GWOT VI - A Tale Of Two Bases
Jul. 31st, 2022 01:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drewkittyGWOT VI - A Tale of Two Bases
Red Lion Forward Operating Base
Wells, Minnesota
First there had been the patrol from Gray Wave. A properly licensed security company in the state of Minnesota, they discreetly kept the heavy weapons tucked away whenever near police - and police returned the favor by never searching their vehicles.
The town itself had been abandoned. Too close to the Iowa border. Aggressive patrols by the Minnesota State Police and by the MInnesota National Guard had helped, but not enough. Refugees and church militants pursuing them had started to wreak havoc until Minnesota started arresting all of them. One ride back to the border. Next time we see you, we shoot you. This policy, impartially applied, was all that kept the violence in Iowa and more importantly out of MInnesota.
A second patrol escorted a single Red Lion representative. A location scout.
A few days later, a large contingent of Gray Wave took the town. Set up control points once one left the Interstate. A Gray Wave team escorted the Red Lion advance party on its inspection of the school and the parking lots and empty houses around it.
A Minnesota construction company started installing fencing. Individual trucks delivering 40' containers once standard in American commerce started arriving. A second contingent of Red Lion personnel moved into the school. Cleared out most of the furniture and repurposed the rest.
The construction company painted huge red diamonds on the roofs of the school and the surrounding parking areas. Smaller red triangles were also erected. Flags with the Red Lion logo - an erect lion - were flown from poles around the protected area. Then the construction company left. They 'forgot' their fuel truck, but someone promptly repainted it in eye-hurting white with Red Lion logos and red diamonds.
A medium helicopter landed. It was refueled. After a period to offload medical supplies (mostly narcotics, which could not be trusted to ground transport) and for crew rest, it lifted again - headed south.
###
"California Control, this is Red Lion Three. Request permission to enter controlled airspace, Iowa combat operations area."
"Red Lion Three, permission granted with thanks. We have your routing. Caution on enemy anti-air near all major towns unless otherwise confirmed. We have you on flight following and that you are squawked as a medical aircraft. Be aware that most combatant forces do not have radar tracking or IFF and that you may be fired upon on sight or sound alone. Recommend minimum height 2000 AGL maximum height 4000 AGL. Regret no air rescue services available."
"Thank you California Control. Correction your last. Red Lion is now available for noncombat medical evacuation of civilians and hors de combat injured from designated sites only. Presently enroute North Fork for air ambulance transport. Please have North Fork medical control contact us for patient condition update and weights."
###
Exactly one convoy per day left the Red Lion base for Minneapolis. It carried people who could be medically released, dropping them off in a particular airport parking lot.
As soon as Red Lion had gotten out of the way, but before they could go anywhere, the Minnesota State Police promptly arrested them. The Iowans would be grudgingly repatriated. The refugees were taken well north to await the outcome of the conflict.
The convoy visited the California rented warehouse to pick up supplies and the occasional Red Lion worker before returning. Once in a while, an injured California soldier or 'G' adherent joined the warehouse crew. When fit to do so, they would return to the fight. Until then, any help was useful.
###
FOB Phoenix
in Minnesota
The Interstate exit led only to a state park, closed for the duration. A checkpoint of Minnesota National Guard, sandbagged and with machine guns, warned travelers to not proceed. There were vehicle barricades in the road but they could be easily moved at need.
Around a bend, not visible through the trees, there was a second checkpoint controlled by men in tan uniforms. Their habit was to execute any persons they were not expecting. Thus the need for the National Guard.
At night, between two and four in the morning, the roar of heavy trucks approaching the Interstate exit could be heard. The Minnesota Guardsmen carefully locked their machine gun barrels in travel position and made sure the road was clear as soon as they heard the sound. They neither watched nor made any markings to record a count of the vehicles as they passed.
The convoys did not stop for them or for the tan men. They proceeded to their unloading area. Many lowboys, or trucks towing trailers with loads under tarps. Even a casual eye could see that some of the loads were armored vehicles. No markings.
Other traffic gave the convoys a wide berth, especially since the last vehicle always displayed a huge yellow sign with black letters. "KEEP BACK 300 FEET OR YOU WILL BE SHOT"
The threat was meant, and easily enforced by a rear-facing machine gun on that vehicle, or occasionally a lowboy displaying that it was carrying an infantry fighting vehicle.
Inside the state park, an Illinois construction company had set up fencing. Dug berms. Dug bunkers. Poured foundations. Then soon returned to the endless task of helping to rebuild the suburbs of devastated Chicago.
The only markings on the pavement were black triangles with single numbers.
A small black helicopter landed on one in the middle of the night. Two or three a week would fly in from the north, fly south, and then return. Usually with as many people as before, but not always.
In the deepest bunker, the tan men set up video displays, computers, desks, radio equipment, satellite links and the all important coffee machines.
Armed with the hard-won information of the black helicopters, they began to plan. Making grease pencil marks on their glassed-over maps of Iowa.
###
Urgent Operational Message
From: UNNAPID Intelligence, New York
To: California Expeditionary Force
Urgent Attention, Major Echo 18
We evaluate that your entire force will soon be trapped between two larger, more powerful forces.
Recommend you consider immediate withdrawal to prevent force destruction.
Red Lion Forward Operating Base
Wells, Minnesota
First there had been the patrol from Gray Wave. A properly licensed security company in the state of Minnesota, they discreetly kept the heavy weapons tucked away whenever near police - and police returned the favor by never searching their vehicles.
The town itself had been abandoned. Too close to the Iowa border. Aggressive patrols by the Minnesota State Police and by the MInnesota National Guard had helped, but not enough. Refugees and church militants pursuing them had started to wreak havoc until Minnesota started arresting all of them. One ride back to the border. Next time we see you, we shoot you. This policy, impartially applied, was all that kept the violence in Iowa and more importantly out of MInnesota.
A second patrol escorted a single Red Lion representative. A location scout.
A few days later, a large contingent of Gray Wave took the town. Set up control points once one left the Interstate. A Gray Wave team escorted the Red Lion advance party on its inspection of the school and the parking lots and empty houses around it.
A Minnesota construction company started installing fencing. Individual trucks delivering 40' containers once standard in American commerce started arriving. A second contingent of Red Lion personnel moved into the school. Cleared out most of the furniture and repurposed the rest.
The construction company painted huge red diamonds on the roofs of the school and the surrounding parking areas. Smaller red triangles were also erected. Flags with the Red Lion logo - an erect lion - were flown from poles around the protected area. Then the construction company left. They 'forgot' their fuel truck, but someone promptly repainted it in eye-hurting white with Red Lion logos and red diamonds.
A medium helicopter landed. It was refueled. After a period to offload medical supplies (mostly narcotics, which could not be trusted to ground transport) and for crew rest, it lifted again - headed south.
###
"California Control, this is Red Lion Three. Request permission to enter controlled airspace, Iowa combat operations area."
"Red Lion Three, permission granted with thanks. We have your routing. Caution on enemy anti-air near all major towns unless otherwise confirmed. We have you on flight following and that you are squawked as a medical aircraft. Be aware that most combatant forces do not have radar tracking or IFF and that you may be fired upon on sight or sound alone. Recommend minimum height 2000 AGL maximum height 4000 AGL. Regret no air rescue services available."
"Thank you California Control. Correction your last. Red Lion is now available for noncombat medical evacuation of civilians and hors de combat injured from designated sites only. Presently enroute North Fork for air ambulance transport. Please have North Fork medical control contact us for patient condition update and weights."
###
Exactly one convoy per day left the Red Lion base for Minneapolis. It carried people who could be medically released, dropping them off in a particular airport parking lot.
As soon as Red Lion had gotten out of the way, but before they could go anywhere, the Minnesota State Police promptly arrested them. The Iowans would be grudgingly repatriated. The refugees were taken well north to await the outcome of the conflict.
The convoy visited the California rented warehouse to pick up supplies and the occasional Red Lion worker before returning. Once in a while, an injured California soldier or 'G' adherent joined the warehouse crew. When fit to do so, they would return to the fight. Until then, any help was useful.
###
FOB Phoenix
in Minnesota
The Interstate exit led only to a state park, closed for the duration. A checkpoint of Minnesota National Guard, sandbagged and with machine guns, warned travelers to not proceed. There were vehicle barricades in the road but they could be easily moved at need.
Around a bend, not visible through the trees, there was a second checkpoint controlled by men in tan uniforms. Their habit was to execute any persons they were not expecting. Thus the need for the National Guard.
At night, between two and four in the morning, the roar of heavy trucks approaching the Interstate exit could be heard. The Minnesota Guardsmen carefully locked their machine gun barrels in travel position and made sure the road was clear as soon as they heard the sound. They neither watched nor made any markings to record a count of the vehicles as they passed.
The convoys did not stop for them or for the tan men. They proceeded to their unloading area. Many lowboys, or trucks towing trailers with loads under tarps. Even a casual eye could see that some of the loads were armored vehicles. No markings.
Other traffic gave the convoys a wide berth, especially since the last vehicle always displayed a huge yellow sign with black letters. "KEEP BACK 300 FEET OR YOU WILL BE SHOT"
The threat was meant, and easily enforced by a rear-facing machine gun on that vehicle, or occasionally a lowboy displaying that it was carrying an infantry fighting vehicle.
Inside the state park, an Illinois construction company had set up fencing. Dug berms. Dug bunkers. Poured foundations. Then soon returned to the endless task of helping to rebuild the suburbs of devastated Chicago.
The only markings on the pavement were black triangles with single numbers.
A small black helicopter landed on one in the middle of the night. Two or three a week would fly in from the north, fly south, and then return. Usually with as many people as before, but not always.
In the deepest bunker, the tan men set up video displays, computers, desks, radio equipment, satellite links and the all important coffee machines.
Armed with the hard-won information of the black helicopters, they began to plan. Making grease pencil marks on their glassed-over maps of Iowa.
###
Urgent Operational Message
From: UNNAPID Intelligence, New York
To: California Expeditionary Force
Urgent Attention, Major Echo 18
We evaluate that your entire force will soon be trapped between two larger, more powerful forces.
Recommend you consider immediate withdrawal to prevent force destruction.
