Dull Garrison Chronicles Part VI: F-O-X Spells Relief R

By Carl F. Kusch

Situation

The 26th MEU has been directed to retake Dull Garrison Island (DGI) from the forces of BAD in order to rescue the beleaguered Marine garrison and to establish a foothold for follow-on forces. Elements of the 82d Airborne Division have begun to arrive and have taken up defensive positions around DGI Airfield #2. Things appear to be going well in that respect. For a time, the pressure on the flagging Marine provisional rifle battalion had slackened. In an apparent effort to wipe them out once and for all, however, the enemy redoubled their efforts against the garrison’s shrinking perimeter. The MEU commander, therefore, ordered a relief column to rescue the badly depleted battalion now located at Al Habib several kilometers south of Al Bandi.

BLT 2/8 will execute this mission with only its organic assets. The battalion commander was required to leave his TOWs, LAVs, and AAVs behind for airfield security. You are the commanding officer of Company F (“The Gunfighters”). Your company is assigned as the lead element of one of the battalion’s two parallel columns. Your mission is to proceed south along Al Bandi road, quickly bypassing or destroying any enemy resistance, in order to reach the provisional rifle battalion as rapidly as possible.

Your point has reported enemy activity in and around the small village of Al Bandi. It would appear that there are approximately 50 enemy soldiers armed only with small arms and medium machineguns. Attached to your company is a squad of heavy machineguns (two .50 caliber/Mk19s with component vehicles). You have your 60mm mortars and may call for support from the battalion’s organic 81mm mortars. There are also two sections of Cobras (four aircraft) supporting the battalion’s movement. The rules of engagement state that you may destroy any local buildings only if first fired upon from within, and you must direct your fire only into those buildings in which known enemy forces are located. In other words, you are to minimize collateral civilian damage as much as possible. After all, the civilians are on our side, and preservation of community resources will help them to get back to their lives as soon as BAD forces can be driven from Dull Garrison Island.

Requirement

In a time limit of five minutes, assign tasks for your platoon commanders. Include an overlay sketch indicating the positions for the platoons and provide a brief discussion of the rationale behind your actions. Submit your solutions to the Marine Corps Gazette, TDG 12-16R, Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134 or by email at gazette@mca-marines.org. The Gazette will publish solutions in an upcoming issue.

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