AAR NIGHT MISSION (25 OCT 08)

After Action Report for Night Mission October 25th

1800hrs October 25, 2008 – Khandahar Valley – Danger Platoon

Welcome gentlemen. Last month a contractor convoy was ambushed by the Taliban while passing through the valley with medical and schooling supplies for the locals. 3 private contractors were killed and 3 others wounded from multiple roadside OEDs and small arms and RPG fire.

Australian SASR who have been operating the area most of this year, have identified the group responsible and have been observing their movements and associations. Operations have put together a number of raids and arrests which will be actioned tonight simultaneously across our AO that will see the end of this group and safer convoy passage.

Your force has been assigned to provide overwatch for an arms delivery to a local militia group loyal to the coalition. A French national on the CIA payroll will be making the delivery with a personal escort of private contractors. You are to move to your choice of location for the delivery, either OP Mars at grid Romeo 22 near a boatshed or OP Venus at grid Zulu 17 near the concrete water tank. Deploy your team so this delivery is made without incident and then exfil your team using either LZ Alpha at grid Quebec 30 or LZ Bravo at grid November 27. Consider all contacts outside of the delivery to be hostile.

Enemy
Watch you ROE. This valley is home to a lot of Afghans sympathetic to the Karzai government and to the coalition effort. As with most Taliban that may be operating in our AO, expect them to be heavily armed with automatic rifles, rpgs and lmgs and well trained.

Support
INFIL and EXFIL will be on foot.
CASEVAC is available on request and is designated “Chester 2”.

This should be a simple babysitting op. You have about 60 minutes to get it done. Good luck.

AAR for Danger Team

Danger team moved out to link up with the delivery at the location they chose. The arms dealer was not happy to be dictated to but eventually agreed to move his vehicles. His security team spread out and covered the militia group and their leader as the delivery began to unfold. Danger Team was nowhere to be seen. A miscommunication had occurred and the French Arms Dealer had arranged for the delivery to be made at the alternate location, instead of the location the Danger Team had chosen. This meant the delivery was being made with no overwatch security.

As the delivery vehicles were driven right up to the side of the warehouse, they we unable to spot the oncoming enemy force. During the delivery as the militia and private contractors were staring each other down, enemy gunmen burst from the shadows on the west side of the warehouse and ordered all to stand down and surrender. A shot was fired. Close quarters battle with automatic rifles and LSWs can be devastating and within seconds a number of bodies were on the ground. A massive firefight ensued with multiple casualties on both sides. Danger Team who had just arrived on scene as the opening shots were heard, sprung into action putting their instinct and training to play. Soon they had reached and secured the delivery site as the enemy force withdraw under fire, still managing to recover their dead and wounded as they went.

As Danger Team recovered and completed the securing of the delivery point, a second enemy force struck from the north with deadly accurate sniper and machine gun fire. A number of Danger Team members were wounded in that opening volley as the reinforced enemy force from the west attacked again. After a long and drawn out fight, both enemy forces withdrew into the night taking their wounded and dead with them.

The delivery was completed successfully.

Later in the night Danger team was retasked to move on a newly acquired target. A French National known to the coalition as a very successful arms dealer was seen in the area. Based on profiling his efforts to date, command produced 2 locations they needed Danger to check out. Should they come across the dealer, they were to arrest all involved and exfil from the area with the dealer. A security team from Executive Outcomes were tagging along to assist and take control of any other enemy captured in the op.

Danger moved cautiously and purposefully towards their 1st objective. As the team stopped and set up a secure perimeter, the scout group emerged from the bush to report nothing sighted at the objective. Danger Team Leader then called in his command group and set about planning the approach to the team’s second objective. After a short while, the whole team moved out in formation with the Scout group again deployed forward. Danger team moved up a vehicle track towards their objective, studying the terrain in front and to their side for any sign of ambush. The call to halt was heard. The scout group had identified a couple of gunmen to their left front and set about planning their elimination. As they opened up on their targets, the rest of a full squad responded and soon the scout group were outgunned and outnumbered.

Danger had to move up to assist their comrades or provide support to help them withdraw. As the remainder of Danger team hunkered down to prepare to resist any advance by the enemy, the small EO team moved ahead to link up and support the scouts. A heavy firefight developed resulting in all forces withdrawing from the area with heavy losses.

1800hrs October 25, 2008 – Khandahar Valley – Engage Platoon

Welcome gentlemen. Last month a contractor convoy was ambushed by the Taliban while passing through the valley with medical and schooling supplies for the locals. 3 private contractors were killed and 3 others wounded from multiple roadside OEDs and small arms and RPG fire.

Australian SASR who have been operating the area most of this year, have identified the group responsible and have been observing their movements and associations. Of particular interest is a French national they have identified as a particularly successful arms dealer who is supplying this and other groups with high tech weaponry and equipment. His name is Ali Ahmed Ali.

Operations have put together a number of raids and arrests which will be actioned tonight simultaneously across our AO that will see the end of this group and the arms dealer and a number of other associated targets.

Your force has been assigned to assist in the capture of the French arms dealer. You will be inserted by chopper to LZ Alpha at grid Quebec 30. You will need to check 2 possible locations this deal may take place – Objective Mars at grid Romeo 22 near a boatshed or Objective Venus at grid Zulu 17 near the concrete water tank. You are authorized to capture or kill anyone involved in the arms deal but the dealer should be taken alive if at all possible. Assisting you in your operation is a security team from Executive Outcomes who will take over responsibility of removing any Taliban you capture as your focus is the dealer. Once the area is secure, you are to EXFIL using either LZ Alpha or LZ Bravo at grid November 27 to extract your team and the dealer. Consider all contacts hostile.

Enemy
Watch you ROE. This valley is home to a lot of Afghanis sympathetic to the Karzai government and to the coalition effort. As with most Taliban, expect them to be heavily armed with automatic rifles, rpgs and lmgs and well trained.

Support
INFIL and EXFIL will be by a pair of pavelow choppers from 160 SOAR and are designated “Watchman”.
CASEVAC is available on request and is designated “Chester 1”.

This should be a simple in and out op. You have about 60 minutes to get it done. Good luck.

AAR for Engage Team

Engage team linked up with their Executive Outcome escort shorting after they INFIL to the AO. Even though a member of EO brought NVGs, Engage failed to make use of them, keeping their associates to the rear of the formation.

It didn't take long for Engage to locate the arms deal. Engage Team Leader put together a quick plan to hold the EO team in the rear on the left where they could use their NVGs and Sniper rifle to pin to suppress and support the right, while a majority of the section attacked from the right.

The resulting firefight was messy but a witness confirms that Engage soldiers moved pass a couple of buildings and called for all involved in the arms deal to halt what they were doing. Someone fired a shot and everyone in the immediate vacinity sought cover and opened fire.

The covering force on the left heard the gunfire and began moving up to support their comrades and was suddenly itself under heavy fire. After a long time of inaction by both sides, apart from a random burst of automatic fire here and there, Engage team gathered their members and withdraw to arrange a resupply.

After the resupply, Engage split their force into a pinning team made up of the 3 EO operators and the section's SAW Gunner who would move further left and pin the enemy from across a large dam, and the remainder of Engage team who would again attempt an attack to the right of the buildings.

This plan worked well and the pinning team accounted for a large number of casualties to the enemy as the assaulting team worked it way forward. In the ensuing action, the assaulting team was met by a wall of lead and took casualties and eventually had to withdraw from the contact. they met up with their pinning group and withdrew to their EXFIL LZ.

Later that night, Engage Team was ordered to provide overwatch for another medical supplies delivery being made by Red Cross personnel to a small village high in the range. After being on location without incident, Engage decided to spread their picket line further to the west and ran into a large enemy force advancing from that location. A large and ferocious fight errupted which gave the aid workers the warning and extra time they needed to complete their delivery and return home.

Eventually, the enemy force was repelled and Engage gathered their wounded and equipment and withdrew back up the range to arrange their EXFIL.

Overall Results:


Round 1 Team Results:


Round 2 Team Results:


Round 1 Operator Results:


Round 2 Operator Results :


(Full individual results emailed directly to each operator)