An Unwinnable War
Episode 11 - President Carter
March 24, 1977
Two days after the Battle of Mayflower
"Now, tell me, folks, how has the Unwinnable War in Remnant helped Carter win a second term?"
- American AP United States History Teacher, 1989, twelve years after the Unwinnable War.
Memoirs of 1st Lt. Jay 'Raptor' Ruben;
"Ah, President Carter? The guy who's brought the foul curse of reinforcements upon Remnant? The man who almost got us pulled out of Remnant in the midterms? The lad who whipped his general staff into action in Remnant? And the President who utterly destroyed Reagan in the 1980 elections? Of course, I'm gonna like 'im! Oh don't get me wrong, he managed to bungle later deployments and almost got our ass kicked, but I gotta hand it to him. He saved Remnant, after all! And while I may not be a Democrat or Republican, I'd still cast my vote for Carter if he ever appeared! Now, this one was a little odd. Carter himself released his memoirs about the Unwinnable War after the '80 elections, so I'm cross-referencing his."
"Yeah, now, during the first contact between us and Remnant, it took a while for the news to get back to him without being leaked. For some reason, the survivors of the New England town that got wrecked refused to go to the press. Took us a while, but we managed to contact the President. I believe one of the Guardsmen who was in our tank unit mentioned being connected to a Congressman staffer from Alaska. And that guy managed to contact the President at a government meeting and give him the news, then Carter handed that down to the CIA, then the CDC, and then the FBI. So, uh, that connection is what got us here in the first place. Now, at first, he only sent a few forces, but as the Unwinnable War raged on, well, eh, he decided to send more troops to Remnant. And then the Midterms happened."
"Now, here's the funny thing. The President had to keep this entire military deployment a secret, all while his country was burning. You see, at this time, he federalized the National Guard in the middle of the worst economic crises of its time. New York City, for example, was going bankrupt under Nelson Rockefeller's policies. And Carter only made it worse. And, uh, Cleveland in Ohio? Carter caused the total collapse of the city's healthcare, as he pulled out a majority of the hospital workers. Turns out the majority of our Ohio ARNG medical personnel were, uh, from Cleveland's hospitals. Who would've known?"
"But the thing is, Carter didn't have an easy time. Immediately after he sent troops under MACNE to Remnant, all hell broke loose in the government. The Chiefs of Staff hounded him because he just up and federalized extremely important National Guard units without alerting them. He had to call an emergency meeting in the Pentagon with anyone who had at least three or more stars on their shoulderboards. He formed a secret hoo-hah cabal with generals, CDC Higher-Ups, the goddamn CIA, the FBI, and some old wizard. He'll become relevant later."
"When I did read about that, I was genuinely sorry for the man. He was forced to juggle the influence of the CIA, FBI, and the Army. Only the CDC stood by him loyally without trying to influence him. Remember Grimm Dust? Yeah. Turns out that it's a genuine infection, hence the CDC dropping all agendas and standing by Carter in Remnant. I have to thank those guys. Especially CDC Director. He managed to eradicate Grimm Dust immediately after Carter gave him the green light in Remnant."
"Yet, I'd be hard-pressed if I were to say that Carter didn't do the heavy lifting. The man was surrounded. The Marine Commandant was nagging him, every officer with stars on their shoulderboard was pissed at him, and the CIA's the CIA. And he still made it out alive and with a second term. So if you're reading this, make sure to thank Carter and the FOIA for most of the stuff when you read about the Unwinnable War."
James Earl Carter, 39th POTUS - The Pentagon, Potomac River, Virginia - March 24, 1977 (Earth Years) - 11:30 PM (Earth Time)
The atmosphere of the NMCC turned deathly cold for Carter as two more people who had been invited to the Pentagon arrived. The two commanders of the US Army Pacific—specifically the Commander of the Eighth Army and the Commander of I Corps—marched into the NMCC and took their seats. The feeling within the Pentagon "War Room" turned from ice cold to below freezing point as John W. Vessey, Jr., 8th Army, took his seat. As did his partner, John H. Cushman, I Corps. The moment they sat down in the War Room and finally adjusted to their seats and looked at Carter, a shiver shot up his spine, cold sweat breaking through his pores as the smoke-filled War Room's atmosphere dimmed.
Goddamn lighting problems!
Adjusting his collar, Carter tried to avert the glares that the rest of the generals were giving him. The National Military Command Center were officers throughout the United States Military who were called in by Carter to conduct a proper briefing. They all had questions. Very... concerned questions. As soon as Vessey and Cushman sat down, an awkward and dead silence permeated the environment of the NMCC. The dim lighting and the stares of the men in the War Room made him tense up, as though he had nearly stepped into a landmine with wolves staring down at him. He closed his eyes and tightened his grip on his fingers, biting his lower lip.
The generals all looked at each other, then back at Jimmy Carter. The generals all looked just about ready to burst out, with their facial expressions petrifying Carter. Cushman was grimacing. Vessey was raising his eyebrows in mild irritation. Everyone else ran the gamut from mildly amused to confused to just straight-up malicious, staring down Carter with glares that could kill a Black Bear. Goddamnit. Goddamnit. Goddamnit! Carter didn't need to deal with this. Please, God, just... Get that damn MACNE General here already-
Eventually, someone broke the silence and coughed. "Gentlemen-" Vice-President Walter F. Mondale opened up awkwardly, coughing as the stares of the generals turned to face him. Goddamn him. He was taking the heat for Carter. Carter let out a pained sigh and prayed internally as Mondale dared to speak to the irritated generals first and foremost. He had to face the guns. He had to. "I presume you have all been, uh, concerned about military movements organized by... the, er, National Guard-" He gave an awkward and stilted smile before being interrupted by a loud 'thud' on the table, coming from one of the seats across, with its podium labeled 'FORSCOM'. In response to this, Carter himself shrank in embarrassment as his top generals glared at him with daggers, not fazed by Mondale.
"Pray tell, Mister President sir," the United States FORSCOM Commander Frederick J. Kroesen Jr. opened up, voice bitter and icy as he raised his eyebrows against the President and Vice-President. "Why the hell did 1/4th of the National Guard get mobilized... into Vermont of all places?" He placed the palm of his hand on his face, shaking it as he let out a pained sigh. "Mister President, sir, what the hell are you up to-" He squinted his eyes at Carter, with the rest of the Army brass following suit, laying onto Carter and Mondale. "I mean, come on! You're sending our men to the middle of nowhere for some sort of exercise we didn't get briefed about! You tell me what the hell's going on Carter! Do it now!"
Carter breathed deep in and out. Mondale, for his part, could only shift awkwardly in his seat with his hands clasped together, the glares of the generals pacifying anything he could say. He desperately looked at Mondale for any salvation from his current situation, but all he got was pained eyes and a near-tearful shake of his head. Eyes widening and heart racing, he had to quickly say something. As his vocal cords fired to generate a response to the criticisms of his generals, he could feel everyone but Mondale squinting at him, even as his mouth turned to speak.
Damnit.
"Readiness exercises within the State of Vermont," Carter gave the excuse, much to the bemusement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—all of whom stared at Carter in a confused expression that blended bafflement with a twinge of anger—while Carter continued. "As part of my initiative to form the, er, Military Regional Commands, I federalized the National Guard and sent them to Vermont as part of a readiness exercise." He gave the excuse. Much to his misfortune, not everyone was confused. There were one or two generals who nodded, but then immediately turned back to their peers, who shook their heads, and instead looked back at Carter.
"And you did this without informing us, sir?" The Chief of Staff of the Army Bernard W. Rogers gritted out as he stared down at Jimmy Carter's terrified, meek eyes, frustration deep in his voice as he took off his glasses and raised his voice at the terrified President. He wasn't qualified to deal with generals. He wasn't, goddamnit. He wasn't. "With all due respect, Carter, you just federalized about a fraction of the Guard without informing us! Jesus Christ," He shook his head, placing the glasses back on. "At least tell us where you're sending my men, damnit."
Carter gulped as the Director of the Army National Guard, Charles A. Ott, glared at Carter. "Mister President," He opened up, his voice one of confusion. "What's the deal about an exercise in Vermont, anyway? And I heard something about a new General in the National Guard," He muttered, looking down at the papers. "If I'm not wrong, the military is supposed to be mothballed because of... Your foreign policy, just after we were pullin' out of 'Nam," He raised his hands as he made his point, constantly clenching his fists while speaking. "So what gives?"
"I, uh," Carter spoke up just as the words died in his mouth, a grimaced expression imprinted on his face as the stare of Charles Ott burned into him. What could he do about this? He wasn't ready to give up his expedition into Remnant! "I federalized them for a sudden exercise after being advised by, uh, my National Security Advisor to deal with terrorism-" Carter's words once again died in his mouth as Ott chose instead to squint, de facto interrupting Carter. The air felt heavier, and Carter could audibly feel the pressure put on him.
He didn't consult the National Security Advisor. Hell, the only person he consulted was the person who gave the intel in the first place, and that damn Regular Army General! For now it was just the two, then the Secretary of Defense.
Unfortunately, SecDef wasn't here. Much to the sheer annoyance and embarrassment of Carter, who could only relapse into his seat as the generals intensified their staring competition against the civilian staff from the White House.
Someone, please break-
"Carter, sir," Secretary of State Cyrus Vance opened up angrily, diffusing the tension between the generals, Mondale, and Carter, as all eyes were on Vance, who was relatively close to the President compared to the General staff inside the Pentagon. They trusted him on some level more than the damn President. He just knew it. "Why didn't I receive any information about this? Are we going to war? What the hell are you doing without me?!" He asked, slamming his hand on the table. "I go out there and see all the evils of the world caused by war! Vietnam! Cambodia! So what in the hell are you doing, Carter?!"
"I...I-" Carter stammered, gulping and moving his head down as he tried to speak.
To his terror, it was his National Security Advisor who covered him. Despite Carter throwing him under the bus, the NS Advisor instead tapped on their desk and looked at the generals, who switched their eyes from Vance and Carter to the National Security Advisor instead. Carter could feel his face growing colder as he stared at his National Security Advisor in horror.
"I believe it may be taking a stance on that damn Weather Underground," National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski opened up, giving a dental click as he looked back at the staff in the War Room, with Vance biting his lip in fury as Zbigniew continued speaking. Carter could see Vance's infuriation with Zbigniew's statements just through his eyebrows, which furrowed to such an extent that they showed wrinkles. "We're talking Soviet infiltration here, people! There's a very real possibility that the Soviet Union is funding domestic terrorism operations within our territory. We need to ready our forces, any time, anywhere."
"I don't see how mobilizing the National Guard to Vermont is helpful, though?" Sergeant Major of the Army William G. Bainbridge interjected, raising an eyebrow at Zbigniew's suggestion. "Vermont isn't a bed of terrorist activity. In fact," He pointed at the Puerto Rico area on the United States map. "I'd be more confident to say that Puerto Rico's the bigger hotbed of unrest, given everything that's going on there. If we were hypothetically speaking of a military deployment to contain terrorism—a bogus proposal, of course—we would be deploying in Puerto Rico-"
"Well potato potato," Zbigniew shrugged, expression painted with raised eyebrows and raised shoulders, Zbigniew shrugged. "Point is. We should be ensuring that the military is ready to stand by and restore law and order to areas at any time, anywhere. Criminals and Radicals have already gone too far in destabilizing the very future of our nation."
"There you go again," Cyrus Vance grunted in extreme irritation, his eyes boring deep into Zbigniew as the rest of the generals noticed a shift in the atmosphere as a result of the Secretary of State's sudden hostility against Zbig. Carter would have spoken up, but whatever thoughts he had died in his head as Vance continued. "Richard Nixon said the same thing, and look where our nation's at," He said. "I've got reports of students being beaten up, harassed by the FBI, and remember Kent State?" He venomously said, piercing eyes turning against Zbigniew, much to the chagrin of the General Staff, who could only groan at the civilian staff arguing.
Kent State was something of a black mark among the United States military. A relic of the Vietnam War and Nixon's attempted efforts to stop it. Carter thought. That doesn't erase his legacy as a crook, but the fact remains that he was in the same situation as Nixon. He was stuck in a hellish situation with no way out. Carter took a moment to breathe and scan the area. Unfortunately for him, the Secretary of Defense had been... delayed, much to his irritation. Squinting as the generals, Cyrus, and Zbigniew were arguing back and forth, he turned to Mondale.
"What do we tell 'em?" He asked, twiddling his thumbs with pained eyes on his face as Mondale looked at him uncomfortably. He could only depend on his Vice-President for support. SecDef was taking long, and so was General de Zwart. Damnit, damnit, damnit. They had to get here. And fast! "There must be some kinda way outta here..." He helplessly said, with the only response earned being Mondale shaking his head in sympathy and patting Jimmy Carter's shoulder. His pained expression made him look like he was barely holding it in.
"Just pray to God that Harold gets here as fast as possible," Mondale said, closing his eyes and giving Carter a half-hearted smile to reassure him as Mondale looked back at the arguing Pentagon War Room. Zbigniew and Cyrus were still engaged in vitriolic yet formal back-and-forths about the deployment of the National Guard in the State of Vermont. Jimmy couldn't even pay attention to the argument anymore. It turned into a rhetorical blunder battle. "Christ. Just pray."
Jimmy sighed, turning back to face the generals and White House staff in the middle of their argument. Hopefully, General de Zwart would arrive here immediately.
If he didn't...
May God have mercy on his soul.
A cough from a man with a TRADOC nameplate shut both Zbigniew and Vance up, with the both of them ceasing their bickering to look at the man from TRADOC who called for their attention.
At least Carter had some salvation.
He re-adjusted his seat, clasping his fingers together in a questioning pose as he looked at President Carter. "What exactly are we doing with the Military Regional Commands, Mister President, sir?" TRADOC Commander William E. DePuy asked, lurching forward as if to get his point to Carter, who ceased retreating further into his seat, instead opting to confront the General. DePuy pointed at a notepad on his desk, and then back to Carter. "How is this going to benefit our training and military organization, if at all?" He asked.
"Right," He muttered, sighing and turning his head to look at the generals in the eye. "Our objective with the military regional commands is to provide a unified theatre command structure if the Pentagon is cut off from communicating with the remnants of the United States Armed Forces. The goal is to ensure that our forces can still rally around someone on a regional and theatrical level even if they lose communication with the main command."
"So, basically," DePuy muttered, whispering voices joining him in discussion over the training program of the MRCs. Words like "regionality," "operational terrain," "pan-state military development," and "theatre command" were thrown about by the generals as theoretical statements. Possible amendments to the MRC program. Things that Carter could co-opt when... bluntly put, filibustering his generals with buzzwords. "You plan to shift the National Guard to operate on a region-exclusive basis? Rather than having them serve on a state, they're anchored to their region?"
"Yes, basically," He muttered, a deep breath escaping from his lungs as DePuy leaned back into his seat, the other generals in the War Room soon talking with each other first and foremost as a result. "MACNE is a Pilot Program, uh, signed under an Executive Order temporarily federalizing National Guard assets across the United States to send them to New England-" He was interrupted by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, La Vern E. Weber, who coughed into his hands.
"I'm not so sure an ambitious military reform such as this could get past Congress," He shook his head in disappointed resignation, a sigh, dental click, and shaking of his head signifying his 'faith' in Carter's ability to reform the military command. "But, if you can get this past Congress, then I'll be buying you a beer, Mister President." He responded, re-adjusting his glasses.
Carter nodded, though unsure if he wanted to continue the MRC program. After all, the Military Regional Commands plan... That was drafted with General de Zwart in a smoke-filled backroom. Something to camouflage the deployment of National Guard forces in the State of Vermont. Sure, it was an effective smokescreen for whatever he had planned, but he had doubts. What was the limit of the smokescreen? How long could it go before some lucky whistleblower uncovers Carter's plan? And hell, how long 'til the generals just lose faith in him?
It wasn't a sincere program. Hell. It didn't even cross his mind until General de Zwart suggested it as a smokescreen.
But hell. Might as well push this kayfabe even further, Carter thought. Gotta keep the generals sated with smokescreens before we fill 'em with the, uh, real meat. The red meat complemented the red herring that was the MRC program fluffery. Hopefully, it'd all-
"I will be, uh, completely honest," Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Philip F. Smith spoke up, eyebrows widened and expression just... utterly confused. Carter hadn't seen a man be so confused ever since he pledged to cease segregationism after winning Georgia. "I have no clue why I was summoned here. I see that whatever's going on here is a, uh, Army affair. You sure the Coast Guard's gotta be involved?"
"At the very least, I know that this affair involves the Air Force-" Chief of Staff of the Air Force David C. Jones interjected, only to get interrupted as another member of the Air Force spoke up and drowned whatever he was going to say.
"Yeah, sure, if you stretch the Air Force's command to include the Weekend Warriors-" Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Thomas N. Barnes spoke up, interrupting David C. Jones. Barnes stood up and tapped on the table. "Mister President, I'm not sure it's wise to involve the Weekend Warriors-"
"The hell is the Navy doing here then?" Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Robert Walker spoke up, frowning in irritation. "We ain't involved with Army or Flyboy affairs."
"...Damnit, Carter," Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Henry H. Black commented, shaking his head and slamming his fist on the table. "I've heard the goddamn bureaucrats say the Marine Corps isn't cut out for this shit! I say HELL NO! If you want men for your Emm-Arr-See fuckery, then send in the fuckin' Marines, damnit! MARINES!"
The rest of the generals, meanwhile, shut their tongues and stayed silent as the other generals raised their voices toward Carter. The Commanders of the First, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Armies, for example, all stood silent as the other general staff tore both each other and the White House staff. Cushman, meanwhile, spoke up amid the chaos that was the War Room, contributing to the list of those who stared down President Carter.
The Commanders of III Corps, V Corps, VII Corps, IX Corps, and XVIII Corps all took down their notes, confused by the circumstances around them but still wanting to understand the exact reason for their argument. They all glanced at each others' notes, hushed whispers contributing to the chaos around the War Room as they exchanged notes, Carter diverting his eyes away from them to focus on something else.
The Geographic Army Commanders of US Forces Pacific, US Forces Japan, US Forces Caribbean, and US Forces Southern Europe all took turns looking at each other, similar to the Corps commanders. However this time, rather than passing papers down, they seemed to be conversing with each other about their notes. Unfortunately with the audible chaos going on, Carter couldn't pay attention to what exactly they said.
The Joint Command Commanders, meanwhile, all kept an unspoken glare focused on President Carter and Mondale. Among the mass of peaked caps and dress uniforms, the JC Commanders seemed to just stick out to Carter, but he couldn't figure out why. However, that might have been because rather than talking to each other in debate within the smoke-filled War Room, they merely chose to focus on Carter instead.
President Carter stood up, straightening his tie as he leaned forward, hands and arms pressing on the desk in front of him. "Gentlemen," he opened up, looking back at his advisors. "It's time I-"
"Mister President, sir," A voice rang out through the War Room's smoke-filled bickering that cut through it all as if it were a heated knife. The voice of someone who needed to be here as soon as possible. Someone who could get their job done by giving a full briefing of Remnant to the generals and requesting their silence in support of the United States MAC-NE. "Harold Brown, reporting for duty."
"Well look who arrived at the pig pen," Another voice cut through the smoke-filled room, Carter's eyes widening in surprise as the voice stepped into the War Room, overshadowing both the White House and the generals. "General Blake de Zwart, reporting for briefing, sir," He gave a sloppily-executed salute to Carter before lazily putting his hand down, and taking his seat at the War Room round table. In contrast, Harold Brown walked over to the White House staff and sat down in an empty seat right next to Carter.
He set a briefcase down and opened it up, taking out a folder labeled 'AFTER ACTION REPORT - VERMONT.' "Gentlemen," He said. "I would like to present the after-action report of our exercises in Vermont."
"Read it." US European Command Commander Alexander Haig responded.
Coughing, Harold Brown opened up the folder and took a look at its contents, sighing as he prepared mentally for the barrage of questions that would eventually come his way. They wouldn't believe him. He knew it. "Gentlemen," He said, his voice barely audible over the hushed whispers rising in the cramped War Room. "The content I am about to reveal to you may just be the most damning and the most baffling information to come out of this," He said, glancing nervously at General de Zwart. "General. You explain to the rest of the staff."
Nodding, Blake procured a folder of his own, labeled 'COMBAT OPERATIONS REPORTS - VERMONT.' "I regret to inform you all," General de Zwart started, voice cutting through the clamor of confusion, with the other generals exchanging exasperated glances and frantic whispering. The anxiety within each general was heavy, just enough pressure to be compared with an anvil. "While the papers may say Vermont," He said, raising his voice as he took off his sunglasses—why he wore them inside anyway was a mystery—and handed over a report to one of the US Forces Pacific Commanders. "We weren't in Vermont at all."
"The hell?!" George Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, erupted in confusion, voice barely audible over the intensified whispering of the generals in the War Room. "Where the fuck were you mobilizing anyway, then?!" He demanded, words reinforced as his hand slammed against his desk. Pandemonium ensued as the other generals exchanged incredulous stares and heated arguments of their own, the disorientating cacophony of voices irritating Carter. "Don't tell me you've sent our men to Vermont for no reason!"
Harold Brown passed the report to a General, urgency evident in his expression and speech as he urged the receiver to open it as soon as he could. The receiver, VII Corps Commander David E. Ott, opened it. Widening his eyes at whatever was on the report, David Ott passed it to the person on his left, who was IX Corps Commander John R. Guthrie. When Guthrie read the report, his eyes widened as he shuffled through the papers. He immediately then passed it on to someone else, the wide-eyed surprise replicated with each general who received Brown's report.
The room was in total chaos as the reports were passed down from one man to the other, the frenzied rustling of papers mingling with hushed whispers, each man's eyes widening as they skimmed through the reports. Exasperated statements in regards to "otherworldly forests" and "domestic terrorism" floated through the room alongside the rustling, many in the staff involuntarily twitching their eyes as the hushed whispers seemed to intensify. Whatever order was once in the War Room had all but collapsed as the emotions reached a fever pitch.
"Chairman George Brown," Walter Mondale opened up, his meek voice just barely cutting through the chaotic staccato of the War Room. "The United States Army National Guard has been involved in military operations within the area of Vermont, yes," He conceded, with the Chairman raising eyebrows at that statement. "However," He continued, his tone grave as he shook his head. "I would like to bring to your attention which area of Vermont our military forces have been deployed in."
"Vice-President Mondale, could you at least... Care to elaborate on that?" George Brown demanded, frustration in the lining of his vocal cords as he struggled to make sense of the chaos in the room, the generals not bothering to give anything about the report that wasn't confusing.
"Chairman George Brown," Jimmy Carter interjected, his words nearly drowning in the escalating tumult. "Would you like me to truncate the report for you?"
"No," Brown looked at Carter, the report of Brown arriving on his desk. "I'll take a look at it."
As he opened the folder, he was surprised to be greeted with an attached photo. Specifically, of U.S. National Guard armored and mechanized assets in a defense line, with the written caption of 'DEFENSE OF MAYFLOWER.'
He turned a page.
NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU
MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND NEW ENGLAND
UNITED STATES ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
F.O.B. 'FORT NIGHT II', VERMONT, UNITED STATES.
MEMORANDUM FOR: PRESIDENT JAMES E. CARTER & VICE-PRESIDENT WALTER F. MONDALE, WASHINGTON D.C.
FROM: & NAT. GUARD GEN. BLAKE DE ZWART, ST. JOHNSBURY'S, V.T. & SEC. OF DEFENSE HAROLD BROWN, WASHINGTON D.C.
OPERATION: NEW DAWN
DATE: 18 MARCH 1977 TO 22 MARCH 1977
LOCATION: REMNANT [SEE: Remnant Memorandum, Page 2]
SUBJECT: EXPLORATION AND ACTION AGAINST ENEMY FORCES
In compliance with the requests of President James E. Carter and General Blake de Zwart [SEE: Memorandum Number 1, Headquarters MAC-NE, dated 18 March 1977] the following report of exploration missions and combat operations from 18 March 1977 through 22 March 1977, is hereby submitted in this:
A. Units. 86th Armored Brigade, 1/172nd Armor, 2/172nd Armor, 1/101st Infantry, 1/101st Infantry (Mech.), 1/101st Field Artillery
B. Strength. [SEE: Memorandum on Active Recon Teams]
C. Battles & Patrols [SEE: Narrative, Appendix No. 1]
D. Commanding Officers in Important Engagements.
- General J.B. De Zwart.
E. Casualties in Action [SEE: Appendix No. 2]
F. Present Members who have distinguished themselves in action. [SEE: Appendix No. 3]
H. Photographs and Reports [SEE: Appendix No. 4]
J.B. de Zwart, General, National Guard Bureau
Incls: 4.
- Appendix 1 [Narrative]
- Appendix 2 [Casualties in Action]
- Appendix 3 [Enlisted Men]
- Appendix 4 [Unit Journals]
APPENDIX 1.
NARRATIVE
[...]
Gordon Brown narrowed his eyes as he scanned through the document, specifically Appendix 1, the Narrative of the Battle. What was in it astonished him. Tales about an attempted ambush of a mechanized infantry convoy by local insurgents during a routine patrol. A special operations team destroying a... insurgent camp through supposed 'infiltration.' An armored unit, a mechanized infantry unit, and two other units that were assigned because of officer incompetence all defended a small village from an attack by disorganized terrorists.
The paper put careful care into emphasizing the incompetence and lack of proper strategy behind these insurgents, almost as though they were driven without any real strategy and instead focused on the strategy of rushing toward their enemies in a frenzy. He furrowed his brows in absolute confusion, blinking several times. Where did this happen and how the hell did this happen? There wasn't supposed to be anything in the State of Vermont. Hell, that state was declared safe. So why in the hell...
Brown flipped through to Appendix 4.
"MACNE CIDG training for a mission...?" He asked, looking at a picture that seemed to depict... human-like figures. With American troops. National Guard troops. Learning how to use M16s.
When he squinted further, he noticed what appeared to be animalistic features on many of the human-like figures. One even bore a tail and several others bore animal ears. Whatever he wanted to say in response died in his throat as he slightly stammered, confusion overwhelming the poor Chief of the JCS. He put down the report, confused by the implications, only to see a smirking General Blake clapping and smiling back at him.
"Bravo, bravo. You echoed my first expressions when I found out about Remnant, Brown," He muttered, shaking his head and letting a half-assed chuckle out. "Welcome to MACNE," General Blake de Zwart interjected, looking at Brown in the eyes despite his sunglasses obscuring whatever could be seen. "We weren't exactly... in Vermont, so to say. Rather, we had... discovered something unusual. I'll cut to the chase," Blake de Zwart said. "Secretary of Defense? You have the rest of the notes."
Coughing, the Secretary of Defense took more notes from his briefcase, straightening himself as he prepared to recite it.
"At approximately 5:45 AM in Vermont, elements of the 86th Armored Regiment were requested by the Governor of the town of St. Johnsbury after a report of repeated waves of violent attacks and property damage in the town. Responding, the 86th Armored Regiment was ordered to restore law and order in the town and to stand guard against all potential threats," Harold Brown muttered, with George Brown noticing a little uncertainty in his voice as he recited the documents, but still pushed on. "At approximately 6:50 AM, the 86th Armored reported engaging with what was described as 'monstrous wildlife' that took on the forms of huge, black wolves," Harold Brown squinted his eyes. "In a journal entry written by one Lars Alexanders used as reference material, the unit had been, quote, 'fighting fucking demons.'"
He continued, pushing forward into other reports and revealing more and more details. About how MAC-NE was established in the two-week interim by Executive Order in complete secret, hidden from the Pentagon. Much to the infuriation of many high-ranking officers, especially those currently meeting with Carter, as some of them had no idea why he pulled their National Guard troops into New England, and merely requested a meeting with him to find out the problem. Many of the Officers in the War Room glared at Carter with a collective, focused, piercing stare that could destroy concrete.
US Army Europe's Commander, George S. Blanchard, stared down Carter. It was his units that got pulled.
FORSCOM's Commander, Frederick J. Kroesen Jr., also stared down Carter. The expression said it all. Pulling out approximately 1/4ths of the National Guard divisions without briefing him first on Remnant? He wanted to punch Carter.
And Zbigniew looked furious, giving Carter an extreme death glare that would have the capability of frying a tank. Awesome. Carter had almost the entire War Room staring down at him. Though, oddly enough, Vance looked deep in thought, almost as if he was pondering something else. At the very least, Carter hoped, he was thinking of something other than staring him down.
Oh, and Carter forgot to account for the shitshow this will cause to the civilian economy. Great.
Carter rubbed his forehead once more as Harold Brown continued, the generals still staring him down for his fuckup. Brown went into detail about the first ambush on a mechanized unit, the first special forces operation conducted on an enemy base, and the Defense of Mayflower and how it was only because Army Command wrongly assigned units to the 86th that they were able to keep on holding the small village. He concluded his report by speaking of the White Fang and trying his best to hold off questions about the White Fang itself, only focusing on the US' discovery of Remnant. For now, at least.
"And why the hell were we not briefed on this?!" George Brown shouted, knuckles whitening as he clenched his fist in anger. He could feel the veins in his eyes nearly bulging in infuriated rage, the President responding with a steadfast and unmoving expression. Carter needed to answer the question, and he had to do so without bowing down to his generals. "This is a massive threat to our national security-"
"-Not to mention the potential panic this could cause if this was leaked!" Zbigniew shouted, raising his voice as he turned to look at Jimmy Carter. Matter of fact, despite Zbigniew's unhesitant desire to squash Communism, if it ever arrived in the United States, the moment he heard Harold Brown's report, he knew that it had to be serious. "President Carter, sir- This is a matter of national security! It is the greatest matter of national security! Please-"
"...What is the status of the energy sector of Remnant?" Cyrus Vance asked reluctantly, the voice in him shaken as the words left his mouth. Surprised, Carter looked at Zbigniew one more time, before looking at Vance.
"Uh," Carter said, glancing back and forth between him, General Blake, Walter Mondale, and Harold Brown, raising an eyebrow as he got nothing back from them. When he turned back to Vance, he answered once more. "As far as we can tell? We're not so sure."
"...Are there any local governments?"
"Yeppers," General Blake interjected. "Approximately four local kingdoms, equivalent to superpowers all in all."
Vance sighed and breathed heavily. "Do they have oil?"
"Uhhh... Not that we know of? But they might?"
Vance's eyes darted back to President Carter, pinching his nose as he did so. "Mister President, sir... If there's a way to compensate for whatever the hell Nixon's done, I suggest now would be the time."
"Vance, the hell are you talking-" Zbigniew started before Vance interrupted him.
"If this... 'Remnant' has untapped energy reserves that are only blocked by either this... 'White Fang' or the local wildlife, then I suggest we aim to capture those as soon as possible. To start, uh, operations that'll help us offset the current energy crisis and malaise-"
"With all due respect, Vance," Zbigniew huffed out, pointing a finger at Vance, jabbing it in the air back and forth as he and Vance locked eyes, fury in Zbigniew's eyes and irritation in Vance's. "This is also an urgent matter of national security! You can't just send in the military to capture some oil fields-"
"I looked at the briefing once more," Charles A. Ott interjected, closing the folder and setting it on the table, lurching forward. "I've seen the reports that detailed the effectiveness of CIDG troops. Natural night-vision. Superb reflexes that can sense dangers. Not to mention the animalistic abilities they get..." His pudgy face shifted into one of surprise and amazement. "It would pay to continue combat operations in Remnant."
"Surprise surprise," Frederick J. Kroesen Jr. grumbled out, a small frown on his face as he continued speaking. "Our army's shit. And, as much as I hate to say it..." He noted, looking at Charles Ott. Both of them knew that the U.S. Military, as it stood, was in a total shitshow of its former self. They needed to fix it, and fast. Sure, the Military Regional Commands were a step in reform. But that was all theatrics. He wanted to see how Carter's little would evaluate the military. And, perhaps, Remnant would be the key. "It would indeed pay to continue combat operations in Remnant, as our military forces are currently inefficient, especially against low-intensity conflicts. We could use Remnant as a learning springboard-"
"Let us not forget that we can aim for a trade deal that will ensure an offset of the energy crisis-" Vance spoke up in the middle of Kroesen's speech, only to get interrupted himself.
"Send in the Marines too, damnit!" Louis H. Wilson, Commandant of the Marine Corps, shouted.
"Wilson, I'll see to it, but for now we need just the National Guard-"
"Goddamnit!"
"I hate to say it, Wilson, but he's right," David C. Jones, Chief of Staff of the Air Force responded. "It's a National Guard operation. But," He thought. "I suppose should this escalate, it would pay to have the Marines there already," He smirked, realizing he had something else to say. "Oh, on that note. Mister President. You have the full backing of the United States Air Force in the event of war escalation."
"The hell am I doing here then?" Admiral Owen W. Siler, Commandant of the Coast Guard, asked.
"Ditto. The hell can I do?" Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Lemuel Holloway III, spoke.
"I... I suppose you can serve as advisors when it comes to dealing with naval threats? Cross-referenced material suggests that there may be hostile wildlife in the oceans of Remnant too-"
Both of them nodded, at least reluctantly. Better to be a part of this op as an advisor than to know what was going on and be uninvolved. Owen spoke first. "Consider it done, then. You have my backing."
"Mine too." George Sammet Jr., Army Development and Research Command Commander, interjected after being mostly silent toward Carter.
After Sammet's endorsement, the General Staff in the War Room stood silent, awaiting any responses as though they were witnessing the flash of an atom bomb. Confused generals looked at one another, waiting for the recipients to say something. But it seemed that would not be the case, as time stood still in the War Room, officers' mouths shut as the President squinted.
However, in a minute, that accursed silence was broken. The commander of US Army Pacific, Major General Thomas U. Greer, swept his head around the war room, before tapping on the table, all eyes locking onto him. When everyone turned observant eyes to Greer, he spoke up with a question. "All in favor of supporting President Carter's exploration mission into Remnant, say Aye."
For a second, there seemed to be hesitation. The staff officers didn't seem to be ready yet. Perhaps Carter could-
To Carter's surprise, a hand was raised.
"Aye." From Chief of Naval Operations.
Another hand was raised.
"Aye." From the U.S. Readiness Command Commander.
A third hand was raised. Slowly.
"Aye." From the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
Then a fourth hand was raised, very rapidly.
"Aye." From the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The rest of the General staff folded to Carter as it seemed that more and more people would accede to Carter, offering to back him. Though Carter noted, he supposed that he would have to deal with them jockeying for his approval, increasing their influence. While the Air Force and Navy were not a problem—for now at least—the real potential pains in the ass were with the Marines and Army, and especially wringing their units from the National Guard.
Louis Wilson was a hardass for small, expeditionary units. Though the Marines couldn't be deployed right now, Carter knew that he would be a hardass for getting the Marines deployed in. Semper fi, after all. And the rest of the Army brass just wanted to see the Army getting an overhaul. Equipment replacement, training changes, regional command adaptability... All of these were things that the Army generals craved.
And Remnant was a great opportunity for that.
But, for now, Carter mused, he just had to focus on them acceding to his authority. He nodded in satisfaction as the officers all unanimously voted 'Aye' in favor of Carter.
The other White House staff, meanwhile, acceded to him too. Quietly, at least. Vance was more enthused about potential trade deals that could help offset the worst of the malaise, Zbigniew just wanted to quell this threat to national security, Harold Brown just wanted to finish up his job, and Mondale was just happy that they could finally get something done productively.
But for now, it was time to get to work.
He first looked at Zbigniew, before taking a paper and pen and writing down the first draft for a document mandating the creation of an officer body to advise and command military forces in Remnant.
Executive Order 15111, as it would be called. The establishment of a military body within Military Regional Commands that would act as a 'Mini-Pentagon' for each MRC.
Soon enough, he also thought of drafting one for establishing a separate civilian body to deal with the civvie paperwork.
That, and working with generals to ensure that MAC-NE wouldn't become a failure like MAC-V.
While writing the first thing for his executive order, he glanced at the National Security Advisor, twiddling his thumbs as he awaited directions. It was time to act. "Zbig," Carter ordered. "Draft an op-plan for containing the White Fang. Do it with Harold, too."
"Consider it done, Sir."
He did the same for Vance, glancing back to him. "Vance, draft a potential first-contact plan with other natives. We had an ad hoc peace treaty signed, and I want you to draft another one with proper amendments."
"On it, Mister President."
"Kroesen, I want you to draft a memorandum on the mobilization of National Guard units into Vermont. Coat it in fluffy language. Call it an exercise."
"Roger that, sir."
He finished writing down the Executive Order, and looked back up to the rest of the staff, a smirk on his face. It was time to act. A time to show the American people that the Democratic Party would not give up. He flipped the pen and swept it around the room, pointing it at the rest of the generals, then clicked it back. "The rest of you? Consider yourselves a part of... this operation. Beginning tomorrow, your authorities will be folded into Military Assistance Command New England, under the pretense of an MRC program dry run. In essence," Carter said. "You will act as the general staff of this operation for its entire duration. We'll fill the other MRCs with other officers in your stead. Got it?"
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff nodded. "We do, sir."
"Good. Let's get this job done."
As the Generals began nodding at Carter's words and prepared to do more work, he thought back to the MRC plans. When this sweeping change would be put in place, he'd work on legitimizing the other MRC plans.
He also thought about the optics. This plan meant that a lot of National Guard would have to be moved into New England and out of their area. This was an operational necessity, he could not deny that. But in this current era of economic malaise...
Carter snapped out of it. He had to commit to the intervention in Remnant now. The risk of letting this whole new world slip by him was too big. He could worry about the economic shitshow later. Fucking later.
For now?
"Let's get to work."
Author's Notes:
Jimmy! Here comes Jimmy with a steel chair!
Anyway, hi, apologize for being late. Life wrangled me by the balls and writer's block killed my motivation off for a while. But we are so back. Hopefully I am able to commit to the next chapter. Though, unfortunately for some of the military fans, the next chapter will be more focused on the immediate aftereffects of Carter's mass federalization. Sorry, guys, but you have to remember that these actions have consequences.
Carter boy ain't going to have a good midterm election. And it's just one year until the Midterms... Oof. If you expected this to be just the US blowing shit up, boy do I have bad news for you.
But, sooner or later, the other factions will show up. CIA, CDC, and FBI will all be here. Why? Because, well, what's a good U.S. intervention without the Feds sticking its nose because this is technically also a domestic affair as well as a foreign affair?
Yippee. Yay.
Anyway, I hope that's all for now. Bye, y'all.
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