Rahadnak Valley Search

Situation

You are the Commanding Officer, Company G, Battalion Landing Team 2d Battalion, 1st Marines (BLT 2/1), a mechanized rifle company. Recently, the MEU was sent to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in support of NATO forces during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. You have been in-country approximately 1 month and have been assigned to the northeast sector of the area of responsibility, Nangarhar Province. Recently, the BLT has been searching for the warlord Sher Dil and his needihajum freedom fighters believed to be operating in the Rahadnak Valley. Sher Dil is the primary source of arms transportation into Jalalabad. The arms shipments flow from the northwest tribal regions of Pakistan into the Tora Bora region, through the Rahadnak Valley, then into Jalalabad. The Rahadnak Valley was initially quiet with no armed conflict. However, after successful arms interdiction in the area, organized guerrilla groups ignited an active campaign against coalition forces and inflamed tribal unrest throughout the valley.

Your mechanized company is embarked aboard 14 assault amphibious vehicles. You ordered the weapons platoon to detach three machinegun squads and six teams evenly between the platoons. While traveling southwest along a main road in the Rahadnak Valley during a routine mechanized patrol, your unit is tasked to search a village suspected of harboring Sher Dil and needihajum fighters. Speed is essential as the enemy is prone to resupplying its forces and then quickly fading into the rugged and mountainous countryside. A section of AH-IW Cobras, which can reinforce your unit within 1 5 minutes, remains on call to provide close air support.

In order to maximize the “shock and awe” and speed of your mechanized unit, you decide on a simple, though previously effective, scheme of maneuver that calls for two platoons to encircle the village, one from the west and the other from the east; one platoon to advance along the main avenue of approach to seal the entry point; and a dismounted mortar section to isolate the objective area with calls for fire as needed. The section of Cobras can be used to further isolate the objective area or provide supporting fires if required.

As your lead elements enter the village area, 1st Platoon immediately begins taking machinegun fire from the vicinity of Hill 2. As the platoon commander begins to take immediate action, mortars begin impacting around him. One of his vehicles has sustained a mobility kill.

What now, Captain?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, issue your orders to your element leaders.

Issues for Consideration

1 . Who do you believe the enemy force is? What is their motivation for attacking?

2. What do you believe is the BLT intent for this area?

3. How do your actions support this intent?

4. How do your actions defeat the enemy’s motivation to attack?

5. How much collateral damage do you anticipate as a result of your actions?

6. What do you expect civilian response will be to collateral damage:

* At conclusion of fighting, while you are in the area?

* Within 1 hour after you leave?

* Ar the end of the day?

* At the end of the week?

7. What is the expected enemy response to collateral damage:

* At conclusion of fighting, while you are in the area?

* Within 1 hour after you leave?

* At the end of the day?

* At the end of the week?

8. What actions can you and the BLT take to counter and exploit enemy and civilian responses to collateral damage:

* While you are in the area?

* After you return to base?

* When you subsequently patrol in the area?

9. What action can you take to defeat enemy motivation to attack:

* While you are in the area?

* After you return to base?

* When you subsequently patrol in the area?

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