Rest No More

By Andrew H. Hershey

You command a Marine rifle platoon. You and your men have been in a standdown period for the last 48 hours while the rest of the company has remained in the line to the north. Your platoon has been billeted in two small villages, Hidaway and Overbrook, with a fire team observation post (OP) on Ravenscroft, a steep rock outcropping that overlooks two key roads. Each squad has four AT4s in addition to its normal arms. The swift boulder-strewn stream that runs through Overbrook is passable for men and machines only at the bridge and at a ford located a kilometer downstream from Overbrook.

Truck transport is scheduled to arrive at 0700 to return your unit to the forward area of operations, but you have not heard from the motor transport company as to its estimated time of arrival.

As you wait, you suddenly get this report from your OP:

This is Ravenscroft. I have enemy mechanized infantry in BMPs, estimate platoon strength, heading southeast on Route 4 at 20-25 kilometers per hour. The third and fifth vehicles appear to be bridgelayers. Also suspect enemy mechanized activity 3 klicks north of me on Route 17, though no visual at present.

Almost immediately the sergeant from 3d Squad-in your judgment your most capable NCO-comes on the net and reports that he has just seen enemy transport helicopters lifting off from the edge of the grain field 1.5 klicks southwest of Lower Overbrook. He estimates the helicopters could have inserted an infantry platoon.

As these reports are coming in, an a light armored vehicle (LAV) detachment (two LAV-ATs and one LAV-25) traveling north on Route 8 arrives in Overbrook. You explain the reports you have just received to the lieutenant in charge of the LAVs. He agrees to put himself under your command, but informs you that his TOW vehicles have only five rounds apiece. The LAV-25, however, is fully armed with a mix of armor piercing and high explosive ammo and has three scouts aboard.

How do you plan to employ your expanded command, Lieutenant?

Requirement

In a time limit of 5 minutes draft your frag order and any other reports/requests you might make. Then provide a sketch of your actions and explain the rationale behind them. Send your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #977, P.O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134 or fax 703-640-0823.

For more detailed information on the structure of Marine Corps units, Marine Corps equipment, and symbols used in TDG sketches, see MCG, Oct94, pp. 53-56 and the modification reported in Jan95, p. 5.

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