Gunther

Post a random fact about yourself.

Regardless of whether you recall a dream, you dream every night. I hardly remember mine too, but when I do, they are extra special like this one above. @SleepingSilence (Fun fact: My 12 and 13 year old children are black belts, as is their father. My 10, almost 11 year old is starting the black belt testing cycle on 9/7. If all goes well, she should be done by early December.)

Post a random fact about yourself.

I don't remember High School that much; maybe a few isolated incidents. I know I was somewhat introverted then, feared everything and kept to myself, forget about making a presentation in front of a class or the whole school. I don't remember that happening at all. Once, I joined the army, that all changed. Military training gave me confidence, discipline and a strong work ethic. I fear nothing.

I took a class in College on Communications. I had to do several presentations there and it was fun. As an Infantry Officer, I served as a Battalion Personnel Officer for maybe a year or more. I was either a First Lieutenant or a Captain then. One year after Field Training Exercise (FTX), the battalion of 500+ soldiers stood in formation. As the Personnel Officer, awards and promotions were my responsibility. At a podium, I stood in front of the assembled battalion, the commander, the staff and several guests and visitors as well as an army band. My job was to call each soldier up to the Battalion Commander to be presented with a medal for some action they may have performed during the FTX. I had no problem doing this.

When I was between the ages of 29 and 32, I served as a Company Commander of an HHC (Headquarters and Headquarters Company) for an Infantry Brigade. I was a Captain at that time. Every day, I stood in front of the formation of soldiers in my company (~100) and addressed them on what the various sections were doing for training that day or what was going on in the unit.

I retired from the military 15 years ago but today, I am working as a Substitute Teacher and find the work very easy because of my experiences with the military. I am a very relaxed and laid back Sub, which I perceive the students liking. I am not anxious like some 20-something subs are because they are so fucking nervous standing in front a class. For me, it is no big deal. On the other hand, when I get a student who wants to push my buttons, I can handle him quite firmly. It is a fun gig and I am considering getting my state License to teach and be a Middle School Math teacher. Albeit, I will be an old math teacher and probably remain working until I am 70 only because this will be a career I start late in life.

Forget about High School. Once you are an adult and you overcome those immature insecurities, they will be ancient history and you won't remember them anyway. Do not let them get in your way. If there is something you want to do in life, do whatever it takes to get there. If you have a fear, engage in that activity that frightens you. Do not let anything get in your way. You can do anything as long as you put your mind to it.

The Defiance Project

Hello, 7PM where I am sitting. I've been awake for 13 hours. This Saturday has been relaxing. Who's turn is it?

Post a random fact about yourself.

I prefer having a physical keyboard when writing longer posts. Be it working on a CS, an opening post, or a longer reply, it just feels better to be able to use all of my fingers instead of just my thumbs.

@Jurassic Weeb

I would have to emphatically agree with you here, Jurassic Weeb. In fact, I am an old fart and can type 60 wpm on a keyboard. Force me to communicate by thumbs and I could write by hand legibly a message with much more grace and speed. Texting is not my lane. My friends complain that I am SLOW responding to texts. For me, text messages are right up there with E-mails; I'll get to them when I get to them. They are not a priority. Absolutely no way I am living with a phone near me 24/7 -- absolutely not!

Post a random fact about yourself.

I have killed so many spiders, ants and other various insects in my life that I would not think twice if one happened to be bearing a sac full of baby spider eggs.

Soviet Amerika - Red Dawn-Inspired Alternate History

The part about Captain Baker plunging to his death upon the BIA tarmac was borrowed from Sword Point written by Harold Coyle (MAJ, AR) who also wrote Team Yankee, a very successful book about a WWIII scenario in 1987.

Post a random fact about yourself.

Fee @Fi Fo Fum! Do you chew your toe nails as well?

Soviet Amerika - Red Dawn-Inspired Alternate History

The sun was slowly rising in the East. Of course, the sun would not be seen in Burlington until at least 9AM, but its rays were spreading over the tops of the mountains. Ben and Preston waited in the shrubs until Joe and his guest and then the Army Sergeant and Danny emerged from the back of the State Police barracks.

"Ben, Preston, think you can set up and put eyes on the Russians and put some rounds on them?" Danny asked the brothers as he neared them.

Master Sergeant Morse added his two cents, “wonderful idea. Let’s get the fuck over to them woods before this thing blows up. I suggest you all double time. We need to get the fuck out of this AO as soon as God Damn possible.”

The southern squad ran to the power transfer station near the highway. Unbeknownst to Danny’s cell, Pete Couture’s boys rigged C4 to blow up the transformers corralled in the fenced in area.

When the Giguere brothers reached the woodline, they could not see the firefight going on near the Longhorn Steakhouse at Maple and St. George. “No Line of Sight!” They ran into the woods and found the terrain gently rising. When the reached the top of a slight hill; an elevation of only twenty meters, they could see the burning trucks and tracers flying back and forth between the militia cell and the dismounted Soviet soldiers.

“This is good, we have line of sight. Range is closer to three hundred yards,” Ben shouted to Preston and those who could hear him.

“No problem, Ben. Shimmy up these trees for a better view,” Preston announced. The two hunters slung their rifles around their necks and hustled up a pair of pine trees. After a two-minute climb they found themselves another ten meters up. They had a very fine clear line of sight, nestling their rifles in tree branches to help steady them. Using a tree branch was a trick their father taught them when they were boys. It was much better than using your own hands and arms. Nerves could wreck an easy shot.

The Giguere brothers, from their lofty perches took aim on the Russian soldiers fighting with the militia cell led by Ray Gagne of Essex, VT. The brothers began slowly engaging targets as they appeared. The Mark 14 was an outstanding platform for engaging distant targets like this. They had no problem hitting the Russians armed with their AK-12s. The shots were slow and methodical, like taking down a buck at three hundred yards. Only these targets didn’t jump into the brush every time one was struck. The Soviets had no idea two snipers were picking them off at range when they had immediate targets fifty to a hundred yards in front of them. For the Giguere brothers, it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

---

Burlington International Airport

The Rangers had gathered on their respective assembly areas on the tarmac and began moving out as squads and platoons towards their objectives. The rapidly moving Ranger Special Operations Vehicles, looking like well-armed dune buggies quickly took up positions at the corners of the airfield as well as the roadways leading in. Their job was to prevent anyone from reinforcing or relieving the East Germans stationed there.

A small group of sappers with prepared blocks of explosives and hand grenades ran along the rows of neatly parked MiG-31s, Su-27s and Mi-24 helicopters. While the combat engineers destroyed fighters, another platoon of rangers headed towards the buildings on the north side of the runways where the East German Stasi and air crews were located. They began systematically clearing buildings and shooting the enemy. The entire affair was organized chaos.

Captain Dean Baker, was the first Ranger to exit the C17 when they jumped. He was the A Company Commander, a 31-year old graduate of West Point Military Academy. He grew up in suburban Detroit, but somehow avoided the stereotype of living the life of an economically depressed African American. He focused on his school work and played both football and basketball for his High School. He graduated from the top of his class and had two varsity letters upon graduation. It was an easy appointment for US Senator Carl Levin (D) Michigan. He knew choosing a black candidate with an excellent academic record would help him as the senior senator from his home state. Today, the retired Senator was probably at home somewhere in Detroit or making his way towards Chicago or St. Louis to avoid being swept up by the advancing Soviets. The retired 84-year old Senator was aware of the Arleigh Burke-Class destroyer named for him and wondered what the fate of the ship was. Captain Baker also graduated near the top of his class with a degree in Engineering.

Unfortunately for Captain Baker, he neglected to hook up to the static line on the starboard side of the aircraft. He never saw the C17 take hits from the Soviet built Air Defense Artillery system. He stepped out into darkness awaiting the impact of his chute opening. He counted the obligatory four seconds, but nothing happened. Due to the thousand-meter distance, Captain Baker’s body struck the tarmac below at terminal velocity, 129 miles per hour killing him instantly.

Unaware of his commander’s fate, 1LT Armando Lopez lead the assault force through the buildings commandeered by the East German Stasi. Obviously, he did not jump with the Rangers, but made his way onto the base with his security squad to mark the Drop Zone, taking precaution not to be detected.

“Darby zero six, this is Darby zero five,” Lieutenant Lopez spoke into the radio.

“Darby zero five, this is Darby zero six Lima. Be advised Zero six actual is dead, over.” Private First Class Wayne Pipps of Germantown, TN responded to the Company Executive Officer.

The report from the company commander’s RTO was deadpan, without emotion. The reality of it struck him hard. Dean is dead! No! That can’t be. He was such an intelligent man. He had such a promising future. The thoughts infuriated the Mexican American Infantry officer. Dean Baker was one of his closest friends. He wondered how many people they lost when the Globemaster burned in or from this raid. As the shooting dwindled down, he then put it together, he was the company commander and needed a situation report from his platoon leaders. He got on the radio tuned to the company’s frequency. “All stations this net, all stations this net. This is Darby zero five. Zero six is KIA and I am assuming command. I am now Darby zero six. All stations acknowledge, over.” The company first sergeant, communications NCO, each of the platoon leaders and the light weight company mortars as well as the attached personnel, the sapper squad all responded with a roger that acknowledging that First Lieutenant Lopez was now the A Company Commander, Third Ranger Battalion at Burlington International Airport in Vermont, a state currently occupied by the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic.

Once the acknowledgements were over, the company commander asked for a SITREP from each platoon and section. After receiving the message traffic from everyone, he wrote down notes on what he heard and realized the status of his company. First platoon, employing the RSOVs numbered 42 soldiers, taking no losses during the insertion at Jaycee Park. Second platoon was the main effort to clear the buildings on the north side of the airfield took eight casualties during the raid with two WIA. Their effective strength now numbered 32 soldiers. The third platoon, responsible for clearing the buildings on the south side of the airfield sustained seventeen KIAs and three WIA also numbering 22 survivors to complete additional operations. Their losses included soldiers that could not get out of the transport aircraft. The sapper squad reported eight personnel with zero losses. The LWCM section reported six personnel with no losses. The Anti-Tank section reported ten personnel with no losses and the headquarters personnel lost the company commander and the Operations NCO, SFC Gilberto Alverez. The company first sergeant, Robert Marsh sprained his right ankle on the jump, but was otherwise fine. The company, which numbered 160 prior to the operation had 125 soldiers ready to continue, six wounded and 29 KIA. Ammunition was still in decent shape with cross loading and the soldiers were able to top off their canteens from a local source.

Lieutenant Lopez called up his two RTOs, PFC Pipps and Specialist Philip Gaither of Palo Alto, California. “Specialist Gaither, I want to talk to Battalion headquarters, at Concord, NH.” The 20-year-old pulled out the Satellite Communications equipment which was a hardened cellular telephone. He dialed up the Tactical Operations Center and handed it to his new Company Commander.

The conversation with the battalion commander was encoded not requiring seven second transmissions or any other communications security measures. “Colonel Eddings, this is Lieutenant Lopez at Burlington. I have a SITREP for you, sir.”

“Go ahead, Lieutenant,” the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel David Eddings responded to the Alpha Company Commander.

“We have secured Objective ALLEN and consolidated our personnel. Captain Baker is KIA and we have lost a total of 29 Rangers during this operation. We have 125 soldiers fit for duty. We destroyed all OPFOR combat aircraft on this objective, a total of 42 fighter aircraft and eight attack helicopters. We have crippled the enemy’s combat effectiveness in this region. We will initiate Operation Wolverine on your command, sir.”

“I am very sorry to hear about Dean. I know you were close to him, Armando. HE was a good man. He should have outlived all of us. Take care of your dead and begin Operation Wolverine as soon as possible. I’ll see you when I see you, Lieutenant.”

“Roger that, sir. Good luck to you as well.” Lieutenant Lopez handed the SATCOM phone back to the specialist and ordered his company to begin Operation Wolverine. For the 125 Rangers of the Third Battalion, they would split up into squad formations and melt into the Vermont countryside. They would seek out The Green Mountain Boys, the local militia and become members of their unit working with the 10th Special Forces soldiers leading them. The largest item several soldiers had a difficult time parting with were the Ranger Special Operations Vehicles which mounted both a .50 caliber machine gun and an M240 machine gun. Before the sun would rise above the Green Mountains and shine down on Burlington, VT, the 125 Rangers would be in civilian clothing blending in with the locals of Northern Vermont.

“Commence Operation Wolverine!”

The radio transmission went over the net to the 10th Special Forces soldiers working in the Burlington, VT area.

Post a random fact about yourself.

My hair is dark brown. When I was an infant/toddler, it was a brownish red color. It slowly darkened through my youth so that by the time I was of HS age, it was dark brown. Today, there are wisps of gray in my temples. When I grow a beard, it is dominated by gray hair, with black and brown hair mixed in.

Soviet Amerika - Red Dawn-Inspired Alternate History

In terms of the Special Forces soldiers, this is what happened with the militia "Platoon" our team is part of. One militia cell conducted an ambush to the north at the Long Horn Steak House at the corner of St. George and Maple Tree Pl. The third cell conducted a similar ambush to the south based on the Sunoco Gas Station and DD. Their purpose was to isolate the raid our cell is conducting at Williston VSP barracks. Their intent was to prevent the Soviets and East Germans from reinforcing or relieving anyone at the VSP barracks. The cell to the north destroyed one truck in its kill zone and stopped a second carrying a squad of Soviet infantry which they are now in a fire fight with. The southern cell destroyed a VSP cruiser after the AMerican police man left his motor vehicle. You can see the arc of the doomed C17 as it flew over the area and crashed into the parking lot blowing up at the Walmart across the street. I hope this gets us all on the same sheet of music.

The Giguere brothers are in the back of hte VSP barracks, waiting for the rest. They will head to the woods to the East of their objective. Maybe link up with the other two cells when we all try to get away from the Russians at the Long Horn Steak House.