UNCLASSIFIED - FOIA - CIMMERIANS

AAR - Red Forces - Albanian Special Operations
Op Steel Serpent
2003 APR 19 1000:1300

Erich "Vadrick" Gatejen, Pvt., Cimmerians
XO, Kestral-2, Red Forces

OOB:
Red Squad, Cimmerians

TASKING ORDER:
a) PRIMARY, Establish & maintain camp N of ref. ZULU.
b) Execute combat patrols S of border, W of Phase Line ECHO.
c) SECONDARY, Capture American forces, w/o compromising PRIMARY obj.

FORCE DISP:
RENEA, Albanian Army HQ, callsign "Hawk-1"
COE, callsign "Kestral-1": Cmdr, security
Red team, callsign "Red": 1 fire-team
Gold team, callsign "Kestral-2": 1 fire-team, XO

PLAN / OPER:
FRAG PLAN ALPHA
a) Force march to ref. DELTA
b) Find suitable camp N of DELTA
c) Execute combat patrols N and E camp.

FRAG PLAN BRAVO
a) March to ref. BRAVO
b) Extract BRAVO or E of BRAVO

REPORT:
FRAG PLAN ALPHA enacted.  RED team searched for camp; GOLD team provided security.  After some difficultly finding suitable location, camp located 40m E of ref. ZULU.  COE situated at camp; GOLD assigned N sector; RED assigned E sector.  Combat patrols executed.  GOLD encountered strong force at border, N / NW of camp; set ambush and engaged until displaced.  GOLD executed tactical withdrawal along ridge W of line marked by BRAVO / ZULU.  Pursuit ended at 20m W of camp.  Enemy disengaged at moved to the N / E.

After disengagement, commander called for reorganization.  Patrols called in.  FRAG PLAN BRAVO enacted.  Entire force marched to BRAVO without contact or incident.  HQ call notified of an opportunity for capture near ref. FOXTROT.  Entire force marched line marked by BRAVO / DELTA.  Force turned S and marched to FOXTROT.  American CUCV spotted, but no enemy forces.  CUCV captured and inspected by XO; no traps found.  HQ reported strong enemy force moving into the area; Cmdr ordered withdrawal.  Entire force moved to ref. TANGO; No contact or incident.  Extract canceled by HQ; TANGO designated new camp.  RED team provided security.  GOLD team moved to observation post 50m S / W of TANGO. 

SUMMARY:
TWO of THREE objectives were met; camp secured and combat patrols executed.  SECONDARY OBJ not met--NO enemy POWs captured.  Capture of CUCV welcome but not material to success of overall campaign.  Extract canceled due to relative safety of camp TANGO.  3 KIA / 6 WIA / 0 MIA.  XO wounded in initial ambush.

ASSESSMENT:
1- It is unknown why pursuit ended so close to the camp.  GOLD team had only 2 soldiers to defend the camp.  At the rate of advance, the camp should have been overrun within 10mins of time of disengagement.
2- Out most successful tactic was constant movement.  We did not defend any one spot for more than a minute-tops.  The withdrawal along the ridgeline was a zigzag motion that crossed the area N of the Cimmerian camp several times.
3- The enemy's most successful tactic was force application.  On three separate incidents, they were able to mount unstoppable attacks, each because they were able to mass their complete force at the axis of engagement.  The most notable example was when they almost overran camp ZULU.

Signed,
Vadrick Gatejen, Pvt, S-5, Cimmerians
XO, Red Forces

UNCLASSIFIED - FOIA - CIMMERIANS
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