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  <TITLE>National Training Center 1: Bulldog Escarpment</TITLE>
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       <B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT SIZE="6">National 
       Training Center (Mission 1)</FONT></FONT></B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT SIZE="6"><B>:
        </B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT SIZE="6">Bulldog
        Escarpment</FONT></FONT></B></TD>
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   <FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><B>YOU ARE 
   THE COMMANDER OF</B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"> 
   TEAM B / </FONT></FONT></B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><B>2-8
    CAV.</B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"> 
   YOUR COMPANY IS THE BRIGADE RESERVE FOR </FONT></FONT></B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><B>THE
    1ST BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION, ATTACHED TO THE 52ND 
   INFANTRY DIVISION (MECH</B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco">)
    FOR NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER ROTATION</FONT></FONT></B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><B> </B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco">06-96.
    THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM </FONT></FONT></B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><B>YOUR
    BRIGADE'S OPERATIONS ORDER TO CONDUCT A DEFENSE IN THE CENTRAL CORRIDOR</B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco">.</FONT></FONT></B></P>
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   OPORD 96-11<BR>
   1 BCT (IRONHORSE), 1 CAV DIVISION</P>
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   1. SITUATION:</P>
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    A. ENEMY FORCES:</P>
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     1. The 60th MRD (Motorized Rifle Division), has completed its 
     reconstitution and is preparing to begin offensive operations. The 
     enemy is currently at approximately 80 percent with three MRR's at a 
     combat power of 40 / 100 / 24 and RAG's of 2 BN's of 2S19 and 1 BN of 
     2S1 artillery. His DAG consists of 2 BN's of BM21's and 2 BN's of 2S5's.</P>
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     2. The most likely course of action is that the enemy will attack in 
     zone NLT 120800JUL96 to destroy the 1 BCT, 1 CD and facilitate the 
     continued attack to sieze BARSTOW <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;</B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE">not
      shown</FONT></FONT></B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&gt;</B></FONT></FONT>.
      He will attack with two MRR's (Motorized Rifle Regiments) abreast, 
     the 31st in the south and the 32nd in the north. These MRR's will 
     attack with two MRB's (Motorized Rifle Battalions) up and two back. 
     One MRR, the 33rd, will form the second echelon of the MRD and be 
     committed to support the MRR which encounters the least resistance. 
     The 31st MRR will be the main effort and will receive a Forward 
     Detachment which may attack NET 121800JUL96 to seize key passes to 
     facilitate the attack. Expect fixed wing aviation (SU-25 Frogfoot) to 
     seek out the BDE reserve prior to movement and then attack at the 
     point of penetration during the approach march. SOKOL (rotary wing 
     assets) will be used as flank security between MRR's or on the 
     division boundary.</P>
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    B. FRIENDLY FORCES:</P>
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     1. Higher Mission. 1st Cavalry Division defends in sector, NLT 
     120800JUL96, to destroy the first echelon MRD's of the 9th CAA and 
     prevent penetration of PL SCOTT. o/o counterattack to complete the 
     destruction of the first echelon divisions.</P>
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     2. To our north, 2 BCT, 52nd ID (M) has the mission of defending in 
     sector to destroy the 61 MRD. To our south, the 9th AD defends in 
     sector as the Corps main effort to destroy the 10th CAA (Combined 
     Arms Army). There are no units to our rear.</P>
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    C. WEATHER:</P>
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     1. Winds are expected to be out of the northwest at approximately 
     10.6 miles per hour.</P>
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     2. The hours of daylight are as follows. Before morning nautical 
     twilight (BMNT) will begin at 0521. Early evening nautical twilight 
     (EENT) will end at 1952.</P>
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   &nbsp;2. MISSION. 1 BCT, 1 CAV defends in sector NLT 120800JUL96 to 
   destroy the 1st echelon of the 60th MRD and prevent a penetration of 
   the brigade rear boundary. o/o (On order) 1BCT conducts a 
   counterattack to complete the destruction of 60 MRD.</P>
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   3. EXECUTION:</P>
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    A. COMMANDER'S INTENT. <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
     omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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    B. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION.</P>
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     1. Maneuver. <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
      omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT>.</P>
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     2. Fires. <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
      omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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     3. Tasks to Subordinate Units. See Appendix C for Task Organization.</P>
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      a. TF 2-8 CAV.<FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
       omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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      b. TF 2-5 CAV.<FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
       omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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      c. TM B / 2-8 CAV. (BDE Reserve)</P>
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       1. Occupy BP (Battle Position) B behind TF 2-8 CAV.</P>
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       2. BPT (Be prepared to) counter-attack into TF 2-8 CAV's sector to 
       complete the destruction of the 32nd GMRR.</P>
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       3. BPT (Be prepared to) occupy positions TBD (to be determined) in BP 
       2-5 <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;</B></FONT></FONT><B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE">not
        shown</FONT></FONT></B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&gt;</B></FONT></FONT> 
       to prevent penetration of TF 2-5 CAV rear boundary by 31 GMRR.</P>
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     4. Coordinating instructions. <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
      omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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   4. SERVICE SUPPORT. <FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
    omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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   5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL.<FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><B>&lt;paragraph
    omitted&gt;</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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   <B><FONT COLOR="OLIVE"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco">CONTINUE 
   READING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED...</FONT></FONT></B></P>
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   <B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT SIZE="7"><FONT COLOR="RED">***WARNING***</FONT></FONT></FONT></B></P>
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   <B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica,Monaco"><FONT COLOR="RED"><FONT SIZE="5">READING
    FURTHER WILL REVEAL KEY ELEMENTS ABOUT THIS MISSION THAT THE ACTUAL 
   PARTICIPANTS DID NOT INITIALLY KNOW!</FONT></FONT></FONT></B></P>
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   The members of Team Bravo (TM B / 2-8 CAV) settled into their BP and 
   grumbled to themselves about missing the fight. The BP (Battle 
   Position) sat right in front of a narrow goat trail called 
   &quot;Bruno's Escarpment&quot;, a perilous trail that led from Echo 
   Valley into the Central Corridor. The Brigade S-2 (Intelligence 
   Officer) had helped select the BP because he believed that it would 
   be &quot;out of the way&quot; of advancing Krasnovians and allow the 
   BCT (Brigade Combat Team) commander to preserve the brigade reserve 
   until he wished to commit it. The brigade engineer battalion spent 
   days digging holes and building obstacles for the two maneuver 
   battalions (TF 2-8 CAV and TF 2-5 CAV) and never got around to poor Bravo.</P>
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   The battle began much as everyone had expected. The enemy attack 
   simultaneously in both battalion sectors. TF 2-8 CAV set to work, 
   with the help of 1-82 FA in PA's (position areas) 1, 2, and 3, 
   attempting to dismantle the 32nd GMRR before TF 2-5 CAV became 
   decisively engaged by the 31st. Meanwhile, lonely Team Bravo was 
   left, largely forgotten, in BP B behind Bruno's Escarpment.</P>
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   Suddenly, at about 0940, over an hour and a half after the battle had 
   begun, the entire northern wall erupted in fire in front of the 
   brigade reserve. Three tanks were destroyed instantly in the 
   withering anti-tank fire. The others instinctively ducked for cover 
   in what little defilade they could find on the barren valley floor. 
   100 dismounted infantrymen, Task Force Angel, had been air assaulted 
   quietly into this position the night before and lain hidden in the 
   rocky mountainside until this moment.</P>
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   Just as the tankers and infantrymen of Team Bravo recovered from this 
   surprise, they were hit by another. A company of T-80UM's was rolling 
   down the escarpment straight at them. And behind the tanks, an MRC 
   (Motorized Rifle Company) of BMP-2P's, and another, and another... 
   The enemy seemed to pour out of the mountainside in a wave of fire 
   and smoke.</P>
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   Team Bravo was pinned and unable to return fire. Every time a tank 
   crested to look for a target, it was hammered by rocket and tank fire.</P>
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   But, a few kilometers behind, at the foot of crash hill, Team Bravo's 
   FIST (Fire Support Team) had found a great spot to hide and erect the 
   hammerhead of their M981 FIST-V. Only the meter wide laser designator 
   array was exposed. At four kilometers away, such a small target was 
   invisible to the approaching Krasnovians. The team fought and 
   struggled to divert the brigade's fire support assets to their lonely 
   corner of the battlefield, but their shouts were drowned out in the 
   din of fire requests from the two maneuver battalions, which were now 
   heavily engaged. It soon became clear that Team Bravo was on its own.</P>
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   From their position, the FIST could now see that a platoon of T-80's 
   had emerged from the rocky mountain pass and were making a break for 
   the brigade rear area. One of the fire supporters came up on the 
   company net and shouted &quot;three T-80's, ten o'clock. As if 
   choreographed, every tank in Team Bravo emerged from its hiding place 
   at once, turrets already trained to the 10 o'clock position, and 
   plastered the Krasnovian tanks with fire, leaving only charred hulks. 
   They then disappeared behind cover as quickly as they had emerged.</P>
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   Again, three enemy tanks burst out into the open. Again, the 
   observers shouted out the target and location. As quickly as the 
   first platoon had been dispatched, the second was sent to oblivion. 
   Again and again, the fire supporters called out targets and locations 
   to the tankers of Team Bravo.</P>
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   In less than 15 minutes, Team Bravo could count over twenty burning 
   vehicles before them, an entire company of T-80's and more than a 
   company of BMP-2's as well.</P>
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   Meanwhile, in the back of the M981 FIST-V, the RTO had been hammering 
   away at the brigades fire support system, artillery, mortars, 
   aviation. Everywhere, he was calling to see if he could get his 
   imperiled company some help. Finally, after the brigade FSO (fire 
   support officer) could take no more badgering, he called 1-82 FA 
   (Dragons!) and asked them to fire a single round in adjust for the 
   observers, followed by one volley from one battery, high explosive munitions.</P>
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   As soon as the first round fell, the Krasnovians knew the battle was 
   lost. Vehicles turned in their tracks and tried to race back up the 
   escarpment. But the escarpment was still clogged with vehicles that 
   had not made it into the valley. The ensuing confusion allowed Team 
   Bravo to emerge from its hiding places and pummel the Krasnovians 
   with tank fire, as well as add TOW fire from their lightly armored Bradleys.</P>
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   Of the 9 T-80's, 27 BMP-2's, and the 6 BRDM-2's, a full MRB 
   (Motorized Rifle Battalion), that had attempted to travel down the 
   escarpment into the Central Corridor, only three BMP-2's would 
   survive that day. Team Bravo, when the heads were counted, had lost 
   seven tanks, three of them in the first 15 seconds of the engagement.
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