Staff Sergeant William Lennox
Army Special Force Group (Green Berets)
Task Force Hyena
Well...Thailand...
I know that country because of its beautiful and sunny Pataya beach as per TV documentaries, as well cool looking rocks overlooking seas, lakes and other natural landscapes that drugged your eyes and mind.
Now I'm in that country, but not for a vacation, but on a mission in conjunction with Task force Atlas comprised of six Royal Thai Navy SEAL operators.
Thai-Laos bridge, Mekong river
July 24th, 2020 1.30pm
Our mission is to ambush a convoy group coming from Laos, content of our target would be two military trucks carrying EMP warheads with four technicals escorting them, intel said thai coup forces were backed by a mercenary believed to be former PLR soldier, then the chump probably had supplied the coup forces for so long. The king of thai and his right hand men had thought that these ousters were led by one of many admiral chang's ally to tople him away from bangkok, "Hyena, we're in position" commed up the distinct asian accent operator from the Laos side of the river, "Roger, I have eyes on you" my team's 2IC Major Jimmy Patterson replied while he looking through his Rifle scope. With me were the new Hyena from the Bravo Company Captain Preston Marlowe, Jim himself were armed with leaf sprayed 16 inches suppressed HK417 attached with Rifle Scope plus RMR sight and PEQ-15, while two of us just simply 14 inches SCAR-L with T1 Micro Aimpoint, "Uu...do you guys have the visual on the Flashlight?" I asked mentioning our target convoy, "Negative, not yet" the thai operator said. Hopefully then its a short waiting again like we're at Tungawan, they have an RQ-11 flying around the bridge looking for our target that hasn't come around make me thought early we're on the wrong spot, yeah well...thankfully that's just my thought, "We have visual on the Flashlight, Stand by!", "ETA?" Jim asked, "Sixty seconds to point Alpha" they replied referring to the ambush point, right on the bridge.
"Okay, Preston, Lennox, you go to the target. I will provide cover for your advance, Hoah?", "Hoah, Boss. Ready for close and personal" Preston replied. All we do now just monitoring the bridge. Some seconds later the truck is visible, approaching the Alpha ambush point, we have nothing on our hands to stop the convoy, but we do have something else. Something that suddenly dead stop the front gunnery vehicle, lift its rear section high before its flip forward twice and land upside down, the vehicles behind it began to stop hard, guys disembarked to see what is going on, by then I ready the SMAW and called the thai operators which then they countdown to three...two...one...then I pulled the trigger, sending the rocket I aim to the other front escort vehicle, destroying and flown it to the river, same faith to the rest two gun trucks, "Go! Go! Go!" Jim commanded us as I go with Preston off the wood to the open road toward the bridge where an Atlas guy also remotely detonate a smoke planted there, so we consult to our FLIR Goggles as we close to the convoy "Hyena, my three guys going in for the Flashlight 2, Atlas 4 to 6" they commed us, "Roger that!". I can see two guys just coming out from the wrecked jeep with their AK-47 look alike drawned unorientated, meaning as we exchange bullets it was us totally winning the first round, now then hop through the hard wire they set up for the ambush and then shoot outside enemies on our way to the Flashlight with cover fire from both sides of the river, "Go for the Driver!" Preston told me, we killed two front seaters with some shots, a driver attempt to get out were made it out but not alive, fallen to the asphalt bathed by cloud of smoke, "Flashlight 1 is clear" Jim called up, then another long gunfire comes from the Laos side for a short period, then the call come in "Flashlight 2, secured...send in the air sweep", "Roger, airsweep inbound, ETA sixty seconds"
Six trucks coming in from Thai and Laos loaded with Infantries armed with I guess the new M16A4, they stopped at each side of the bridge covering our AO until the chopper arrived transport the warhead, totally right on time. One of the Thai soldier calmly come to me with his 2IC(?), "I am Colonel Sam, you're in charge?" He asked to me, "Staff sergeant William Lennox, not me sir, he'll come to us from behind you" I replied as I extend my hand which he shake, as well by his 2IC. Behind him were Jimmy with his right hand holding the M16 buttstock of his 417 hanged on his chest, "There he is, sir?" I point behind him, "Looking for me, Sir?" He asked to the colonel whose asked me and preston to go with him for turns out to be what I say as 'Lighting-briefing', "General Panji wants you to stay here for another two days, the coup forces has a sleeper cell with a PLR commander somewhere in our country, while our intel looking for their hideout you and your team remain stand by for our call, yes?", "Yes, colonel. Is Captain Greg been told about this?", "The captain of Layton have been messaged, you will be moved to Surat thani at 2100 today, for now on..." The colonel patted him with face I knew he were satisfied with our ops now, "Get some rest, we'll take care the rest" he finished before commanding his troops in language I don't understand at all.
USS Layton (Ticonderoga Class), Bay of Bengal
7.47pm
"Capt'n...you okay?" I asked to my right
He looked to me, back to the real realm.
"I'm fine Len...I was just flashback about Tungawan" he replied before he sip the coffee.
Yep...Tungawan...not smooth but not so harsh.
I remembered a Blackhawk of Philippine army went down during that mission...
I was on there, with Preston as well.
Tungawan, Philippine
July 4th, 2020 8.38am
"Moon glow 61, this is Remedy, be advise : light SAM activity near the target area, proceed with caution"
"Roger, ETA to LZ : ninety seconds"
First mission ever since my entry from the 101st Airborne to Green beret, I was anticipated this would be...like hostage rescue or prisoner wrap up or anything else more than simply raid and kill, but no, how I take it to the point : just secure the ambush point, wait for the guy, kill him, take his belonging and then home to Manila. Our target will be a corrupt general of Philippine Army we codenamed him "Sprout", he is the one of many those supplying Thai coup d'etat with weapons provided by PLR, this they say were cover up for their development of EMP weapons somewhere in china planned to be used by the Coup against the government of Thailand and Taiwan, ISR photoshots (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance system, In this case : an MH-60 of Philipine Army equipped with ISR kits) and intel reports confirmed the Sprout is now off to somewhere else, his Range Rover is escorted by four technicals and two more Pajero jeeps loaded with his bodyguards, latest report he has a meeting last night with General wong of PLA coup, friend of Admiral chang that guy is, he has a briefcase given by Wong and we want it, we want the briefcase, just the briefcase not the General include, fear he might send goons to wreck havoc and get him out of the base, lately in Bangkok there is a prisoner snatched back from a police headquarter by PLR, killed twenty police officers in the process, no suspects apprehended. With me were Preston and four guys from Philippine Army Special Operation Forces, all aboard were armed with woodland sprayed AUG A3 fitted with Elcan C79-2, our squad leader Lt. Col. Dante adams would provide suppressive fire with Maj. Jimmy and other SOF operators somewhere around the ambush point. "Thirty seconds to LZ" our pilot called up, twice..."We're locked! We're locked!" This time mixed with aircraft system tone that scared onboards to shit, alarm were non stop, some seconds later the noise were bit more deafening, "Missile launch! Missile launch, brace for impact!", darn I think, I'm in the middle of jungle, no life combat experience within the group and first present of my 4th July in this year were this, a heavy bang occurs I guess from the tail of our ride which it spin uncontrollably, "We're going down! Hang on to som..."
...
..."Moon glow 61, is down! I repeat : Moon glow 61 is down!"
..."Chopper is already arrived, sarge...let's go!"
As I wake back to the reality, I look around to found Preston the other two Hyenas waiting for me and other four soldiers were ready to left with their backpacks, well I guess now the time to leave. Pick up my pack between my legs and hang it on my back, then go with Preston whose wake me up, "No intel yet, Capt'n?", "Whoa! Relax, we'll get it sooner or later, just be patient, sarge", "I know...like you too I was dreamed Tungawan", "Hmm...yeah, seems like his mercenaries were former special operators or something, they got sophisticated kits like the SEAL Team-6 has or something", "Hey guys, the EMP they transport? And other two at Guilin, China? There were actually six warheads" our commander added, "Wow...Targets?" Major jim asked, "Taipei, Bangkok...Maybe either Manila or Seoul too. They also feared that Senkaku and Okinawa might on the list", that one shocked us, but not really for me.
"Senkaku..."
Well, I'm a Californian not a japanese, but regardless...
Historically the Kita kojima and Minami kojima...both island were part of Senkaku chain island which way back then were no man's islands until a japanese fishing company take it as their private island, someday after that they gave it to the government of Japan, its approved. Pacific war has passed, even some years after it, the Chinese ambassador approved the japanese ownership of the island group. That's a bit of history I learn from my history teacher back when I were still a schoolboy, she's a chinese and...she approve it too. I tell that tale to my squad mates, our Lieutenant Colonel just replied "It more to Oil, sarge. Believe me, they wanted an oil", "The senkaku has oil deep underneath?" Well that one I don't know, "Uhh hold on...ah nevermind!", "What is it, Preston? Just spit it out?", "Umm...uu...So Senkaku part of Okinawa?"...
...That I don't know, pal. Isn't that right, anyway? :p
I said that to him, "Yeah yah yah! The chopper is waiting for us, once we get to Surath thani you may leave...and see if you can find a bookstore nearby to continue this shit, Heh...hoah?" Adam just finished us, "Hoah!", "Yaahahahaa!".
By the time it done we're on the landing deck where a CH-53L has its rotors spinning ready to go, rear hatch were opened for us.
9.00pm
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen my name is Cliff Elvis Wollcot, I'll be your pilot tonight, our next stop will be Surath thani airport, time of arrival is 2113 with light to no wind cross that coming from the west, have yourself some nice music and enjoy the flight"
We got our seat already, my team and the other team I saw at the briefing cabin of the Ship, one of them nodded and smile to me, I did the same thing to him. He and his team wearing typical Crye uniform but its Jungle ERDL pattern...they're MARSOC I guess, "You're SEAL?" He asked me, "Uu...no, I'm a Green beret", "No shit, Green berets? You guys wearing AOR2!", "Ah well...went to my locker at Bragg and found this...badass costume instead our usual ACUPAT" I point to my Crye uniform, "Anyway, are you MARSOC too?", "You got it right. Master Sarge Roy Miller you speak with, Task Force Ghost" he move forward and extend a hand to me, I shake his "Staff Sarge William Lennox, Task Force Hyena", "So what's your business at Surath thani?" I asked, "We're to seize a cargo ship coming from the west with unspecified cargo we have to check out, the game is tomorrow", "Cargo ship? Hmm..." I think I... "What is it, friend?", "Uum...I dunno if its related or not. We just ambush a convoy carrying a weapon...a missile warhead", "EMP?" His buddy asked me, "...Yeah", the guy figure out what's in his mind, I look outside the window to find that we're already leaving the ticonderoga class vessel, looked its front-left view of the whole ship, "By the way, this here is our Captain Kevin Roebuck, but we called him Starbuck on combat zone" Roy added, "Whaha..?", "Yeah, its during that Chang's era. We're pinned down in a building with two windows and one exit only onto the open area, two of us covered building by the window with me readied 556 for them. Him? He just observe, give commands, directions while making a Coffee for himself...heh, that's why", "Ohh..." That's funny. "What is it, sir?" I asked his captain, he looked to me and share his thought that his intel suspect a missile warhead coming from Iran to India then to Thai, I knew it, and he knew it too : PLR. I think they really here before the sinking of USS Bill Clinton (USS Titan) until now, maybe scattered around southeast and eastern asia. I see one MARSOC has fall sleep, with hands crossed, what attract my attention were his chinese looking face, a bit look alike the Hongkong actor Donnie Yen he was, his left hand hold a photo, a small photo of his family, his wife I'm sure, "That's SFC Ernst Long, a bit new guy but, he's badass like weren't new to our game" Roy added him, new guy he said? He looks like weren't new to thousands bullet tracers some inches away from his face, "He looks like weren't new to our daily business" I said to Miller, "Yep. He fled from his home at Sichuan to North Carolina, join Marines some weeks later and...here he is now", "He has through lots of gunfights since his childhood, word is that his family were killed by rogue PLA forces which led him to flee his home, six years later he went back to pick his girlfriend and take her to the state...but he were shot by PLA again, killed her instead...you know" Captain Roebuck added him more, added the story I hate, I felt so bad to this SFC Ernst Long, "Six years later, what year?" I asked again, "2014", well...that's not so long ago, right on my business with Al-Bashir back in Iran, back when I were still a paratrooper of 101st, "Uuhhh...well...what are you doing here?" Roy asked, "We're to hunt down a PLR backing the coup forces, they had a hideout somewhere inside thailand. But for now until tomorrow we're stand by until intel is good enough for us" Colonel Dante replied, eventually we're engaged in nice and easy chit chats, between Armies and Mariners, Tier 2 with Tier 2.
Surath thani Airport, Thailand
9.15pm
So goes on, until we're landed here where we're to embark on a Toyota SUV while they went somewhere to the westcoast with a Nissan Van loaded with four more Thai operators.
Inside were two soldiers on the front seat claded in AOR2 like us, it has Thai flag on the right shoulder, below it are a logo of unit I recognize.
Atlas.
The driver looked to us extend his hand and, "How you all doin?", "Wow, good to see you again, Sal!" Dante greet them as we shake their hands, "Were are we going now?" Preston asked, "Our temporary station, don't worry its near" the driver, Sal Sung-Kung replied as he pace this car to the airport gate and getting us north, his friend Wasit tell us we're going to Chaiya, quite near from here.
Thailand army front outpost Oscar
10.08pm
We arrived here, a three star hotel turned to military outpost currently housed the active duty Special Operators and some Regular soldiers running security here, this here is one of many temporary outpost established in this country to combat the coup forces threatening Bangkok, I can see in the bar around here soldiers watching breaking news reporting whatever it was in language out off my book, we followed the two Atlas guys taking us to our rooms, one room for each of us, privacy concern they say. Once we got our station and kiss goodnight to everybody, I come in lay in the (pretty comfy) bed resting down in the silence and comfy cool of the air conditioner I just adjust.
Then crossed in my mind again about my 4th of July at Tungawan.
"Sarge? Sarge, you with me? Stay with me, man, stay with the game"
"Urgh...yes, sir...I'm still in the game..." I feel a pain on my back, probably the impact to the interior by my body, "Uhh...is there someone out of the game?" I asked, "No, everybody here were still in the game" Preston replied, he is ready with his AUG along with the other four operators plus the pilot with same AUG like us and his Co-Pilot got himself a Leaf sprayed Daewoo K3 LMG modified for specific use in this jungle, Shortened Barrel with Muzzle brake, Vertical grip, Magnified Aimpoint Micro T1 and lastly the HK Compact collapsible stock of that 416C, "Let's get out of here, they will coming to us" a philippine operator whispered, "Moon glow 61, come in! What's your Status?", "Remedy, this is Avenger 1, We're Cobalt, I say again : Cobalt" the lead SOF replied relaying that we're still in the game, thankfully our ride weren't upside down, two guys on standby with their rifle drawned outside by the starboard side gun window and slide door window, I slide open the hatch to half keeping space for cover while let my self and other two slip out followed by two guarding me, Preston still inside setting up explosive to demo it when the enemy coming in before he out, pilots disembarked as well forming to the fireteam making up eight men cell with first thing to do is to sweep clear the ambush point on a bridge somewhere near us according to my GPS on the android strapped on my left arm, ahead of us were a dead end road and a narrow river after it with waterline that too shallow for swimming, prone below water? Wow...the water is as pure as spring water at...say like Yellow stone but more typical to the tropic of south east asian water springs...so we just had to press on the assault, its a Clear hot leads open party anyway...well not that open to public civil I mean. Anyway..."Avenger, Wolfpack 1, we have ISR on you, be advised : Comm is down, I repeat : Comm is down" Adam called us somewhere, he said "Comm is down"? Well that actually means enemies electronic communication and navigation were down temporarily, us? Nothing happened, the Phil Navy has an EW vessel off shore to support our mission, this was their doing definitely, "I'm gonna plant the sensor in the Chopper to detonate it at the right time" Preston said as the six soldiere went ahead first while I wait him as he plant the sensor for a very short time, we then followed them drop to the river and proceed slowly rightward for about two minutes along the twisty river lead us to the objective area ahead, the bridge itself, nearby between it on both side of the river were a paths take us to the road, ahead too were two sentry's chatting from both side of the dry feet, two phils ready their suppressed P226 taking out them quickly, "Americans, go with the pilot to the left, we'll get the right, okay?" The lead SOF commanded us, we nod and proceed up to dry feet on our left with our AUG drawn forward definitely Clear hot but then I think keep quiet is a better start, so I resort to my personally owned and suppressed Makarov Russian sidearm while other three still with their primary weapon, until the Gunner pilot noticed me with my quieter weapon including my Capt'n, "We're clear hot, but quieter start is better start, isn't it?" I asked to them, their reply were their P226 same suppressed readied forward instead their primary, well then. As we continue forward, preston shoot a bullet ahead to turns out to be another sentry, two of them downed first followed by the last one in a hud across the road a second later by a pilot, "Len, take point", "Hoah, capt'n!", I move forward with them following me crossed the road to the other side of the road, underneath the hut we come by were another path taken us to big chunk of rock in the middle of our road, after it were a wooden bridge with six crossing soldiers armed with 10.5 HK416s fitted with Holosight and Magnifier set, one of them spotted me under the hut and about to engage us right after I spit out the first blood in his head with my makarov, my buddies engage their weapon in hand until the sixes were downed, I give one more shot to one dying man's head before I check the mag, replace it with fresh one then putting it back on my chest holster, pick up his 416s mag before taking point again with my AUG, we're now hot on everybody we encounter, they were balaclava covered mercenary in dark blue hoodie track suit wielding weapons, from the other part of this area we can hear many times short gunfires before everything goes quiet again, we press forward to another building up ahead, before it were a path on our right by above the rock face where a guy with MG4KE are about to shoot me but I already take him out with my AUG or below it where he dropped now, "Structure on our 12 high" I called up, "Hold position, Flash out!" the Phil SOF lead replied, the pilots watched the structure I report while me and Preston watched the right way, "Granade!" Somebody shout it in what I hear like German dialect, then a Pop occurred ahead which then the pilots press forward set ablaze their primary weapons for some seconds to the source of the Bang, "Cleared" one of them replied, "Sector secured" the guys from the other side replied, I then remember about the sensor Preston planted, I asked that to him which he said nobody is closing to the crash yet, "Do ISR has eyes on the Crash site?" He asked, "Roger, no visual on enemies nearby...all still clear" Adam replied, "Eyes on Sprout?", "ETA 3 minutes before Drunked", he means 3 minutes before ambush point. Yep, "Drunked", We'll topple the bridge once its front escort about to cross the bridge, it will crash to the river where we have an IED set to detonated remotely, well...if they say its overkill, its minimizing threat for us. :p
I remember back during the briefing in Manila HQ, Photographs from the ISR confirmed I just cross the road where the Target would come by to the ambush point, he'll pass by me. "Hold on...", I looked to preston looking to his Android with faint beep from it, he looked to me and said "Five seconds", nothing had happened...then he tap the screen, Boom! Coming from the Crash site, as I look again to the ISR above the crash by my Android, visible in thermal imaging seven fresh bodies laying lifeless around the burnt blackhawk, but..."Now what?" I asked to Preston, "Now? We wait around the hut for the Target" he simply replied, well. We're not forget, to put some securities around us, Claymore mines place on where the Gunner dropped and the wooden bridge, by the time we just sittin in and around the hut..."I can confirmed, Objective's ETA : Two Mikes" Adam called up again, Preston handed me two big Chocolate bars asked me to thrown it to the window where the pilots stand by so we can fill up our time waiting our target.
2 minutes later
"Package's closing in, I say again : Package is closing in. Stand by for Wrap up"
Grab our rifle, stand by for smoke pop as always as it usually should be, "Here they come, ready for Drunk" Jim sound up. I can hear the faint noise of vehicle's engine, its getting closer to my position, I can see six jeeps escorting the Range Rover in the middle as I look through the RQ-11 above us by my gadget, four technicals, and two Pajeros with elite goons, all were moving fast pace to us, and getting closer, "Ready your FLIR" Jim sound up again, pick up the FLIR goggle from my waist, and rack it to my Ops Core K-Pot ready to rock n roll onto the zero views, another thing that help us is our flash hider, even if they were bathed in smoke, the flash by the shots fired were visible for them, we'll use whatever we have to keep us alive until we're home back with families, "There they are!" The pilot above us said, the front vehicle just passed us, some splits second later, Boom!, ISR confirmed the bridge tumbled, front vehicle were dropped (Drunked I mean) and Boom! Pop! Pop! And more Pops!, "Go! Go! Go!" Preston hissed, as we engage contacts, Sniper attacked somewhere, killing the Vehicle gunner as we shot the drivers, my Gunner rocked his K3 to the Pajero keeping the occupants inside while three of us forward first, "Four, Take point!" Preston commanded me, the three followed me to the road rush to the Rover and having my guys let me to kill the occupants while they finishing the other goons behind it, they're armed with Swedish Ak5C and surprisingly 1x FLIR optic, share some shots to us before put them to rest, then everything goes silent, our gunner taken a hit on his stomach but everybody here has protective plate inside their vest, so the 5.56x45 were now on the ground scoring null, "Avenger here, enemy reinforcement is inbound from the other side of the river, get the intel and get out of here ASAP, out!", by that I came to the Prime target car, open the passenger door to find the General sitting lifeless with some hits on his body and a briefcase beside him, then just for in case, i pick my Makarov and shoot his chest and head before leave with the suitcase, "We got the package!" I call up, "Understood, Wardawn, I say again : Wardawn" the lead Avenger called a code for us to go for the LZ and Back to Manila, RV with them and Dante's team, going by the river passed the wooden bridge we set our IEDs until we reach the small clearing where the NAVSOG has provided us with three rubber boats, the silent option to get to our real LZ somewhere wide enough for a CH-53 land.
First day has passed, short full combat, even though they're former special forces they were eventually taken out by small cells, 'Combat is thirty days of Boredom and just thirty seconds of Excitement'
Really that true today? Considering the happenings in Beijing?