An explosion rocked the town, widows shattered and cars alarms wailed, A line of twenty Abram tanks rolled side by side on parallel roads, through the town of Mesa Grande, but, all heading the same direction, to the west. Boom, boom , boom-boom, as the Abrams fired their 120mm M256 smoothbore guns in a hellish symphony toward their targets, the Heat rounds strike time and again on target, plumes of fire, smoke, and sand leapt in the sky, forming craters across the desert to the west of town.
Rat-tat-tat-tat, as some of the tank commanders fired the 12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, and the loaders fired 7.62mm M240 machine guns toward their targets, a spec ops soldier had been assigned to each tank to operated the 7.62mm M240 coaxial machine gun.
All hell was breaking loose or better put, hell had been loosed and was coming to Mesa Grande.
Brigadier General John Preston was inside of an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle that had come along side far left Abram. the Bradley's primary M242 25 mm chain gun sounded as it took it's place on the front line. A spec op soldier climbed on top and brought to life the M240C 7.62mm machine gun.
He had a satcom phone to his ear listening intently, "Yes , we are making some headway." he replied, "Hold the line in Mesa Grande" General Barney Mackland sounded. "There is a large supply convoy heading to you from the east, I need you to build a barricade to block off route 17 in Mesa Grande." the four star general laid out the details of the plan and then John set the phone aside.
John Preston was in charge of an infantry brigade 5,000 men strong and he had those troops holding the perimeter of a desert town called Mesa Grande. The town had about 20,000 residents, most of w...
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...ing in the Gulf of Mexico. "I need air-support at coordinates..." he read back the coordinated that Alpha Helo One had given him. "We have two Hogs on decks ready to go" they where referring to A-10 wart hogs which where long range fighters that where also used as tank killers during the Gulf War. The A-10's had a 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun which is the most powerful aircraft cannon available. The ones onboard the U.S. Fitzgerald where also equipped with AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles to strike ground targets with TV or Infra Red guidance.
The Fitzgerald had informed John that the E.T.A on the A-10's would be about 45 minutes. He called Alpha Helo One and got an estimate on the speed of the zombie mass and Alpha Helo One, reported that at the speed they where traveling, the zombies would take hours to reach Mesa Grande.
The 7th Cavalry Regiment's destruction at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 is the subject of over a century of debate. LTC George A. Custer failed to exercise four key responsibilities that were expected of him as the regiment’s commander. He failed to understand the problem and environment, visualize a feasible solution, clearly describe it to his subordinates, and effectively direct his forces. These four aspects of mission command are integral to the operations process and help Soldiers understand and execute their commander's intent. Custer's failure to properly fulfill his role in the operations process resulted in his death and a strategic defeat for the nation.
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
It was mid-afternoon on October 3, 1993. There were approximately 160 men eagerly awaiting the signal to proceed. Matt Eversmann sat waiting in Super Six Seven, a Black Hawk helicopter. He noticed that things were being done differently from the other setups, which had been false. This time they were packing more ammo and the commander had come out to see them off.
In the afternoon of February 23, 1836, Santa Anna’s army arrived in San Antonio. The Texan defenders retreated to the well-fortified Alamo. Santa Anna had given the defenders time to escape if they wanted, but the Texans stayed, confident with their weaponry. With the few soldiers he had, Colonel Travis sent requests to Colonel James Fannin for reinforcements, but received none. Fannin thought that the 300 men he had wouldn’t make a difference and may not arrive in time. Of the 200 defenders, there were settlers who wanted independence as well as a dozen Tejanos who joined the movement. Although they believed in ind...
Sanderson, Jefferey. "GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.” Last modified may 22, 1997. Accessed January 4, 2014. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a331356.pdf&ei=tYbHUtv3HcGs2gX2u4HAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFU5EzdWjKlt81w8gh_Bj2UEttaZw&sig2=aAz3jIZg7U6peDzL_i8w9w.
Tolman, and his wingman Major Lonnie Ferguson, were en route to a rail line that served to distribute supplies from Cam Pha Harbor to enemy troops throughout North Vietnam. The harbor itself was protected from attack by orders coming directly from Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, meaning the only way to neutralize supplies coming through the harbor was to attack the distribution network that surrounded it (Patrick).
2nd Raider battalion was one of the first U.S. military units to use the newly issued M-1 Garand in combat. This special privilege allowed the Raiders to experiment with a variety of new innovations and weaponry, resulting in a unique, yet deliberately selected armory. With an emphasis on mobility, the Raiders opted for lighter weapons with higher rates of fire. For example the Raiders utilized the .30-caliber air-cooled Browning machine gun instead of its .50 caliber brother, issued to standard infantry units. The Raiders tested a plethora of innovative equipment including, individual, man portable stoves, collapsible bicycles, and eight foot toggle ropes which had a loop at one end and a peg at the other, useful for scaling cliffs. Certain items in the Raider arsenal became unique to the raiders such as the “Raider Stiletto,” a dagger issued to Raider units modeled after the British commandos Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, and the “Gung Ho” knife and jacket, the later being a large heavy Bowie style knife and the jacket being a hunting jacket with large pockets replacing the need for a pack. One of the most unique weapons in the Raider arsenal was the British Boys anti-tank
Boom, Bang, Crack! The sounds of muskets being fired, its ammunition ricocheting off rocks and splintering trees are heard all around. The pungent smell of gun powder stings the nose, and its taste makes the mouth dry and sticky. The battle is still young, but blood soaked uniforms and dead or dying men can already be seen, causing the fear of death to enter many of the soldiers' minds. It is remembered that freedom is what the fight is for, so we must continue to gain independence. The battle has been going on for a short time now, although vision is already obscured from all the smoke and dust in the air. It is becoming increasingly difficult to breathe, with all of these air borne substances entering my lungs. People are still being struck by musket balls for the cries of agony rise above the many guns' explosions. This is how the battle to be known as Bunker Hill began.
Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1998. Print.
The M1 Carbine was a unique weapon that was very helpful in World War II to American soldiers that had them. This was a .30 caliber weapon that had two types of cartridges. There was one that held fifteen rounds and another that held thirty rounds. It was very lightweight and gas operated and air cooled. M1 Carbines were first issued in 1941 for so...
Company E, Berdans 1st Regiment United States Sharpshooters. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2009, from US Sharpshooters: http://www.ussharpshooters.co.uk/index_files/Page2772.htm
Perrett, B. (1991). LAST STAND! Famous Battles Against The Odds. London: Arms and Armour Press.
Bullets flying through the air right over me, my knees are shaking, and my feet are numb. I see familiar faces all around me dodging the explosives illuminating the air like lightning. Unfortunately, numerous familiar faces seem to disappear into the trenches. I try to run from the noise, but my mind keeps causing me to re-illustrate the painful memories left behind.
Parsons, Othal T. Interview by author, 17 April 1995. Mail questionnaire. 12th Armored Division Historical Project, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.
Carl Lee Hailey sprang from the darkness with an M-16. At point-blank range he opened fire.” His