Showing posts with label Shaojie Zhang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shaojie Zhang. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

OPERATION FALLEN PRIEST - AFTER ACTION REPORT (13 AUG 2016 @ 0755)

OPERATION FALLEN PRIEST - AFTER ACTION REPORT

PREPARED BY: SFC Shaojie Zhang


SITUATION

o Enemy Forces:
 - 22x EXALT Operatives, armed with conventional weapons

o Friendly Forces
 - SFC Shaojie "Chilong" Zhang (China)
 - SSG Jade "Mineral" Colman (United Kingdom)
 - SSG Leigh "Beacon" Fahey (United States)
 - SGT Ward "Shroud" Parsons (Australia)
 - SGT Lara "Athena" Jordan (Australia)
 - SGT Rainhard "Ogre" Horn (Austria)
 - CPL Jermaine "Da Pain" Glynn (United States)
 - SPC Kaseem Quadri (Indonesia)
o Covert Operative
 - CPL Joosef "Loki" Hintikka (Finland)


MISSION

o Strike Team deploys to Nigeria, 13 AUG 2016 @ 0755 hrs, IOT protect transmitted EXALT Data.

EXECUTION NARRATIVE

The Mission Alert came in at 0619 hrs. The squad was assembled and ready to roll by 0633. I made contact with Covert Operative Hintikka who informed me that the data was transmitting back to XCOM HQ, but that the local EXALT cell had caught on; Operatives were in-bound.

I directed the squad forward, taking positions around the trailer where CPL Hintikka and the Transmitter were located. Shortly after we were in-place, SGT Parsons reported contact, in the same moment that CPL Hintikka did so, followed immediately by the sound of laser fire; Moments later, Parsons confirmed one EXALT Operative down, but that several more were in possession of the Encoder.

This was unacceptable, so I directed the squad to advance, to reclaim the Encoder before EXALT could hack it, and gain access to the transmitter. Unfortunately, when SGT Parsons advanced, he spotted another group of EXALT in the other trailer to our front left. As we were positioning to deal with this new threat, I heard CPL Glynn come across the comms "I got this," just before one of the EXALT Operatives, in the cover of the trailer, took a laser in the head. SGT Jordan came in a moment later "Me too," and shot another hostile who was out of cover. CO Hintikka then informed me that the EXALT would be busy for a little bit, so I ordered everyone else to advance.

The EXALT began hacking the Encoder, so I knew time was growing short. SGT Horn announced "Shredder Out" before sending an air-burst rocket into the target zone, injuring several EXALT agents. SPC Quadri followed it up with an HE grenade, but only managed to kill one of the hostiles. Meanwhile, Glynn reported moving to a sniper nest on top of the trailer, and Colman managed to wound another hostile in the target zone. Unfortunately, the EXALT still had decisive control of the Encoder. That was when Hintikka dodged down into the construction zone, and took cover behind an EXALT transponder, furiously trying to hack before they could bring a shot to bear. SSG Fahey followed right behind him, dodging past, right into the midst of the EXALT troopers, and blasting one of them out of cover. With their comms interrupted, the enemy panicked, fleeing in all directions, while Fahey, cool as ice, executed another two of them at close range, and Hintikka snapped a shot off, finishing off another. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the distraction, I took a pair of shots at the hostiles in the trailer, killing one, and wounding the other. 

While the EXALT agents were recovering, SGT Parsons and CPL Glynn teamed up, designating, then eliminating a sniper who had an advantageous flank on the target zone. Once CPL Glynn announced it was clear, Fahey dodged around the cement truck, took a moving shot to eliminate a target, then continued her move into cover to reload. Meanwhile, Quadri moved up and soft-lobbed a grenade, putting it within feet of the remaining EXALT sniper, blowing him down before he could react. The last remaining operative ducked in cover, so I ordered Horn and Jordan to assist me in setting up a kill zone, while Hintikka moved for the next transponder. When he saw that, the hostile took a chance, and paid with his life.

We didn't get a lull, as we received a report of several more EXALT moving into the zone. Glynn reported eyes on the sniper that dropped into the crane overlooking the construction site; A second later, he reported that the hostile was no longer a threat. SPC Quadri managed to injure another agent with a grenade; CO Hintikka, having finished hacking the next transponder, charged toward the injured operative, his pistol (which he later reported was bone dry) raised as if to shoot. When the panicked EXALT agent ran, I took him down with reactive fire. The last hostile charged into the fray, but SSG Colman and SGT Horn were ready, and he only took a half-dozen steps before he was gunned down. 

In the brief lull that followed, the squad moved to more advantageous positions in and around the Encoder, and reloaded their weapons. Then the last wave of hostiles came in, a large contingent; Unfortunately for them, we were ready; Quadri stepped around the corner and flanked an EXALT medic, taking him down. Glynn reported another dead sniper in the crane, and SSG Colman eliminated another at almost the same moment. SSG Fahey and SGT Jordan maneuvered on the last visible hostile, but it was Parsons who took the shot and eliminated him. Horn, having taken several seconds to steady his launcher, fired the lost shot sending a rocket clear across the construction zone to blow the last operative completely out of cover. 

Shortly after, XCOM HQ reported having received the data, and we exfiltrated, not waiting for any further EXALT reinforcements. 


LESSONS LEARNED

o Sustain: 
 - Positioning makes all the difference
 - Judicious use of explosives

o Improve:
 - Ammo discipline
 - Pre-op review of the intel maps

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

OPERATION RED STAR - AFTER ACTION REPORT (28 JUL 2016 @ 0726)

OPERATION RED STAR - AFTER ACTION REPORT

PREPARED BY: SFC Shaojie Zhang


SITUATION

o Enemy Forces:
 - 1x Sectoid, 4x Mutons, 10x Floaters, 6x Thin Men

o Friendly Forces
 - SFC Shaojie "Chilong" Zhang (China)
 - SGT Wushun "Tu-Tu" Zhu (China)
 - SGT Lara "Athena" Jordan (Australia)
 - SGT Clarisse "Interrogator" Poncelet (Belgium)
 - CPL Maurice "Nitro" Vos (Netherlands)
 - CPL Kelly "Luna" Meirelles (Brazil)
 - CPL Meixing "Yuan Gui" Wong (China) - KIA
 - PFC Sivert Harstad (Norway)


MISSION

o Strike Team deploys to Aswan, Egypt, 28 JUL 2016 @ 0726 hrs, IOT extract a scientist with possibly useful research.

EXECUTION NARRATIVE

The Mission Alert came in at 0515 hrs. The squad was assembled and ready to roll by 0533. We made contact with Dr. Marazuki by 0726, and prepared to escort him back to the Skyranger when Central came across comms and alerted us to incoming hostiles.

I directed Wong into the next room to try to get eyes on our flanks, and she caught sight of a mixed pod of X-Rays. Myself and Meirelles moved to support, backed by Jordan and Poncelet while the rest of the squad took up positions near the other entrances to the observatory, closest to the LZ. Before we could get into proper position, the Muton fired through the window and killed Wong instantly.


Meirelles moved immediately into the room where Wong was killed, and took the Muton down with a blast from her shotgun. Vos and Harstad opened the door to reveal a trio of floaters and another Muton moving into cover positions between the observatory and the LZ. Luckily, one of them took cover inside of the room that Tu-Tu was covering, so he kicked open the door and shot the Muton, nearly killing it. Vos took a shot at the nearby floater, critically wounding it as well. Poncelet threw a smoke grenade to cover Zhu; The Muton was still dangerous, even wounded. Harstad fired a rocket at the Floaters further back, but only managed to injure them slightly. 

The X-Rays, meanwhile, continued to advance, including one Floater who rocketed up to come down on our rear. Before it could draw a bead on our flanked troopers, I dove through the window and shot it point blank. Meirelles, still stationed at the window, took out a Sectoid as it approached. Vos eliminated one of the Floaters that Harstad had damaged, and Zhu came under fire as he drew his pistol to finish off the Muton he'd injured, but the smoke seemed to do its job, and he was unharmed. Jordan joined Meirelles at the window, and took a shot at a nearby Floater as it took a shot at Meirelles, managing to throw off its aim, but not kill it.

I caught the sound of movement on the rooftop, so I directed someone to try to get up there and investigate. Jordan responded that she saw a ladder up, but the Floater was covering the window. She and Meirelles took shots at it, finally taking it down. Vos and Harstad combined fires on one of the remaining Floaters, and eliminated it at the same time. This seemed to set the X-Rays off, as several more Floaters jetted into the cover of the distant panel van. Meirelles took this momentary calm to charge out, and climb the ladder, her shotgun raised to shoot. However, once on the rooftop, she reported negative contact. Then we waited for the aliens to move in.

When the X-Rays moved, they moved fast. We took several shots, but only Zhu and I managed to wing one Floater. Meirelles finally spotted a Thin Man on the rooftop, and move in for the kill. Vos and Harstad continued their double-team, and took down another Floater. Jordan, moving to support Meirelles on the roof, took a shot of opportunity and finished off the injured Floater. Then even more Floaters and Mutons charged into view, quickly scattering to cover positions.

Realizing we were in a target rich environment, Harstad threw his launcher up on his shoulder, and launched another HE Rocket into their midst. One was killed in the blast, and their cover was completely destroyed. Vos followed up on the Muton before it could recover and blew it away. Poncelet, inside with Zhu, popped the door and took a shot at a Floater, knocking it out of the sky. Jordan, moved back into ground cover, took some potshots at one of the remaining Floaters, while everyone else repositioned and reloaded. 

Most of the X-Rays, disoriented by the blast, withdrew out of range, but two Thin Men charged forward, both focusing fire on Poncelet, injuring her. She returned the favor with a grenade that appeared to do minimal damage. Vos managed to catch and eliminate one of the withdrawing Floaters before it was out of range. Zhu moved up to support Poncelet, throwing a Flashbang into the panel van. Meirelles, Jordan and I moved up to the forward edge of the roof to provide overwatch for the rest of the squad below.

The X-Rays focused fire on Zhu and Poncelet, but the flashbang had done its work, and they both escaped injury before Zhu returned fire, resulting in a dead Thin Man. I took out the remaining Thin Man and Muton that were plaguing Zhu and Poncelet from my rooftop vantage. Poncelet moved forward to cover Meirelles' advance to the fore. 

When a single Floater returned to the fray, Zhu ensured it didn't survive to regret its decision. Meanwhile, Meirelles, having moved to the front, provided first aid to Poncelet. With no immediate resistance, the squad advanced carefully, clearing the way for Dr. Marazuki to move to the LZ. Suddenly, Central broke in with a report of incoming hostiles, at the same moment that Poncelet, Harstad and Jordan reported contact to our rear, and fired. The single Thin Man never had a chance as he was vaporized by three lasers at once. We advanced slowly, weapons at the ready, when another Thin Man came into sight from the rooftop to our rear. Vos designated it, and I shot it down so the rest of the squad could continue their advance; With Marazuki in the open, we could afford to keep still.

The squad continued to advance until the LZ was fully covered; We could see the pilot revving the engines through the back hatch. When Central reported movement on our left flank, we repositioned, with Meirelles moving to the roof, where she was able to lock a Thin Man down and injure it. Then I directed Dr. Marazuki to make for the Skyranger, while the rest of the squad moved to eliminate the remaining hostiles. Poncelet and Jordan moved to support Meirelles on the roof, as she barely avoided return fire from the Thin Man. Jordan was able to catch the Thin Man as he withdrew to cover, and that was the end for him.

A cursory inspection discovered no further resistance, so we returned to the Skyranger to bring the VIP home.



LESSONS LEARNED

o Sustain: 
 - Fire team structure
 - Clear enemy cover with explosives

o Improve:
 - Move carefully into the unknown
 - Withdraw into more secure cover when in doubt