Post by COL Champagne on Apr 3, 2009 12:08:23 GMT -5
Before I tell this tale, I want to first explain that, while this was not Airsoft, it was an actual MILSIM training exercise that my unit just completed several days ago. Instead of firing pellets, we use actual blanks in our weapons, which are fitted with a Lazer Tag-like device which interacts with sensors worn on the body, commonly known as MILES gear. Every blank fired in the weapon fires a shot with the laser, and when aimed at someone wearing the sensors, will register as a wound or kill.
It was around 1300 hours, when Warhammer, the company TOC's callsign, came over the SINCGARS radio. I remember yelling for the Master Sergeant from the turret of our HMMWV so he could get the info coming through. As he took the handset, I went back to eating my MRE, the day's lunch. As I finished the semi-edible version of meatloaf I had managed to grab that day, the Master Sergeant started to put out some info on what had just come over the radio. A convoy several miles away from our Forward Operating Base had come under attack, with the few survivors taken hostage by insurgents in a nearby village. Our unit was the only one nearby with enough firepower to overtake the objective, and we were rolling out. As the HMMWV lurched forward, I loaded a belt of 7.62mm NATO ammo into my M240B machine gun, lit a cigarette, and unlocked my turret, ready for action.
We rolled into the village a few minutes later to find no people on the streets, which heightened our awareness, as any other time we had been through, there were normally people out and about on their daily business. Even the sheik, who was normally seen walking about with his AK-47 wielding bodyguard, was nowhere to be found. We proceeded to set up an outer cordon, to prevent any outsiders from entering, while my vehicle moved towards the center of the village, stopping between a restaurant and the local mosque to help provide an inner cordon, preventing any insurgents from leaving as well as providing heavier firepower for the search teams preparing to enter the buildings. As the search teams began to stack on the buildings on the West side of the village, a man appeared on the other side of the restaurant in my sector of fire. I turned my turret to get a better view of him, and as he made his way towards the restaurant, I could see that he was unarmed. Following the Rules Of Engagement, I monitored him as he entered the building from the rear entrance, disappearing from my view. As the search teams entered the buildings, I scanned my sector, checking the mosque and restaurant. Suddenly, an object flew from the second story window of the restaurant, landing in front of the building approximately 15 meters from my vehicle and exploding. The man who had entered the restaurant was throwing grenades from the window. As he continued to throw grenades, I put my right hand on the electronic control for my turret, turning to his position and training my weapon on the window he was positioned in. As he popped up again, I unloaded a quick 7-round burst of 7.62mm fury into him, watching him drop, lifeless, back into the building. As I began to scan the area once more, gunfire erupted on the West side of the village. One of the search teams had gone into a building full of hostiles, and were fighting for their lives. I rotated the turret to their position just in time to see two insurgents, armed with AK-47s, running from the rear door of the building. The inner cordon began to fire upon them immediately, killing them both in a hail of rounds.
As I shifted back towards the restaurant, we began to take small-arms fire from several buildings, including the restaurant. I was providing heavy suppressive fire on the restaurant, taking out several insurgents as they fired out of windows. As the hot brass poured from my M240B, a large explosion rocked the center of the village. We were taking mortar fire. Several soldiers on the West side of town had taken shrapnel, and the Aid and Litter team was busy pulling casualties to cover in the midst of the firefight. The search teams had made their way through about half the buildings, finding 2 of the hostages and several weapons caches hidden in tunnels underneath the village. The mortar rounds had been coming in at a steady rate, mostly landing in the Northern sector of the village. My M240B was beginning to smoke from the sheer volumes of ammo I was putting into the restaurant windows at the insurgents inside. M16s and M249s were chattering away throughout the village, getting responses from AK-47s and grenades. The outer cordon began to take fire from a hill about 200 meters away, from 3 insurgents with rifles, and closed in, the M2 .50 caliber machine gun on it's turret singing it's song of death and destruction as rounds flowed through it's chamber. The insurgent threat was slowly fading, as the individuals either fell, wounded or dead, or surrendered to the search teams. As one search team made their way to the restaurant and stacked on the door, ready to breach, I nodded to them, signaling that I was covering the outside of the building while they cleared the interior. As they entered the building, one last insurgent jumped from a window on the second story onto the balcony, only to be met by a burst of automatic fire from my weapon. As the search team exited, the gunfire had come to a halt. The hostages were collected and brought to the vehicles, while an EPW team, sent from the nearby Forward Operating Base, came to collect the living insurgents for interrogation. Our mission was complete, with only minor casualties, and the village was once again safe for it's residents, who had fled in terror when the insurgents had taken over their homes.
It was around 1300 hours, when Warhammer, the company TOC's callsign, came over the SINCGARS radio. I remember yelling for the Master Sergeant from the turret of our HMMWV so he could get the info coming through. As he took the handset, I went back to eating my MRE, the day's lunch. As I finished the semi-edible version of meatloaf I had managed to grab that day, the Master Sergeant started to put out some info on what had just come over the radio. A convoy several miles away from our Forward Operating Base had come under attack, with the few survivors taken hostage by insurgents in a nearby village. Our unit was the only one nearby with enough firepower to overtake the objective, and we were rolling out. As the HMMWV lurched forward, I loaded a belt of 7.62mm NATO ammo into my M240B machine gun, lit a cigarette, and unlocked my turret, ready for action.
We rolled into the village a few minutes later to find no people on the streets, which heightened our awareness, as any other time we had been through, there were normally people out and about on their daily business. Even the sheik, who was normally seen walking about with his AK-47 wielding bodyguard, was nowhere to be found. We proceeded to set up an outer cordon, to prevent any outsiders from entering, while my vehicle moved towards the center of the village, stopping between a restaurant and the local mosque to help provide an inner cordon, preventing any insurgents from leaving as well as providing heavier firepower for the search teams preparing to enter the buildings. As the search teams began to stack on the buildings on the West side of the village, a man appeared on the other side of the restaurant in my sector of fire. I turned my turret to get a better view of him, and as he made his way towards the restaurant, I could see that he was unarmed. Following the Rules Of Engagement, I monitored him as he entered the building from the rear entrance, disappearing from my view. As the search teams entered the buildings, I scanned my sector, checking the mosque and restaurant. Suddenly, an object flew from the second story window of the restaurant, landing in front of the building approximately 15 meters from my vehicle and exploding. The man who had entered the restaurant was throwing grenades from the window. As he continued to throw grenades, I put my right hand on the electronic control for my turret, turning to his position and training my weapon on the window he was positioned in. As he popped up again, I unloaded a quick 7-round burst of 7.62mm fury into him, watching him drop, lifeless, back into the building. As I began to scan the area once more, gunfire erupted on the West side of the village. One of the search teams had gone into a building full of hostiles, and were fighting for their lives. I rotated the turret to their position just in time to see two insurgents, armed with AK-47s, running from the rear door of the building. The inner cordon began to fire upon them immediately, killing them both in a hail of rounds.
As I shifted back towards the restaurant, we began to take small-arms fire from several buildings, including the restaurant. I was providing heavy suppressive fire on the restaurant, taking out several insurgents as they fired out of windows. As the hot brass poured from my M240B, a large explosion rocked the center of the village. We were taking mortar fire. Several soldiers on the West side of town had taken shrapnel, and the Aid and Litter team was busy pulling casualties to cover in the midst of the firefight. The search teams had made their way through about half the buildings, finding 2 of the hostages and several weapons caches hidden in tunnels underneath the village. The mortar rounds had been coming in at a steady rate, mostly landing in the Northern sector of the village. My M240B was beginning to smoke from the sheer volumes of ammo I was putting into the restaurant windows at the insurgents inside. M16s and M249s were chattering away throughout the village, getting responses from AK-47s and grenades. The outer cordon began to take fire from a hill about 200 meters away, from 3 insurgents with rifles, and closed in, the M2 .50 caliber machine gun on it's turret singing it's song of death and destruction as rounds flowed through it's chamber. The insurgent threat was slowly fading, as the individuals either fell, wounded or dead, or surrendered to the search teams. As one search team made their way to the restaurant and stacked on the door, ready to breach, I nodded to them, signaling that I was covering the outside of the building while they cleared the interior. As they entered the building, one last insurgent jumped from a window on the second story onto the balcony, only to be met by a burst of automatic fire from my weapon. As the search team exited, the gunfire had come to a halt. The hostages were collected and brought to the vehicles, while an EPW team, sent from the nearby Forward Operating Base, came to collect the living insurgents for interrogation. Our mission was complete, with only minor casualties, and the village was once again safe for it's residents, who had fled in terror when the insurgents had taken over their homes.