Keith awakened by the sound of the alarm and by the sounds of his new team members stirring about and getting themselves prepared for the ealry morning mission.  He spent the rest of the previous evening after the BBQ going over his weapons and equipment that he would be taking with him and leaving behind in the hands of Alain Belanger and his people.

After taking another quick shower, Keith dressed and carried his gear outside to where he could see if the others were wearing or carrying their kits with them.  He decided to put on his webbing and gear, slinging his FN-FNC in front of himand throug on his Marine Corps official 'lid' and hanging his kevlar helmet over one of his magazine pockets for the time being.  He made it a point to say good morning to Seth and McRae since that's where that's he's felt his closest connection (so far) to anyone here on this team.

"And when we have to run with all this gear on, who do you think be the most winded, eh Mac?  Bet my shots are steadier?"    She laughs, and lets him go, eying the gunny a moment after the joke, but not replying.

After all, corporals actually run the army.

After exiting the briefing room Seth had made a point of checking the vehicle he was going to be travelling in and the seat he had been assigned.  He checked how easy it would be to fire his RPK from the seat and what he could brace it on to give himself the maximum recoil compensation.

Returning to stand with all of the others, Seth nodded towards the camera crew.

"Keith," he said with a grin to his most recent companion but loud enough for others to hear, "this is going to be a little different to the last few patrols we've been on!  Things must be good round here if they've got a working TV station!"

Andy and his team left the briefing when it was over and got into their jeep. He did a final equipment check and then waited for the convoy to get rolling.

Keith looks at the camera crew with amazement that there was one that was still in existence and with working equipment.  He turns to Seth and asks him,  "They're actually going with us?  Hope they're not all over us like they were in the Gulf back in the early 90's.  Say Seth, what kind of mission is this anyway?  Are we going looking for trouble or just taking a look around?"

Rob asked Taras,

"Hey, you want me to be in that jeep? If they run into trouble when they're coming back alone, they're could be in a world of hurt. I can function in that circumstance, could be the difference between living and dead for them."

"You could take an ATV, once I RV with you at Kerr I could take it and head back to the OP. Or someone could run me down."

He was wearing his full kit, with some gear like his Ghillie suit was stowed on the front and cargo bin of the ATV he'd been assigned.


SVD + 3 Mags
MP5SD3 + 6 Mags
Beretta M9 + 3 Mags
3x M67 Frag, 2x M8 Smoke, 2x CS, 1x FB, 2x Claymore
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:12, Thu 03 June 2010.

0645

Everyone was loaded up. Vehicle engines were turned over.

Kelsey did the radio checks, and verified everything was functioning properly. Fox had already verified that the LAV was good to go, McRae had the Jeep YJ covered.

The reaction team under Taras was by the BTR, Suburban and UAZ-467 jeep. Eight black-suited ERT (like Rachel) members were milling about, armed with C7s, C8s, MP5s and one carrying an RPG-7 and 3-round backpack (with a buddy carrying a backpack with an additional 3 reloads). There were another ten militia, crew for the BTR and the Jeep/SUV.

Conklin was there too, he was leading the 4-person sniper detachment that would be conducting surveillance of the airport. They would be travelling in 2x 4-wheel ATVs, parked there as well. At the moment he was talking to Taras. He had an SVD in a drag bag slung over his shoulder, MP5SD6 hanging across his chest, and sidearm. The sniper/reconnaissance detachment were taking a different route to their OP via the back trails through the Musqueam reserve.

Other militia detachments were assembling there for their own daily assignments.

In reply to Robert A. Conklin (msg #27):

Kelsey finishes the radio checks, then waves lazily over to Conklin "We all have been functioning in this Gunny.  No nuggets in this jeep, eh?"  She winks and pats her trusty C8.

In reply to Robert A. Conklin (msg #27):

The Ukrainian was finishing of tightly packing the recently checked gas mask and packing it in its canvas bag:

Robert, a professional hand will be most welcome. Our intelligence over the area is spotty but seems like there is a technical vehicle moving around. At the very first sight, report it ASAP and get out without breaking contact completely if you can. There is only one cleared route and we can sandwich the bad guys between the BTR from the left and the LAV from the right. It is a rather straight line over the map so we have an advantage in weapons range and armor protection. Trust your instincts.


Taras pat his shoulder: Nice rifle by the way!



Taras V. Shevchenko
Response Team Leader. Romeo One-One
AKS-74U (45/45) +4 mags
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenade x2
RDG-2 (smoke) x2
RGG-2Kh (irritant gas) x2

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #30):

"Outstanding! Yeah, she's a nice rifle. Seen me through a lot. Okay, I'll meet you at this location, I'll be on foot." He pointed out the intersection where he'd be waiting.

He quickly made some arrangements, and he and his detachment were gone before the convoy was underway. He would meet the Suburban when the convoy was passing by 70th and Oak, as that was just up the street. In the mean time, he would get the OP set up (in fact, he'd already been there that morning and cleared the location ahead of time).


SVD + 3 Mags
MP5SD3 + 6 Mags
Beretta M9 + 3 Mags
3x M67 Frag, 2x M8 Smoke, 2x CS, 1x FB, 2x Claymore

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #30):

At Fox's command, Rachel pulled out of the parking lot, signalling as she turned onto the street, then laughed at herself.

Behind them, at the wheel of the Lovin' Spoonful, Const. Bajorek pulled out of the parking lot and followed the jeep. The white CBC van followed, and then the reaction force (Suburban, BTR, UAZ) bringing up the rear.

The small convoy left with the brilliant dawn sunlight in their eyes. They were going unbuttoned, so the Jeeps had their tops down, SUVs with windows open and heads out of the hatches of the LAV.

There were several vehicles per block stalled along the route past the perimeter. They had been pulled of the side of the road to form at least one clear lane down the middle. It was a little unnerving for some, as they provided plenty of cover along the route and places to hide potential IEDs. Closest to UBC, the vehicles had been completely cleared, farther out they were still there, but partially or completely stripped. (It looked like the closer they were to UBC, the more salvaging had been done.)

Conklin had gone on ahead with the sniper detachment about 30 minutes beforehand. By the time the other vehicles were heading towards the RV point at 70th and Oak, they received radio confirmation from him the sniper detachment's OP was in position and he was waiting for them. They turned off SW Marine to deke up to 70th to cut across Oak and Granville through Marpole. This way they couldn't easily be seen by anyone on or near the BG's OPs on the Arthur Laing bridge and the positions on Sea Island.

"Nothing to it, they're all set. There's some kind of pre-war government environmental observation station on the roof of the hotel, there." Conklin mounted up the SUV and they continued back down towards Marine.

Near where 70th merged with SW Marine, they saw a party salvaging vehicles in the parking lot of a burned-out Dennys. Tires and a few parts were piled in a hand-cart but this long after, the pickings were mighty slim. They had the proper ID and authorisation, so they were checked and the team continued east into the rising sun.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:47, Thu 03 June 2010.

Before leaving UBC, Rachel checked her gas mask and weapons. The drive out was beautiful and refreshing.

After picking up Gunny Conklin, Rachel slowed to a stop by the group of scavengers. She waited for the RCMP Auxiliaries to check papers, resting her hand on the steering wheel.

"Nice day for a drive, eh, Kel?"

She was wearing body armour over a black ERT jumpsuit, but instead of her helmet she was wearing an RCMP/GRC ball cap.


MP5A3 + 6 Mags, S&W 5946 + 2 Mags
2x CS grenades, 2x FB

"A litle chill, but sunny and great company, Rach."


MCpl Kelsey Champlain, CF
Riding Air/Rear guard in the jeep
C-8 Carbine - 6 spare Mags (5.56 NATO)
(rifle in hand, magazine loaded, no round chambered, spare mags in web gear)
6 C-13 Frag Grenades
2 Smoke grenades (Green/white)  (All grenades attached to webgear)
PRC-77 (w/scr)  (Backpack)
Bodyarmour worn, Kevlar helmet slung on canteen, wearing her glengary

In reply to Kelsey Sarah Champlain (msg #34):

Rachel smiled in response, then started taking pictures of the area with her camera. It was a new kind of camera, a "digital" one, that had just started coming out before the war. It didn't use film but "flash cards" that could be transferred directly to computers.


MP5A3 + 6 Mags, S&W 5946 + 2 Mags
2x CS grenades, 2x FB
Sitting in a Jeep at 70th and SW Marine
Taking photos and talking

Over the second axis, between wheels 3 and 4, the turret was waiting for Taras. It was armed with a KPVT (14,5mm) and a PKT coaxial (7.62mm. The turret was identical to that of the BTR-60PB or the BRDM-2.

Let me take a look...

Adjusting the seat and sights was next. It was the same impression as peeking out through the periscope of a submarine. The reticles helped somehow to estimate distances. Two different stadias indicated ranges for both the 14,5 mm HMG and the co-axial MG.





Staff Sgt. RCMP Taras V. Shevchenko
Response Team Leader. Romeo One-One
AKS-74U (45/45) +4 mags
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenade x2
RDG-2 (smoke) x2
RGG-2Kh (irritant gas) x2
This message was last edited by the player at 06:07, Sat 05 June 2010.

Andy sat in the rear of the jeep and asigned his spotter to the seat next to the driver, "You watch the 90 degrees from straight ahead and to your right."

He put the second sniper behind this spotter and got him to cover the next 90 degrees of the right side arc. Andy took the rear left arc and the last sniper took the forward right arc.

Andy looked over at Fox and said, "The jeep's angles are covered, do you want me to assign sectors to the other vehicles?"

"As far as I can gather," replied Seth, "it's a show of force, designed to demonstrate that the Federal government is bringing law and order back to Vancouver.  I'd say that we're looking for trouble as well, hoping to find some bandits who are stupid enough to engage us.  I reckon that they might melt away though based on the time of day and the level of threat we pose.  We'll see though!"  He grinned as he finished his reply.

---

Seth covered the arc he had been assigned in the jeep, carefully observing the urban landscape they were travelling through.  It was very different to what he had been used to for most of the last couple of years - the combination of an urban environment and the presence of significant numbers of friendly civilians was going to take a little getting used to.  Seth made a point of doing so and found that training and experience of patrolling urban areas returned to him.


Seth
In the jeep, watching his assigned arc.
RPK with brass catcher (75/75 rnd drum) - held
 - 1x 75 rnd drum in pouch
 - 8x 40 rnd mags in chest harness
HP-35 Pistol (13/13 rnd mag) - in holster
 - 2x 13 rnd mag - in webbing pistol mag pouch
C13 Fragmentation Grenade x2
M18 Smoke Grenade x2

After checking the gunner position the burly Sargent moved to the front and next to the driver. He was resting his hand over the lid of the hatch and dangling his legs over the compartment. A borrowed young Moldavian from Bulat's crew appeared to be at the wheel. The rest of the ERT was quick fastening to the hull for a shotgun ride on a perfect day. Goggles were covering the eyes under the tactical helmets and main weaponry rested on the slings readily available.

Get ready comrades! A strage feeling invaded Taras. A Red Army vehicle with moldavian driver and yet a canadian troupe of mounties. The revvs were going up.



Staff Sgt. RCMP Taras V. Shevchenko
Response Team Leader. Romeo One-One
AKS-74U (45/45) +4 mags
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenade x2
RDG-2 (smoke) x2
RGG-2Kh (irritant gas) x2

This message was last edited by the player at 23:03, Sat 05 June 2010.

The check-stop went well.

As the RCMP Auxiliaries from the LAV dismounted to check IDs, the ERT deployed around the BTR. Rachel took some digital pictures from inside the Jeep YJ.

The CBC van stopped, and the cameraman exited to video the proceedings, framing the hulking armoured vehicles and their heavily-armed crews.

There were no problems, and everyone mounted up for the next bound to Kerr and SW Marine.

SW Marine was a major through-fare and easy to travel. A lane and a bit had been cleared for government and emergency vehicles, so they could travel at around 50km/h, a nice safe speed. The boulevard was in low ground between the Fraser on the right, and higher ground on the left, paralleling both. The high ground was mostly residential with some retail and hotels/motels, with light industrial developments on the right between them and the river.

Within about 4km they approached the Knight Street Bridge, another connection between Vancouver on the left and Richmond to the right. The bridge crossed above Marine on an overpass, and there were on and off-ramps connecting it. Off to their right in the middle of the Fraser between Richmond and Vancouver was Mitchell Island, a long thin strip of land full of junk yards and sawmills. The cut timber that clogged the banks of the lower Fraser had likely broken free from the log rafts that had been anchored here before the war.

After the Jeep checked it out, they continued under the Knight Street bridge on their bound to the Reaction Force's laager point at Everett Crowley Park. They turned left on Kerr and started uphill, with the park on a bit of a hilltop to their right (to the east) and the Fraserview Golf Course to their left (the west).

They turned right and entered the small service road to the park. There were still some trees in the middle of the park and the underbrush had overgrown most of the open areas, but there were also a lot of trees that had been harvested for firewood on the outskirts.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:12, Sun 06 June 2010.

Everett Crowley Park, a 40 hectare (100 acre) parcel of land in southeast Vancouver, was a unique place for recreation, nature appreciation, and wildlife habitat in the city before the bomb. Now it was more a wild bush than anything else. In fact, Everett Crowley Park was Vancouver's 5th largest park, but was Vancouver's main landfill (the Kerr Road dump) from 1944 to 1967. The wheel of karma spinning again...

Located near Kerr Rd. and Marine Way, the park rests on an escarpment and looks out over the North arm of the Fraser River. Nature trails and walking paths offer magnificent views of farms and fields in Richmond, and on a clear day the Gulf Islands and Mount Baker are visible. It was a perfect spot to camp. Away from any form of civilized life and yet so close of the main road of Marine Drive to deliver a quick response. After arriving to a suitable spot, Taras ordered the troops to stand and delivered some further instructions.

Gentlemen! We are on a hunting trip! We are aware of danger lurking out there. We want to have clear our routes in case we have to rush to help our friends going over New Westminster. If that technical vehicle shows up anywhere we will respond in kind. We will be aggressive and we will destroy them. There is a window of time for our jeep to come back. If they find trouble we can recall the LAV and begin our hunt from both sides of the road and finish them off. They are known criminals and we'll show no mercy. Ourah pobieda! Keep your eyes open on the approaches and be ready to move at any moment notice. That's all.


Staff Sgt. RCMP Taras V. Shevchenko
Response Team Leader. Romeo One-One
AKS-74U (45/45) +4 mags
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenade x2
RDG-2 (smoke) x2
RGG-2Kh (irritant gas) x2

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #41):

Once upon a time, the park had been a dairy farm. In 1944, it was donated to the city, which turned it into the Kerr St. Landfill. It was turned into the current configuration in 1967.

The road access was on the northwest side of the park. To get to the escarpment entailed some almost off-roading through over-grown trails. Small trees and saplings were now sprouting in what were once pathways more than wide enough to admit parks board vehicles.

Once at the lookout, the view was well-worth it.

It was a clear day with no pollution, of course. Off in the southern distance in Washington they could clearly see a huge snow-covered mountain, Mt. Baker, clouds or mist wreathing the peak. As well, they could indeed also see almost to Vancouver Island beyond the Gulf Islands to the west.

The park held other surprises. Also in the northwest corner was some kind of parks board storage yard for sand. Parked there, under a makeshift shed of plywood, corrugated metal and plastic siding was a tow truck (Mundie's Towing on Edmunds in Burnaby). It was parked on blocks with a missing engine, but this would be very useful for UBC once a new power plant was installed.

There was a little more reorganisation needed, then the advance detachment would depart. This detachment would include the Jeep YJ, the LAV, the CBC TV van and the Suburban with part of the reaction force (which would accompany them partway, then return). If the Suburban got into trouble on the way back they probably wouldn't be able to hear transmissions from Conklin's personal radio, although he could hear the BTR's and LAV's more powerful broadcasts.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:58, Sun 06 June 2010.

Andy went over to Fox and said, "OK, potential bandit country ahead so we need to get frosty. I'd suggest we lead with the jeep with the LAV following at a sensible distance. The TV van can follow that with the SUV as tail end charlie."

He discussed his views with the convoy commander quietly and discretely, whilst their ranks were equivalent, this wasn't meant to be a pissing contest, just a discussion of options that Fox might want to take.

"As for SOPs," he continued, "everyone covers their arcs and we don't allow ourselves to bunch up. In an ambush situation we should have two SOPs: SOP One is if we come under fire but no vehicle is immobilised, in that case we blow through at best speed with guns blazing. Once we're out of the kill zone we should regroup and decide on our exact response."

"SPO Two is if a vehicle is immobilised," Andy said, "in that case, the scout vehicle will exit the zone and double back whilst the LAV executes a recovery. If it's the scout vehicle that is immobilised, the SUV will perform the flanking manouvre and the LAV will still perform extraction. If it's the LAV that's hit, both the lead and trail vehicles will flank, the TV van will run for the hills and we'll try to flush the ambushers before the LAV crew get into serious trouble."

In reply to Andrew Montgomery McRae (msg #43):

"Master McRae, what are our arcs? You told us what you'd do if the sniper detachment was here, but it's not."

She looked a little puzzled, and wanted clarification.

"There are four of us: you, me, Kel and Seth. I'm driving, you're in the passenger seat. Seth is up behind at the roll bar and Kelsey's sitting in back."

"How about I'll watch front, you watch right and up, Seth watches left and up, and Kel watches rear?"

"That works for me."

For the time that he was attached to the reaction team's suburban, Rob organised the militia that he was riding with the same way.

He would drive and keep a lookout to the front, the passenger would watch right, the passenger behind the driver would cover the right, and the last passenger would keep an eye on the rear.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:07, Sun 06 June 2010.

"We should do the same for the Lovin' Spoonful, Sergeant," Mac said to Fox.

"I say, ah, me and the driver (Bajorek) cover the forward ground and higher arcs. 2 riders (Sheeler, Droz) check left and up, 2 more (Chau and Tremblay) check right and up. Hope has rear watch. You as team commander be lookin' everywhere and to see the convoy is keeping together. Everyone rides inside with hatches open, I dunno how safe it'll be to ride on top. The SWAT (ERT) guys have practice, we don't.

"Just a suggestion, Sergeant."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:19, Sun 06 June 2010.