OPERATION PATIENT THUNDER - AFTER ACTION REPORT (21 JUL 2016 @ 0826)

OPERATION PATIENT THUNDER - AFTER ACTION REPORT

PREPARED BY: SSG Constance Makhandule


SITUATION

o Enemy Forces:
 - 16x EXALT Agents

o Friendly Forces
 - SSG Constance "Deadbolt" Makhandule (South Africa)
 - SSG Shousei "Lightning" Daiwa (Japan)
 - SGT Wushun "Tu-Tu" Zhu (China)
 - CPL Anant "Rooftop" Dhalon (Pakistan)
o Covert Operative
 - SPC Edward Dudek (Poland)


MISSION

o Strike Team deploys to Argentina, 21 JUL 2016 @ 0826 hrs, IOT extract CO Dudek with EXALT Data.

EXECUTION NARRATIVE

We received the Mission Alert at 0655 hrs. The Skyranger was wheels up by 0714, and we touched ground at 0826 hrs in a trainyard in Argentina. We made contact with CO Dudek, who notified us that he needed to hack two more transponders before he was complete, but that EXALT had already moved into the area. I directed him to flex around the edges of the trainyard, and meet up with us, so that we could attack from the same direction. 

As he moved toward us, we moved toward him, and spotted the first EXALT agent. Daiwa, in concealment took a shot and crippled him, leaving him vulnerable for me to finish off. When Dhalon advanced, he spotted another, and was able to put Zhu on target to take him down. When another pair of EXALT came into view from the trainyard interior, Zhu was able to put one of them down as well. When I advanced to get a better angle, I was spotted by a few other EXALT, who scattered to cover, leaving myself fairly exposed. To eliminate the biggest threat, Dhalon charged in and took him down. The remaining EXALT, caught off guard by our advanced, took one shot at Dhalon and pulled back to regroup.

One of them was foolish enough to take cover in a direct line from SGT Zhu, who ensured he'd never learn from the mistake. SSG Daiwa moved forward to the nearest transponder, drawing fire from a pair of EXALT, which cleared Dhalon to advanced and take down the sniper across the flatbed car, and me to move up and injure the other agent. He was still able to take a shot at Dhalon, but he reported no injury. I then advanced to nearby cover, but did not account for the sniper in the rear; I felt the bullet pass through my chest, and I had to crawl into cover. 

Zhu and Daiwa reported black ammo, and Daiwa withdrew to reload, which left Dhalon to cover the center. he advanced and eliminated the injured EXALT, remaining in cover to hopefully dissuade any further advance. Dudek also linked up with us, and hunkered in cover near me, asking if I was good to continue the fight. Somehow, knowing I was injured, the EXALT fired on my position, but I avoided further injury hunkered by the cargo crate.

Daiwa and Zhu, reloaded, advanced to provide cover. I attempted to eliminate the two who had Dudek and myself pinned down with a rocket, but when the launcher kicked against my shoulder, I nearly dropped it, and the rocket went wide. Dhalon went after the sniper remaining on the right flank, taking a hit in the armor as he charged. Unfortunately, he only managed to wound him, when the sniper threw himself to the ground. Meanwhile, the EXALT on the left side continued to focus fire on my position.

Then I felt the heat as Zhu took a long shot directly over my head, through the train car, and eliminated the EXALT agent furthest back on the right side. Then Dudek rushed forward, disabled the transponder and shot the EXALT rocketeer at close range. Daiwa took this opportunity to meet me and provide first aid for my wounds. Feeling somewhat better, I took a shot and winged the wounded rocketeer. The EXALT withdrew, disoriented by the comms outage from the disabled transponder, as heavy reinforcements came in from an EXALT chopper.

Dhalon finally managed to catch the sniper in the open and put him down, clearing our right flank for now, and opening the path for Dudek to move to the second transponder, once the overwatching reinforcements were taken care of. In the meanwhile, he finished off the rocketeer he'd wounded. I took another shot at where the reinforcements were positioned on top of the train car with a Shredder Rocket. At the same time, Daiwa moved into the open to draw their fire, allowing CO Dudek to get clear and move toward the second transponder, before dropping back into cover. 

As Dudek continued toward the second transponder, Dhalon did a scoot-and-shoot, throwing himself into the train car where one of the EXALT had taken cover, putting him down decisively. Daiwa moved onto the top of the train car to take a look, and spotted the other EXALT agent, eliminating him before he could get a shot off. Then Dudek reported that the second transponder was down, and we started to move back toward the LZ.

That was when I heard a warning beep from my rocket pack. I pulled a Shredder rocket and realized it had been damaged when I took that hit, and was about to detonate. I flung it as far as I could, but wasn't able to get completely out of range before it detonated, peppering me with flak. Only the painkillers from the medkit kept me upright.

Then EXALT reinforcements came in from our front, and rear flank. Zhu was able to take down one immediately, while Daiwa killed another. I ordered Dudek to get the data onto the Skyranger, and tried to get the squad back too, but we found ourselves surrounded on all sides. They started firing at me and Dhalon, pinning us down. I managed to make it to the Skyranger ramp, but was still in the open while the rest of the squad maneuvered in. I did not expect to survive. 

The rest of the squad moved in as quickly and safely as they could, except for Dhalon, who opted for cover by superior firepower, shooting down the EXALT agent who tried to get into his way as he made a beeline for the LZ. I can only credit God that the sniper who had me pinned did not manage to hit me as they moved in. I also credit Daiwa, as he reached the LZ, for not giving the sniper another chance. I fired my last rocket at the remaining target, managing to catch him in the blast, though he was still moving. Then Zhu and Dhalon made it in, and I was unceremoniously scooped up and carried into the Skyranger before I passed out and woke in medbay.


LESSONS LEARNED

o Sustain: 
 - Coordinated movement and fires
 - Maintaining appropriate OPTEMPO

o Improve:
 - Manage ammunition better
 - Trust cover over divine intervention