Red Line Syria  Alpha Co 1/6 Marines 09/12**

BLT 1/6 Marines 22 MEU OPORD 2012-304-01**

Date: September 30, 2012**

Battle Location: Rugged mountainous region SE of Kafar Houm village on Hill 692**

Battle Type: Alpha Co Battalion Landing Team 1/6 Marines, 22nd MEU defend Vs Syrian 2nd Bn, 1st INF Bde assault**

TERRAIN AND WEATHER:* 
Rugged Mountain region designated Hill 692 on maps. Clear weather conditions with visibility at 500 meters.**

SITUATION*
Bn HQ and Alpha Co 1/6 Marines are loaded aboard CH-53E Super Stallions and VM-22 Ospreys en route to Bn H&S AA and Hill 692 objectives respectively. SEAL Platoon Golf has destroyed advanced integrated AA/SAM Radar facility atop Hill 692 rendering effective Syrian AA non-existent. Expect small flak units and INF SAM units otherwise the sky is clear.**

ENEMY FORCES*
Syrian 2nd Bn, 1st INF Bde*
Hezbollah Co of four platoons with INF rockets*
Armed Recon Co AA & 50 cal technicals*
Bn reinforced with Bde field guns most likely 152mm battery and a heavy mortar battery. A Jordanian Intelligence report claims Iranians have modified Syrian 9M313 Igla-1 Inf SAMs to Saab Bofors Dynamics RBS-70NG standards with improved vision system sighting.**

FRIENDLY FORCES*
Bn HQ and H&S Co, BLT 1/6 Marines, 22 MEU*
___	1xBn JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller)*
___	1xBn FSCOORD*
___	1x120mm EFSS Bn Mrtr Plt*
___	1x155mm Bn Bty*
___	1x81mm Bn Mortar PL*
___	1xCMD Vehicle LAV-C2*
___	1xMPAD Sec*
___	1xUSMC Rife Squad**

Alpha CO 1/6 Marines*
___	USMC Sniper Team*
___	Stinger MPAD Team x1*
___	LT Mtr Sec x1*
___	USMC Engr x1*
___	Inf Platoon x3*
______		PL HQ*
______		USMC Sniper Team x1*
______		M1919 MMG x2*
______		SMAW-NE Team x2*
______		Javelin ATGM x 1*
______		USMC Rifle Sqd x 3**

Aviation Combat Element*
___	1xUH-1Y Venom Det (attached) HMLA167*
___	1xUH-1Y Venom BN FAC HMLA167*
___	1xAH-1Z Viper section HMLA167*
___	1xMV-22B Squadron VMM263*
___	1x4 Heavy Helos CH-53E HMH466*
___	1x2 Heavy Helos CH-53E HMH466*
___	1xAV-8B Harrier VMA231 Ace of Spades*
___	1xUAV Shadow VMU3**

SEAL PL Golf*
___	2xSEAL Fire Team*
___	2xSEAL Team*
______		1xSEAL Sniper Team*
______ 		1xSEAL Pathfinder**

MISSION*
Alpha Co will secure Hill 692, establish an OP, secure northern ridge line along PL Andy and establish a hasty defensive line extending from Hex 97,134 on azimuth 154 to Hex 109,158 NLT turn 10.**

EXECUTION*
Commanders Intent:*
Alpha Co, 1/6 Marines will deploy atop Hill 692 in relief of SEAL Platoon Golf to establish an OP and secure Hill 692 by hasty defense extending from Hex 97,134 along azimuth 154. Alpha Co will secure the Northern Ridgeline along PL Andy, the southern flank of Bravo Co from coordinate Hex 87,134 extending 90 degrees azimuth. Alpha Co will locate, disrupt, and destroy Syrian units in AOA along defense line. Alpha Co will not advance beyond defense line. The defense line is the LOA.**

CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION*
A. Maneuver: SEAL Platoon Golf will lay smoke along Hill 692 east and southeast. Alpha will dismount and prepare a hasty defense at LOA. SEAL PL Golf will regroup at Alpha AA NET turn 3. The Bn FAC helo will hover directing Fires. Bn HQ and H&S Co will establish Assembly Area in field southwest of Bldg 10.**

B. Fires: The Bn FAC will direct Fires to fix and destroy Syrian units. UAVs will reconnoiter AOA to locate, identify, and target Syrian FA units. The Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) will assign Air strikes and Helo sorties to destroy Syrian FA, and provide CAS. At the discretion of Lt. Colonel Percy Childs, an attack helicopter interdiction mission maybe called to destroy Syrian 152mm field guns; therefore, JTAC may limit helicopter CAS early in the fight to preserve ammo for an interdiction mission.**

COMMAND/SIGNAL*
Lt. Col Percy Childs, BLT 1/6 Marines is the mission CIC.**

NARRATIVE*
All warfare is based on deception.*
_____Sun Tzu, The Art of War**

Lt. Col Percy Childs, Commander BLT 1/6 Marines, 22 MEU keyed into his headset the go code to his Alpha Co commander Captain Charles Kidd, informing the young captain that the 1/6 Marines were proceeding with OPORD 2012-304 after immediately learning of SEAL Platoon Golf's taking down the Syrian AA/SAM Radar facility atop Hill 692, the first and most critical phase of the operation. Now that the Syrian SAMs and radar-controlled AA guns are effectively blind, the 1/6 Marines have clear skies.**

Riding passenger in the Super Stallion CH 53E, Childs the Deliverer, opened the handset turning on voice comms to Kidd: Kidd, you awake, this aint some junior ROTC outfit, this is for real lets get some. He continued: Yall Ready Freddy right?**

Smiling Kidd replied, Yeah, were Ready Freddie, sir. I got two, count em, one, two Vipers to my ten and two oclock, were riding nice and easy. My taxi driver tells me were going down to the tree tops in about 10, so hold onto your breakfast old man, Sir. He continued: By the way, ha, ha, this is not Afghanistan; they dont know how to shoot like the Muj did at Marjah. I got a company of lean mean Marines ready to get some today. What you got for us Sir?**

Childs continued: Were going to lay waste to anybody who stands up in our AOA. Frowning, he added: We are to secure the area surrounding the WMD facility so that the Intel boys and girls can document the stuff the Syrians have been cooking there. He sighted: Were going to play safe, keep to our orders doing what we Marines do. We will not advance beyond our LOA, copy.**

Kidd replied: Copy that. My Alpha will secure Hill 692, set up an OP, reconnoiter the ridgeline to my north, and destroy any Syrian units stupid enough to go against Alpha 1/6 Hard. He continued smilingly: Are you frowning, sir?**

Taking his handset close to his lips, the Deliverer spoke: Deploy your men taking advantage of cover, get good LOS, and dont run off script trying to be a hero. He sighted long this time looking out the Super Stallion window over the dark Syrian landscape: We have Bravo coming up behind us, then follows Charlie. You got to hold that hill to protect Bravos flank.**

Brigadier Haykal and Colonel Azzam late night finding both men hunched over a wooden table sitting on faded dab green chairs of twice the age of both men, both drinking tea with the local favorite spice  mariamiya. Silently, both away in their own thoughts, maybe of their families, of old friends, of the nasty war against the rebels, or maybe of the hell that was about to be let loose on them commanded their hearts to speak privately to their own souls. The unspoken words, thus far this night between them is the O word. Will the president of the United States attack on the heels of the beating their friends paid for with their lives not too many days and nights ago at the hands of the Turks. (See, forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=49388).**

Colonel Assam, the taller of the two men, the one with a dark blue suit could easily walk into any bank on Wall Street and just from his persona, from his manners and etiquette find a welcome reserved from the movers and shakers of the financial world. He was as intelligent as he was savvy. My afdal sadeeq, He addressed his commander in the warmest and most sincere terms  my best friend. Pausing, then he looked his best friend in the eyes as the words flowing as easily as the tea into Haykals now third cup, We both know the Americans are smarting from Putin getting the best of Kerry over the damn chemicals mess.**

Haykal, seeming waving off the point with his hand gesture, but in their social norm it was an endearing subliminal message. Finally, speaking after putting down his cigarette, Yes, yes, yes, everybody from Damascus to Beirut knows the Americans will need to make a show, to kick some butt, I think is what their Ronald Reagan would say. He sighted, and then continued after another tea, Was he not the cowboy, yes?**

Azzam breathed a bit as he leaned closer to his commander and closest friend, So they will attack us, you agree or no?**

Brigadier Haykal finally turned his head as if to the heavens and whispered, Yes, they want to teach us a lesson, the chemicals be dammed, the want to use us to spit in Putins face.**

Nearly in hysterics, Azzam said, Ha, ha, Obama wants to throw a shoe at Putin!**

You know my friend, Haykal with a serious face began, You know what Sun Tzu and our prophet have in common?**

Azzam with his studied face smiling began, I wont quote the hadith, but as with Sun Tzu, and all commanders in every army know this, All war is based on deception.**

Yes, Sun Tzu said that and our prophet agreed too, that war is deception, leaning back in his chair still with his eyes gazing towards the skies, Haykal, continued, And so at the Combined Arms Academy, divertingly, he said to Azzam, Remember I spent nearly two years in Moscow at the Frunze Military Academy where I learned also maneuver, that which we did not know against the Israelis nor the Iranians. As if brushing that aside, he said, In Moscow, we learned maneuver to deceive and that my friend is what we are going to do with my brigade against Obama!**

Azzam sheepishly, I am going to sleep my general, before the dawn prayers, but he was interrupted. As both men turned to see the horrified sergeant standing before them holding the radio net handset, the mood turned on its head to sobriety in the blink of an eye.**

Gameplay:*
Play this scenario from the side of the USMC against the AI. Gameplay is 10 turns with visibility at 10.**

Victory Conditions:*
Destroy Syrian units, secure Hill 692, capture all flags, and move MV-22s and Heavy Helos off map, while sustaining minimal losses to retain unit combat effectiveness. A draw is a defeat.**

Notes:*
This is the second battle in the Red Line Syria series following Red Line Syria  Put His Eyes Out. The third battle has Bravo Co 1/6 Marines dismounting north of Alpha. The fourth and fifth battles remain in planning stages.**

Please note that I have modified the cost of the USMC units such that the Attack Helos cost 655, Heavy Helos, Tilt-rotors, and Venom Helos cost 550 INF Squads and HQ units cost 350 each.**

USMC Rifle Company is modified incorporating Weapons company units. In this way, Weapons units are numbered as part of the Rifle Company making gameplay management easier.**

Venoms, and Viper units have modified EW ratings reflecting upgrades to avionics, EW, and other crew situational and survivability enhancements, such the crew helmet, cockpit glass, and new avionics computer as incumbent in the Naval Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS) program.**

UAV is modeled after the RQ-21A Blackjack providing tactical, reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition capabilities. In the RLS scenarios it has a significantly enhanced EW rating.**

The AV-8b Harriers loadouts are modified placing a CBU AP canister on each wing. In gameplay, turn off the cannon, and select one or both CBU canisters for a bomb mission.**

Filter units as appropriate, especially the Vipers, SMAW-NE, and Javelins for target and range.**

Goto WinSPMBT forum http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=49921**

Designed by Shahadi, Abraham 12/2013**
