage a Scimitar further in depth. LAV-25 4 moved into a keyhole position and at the end of the turn spotted, fired at and penetrated the Scimitar near the ruined farm (Weapon Mount penetration). I don’t think it is knocked out yet, so next turn I will be pouring it on. The Fennek right next to it spotted my hulldown LAV almost immediately and fired a salvo of grenades, but they went long. Damn that thing has amazing optics. Drives home that I need to take them out as quickly as I can. The Scimitars in comparison do not seem to spot my units very well at all. At the end of the turn the LAV-AT attached to Team 2 got a firm spot on the Fennek near the ruined farm. It was taking aim as the turn ended. I doubt they will miss like the AT-7 team did, fingers crossed. Killing the Fenneks is now a priority task. The dismounted recon platoon is closing in on OBJ GARNET. They are looking for a covered route to move towards the enemy positions. At Farm 002 the Fennek that dismounted last turn remounts. That vehicle is useless without its crew and loses all the advantages its optics give him, guess he realized that. In DUMAYR, Baneman continues to throw his teams forward. I am going to abandon my positions near the Monastery and move my fighters to South DUMAYR and let them join the fight for that objective. The Monastery and Village Charlie are not as important as DUMAYR and I’d like to concentrate against the unit he has engaged there and eliminate it. With a little luck he could find himself squeezed between my two irregular forces. Team 1’s BMP-2 will be providing some support fire into the enemy held buildings across from my teams in an attempt to reduce some of the pressure. In other news, my Advance Guard arrived in the AO. I am actually wishing I had another five minutes for the recon battle... it is just now starting to develop and get interesting. With my Advance Guard will also come his… and he can deploy his forward far faster than I, so could, in theory achieve fire superiority before I can get into position. KT-2 does provide the highest ground in the AO so that is an advantage for me... but it will be tricky bringing my combat power to bear without exposing them. I also expect a linear artillery barrage on KT2 in the near future... maybe before the main body arrives so I need to prepare for that as well. Advance Guard I have five turns before the main body arrives so I would like to commit the Advance Guard to action as soon as possible. My intent is to attrit the enemy recon force and the enemy Advance Guard to such a degree that when the main bodies arrive I will have a leg up. I feel like the battle in EA1 is the key to this battle. Whoever wins that fight will have freedom of maneuver. I will try to target my mortars on KT1 if possible. The T-90SA platoon will be quickly moving over the bridge to support the LAVs that are engaging the enemy recon elements and to be in a central position in order to react to where they are needed. The BMP-3 platoon will disembark their infantry and then the vehicles will move en-masse to the north edge of the KT2 ridgeline. I want them to engage the enemy with their ATGMs, if possible one part of the enemy force at a time. I would love to eventually get them down to the plain between KT1 and KT2 to take the fight to the enemy but that might have to wait for the main body to arrive. The dismounted infantry platoon will move down the gully and move toward the river. Once close they will await orders. My intent with them is to drive as deep as possible under cover toward the river, and cross it if possible to support the irregulars in DUMAYR. It will take a few turns for them to get moving as they need to disembark, split, remount one of the teams to allow the BMP-3s to operate at full efficiency, and only then can they head out. Can't wait to play with these guys: Once the BMP-3s arrive at the ridgeline I will pull the LAV-ATs from the teams they are supporting and attach them to the BMP-3s. The Syrian Recon Platoon dismounted elements will remain where they are for now and continue their dismounted recon and harassment role. The BMP-2 #2 will be moving to join its brother so they can cooperate as a team, mainly against the enemy DUMAYR irregular fighters. Next turn I will include a SITMAP to show all friendly and enemy unit positions (known and suspected).

Thanks Ken, coming from you that means something. Well, there will be a hint in my next post.. whether it will succeed or not remains to be seen. I will say that I am not too worried about this front yet... if I were to lose my entire UNCON force I would be alright with that as long as I could take apart his armored assets.. then I can deal with cleaning the rats out of Dumayr in my own time.

MINUTE 4 Team 2’s AT team finished setting up its AT-7, aimed at the Scimitar near the ruined farm and let fly… the missile just skimmed the turret but hit the ground well beyond… …immediately the accompanying Fennek spotted the team and fired a few volleys of grenades at this team. None hit, but the grenades were churning up the ground as they moved closer and closer toward the end of the turn. The AT team fired a second missile that is still in the air at the end of the first turn. I will be pulling them out of the line next turn... hopefully they get out okay… if not, that’s okay too as long as he loses the Scimitar. I’m on the edge of my seat… Neither of my vehicles in this team got a spot this turn... I will be pulling the BMP out of the line next turn in order to re-mount one of the scout teams as noted last turn. The LAV-AT will stay where it is for now, I expect Baneman will move a vehicle or two next turn near the ruined farm, and that might help the LAV-AT spot one or both of them. Team 1’s BMP did pull off the line this turn, and will now wait for the Recon Platoon leader team to remount next turn. The Fennek at Farm 2 dismounted this turn and entered the buildings. It does not look like he wants to push beyond the farm at this point... he is happy to sit in place and provide support fire with the Scimitar towards my UNCONs near the Monastery. Two of the four LAVs in my reaction force will be moving forward into keyhole positions next turn, hoping to get a spot or two on a Scimitar or Fennek. This movement is in preparation for my Advance Guard which is just one minute out. The dismounts from this platoon are starting to move out on a route reconnaissance toward OBJ GARNET. The other two LAVs are being held back in reserve. In DUMAYR, Baneman is pushing his irregulars hard toward mine and it continues to cost him. My teams are going to get critical on ammo very soon though, so he might be able to get an advantage. I am switching my teams in this area to control their own fire. I should have noticed the small amount of ammo they carried from the start. I’ll try to provide them some support by fire from my positions near KT2, but to be honest, the action in DUMAYR is a side-show right now and I am not intent on pushing forward at all there. My final Technical did extricate itself, so that will help some and it is moving to the sound of guns in DUMAYR-North. PIR: Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize DUMAYR? His assault is picking up steam, but it has cost him a lot of casualties to this point. I estimate he has lost 9 or 10 fighters (maybe one or two more) to 3 of my own. PIR: Where are the enemy Technicals? I finally get some contacts on his technicals, they are presently located near the built up area at the western most bridge.

We’ll find out together eh?

MINUTE 3 I think Baneman must be starting to get spots or at least contacts on KT2 because his movement has started to stall… It appears he is primarily focused on the UNCONs around the Monastery and DUMAYR. At least two Scimitars have opened fire on my irregulars outside the Monastery… …he has started to push towards my UNCONs on the edge of the north boundary of the town. For now I am letting him come... he has lost at least five men and probably more while I have taken two casualties in this action. I lost the technical that was dismounted last turn to enemy Scimitar fire this turn. Not much I could do about that, they were left exposed on the road to Baneman’s movements and there was little I could do about it... well I could have moved them turn one, and that’s on me. I will try to extricate the last vehicle, but I will be very lucky if they can pull out and into safety before getting hit too. Best to not factor it into my plans moving forward. One Scimitar did area fire (light) at the crest of Hill 42, nothing was there at this point. By the end of the turn I did have two DRTs close to the crest, but still on the reverse slope. These from Team 2. The BMP has successfully reversed into a hulldown position. Team 1’s AT team has moved into position and was still deploying its AT-7 at the end of the turn… it did end the turn with two enemy vehicles in view. The AT-7 team has spots on the two vehicles near the Ruined Farm: The BMP and the LAV-AT have moved into positions on the crest but have yet to spot anything... and I have no clue whether they were spotted moving into their hulldown positions. PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1? After three minutes it appears there are only the two vehicles (Scimitar and Fennek) on this route for now. I am officially calling it a Route Recon only, at least for now. PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation? After three minutes this does not appear to be his intent. PIR: Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1? After three minutes of action it appears like my opponent is indeed putting most of his Scimitars into overwatch positions oriented towards KT2. Analysis: It appears that Baneman has formed a couple of two vehicle teams (one Scimitar paired with one Fennek), one of these teams is on AA1 at Farm 002, and the other pair is near the ruined farm. PIR: Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize DUMAYR? It does appear like he has this intention, and seems to be throwing a large irregular force into capturing the town. PIR: Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize the Monastery? There has been no sign of enemy activity near the Monastery, but it is early and I have no eyes on the other side of the compound. It is too early to make a determination on this question. PIR: Where are the enemy Technicals? After three minutes there has been no sign of these vehicles. GAMEPLAY NOTE: I am worried about my BMPs... after some reading on the forums it appears that it is best practice to leave at least one other individual in the BMP so someone can man the leader’s seat. I have dismounted all of my BMP teams so each is only left with a two man crew which is substandard... I will pull them out of view and remount one team in each at the earliest opportunity. Of course that’s going to have to wait until next turn as I have already returned the file.

You are too kind Ken.

I deleted the image from my post, and also from my photo archive.. THANK YOU @Hapless for editing your post. I will make sure I don't get that close again until I have the correct models.. I wouldn't want the wrong information to get out. Bil

Yeah, there's a reason I'm not getting too close to the soldier models.. still works in progress. The TOW vehicle is a LAV not a Stryker as this is a USMC platoon and they'll feature in the commentary in a few turns or so. How's that for a teaser?

MINUTE 2 Baneman continues to push down AA1… he only has one Scimitar and one Fennek on that route so far so it is hardly a movement in force. His Scimitars and a couple Fenneks are fanning out and taking up positions inside the EA1 box behind walls, in trees and hull down if possible in order to overwatch KT2. From the orientation of a few of them he seems particularly interested in the saddle between the two hills, but that might just be to keep them centered so they can orient on whichever hill needs attention. This image identifies all eight of the Scimitars and their locations, three of the four expected Fenneks and the FV432, which now sits behind a building as shown. Except for one Fennek I have identified the locations of his entire reconnaissance force and can start planning how to counter it. (NOTE: The vehicle icons were added in Photoshop, this is not a game feature) One Scimitar took up position behind the Old Ruined Farm walls. Another Scimitar engaged my Technicals again... one of which dismounted. Not moving these on turn one is starting to haunt me… oh well, hindsight and all that. Baneman is moving his UNCONs into the OBJ Gold buildings... one of this teams has suffered one casualty and is cowering... this team did return the favor and took out one man from an MG team. But I have a lot of fire pouring into that building so he might be outgunned. I can see several more UNCON teams moving through the buildings as well… I have contact icons for them anyway. So will hold tight and let them come. I have no doubt that his UNCONs are giving him intel on my movements on KT2 just like mine are of his movements... nothing I can do about that right now though. Team 2 has finally reached its destination and dismounted the ATGM and recon teams. They will be in position next turn... hopefully unseen. If the ATGM team is not spotted moving into position or setting up the ATGM, they may be able to do some damage... but time will tell. The vehicles will be positioning into (hopefully) keyhole positions to engage a Scimitar or two. Team 1 has also finally moved into position, the hulldown LAV-AT getting a fleeting spot on the Scimitar Baneman is moving down AA1, but it was a short sighting and he lost it as the light tank moved behind the Farm 002 mound. The BMP actually stopped in a non-hulldown position to the Scimitar at Farm 002 and could be spotted... so I will back it into a hulldown position to overwatch the AA1 route. This team is masked from the mass of Baneman’s Scimitars as that is not their target... making the AA1 route uncomfortable for him is however. I wouldn't mind if he knew these vehicles were here, might make him cautious. My LAV reaction force was still moving into position at turn end. · PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1? A Scimitar joined the Fennek on this route, still no recon in force, it appears to be a route recon only for now. · PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation? After two minutes this does not appear to be his intent. · PIR: Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1? After two minutes of action it appears like my opponent is indeed putting most of his Scimitars into overwatch positions oriented towards KT2. Three turns until my Advance guard arrives, in the meantime I am chewing my fingernails to the quick.

Nope. The only image in the Minute 1 post that I did any post processing on (other than cropping) is on the first image, and then I only added the movement trials and the vehicle info overlays. All in game shots are direct from the game and unedited. Bil

MINUTE 1 Baneman is definitely feeling his oats… without hesitation he threw part of his Scimitar platoon out of his entry point and toward the center of the map. My irregulars had a clear view of his movements... I can only hope that mine were not so clearly telegraphed to him. One of his German recon vehicles started to move down AA1. In this image, the gray trails indicate the observed German Fennek movements and the ochre trails indicate observed UK Scimitar movements. I lost sight of the UK FV432 shortly after the turn began. The terrain being what it is, he was able to move into positions much quicker than I. That could be a problem for me, but it could also tempt him to deploy more units forward than he probably should. My teams were still moving up at turn end. It could take another few turns before they are fully into position. Eventually one of the British light tanks got a spot on my lead technical and after a few rounds... ...it was an ex-technical. Though he is being very aggressive, and with a combat power advantage slightly in his favor (he can afford to be), I am not going to panic.. I will take up some defensive positions overwatching AA1 with Team 1. Meanwhile Team 2 will disgorge its ATGM team who will move into a firing position. Losing one or two Scimitars might slow him down some and cause him to get cautious. My USMC LAV platoon will move over the bridge into a forward position and await orders. They will dismount their recon teams there. PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1? One Fennek spotted moving down this route PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation? PIR: Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1? It appears this may be happening, but need more information The situation in DUMAYR. No action here yet, but it looks like there will be soon.

No need to lock it as far as I'm concerned, I'm enjoying the back and forth, and as far as banning goes, why would he do that? I think you have been firm in your opinions but not really insulting or rude. As for "maneuver", well it can't be pinned down to a simple definition in the tactical context, are we discussing individual unit maneuver or formation maneuver? Neither requires a huge amount of space... even with the LOS at the NTC individual units and formations can perform maneuver warfare in very small areas in order to improve their position in regards to an enemy. Though I would love to play easily and smoothly on larger maps I rarely feel confined on the CMSF maps. The CMSF 2 BETA AAR map is 1.5 km by 2.3 km and it feels plenty large to me even for modern warfare. Sure some vehicles will be able to fire diagonally across the map with no problem, but that is going to be a rare occurrence I think, and most fire exchanged so far has been around or less than 1000 meters. Even between tanks.

INITIAL SETUP, ORDERS, & INTENT My intent with my opening moves is to get into position where I can observe the enemy entry point. I don’t have enough combat power on the map to go toe to toe with Baneman yet, so for now I will get some Dismounted Recon Teams (DRT, pronounced Dirt) into Observation Positions (OP) and attempt to ascertain my opponent’s level of aggressiveness. He could have upwards of eight Scimitar light tanks so might come into this one with a feeling of high confidence, or maybe not... I need to answer the following Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIR): PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1? PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation? PIR: Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1? To counter these enemy vehicles I have created two AT teams each made up of one Syrian BMP-2 and dismounts, and one LAV-AT with TOWs. The USMC LAV-ATs are there to support the BMPs and dismounts and hunt enemy recon vehicles as the opportunity arises. TEAM 1: TEAM 2: These teams will drive up the reverse side of the Hill 41-42 Ridge… the dismounts then will carefully, using cover, move to the crest and take up observation positions. The ATGM team will deploy its weapon and try to get one or two enemy vehicles before displacing, if displacement is even possible. The BMPs and the LAV-ATs will use shoot and scoot tactics to engage the enemy vehicles if possible. Note that with this movement I am trying to keep to clear ground as much as possible to minimize the chance of bogging, and I am slowing to Move speed when crossing the stream. Better safe than sorry. I am also trying to mask my movement from Baneman's eyes as much as I can. The remaining LAVs in the Marine recon platoon will stay together and become my rapid reaction force. They will eventually assemble in a centralized position behind the two AT teams and be ready to react to events. I will remain flexible with them until my Advance Guard arrives in zone. The intent is to identify and attrit the enemy recon as much as possible prior to the Advance Guard arrival. The irregular forces will also stay in position and wait a bit before acting. They will be sending small teams out to reconnoiter the objectives. The three technicals will remain in position until I get an idea on where the enemy irregulars are positioned and what their intent is. Eventually I would like to send these vehicles to OBJ Ruby to give Baneman something to think about, but that will depend on events. [Sorry I don't have any screenshots to show for these units yet.. had an issue with transferring all my images to Dropbox. Next post will feature some of them]

Sorry, I didn't get to the first turn report tonight.. I will try to get it posted tomorrow morning.

METT-T TIME TIME TO ATTAIN OBJECTIVES: Two hours REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE: The Task Force is travelling in extended column and is split into these main elements: SCOUTS (TEAM JAVELIN) – in the AO ADVANCE GUARD (TEAM SWORD) – ETA 5 minutes MAIN BODY (TEAM HAMMER) – ETA 10 minutes REAR GUARD (TEAM BATTLE-AXE) – ETA 15 minutes

METT-T TROOPS This is a Combined Operation with US and Syrian forces operating together in the AO. The US force will have the overall command. Also supporting the Task Force is a USMC Light Armored Recon Platoon from the Marine Expeditionary unit and a Syrian Armored Recon Platoon. TEAM JAVELIN (Scouts – in Zone) USMC Light Armored Recon Platoon (Expeditionary Unit) Vehicles = x4 LAV-25 and x2 LAV-AT Dismounts = HQ Team and x3 Scout Teams Syrian Recon Platoon Vehicles = x2 BMP-2 Dismounts = HQ Team, x2 Recon Teams, and x1 ATGM Team (AT-7) Syrian Medium Howitzer Battery with x4 D-30 122mm Medium Howitzer TEAM SWORD (Advance Force ~ 5 minutes out) Syrian Airborne Mech Infantry Company (-) HQ Team and FO on BMP-3 Mech Infantry Platoon on x3 BMP-3 Syrian Guards Tank Platoon x3 T-90SA US Mortar Section (Heavy) HQ Team on M1114 HMMWV x2 M-106A3 Mortar Carrier TEAM HAMMER (Main Body ~ 10 minutes out) 2nd Battalion (Combined Arms) (-) Battalion HQ on M1114 HMMWV US Mech Infantry Company HQ Team on M2A3 Bradley XO Team on M2A3 Bradley FO on M7A3 BFIST x3 Platoons on x4 M2A3 Bradley (each) US Tank Section x2 M1A1SA Abrams US Mortar Platoon (Heavy) (-) HQ Team on M1114 HMMWV Mortar Section (Heavy) HQ Team on M1114 HMMWV x2 M-106A3 Mortar Carrier TEAM BATTLE-AXE (Rear Guard ~ 15 minutes out) x2 Syrian Airborne Mech Infantry Platoons x3 BMP-3 (each)

Because at this point I don't think they will play an important role. There is a lot to talk about and I didn't want to get bogged down in details that are unimportant... when the time comes that that high ground or the river crossing become relevant I'll address them.

METT-T TERRAIN The terrain for this operation is very complicated, it is crossed by canals, has a river obstacle and it is dominated by the heights at the northern end of the AO. The following should give us a better idea as to what to expect and how to approach this fight. GROUND CONDITIONS: The ground underfoot is dry. WEATHER: The forecast for the next 24 hour period is hot with clear skies. WIND DIRECTION & STRENGTH: Winds are NW, strength light. MAIN HEIGHTS: KT1 and KT2 represent the main heights in the AO. There are equally dominating heights on the southern end of the map but I suspect they will not play as large a role in this action as those at the north end primarily because our entry points are in the north and most action will probably revolve around those two pieces of key terrain. LOWEST ELEVATION: The areas of lowest elevation are: The plain between KT1 and KT2 (identified as Engagement Area (EA) 1 on the map). The main valley that runs from below the heights in the north (KT1 and KT2) and the river. Canals, stream, and the river surrounding terrain in many cases offers low ground that can be taken advantage of. KEY TERRAIN: Key Terrain 1 (KT1): From this area of high ground a unit can get eyes on a large part of the AO. Key Terrain 2 (KT2): This area of high ground is probably the most important ground in the AO. From its heights almost the entire AO can be observed. It will be tough for an opponent to maneuver once these heights have a suitable amount of combat power on them. Key Terrain 3 (KT3): The town of DUMAYR, with its three objectives is the main objective for this operation. As an urban area, taking it could be costly so an early operation to seize this objective while it is lightly occupied could pay dividends. This is probably the most defensible terrain in the AO. Click on the image to enlarge:

I have added a linked Contents Menu to the first post in this thread. I will update it as we go. It looks like this: LINKED CONTENT MENU: OVERVIEW & SCENARIO PARAMETERS MAP ORIENTATION SCENARIO BRIEFING METT-T - MISSION METT-T - ENEMY METT-T TERRAIN METT-T TROOPS METT-T TIME

It's my pleasure Alex, and thank you. I am going to jump into the action tonight and post one or two turn reports. I'll post the rest of my METT-T analysis as I can over the next few days I but wanted to get some turn posts up as quickly as possible to keep you guys from getting too bored with all the analysis stuff. So stay tuned for that. I have everything pre-written, written as I went so it will seem like it is being posted live. I only need to capture screen shots with the latest BETA build and the posts are ready to print. Bil

I appreciate your comment Thomm. I've heard this many times in the many AARs I have posted and the simple fact is that I prefer the War Movie mode so that is what I use. Personally, and I may be in the minority, but I think this mode is far easier on the eyes than the standard mode, which I find too garish and bright. It is a closer thing in this game due to the already subdued colors and I do think the War Movie mode could use some tweaking, but it is still my preference. Hope it won't keep you from checking in on the action. Bil

METT-T ENEMY Enemy Intentions: Intel reports that enemy civilian and militia forces similar in size and capability to ours are eager to capture DUMAYR, the monastery, and Village Charlie. Enemy Force Capabilities: It is reported that the enemy contingent in the AO is similar in force make up and combat power to our own. Possible Order of Battle: Civilian Fighter and Militia – specifics unknown, but suspected to be similar in size and organization to those supporting us PIR: Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize DUMAYR? PIR: Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize the Monastery? PIR: Where are the enemy Technicals? UK and German Mechanized Battalion Task Force – possible British command element Reconnaissance Force - intelligence reports enemy mechanized recon made up of allied UK and German forces. Order of Battle – S2 reports possible: UK Recce Platoon – (possible) - Good light armored recon force, but could have small dismounted recon capability 8 Scimitar light tanks. 1 Spartan APC with Recce Section FV432 Bulldog APC German Aufklarung Platoon – (possible) – less capable vehicles, but a strong dismounted capability 4 Fennek (Desert Fox) armored reconnaissance vehicles – NOTE: these vehicles become unmanned when the team dismounts 1 HQ and 3 Aufklarung Teams This force is expected to enter the AO around the same time as our recon force The potential eight enemy Scimitar light tanks could be the most dangerous opponent for our recon force to contend with. Though they will be light in dismounted recon assets, they could have an initial combat power advantage in the AO. PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1? PIR: Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation? PIR: Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1? Maneuver Elements – Armor – S2 reports possible: Two Challenger 2 Two Leopard 2A6 or A4 Mechanized Infantry – S2 reports possible: One British Mech Infantry Company One German PzG Company Support Elements – S2 reports possible: One UK medium howitzer battery One German medium howitzer battery This would be a very capable and dangerous force, priority must go to defeating the enemy armor and IFVs. PIR: Will the enemy Mechanized Force attempt to seize KT 2? PIR: What is the force composition of the enemy Advance Guard? PIR: Where are the enemy tanks? Enemy Strengths: the enemy mechanized force will be just as capable as our own, their tank and mech infantry contingents are expected to equal our own, and in some cases could be slightly better. Artillery support will also be strong and will require us to keep on the move to keep ahead of any potential fire missions. Enemy Equipment: S2 expects to see the following equipment in the enemy force: Scimitar and Fennek reconnaissance vehicles Challenger 2 and Leopard 2A6 or A4 tanks Warrior and Marder IFVs Enemy Weaknesses: The enemy force is as capable as our own, however the enemy infantry dismounted squads are lacking anything similar to the Javelin ATGM capability. Enemy Course of Action (COA): AA1 is the most obvious route as it provides good cover for a fast moving assault team, it would however leave him visible to my AT assets. AA2 is less likely, in fact I would really be surprised if he moves down Highway 2 at all, even though it does possess the best bridge. AA3 is another option, he could attempt to take the Hill 42.0 ridge or at least nullify the advantage that ridgeline gives me. I expect it to be heavily hit by artillery when that becomes available. I do however think this option (AA3) is highly unlikely as it would be very costly. It think he is more likely to hit it with artillery and attempt to keep it covered with as many weapons as he can spare. AA4 – this route could be very difficult for me to defend and with his ability to deploy which is far quicker than mine, this route could allow him to get very close to my ridgeline before I could react. Click on the map to zoom in:

METT-T MISSION We are expecting a meeting engagement type battle with enemy forces relatively similar in strength, composition, and combat power to our own. The mission for this operation is to secure Highway 2, the Main Supply Route (MSR) through this Area of Operations (AO). This will mean securing the high ground and the objectives leading to the regional town of DUMAYR. Clearing and securing the MSR is paramount prior to securing DUMAYR, which is the ultimate objective of this op. Mission Specific Tasks (YELLOW) consist of clearing the following objectives: · OBJ DIAMOND – FARM 003 · OBJ RUBY – FARM 005 t · OBJ SAPPHIRE – Highway 2 Bridge · OBJ GARNET – Bridge on entry road Keep casualties to a minimum, below the 25% threshold if at all possible while inflicting maximum damage on the enemy. This operation is a stepping stone to follow-on ops, so husbanding ammo and keeping consumption to a minimum is requested; try to maintain at least 50% of initial unit combat load. Mission Essential Tasks (RED) consist of the following objectives. Reinforce and assist friendly local militia and civilian fighters to secure and hold these objectives for follow-on operations: · OBJ GOLD – Priority 1 – Northern approaches into DUMAYR · OBJ SILVER – Priority 2 – Southern approaches into DUMAYR · OBJ BRONZE – Priority 3 – Center of DUMAYR · OBJ STEEL – Monastery · OBJ COPPER – Village Charlie These objectives are priority and must be secured to comply with the Commander’s intent and to prepare the way for follow-on operations. Click on the map to zoom in: