Operation Proud Lion: T2K in Kenya

[Raellus]

Here's the rough draft of the background and setting for my upcoming African T2K campaign. Constructive feedback is welcome.

I attempted to use as much of Frank Frey's unpublished Lions of Twilight project as possible. This was reconstructed from material he posted in the archives and here:

http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=2303

The most significant departure from Frey's material is the Tanzanian invasion. I included this to provide the U.S. with a more compelling reason to deploy the 173rd BCT to Kenya, give it more formidable opposition, and generally increase the level of chaos in the region.

I hope you enjoy.

Background

WWIII had a very destabilizing effect on Africa. Foreign aid dried up almost overnight. UN peacekeepers were pulled out of the continent. Humanitarian crises throughout Africa quickly multiplied, and old tribal and political rivalries soon boiled out of control. War and famine visited Africa on a scale seldom seen before.

In early 1997, Kenya, one of the most politically and economically stable African nations, was hard pressed on multiple fronts by a multitude of enemies both foreign and domestic. In the northeast, Somali bandits stepped up the pace of their cross-border raids into Kenyan territory. In the northwest, Sudanese paramilitaries provided financial, material, and technical support to the Junudullah (Sword of Allah), an Islamic fundamentalist insurgency/terrorist group dedicated to the expulsion of Western influences from, and the establishment of a Islamic state, in East Africa. From the west, a Ugandan rebel group calling itself the Lord's Army sought refuge on the Kenyan side of the border, carrying out brutal attacks against Kenyan civilians in the area.

In the south, a revolutionary organization known as PARA (Pan African Revolutionary Army) was surreptitiously supported by the Tanzanian Army.

The Tanzanian Invasion

Soon after the outbreak of WWIII, Tanzania had effectively lost its Chinese patrons. Chinese economic development personnel and military advisors were recalled and Chinese economic aid abruptly ceased. The Soviet Union quickly stepped in to fill the void. The Soviets (and Cubans) already had a network of military advisors in place in neighboring Mozambique and many of these advisors were sent posthaste to Tanzania with assurances of future military and economic aid. The Soviets appealed to Tanzanian pride, assuring them of a position of primacy in East Africa if they took aggressive action against rival Kenya. The Kenyans were preoccupied with various insurgencies and cross border raids, and their formidable military was already stretched thin. The Soviets promised to make the Tanzanian's motley assortment of Soviet and Chinese-made combat aircraft airworthy, and provide experienced combat pilots to fly them against the Kenyan air force. In terms of material support, the Soviets could not offer much since travel to the region was almost impossible. A powerful radar/air control system and several SA-7 man-portable SAMs were brought in from Mozambique. Generous future arms shipments were also promised, once possible. The Tanzanian leadership in Dar es Salaam acquiesced. Together with the Tanzanian army's general staff, the Soviet advisors planned an invasion of southern Kenya, the main strategic objective being the seizure of the fuel refineries and port facilities in Mombasa with the secondary objective of marching on Nairobi and overthrowing the Kenyan government.

On June 21st 1997, the Tanzanian military launched its surprise offensive, codenamed Operation Green Mamba. Initial progress was swift. Tanzania's Soviet and Cuban-piloted MiG-21s establishing local air superiority over the battlefield while Tanzanian-piloted Shenyan J-5s provided close air support for the Tanzanian ground forces. The Tanzanian 1st Tank Brigade and 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade advanced quickly on Mombasa, supported by the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigades and a battalion of self-propelled BM-21 Grad rocket launchers. Elements of the Kenyan army and air force fought back valiantly, but were soon brushed aside by the sheer weight of the Tanzanian forces. The Kenyan 1st Armored brigade, rushed into action, was almost completely destroyed in the fighting. Kenyan security forces and PMC personnel guarding the refineries were engaged in firefights with Tanzanian commandos landed by sea.
Within 48 hours, the Tanzanian spearhead was within 10 km of the Mombasa.

NATO Response

With the Persian Gulf refineries largely inoperable due to repeated conventional air and missile strikes, NATO needed facilities to refine Middle Eastern crude. Kenya offered the nearest, most capable refinery facilities. Now, with the Tanzanian invasion, the threat of losing access to the Kenyan refinery facilities became very real. The only local strategic reserve was the newly reactivated 173rd Airborne Brigade, currently being brought up to BCT strength with the attachment of additional units.
Within hours of the Tanzanian surprise attack and subsequent retroactive declaration of war, the president of the U.S. instructed CENTCOM to begin immediate preparations to send the 173rd BCT to Kenya. The hastily planned and prepared operation was named Proud Lion.

Operation Proud Lion

Using CENTCOM's remaining strategic airlift assets, the 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were dispatched immediately, with Saudi-based F-15Cs conducting a prelimary fighter sweep and flying top cover for the vulnerable transports. During the sweep, five Tanzanian MiGs were shot down, all but one from beyond visual range. In an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, one Kenyan F-5 was also shot down by an Eagle-launched Sparrow missile. With the Moi International Airport in Mombasa within Tanzanian MLRS range, it was considered unsafe to land and offload the transports there. Instead, it was decided to drop the two battalions adjacent to the airport by parachute. The 1/503 and 2/503 jumped in the dawn light of the 23rd of June, executing one of WWIII's few combat parachute drops. Both battalions were almost immediately in action, marching from the runways to the sound of the gunfire and squaring off against Soviet and Chinese made MBTs with nothing more than LAWs and Tankbreaker/Javelins. The fighting was confused and intense, but the paratroopers held their own. The 3/503 (motorized) and 4/503 (airmobile), along with the brigade's artillery battalion followed, arriving in Mombasa International Airport by air later in the day without their motor vehicles and aircraft. The 4/503's helicopters were to be delivered the next day by air, once the airport's security had been assured.

By the end of the 23rd, the Tanzanian drive on Mombasa had been blunted. Both sides suffered significant casualties during the battle. Learning that they were fighting American paratroops, the Tanzanian high command balked, and the 1st armored brigade was ordered to break contact and withdraw several kilometers in order to preserve their remaining tanks. Throughout the day, surviving elements of the Kenyan 2nd armored brigade were redeployed from northwest of Nairobi to Mombasa. Elements of the Brigade began to arrive early on the 24th.

On the morning of the 24th, elements of the 228th Aviation Battalion began to arrive at Mombasa International Airport aboard C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster aircraft. By the end of the day, the remainder of the 173rd BCT was on the ground in and around Mombasa.

The Sinking of the Belmont

On June 25th, the RO/RO transport ship Belmont was sunk by a submarine-launched SSM off the Horn of Africa, carrying the 3/503rd's vehicles (HUMVEEs, FAVs, 2 and 5-ton trucks, and a company of LAV-75A2 Ridgways) to the bottom of the sea along with it. One the Belmont's naval escorts (an OHP class frigate) was also sunk by a torpedo. The Belmont's remaining USN escorts claimed to have killed the submarine responsible (likely a Soviet SSN commerce raider) although after the war, an Italian Sauro class submarine commander claimed credit for the attack on the Belmont and her escorts. This claim has not been substantiated.

Skyraiders

Meanwhile, the U.S. government moved swiftly to acquire additional air support assets for the BCT. Seven A-1J Skyraiders originally purchased by the Confederate Airforce (a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft at air shows primarily throughout the U.S. and Canada) from the government of Chad were awaiting shipment out of Mombasa when the Tanzanian attack occurred. They were procured by the United States government and began operating in support of the 173rd in early July. The Skyraiders were flown by a mix of PMC and Army fixed-wing pilots. Initially , only four were operational. The remaining three were eventually used to replace to combat losses.

Counteroffensive

With air support provided by the 228th's Cobra gunships and A-1J Skyraiders, and armored support in the form of one of the Kenyan Army's armored brigades' Vickers Mk 3s and Panhard AMLs, the paratroopers and their Kenyan allies took to the offensive. By the 25th of July, the Tanzanian army had been pushed back to within several kilometers of the Tanzanian border.

French Involvement

The French government wanted access to the fuel produced by the Kenyan refineries. They offered the American government French-made AFVs originally en route to its African client states in exchange for a share of the fuel produced in Kenya. The U.S., unable to adequately provide replacement vehicles for the 173rd BCT, accepted the offer. The shipment was diverted to Mombasa, arriving in early August, 2007. The 3/503 (motorized) henceforth began operations equipped with Panhard VBLs, VABs, and ERC 90 F4s.

The Aftermath

With the onset of limited nuclear warfare in November of 1997, the situation in Africa became even more dire. Humiliated by the failure of their offensive and feeling betrayed by their Soviet allies, the Tanzanian government and military turned on itself and the country collapsed into a brutal civil war. Scattered Tanzanian army units continued to raid across the Kenyan border. The Ugandan government also collapsed. Former Ugandan army troops joined the Lord's Army in pushing deeper into Kenyan territory. Incursions by Somali bandits increased. Citing the correlation of increased Western presence in Kenyan and East Africa's mounting problems, the Junudullah grew and became bolder in their attacks.

By mid-2000, the 173rd has been operating in Kenya for three years. They have not received replacement personnel since early 1998. Shipments of ammunition and spare parts have also all but ceased. Only a handful of the BCT's fixed wing and rotary aircraft are operational at any given time. Very little fuel is being produced at the refinery. Most of the brigade's ground vehicles have been converted to run on alcohol, saving what little gasoline is available for its aircraft. Elements of the 173rd BCT are scattered around the country, with Brigade HQ relocated to Nairobi. The BCT is combating a host of enemies, most of which can be broadly categorized as marauders. Fighting alongside the Americans are the remains of the once formidable Kenyan army, the British Army's Africa training cadre (including an SAS mobility group in the north), a few French military "advisors", and multi-national PMC personnel (mostly Israeli) formerly employed guarding the refineries (this duty has been taken over by the USN and USCG).

Operations 1997-2000

Throughout the remainder of 1997, the Herd's infantry battalions remained concentrated around the strategically important cities of Mombasa and Nairobi. Although the Tanzanian offensive had been blunted and thrown back, the remnants of the Tanzanian military (including rogue forces of Tanzanian origin) still retained the capacity to threaten southern Kenya. Operations focused on destroying the remnants of the invasion force remaining in the frontier region. An operational shift occurred after the escalation of the nuclear phase of the war in the autumn of 1997. Shipments of replacement personnel and equipment, ammunition, supplies, and spare parts from CENTCOM and CONUS slowed to a trickle. The forces in and around the strategically important refinery and port facilities in Mombasa braced for a nuclear attack which fortunately never came.

With the continuation of drought conditions throughout East Africa, the food situation for the Herd, as well as Kenya's urban population, soon became critical. Kenya's western highlands, one of the Africa's most productive agricultural regions, became a area of strategic importance. At the same time, incursions by LRA and renegade Ugandan military units in the region increased as the situation in Uganda spiraled out of control. Farms and farming villages were overrun, crops plundered or ruined, and atrocities against civilians committed on an alarming scale. The Kenyan infantry brigades assigned to the region were hard pressed to stem the flow of Ugandan marauders. Scattered reports of disgruntled Kenyan troops deserting from their units and joining the Ugandan marauders began to reach Nairobi. The 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were sent to western Kenya to stabilize the situation and secure the valuable food producing regions.

As of July 2000, the 1/503 remained in western Kenya, along with elements of the 2/503. Other elements of the 2/503 formed ad-hoc task forces that were deployed to trouble spots in the north of the country, as circumstances dictated. Along with most of the Brigade Combat Team's remaining operational aircraft, the 4/503 (airmobile) were based around Nairobi and operated mostly in the central highlands. A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry and the 3/503 (light motorized), using French-made AFVs, operated out of Mombasa and were tasked with keeping the Mombasa to Nairobi highway open. Throughout Kenya, the 173rd BCT operated alongside loyal Kenyan military forces which, for the most part, displayed professionalism and fighting spirit.

Recondo School

In early 1998, with the 173rd BCT isolated from the rest of the U.S. armed forces and its constituent infantry battalions widely spread around the country and responsible for large and environmentally diverse areas of operation, it quickly became apparent that the Brigade's authorized reconnaissance unit, A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry, could not be everywhere at once. In order to locate and monitor the various hostile forces* operating in their respective areas of operation, each battalion needed a dedicated, long-range reconnaissance unit of its own.

*Most of these hostile forces operated as relatively small, mobile bands, using classic guerilla tactics.

The Brigade's commander, a late-war Vietnam veteran and former Ranger, decided to create a training course for long range reconnaissance patrollers modeled on the Vietnam War-era U.S. Army Recondo school. The course would focus on long range patrolling and scouting skills, tracking, field-craft, and SERE.

The cadre for the school was formed by a small group of experienced Special Forces soldiers familiar with Kenya and its people. A diverse group of men was assembled to lend local and topical knowledge and expertise to the course. This group included a Rhodesian expatriate and former Selous Scout with extensive experience in long range patrolling in the African bush and an Israeli citizen and ex-Sayeret Maktal commando who "retired" to Kenya after a stint as an independent security consultant at the refinery facilities in Mombasa. Several Kenyan soldiers, game wardens, and indigenous, semi-nomadic hunters were also brought in to share their experience with the students (and instructors) and the British SAS mobility troop operating against Somali bandits and Junudullah insurgents in the northeast of the country routinely rotated personnel (often convalescing wounded) through the course as "guest instructors".

Graduates of the Recondo school formed long range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) platoons in each of the Brigade's airborne infantry battalions. Additional allied personnel cycled through the school in small batches and returned to their parent line companies in order to share their newly acquired patrolling skills.

[Frank Frey]

Raellus,

Excellent work. You really know your stuff! I am very pleased with the material. I pass the torch of T2K Africa to your very capable hands. You da man!

Out Here,
Frank Frey

[HorseSoldier]

I'd forgotten about the Confederate Air Force part of the 173rd in Africa storyline. Very cool.

The big question I think has to be sorted out about sub-Saharan Africa and the T2K timeline is what happens with South Africa -- it's remote from Kenya, obviously, but what's going on with it circa 2000 is going to effect everyone else in the region. Apartheid is unlikely to have gone away the way it did IRL with a continued Cold War keeping communist support flowing to the RSA's front-line neighboring states. Whether a continued Apartheid government can keep things together (through increasingly unpleasant, draconian measures, I'd imagine) in the face of the Twilight War and likely conflict with neighboring states, or collapses under internal and external pressures would, either way, send out ripples effecting neighboring states and their nations on their borders, etc.

[Targan]

The big question I think has to be sorted out about sub-Saharan Africa and the T2K timeline is what happens with South Africa...

Good question. Here are two threads from the archives that contain some of this forum's past musings on the situation in South Africa during the Twilight War:

South Africa ( http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=944 )

YaATW2KT: What about South Africa? ( http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=1170 )

Hope this helps.

Edit: Forgot to mention - love the thread and your write up so far Raellus. This would make for a very interesting campaign.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Good work Rael! Like it :)

[Mahatatain]

This sounds very like a very interesting set up!

[Ironside]

A good write up Raellus! Very believeable and lots of potential.

[Rainbow Six]

Godo job Rae - well done... :)

[Raellus]

Thanks, everyone. I'm really pleased that you all like it.

I'm thinking of including SSC's idea about water rights/treaties leading to an Egyptian/Sudanese invasion in '98 or later as well. Here's his post:

I have another possible reason for why NATO forces may be based in Kenya.
Water.

Part of the river system that provides life for Egypt runs through Kenya. A 1929 agreement between Britain and Egypt gave Egypt nearly exclusive use of the water from the Nile to the detriment of those British possessions that also accessed the river system. To quote part of the agreement "No irrigation or power works are to be constructed on the River Nile or its tributaries, or on the lakes from which it flows... which would entail prejudice to the interests of Egypt."

It's the aftermath of a world war, Kenya needs resources especially water for agriculture. Perhaps they start to construct irrigation systems and the Egyptians object to the point of threatening war. It might be a long drive through Sudan to attack Kenya but there are highways literally leading from Egypt right up to Kenya and the Egyptians might choose naval or air attacks instead.

The Egyptians might not even attack directly, they may pay Sudanese or Ethiopian rebels to attack (or even Somalians).

Here's an article that prompted this train of thought
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/egypt-warns-that-new-nile-agreement-could-prove-a-death-sentence-1987519.html

I like it. Is it too much, though? It would definitely keep the 173rd BCT busy.

[Mahatatain]

How sophisticated would the irrigation systems built by the Kenyans be?

I would imagine that to divert enough water from the Nile to cause the Egyptians problems that would involve something like a dam. If that is the case I would have thought that a dam would be a raid target for the Egyptian military to destroy?

If the irrigation systems are just low tech ditches etc then Egypt will have to take and hold the Kenyan portion of the Nile to prevent the Kenyans from diverting water, but is something low tech going to cause enough of a loss of water flow?

I'm not a water engineer though.... :D

[StainlessSteelCynic]

From the information that's available, it doesn't seem to matter what sort of irrigation system was constructed, it was all about the amount of water that was to be used. Under the newest agreement, the Egyptians lay claim to 75% of water from the entire Nile system. Every other nation accessing the Nile has to share the remaining 25%.

During the Sadat era, a nation building a damn on the upper reaches of the Nile would have been considered an act of war by the Egyptian government.
In light of that, I think it could be a case of the Egyptians threatening to destroy any damns/irrigation systems and/or the ability of the building nation to construct more. It's a seriously more difficult task than what the Egyptians could accomplish but when you consider that Egypt can not exist without the Nile (90% of their water is from the Nile), they get pretty hot-headed about it (and thus lose their common sense).

In reality, I believe they would have to rely on bullying to force the other country to back down because their own military forces would not necessarily be capable of traversing Sudan or Ethiopia unopposed to attack Kenya. Air or naval attack on Kenya is the most easily achieved it would seem but after the events of the Twilight War, Egypt might have a better chance of a land attack.

[HorseSoldier]

I always figured Egypt was generally pro-US in the TW and the Soviets took out the Aswan Dam, wiping most of the country that matters off the map.

That and maybe a strike to close the Suez Canal is about all the megatonnage you'd need to spend on Egypt to remove their piece from the board entirely.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

The Egyptians might be allied with the West during the conflict but their access to the Nile waters pretty much overrides any and all considerations.
While the destruction of the two Aswan Dams would devastate the country, a number of the military bases are not near the river itself and by the time the flood reached the lower parts of the Nile, it probably wouldn't be so damaging (Cairo might survive and Alexandria would probably be relatively unscathed)
That plus the mining centres in the Sinai and the towns on the Suez may provide enough resources to allow the Egyptians onto a war footing.

[Raellus]

There's still the Blue Nile too. And the distances involved would be epic in a world without gasoline. Yeah, it's kind of looking like the water thing isn't going to work. It was an interesting idea, though.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I don't think the notion should be completely dismissed.
Looking at a map of Egypt, considering the distance from Aswan to Cairo I'm revising my earlier thoughts. It's about 1000km from Aswan to Cairo for example and I cannot imagine the flood having enough strength to travel that far with enough force to render the centre of Egyptian government incapable of some action
Cairo probably wouldn't even be damaged by a flood from the Aswan Dam destruction. The biggest problem the lower half of Egypt would face would be the lack of electrical power from the Aswan Dam hydro-electric generators.
I think there would be enough of an Egyptian government left to at least make threats about attacking anyone "stealing their water". Ethiopia would disregard the Egyptians and use whatever water from the Nile they needed. Sudan would probably start doing the same and sooner or later all the nations that border the Nile would do so.

The surviving Egyptian government might use this as a means to unite the people into rebuilding the country. What better motivation could they have "Our water is being stolen by the savages to the south, the lifeblood of Egypt is being sucked away by these leeches"
An attack on Kenya, as mentioned earlier, is highly unlikely to succeed but the Egyptians might be content with giving guns and food to Sudanese rebels to harass the Kenyan border thus placing greater strain on the Kenyan government, causing pressure to give into the Egyptians demands.

Protecting the border would be siphoning Kenyan troops away from other areas where they are needed because there's also the consideration that every nation around there is going to look at Kenya with envious eyes because it's still stable and has some ability to produce food and fuel whereas they have likely fallen into disarray and resorted to banditry and piracy to make a living.
Hence the need of an allied force to bolster the Kenyans.

P.S. and the Egyptians have some oil of their own (995,000 barrels/day in 1995 with reserves estimated at nearly 4 billion barrels) along with mining coal and gas from the Sinai, enough for them to be exporting it to nearby countries
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17771283/Egypt-Energy-Data-Statistics-and-Analysis-Oil-Gas-Electricity-Coal

[Raellus]

I'm looking at several maps of the Nile and it doesn't appear to have any significant headwaters or tributaries in Kenya. If this is the case, spending treasure on taking the Kenyans to task over water rights violations would be a major investment without any significant payoff.

Still, fighting among Kenya's northern neighbors over access to water seems likely in a T2K scenario and would lead to considerabe destablilization of the region. Some of that could spill over the Sudan-Kenya border.

[HorseSoldier]

For a single brigade, especially without the full-up suite RSTA assets available these days and limited airlift, just securing the Kenyan border against random marauders spilling over from the Sudan (and Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda) would be a serious trick. Don't really need major invasions to have the 173rd and the Kenyan military stretched to the limit with the whole continent sliding into chaos.

If Kenya is *the* show in Africa, I'd expect that a good sized chunk of 3rd SFG(A) would be in country as well, probably a mix of guys embedded with Kenyan military units and manning old school SF camps on the frontiers with militia and Kenyan military units to serve as trip wires for big incursions and help dissuade smaller raiding parties.

(GDW has 5th Group active in Kenya in the RDF Sourcebook, but it predates 3rd Group being reraised. At least a portion of 3rd Group would probably still be active in the Caribbean running missions against Cuba and its interests, but that's another topic.)

[Raellus]

For a single brigade, especially without the full-up suite RSTA assets available these days and limited airlift, just securing the Kenyan border against random marauders spilling over from the Sudan (and Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda) would be a serious trick. Don't really need major invasions to have the 173rd and the Kenyan military stretched to the limit with the whole continent sliding into chaos.

OK. But in mid-'97, when the 173rd deployed (according to Frey), adequate airlift and fuel for the brigade's aircraft was available and the Kenyan military is no slouch. If it's simply a matter of assisting the Kenyans in counter-insurgency operations, elements of the 5th SFG would probably be adequate. A reinforced BCT is overkill, especially considering the need for such a unit elsewhere. With the U.S. engaged in full-scale conventional warfare in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, an entire Airborne BCT could be put to use almost anywhere else BUT Kenya. IMO, a conventional Tanzanian invasion makes the commitment of the 173rd in Kenya a much more justifiable investment. Once they're there, the breakdown of the world's transportation networks following the TDM and the continued presence of large numbers of marauders on Kenya's frontiers explains the BCT's continued presence there.

Thanks, though, for the lead on the 5th SFG. I'll have to take a look at my RDF sourcebook. I could definitely use them in my scenario.

[HorseSoldier]

It's a brief reference in the text of RDF about 5th SFG having teams working with Masai tribesmen, if I remember right. As noted, it would be 3rd Group if they still got reactivated in 1990, which would possibly have happened in the Twilight timeline as well. I'm pretty sure the reactivation was planned as part of the Reagan-era plus up of the US military before the walls came down, even if it post-dated that by a year or so.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Okay so the water angle isn't as workable but how about the reason the 173rd is there is because the Kenyans are refining oil that is actually supplied from Egypt?
The 173rd is deployed there to collect some fuel being refined by the Kenyans in exchange for whatever. They find they don't have the capacity to transport the fuel so end up having to wait around and by that time, it's the end of the war in Europe and they are left to their own devices.

[Raellus]

Okay so the water angle isn't as workable but how about the reason the 173rd is there is because the Kenyans are refining oil that is actually supplied from Egypt?
The 173rd is deployed there to collect some fuel being refined by the Kenyans in exchange for whatever. They find they don't have the capacity to transport the fuel so end up having to wait around and by that time, it's the end of the war in Europe and they are left to their own devices.

If that works for you, go with it. I put a lot of thought, research, and work into my version of events so I'm going to stick with it.

[Raellus]

It's a brief reference in the text of RDF about 5th SFG having teams working with Masai tribesmen, if I remember right. As noted, it would be 3rd Group if they still got reactivated in 1990, which would possibly have happened in the Twilight timeline as well. I'm pretty sure the reactivation was planned as part of the Reagan-era plus up of the US military before the walls came down, even if it post-dated that by a year or so.

You've got a good memory. This is all that the RDF sourcebook has to say on the subject:

"SOCCENT: Last (but certainly not the least) of CENTCOM's component commands is Special Operations Command Central Command (SOCCENT).

Its Special Forces A Teams are in action from Iran to Kenya and work with such ethnic/racial groups as the Kurdish hill tribes of southwestern Iran and the Masai warriors of Kenya." (RDF Sourcebook, p.18)

[HorseSoldier]

Stuck in my head because I always wondered what they were doing in Africa during the middle of WW3, since v1.0 did not mention anything about the war in that part of the world.

[waiting4something]

For a single brigade, especially without the full-up suite RSTA assets available these days and limited airlift, just securing the Kenyan border against random marauders spilling over from the Sudan (and Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda) would be a serious trick. Don't really need major invasions to have the 173rd and the Kenyan military stretched to the limit with the whole continent sliding into chaos.

If Kenya is *the* show in Africa, I'd expect that a good sized chunk of 3rd SFG(A) would be in country as well, probably a mix of guys embedded with Kenyan military units and manning old school SF camps on the frontiers with militia and Kenyan military units to serve as trip wires for big incursions and help dissuade smaller raiding parties.

(GDW has 5th Group active in Kenya in the RDF Sourcebook, but it predates 3rd Group being reraised. At least a portion of 3rd Group would probably still be active in the Caribbean running missions against Cuba and its interests, but that's another topic.)


Wouldn't it be the job of the 20th SFG to be taking care of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico? I thought the 3rd SFG was strictly Africa, with the 5th SFG helping them out Eastern Horn of Africa. This way the 3rd may be a bigger force and more effectively spread out.

[HorseSoldier]

Early 90s, when they first stood up, 3rd had the Caribbean + Africa, with a portion of 20th tasked to support them (I think -- I spent a while in 20th, but early 90s were way before my time). Caribbean tasking kind of got punted around a good deal along the way, I think, with 7th and 20th both getting a piece of that AOR at different points.

Hard to say how tasking would have been divided up circa Twilight 1996, without a Gulf War, Somalia, etc. in the mix.

[Raellus]

Putting aside the Group question for a moment, what size detachment do you think would be adequate and realistic for conducting training ops in Kenya, after the start of T2K/WWIII and before my Tanzanian invasion in mid-'97?

I think that one ODA/A-Team would be about right. Too small? I'm sure SF troops would be badly needed elsewhere. Perhaps the balance of the A-Team's parent company after it is decided to commit the 173rd?

And I'm also thinking that the Brits would send at least a mobility troop of the SAS to support the training and mine warfare cadres already in place there.

[HorseSoldier]

It depends on how things are set up, what the desired end state is, and what level of commitment the US .gov is wanting to demonstrate by sending in SF troops.

A single ODA working out of the US embassy would be a possible approach if very, very limited goals were intended -- perhaps providing some mentoring and training to Kenyan SOF/elite sort of units, for instance.

At the other end of the spectrum, if Kenya provides a willing host nation for operations in Africa -- and if the Soviets/Cubans are trying to cause trouble in that neck of the woods while everything else is going on -- you could have everything up to the Group headquarters planted there, with component units operating all over the place.

With the 3rd Shock Army rampaging in central Europe and Soviets in Iran, that's probably rolling heavier than Africa would warrant. I'd figure the bulk of 3rd Group is backstopping 5th Group or maybe 10th Group, since southern Europe is pretty complicated and NATO hostile.

I'd guess anything from the single ODA idea you mentioned to up to a battalion if Kenya is a base for operations elsewhere in Africa, or up to a company if stouter support for Kenya, specifically, is intended.


** Unrelated idea concerning ex-pats in Kenya/Africa. The East Germans used to dump a lot of folks down that way helping training their fraternal socialist brethren and all that (if I remember right, the South Africans killed a couple of them in Angola in the 70s or 80s). Waking up and finding themselves suddenly on NATO's side in a camp otherwise full of Cuban and/or Soviet advisors could make for some interesting drama -- and they could have marched out towards the nearest NATO forces in Kenya from Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, etc, or PCs could be sent out on a long range patrol to make contact with them holed up in some African town and bring them out, etc.

[Raellus]

** Unrelated idea concerning ex-pats in Kenya/Africa. The East Germans used to dump a lot of folks down that way helping training their fraternal socialist brethren and all that (if I remember right, the South Africans killed a couple of them in Angola in the 70s or 80s). Waking up and finding themselves suddenly on NATO's side in a camp otherwise full of Cuban and/or Soviet advisors could make for some interesting drama -- and they could have marched out towards the nearest NATO forces in Kenya from Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, etc, or PCs could be sent out on a long range patrol to make contact with them holed up in some African town and bring them out, etc.

That's an awesome idea. I think I will use it.

[Jason Weiser]

Some other ideas...what to do with Libya...

One idea is they send some "volunteers" to assist the Tanzanians. Not at all impossible and with Libya "neutral" in the larger conflict, till they cross the Kenyan frontier, there's probably little we could do about it. Once the shooting starts, Libya's going to be flattened. But a brigade of light troops, maybe a battalion of tanks and oh, I dunno, a squadron of Mig-23s or Mirages might do wonders for the air superiority situation...till the US arrives. It would really put the Kenyans on the backfoot early and the Soviets would be out very little. Not to mention, the Libyans have more equipment than they need. Selling some to Tanzania wouldn't be out of the question either....

[Raellus]

I like that. I'm sure Libya could swing some infantry and maybe a squadron of fighters. That would add to the intrigue. Libyans trapped in southern Kenya/northern Tanzania after the war went nuclear could make things more interesting

[Jason Weiser]

There's also these guys from the Soviet Vehicle Guide project we've been working on:

21st AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE

A Category I brigade from the Transcaucasian MD. The 21st was sent to Ethiopia in early 1996 to reinforce Ethiopian and Cuban forces in Eritrea. The 21st was used in company-sized raids against Eritrean rebels. The brigade did well against the rebels, who had little in the way of ADA and MANPADS to use against the brigade and its attached helicopters. This lasted until early 1997 when US forces intervened in the Persian Gulf and US troops landed in Kenya and Yemen. The brigade was now cut off and very far from home. Fuel and spare parts for the helicopters has run out, and the Brigade’s commander is scheming a way to get his men home, but the harbors at Massawa and Assab were repeatedly mined and attacked by NATO aircraft during the course of the war and are impassible to shipping, Right now, the brigade is in cantonment in Asmara and is the only source of anything approaching law and order for miles around, as Ethiopia disintegrates around them.

Subordination: Independent
Location: Asmara, Ethiopia
Manpower: 260

[Raellus]

Interesting. Seems like a significant investment of manpower without much hope for reward. I'd love to hear more of your rationale for this deployment.

BTW, based on your suggestion, I added something about Libyan volunteers to my write up. Thanks again.

[HorseSoldier]

Direct Soviet deployment of combat troops in Africa pre-Twilight War would seem to violate some unspoken Cold War agreement (and that's what Cubans are for). With the war with China ongoing and (IIRC) ongoing COIN in Afghanistan it seems overstretch -- especially with the USSR hitting up the rest of the WP for China front forces. First order of business would be cutting non-priority commitments in places that don't matter (same thing makes me question GDWe's parking Soviet units in Vietnam).

[Raellus]

Direct Soviet deployment of combat troops in Africa pre-Twilight War would seem to violate some unspoken Cold War agreement (and that's what Cubans are for). With the war with China ongoing and (IIRC) ongoing COIN in Afghanistan it seems overstretch -- especially with the USSR hitting up the rest of the WP for China front forces. First order of business would be cutting non-priority commitments in places that don't matter (same thing makes me question GDWe's parking Soviet units in Vietnam).

This was what I was getting at. I agree with your assessment regarding deployment of Soviet troops to Africa. The factors weighing against such a deployment are similar for the U.S. military and that's why I came up with the Tanzanian invasion. I'm hoping Jason can shed some more light on the D.C. group's decision to place Soviet troops in a strategically irrelevant (relatively speaking) African region.

As for Vietnam, I'm not very familiar with that piece of canon but I'm assuming that the Soviet reasoning for doing so would have had something to do with opening a second front against China, as well as defending the Soviet naval installations there.

[Jason Weiser]

The Soviets decided to post the unit there mainly to prop up the Mengitsu government, and have a unit handy to protect the Soviet Naval anchorages in Ethiopia, and across the Red Sea in Aden in case NATO became involved in the larger mess vis a vis China. We could say a company backed up the Naval Infantry Garrison on Aden and some other elements were sent down to reinforce Soccotra and the rest was busy both providing security to the anchorages in Eritrea and various Primus resupply points up and down the coast. Trouble was? None of that lasted long, and as NATO air and naval power squeezed the Soviet navy and merchant marine out of the area, and the US took Aden and Yemen, and the other anchorages were bombed into rubble, the unit soon found itself sucked into the civil war. By the time things with Tanzania got nasty, the unit was too busy to do more than a few raids into Kenya to help the Tanzanians.

[Raellus]

That makes sense, Jason. It was a pre-war (at least, pre European war) move and they just kind of got stuck there when the balloon went up. Is that right?

[Jason Weiser]

Correct.

[Raellus]

Recondo School

In early 1998, with the 173rd BCT isolated from the rest of the U.S. armed forces and its constituent infantry battalions widely spread around the country and responsible for large and environmentally diverse areas of operation, it quickly became apparent that the Brigade's authorized reconnaissance unit, A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry, could not be everywhere at once. In order to locate and monitor the various hostile forces* operating in their respective areas of operation, each battalion needed a dedicated, long-range reconnaissance unit of its own.

*Most of these hostile forces operated as relatively small, mobile bands, using classic guerilla tactics.

The Brigade's commander, a late-war Vietnam veteran and former Ranger, decided to create a training course for long range reconnaissance patrollers modeled on the Vietnam War-era U.S. Army Recondo school. The course would focus on long range patrolling and scouting skills, tracking, field-craft, and SERE.

The cadre for the school was formed by a small group of experienced Special Forces soldiers familiar with Kenya and its people. A diverse group of men was assembled to lend local and topical knowledge and expertise to the course. This group included a Rhodesian expatriate and former Selous Scout with extensive experience in long range patrolling in the African bush and an Israeli citizen and ex-Sayeret Maktal commando who "retired" to Kenya after a stint as an independent security consultant at the refinery facilities in Mombasa. Several Kenyan soldiers, game wardens, and indigenous, semi-nomadic hunters were also brought in to share their experience with the students (and instructors) and the British SAS mobility troop operating against Somali bandits and Junudullah insurgents in the northeast of the country routinely rotated personnel (often convalescing wounded) through the course as "guest instructors".

Graduates of the Recondo school formed long range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) platoons in each of the Brigade's airborne infantry battalions. Additional allied personnel cycled through the school in small batches and returned to their parent line companies in order to share their newly acquired patrolling skills.

[HorseSoldier]

I like it, and think you're on a plausible track splitting things between LRRP stuff and basic combat tracking for line units.

[Raellus]

I like it, and think you're on a plausible track splitting things between LRRP stuff and basic combat tracking for line units.

Thanks. I've got a soft spot for LRRPs and I wanted to make sure to include them in the campaign setting. Many parts of Kenya are ideal for LRRP-type operations.

[Raellus]

BCT Operations November 1997-July 2000

Throughout the remainder of 1997, the Herd's infantry battalions remained concentrated around the strategically important cities of Mombasa and Nairobi. Although the Tanzanian offensive had been blunted and thrown back, the remnants of the Tanzanian military (including rogue forces of Tanzanian origin) still retained the capacity to threaten southern Kenya. Operations focused on destroying the remnants of the invasion force remaining in the frontier region.

An operational shift occurred after the escalation of the nuclear phase of the war in the autumn of 1997. Shipments of replacement personnel and equipment, ammunition, supplies, and spare parts from CENTCOM and CONUS slowed to a trickle. The forces in and around the strategically important refinery and port facilities in Mombasa braced for a nuclear attack which fortunately never came.

With the continuation of drought conditions throughout East Africa, the food situation for the Herd, as well as Kenya's urban population, soon became critical. Kenya's western highlands, one of the Africa's most productive agricultural regions, became a area of strategic importance. At the same time, incursions by LRA and renegade Ugandan military units in the region increased as the situation in Uganda spiraled out of control. Farms and farming villages were overrun, crops plundered or ruined, and atrocities against civilians committed on an alarming scale. The Kenyan infantry brigades assigned to the region were hard pressed to stem the flow of Ugandan marauders. Scattered reports of disgruntled Kenyan troops deserting from their units and joining the Ugandan marauders began to reach Nairobi. The 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were sent to western Kenya to stabilize the situation and secure the valuable food producing regions.

As of July 2000, the 1/503 remained in western Kenya, along with elements of the 2/503. Other elements of the 2/503 formed ad-hoc task forces that were deployed to trouble spots in the north of the country, as circumstances dictated. Along with most of the Brigade Combat Team's remaining operational aircraft, the 4/503 (airmobile) were based around Nairobi and operated mostly in the central highlands. A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry and the 3/503 (light motorized), using French-made AFVs, operated out of Mombasa and were tasked with keeping the Mombasa to Nairobi highway open. Throughout Kenya, the 173rd BCT operated alongside loyal Kenyan military forces which, for the most part, displayed professionalism and fighting spirit.

[shrike6]

I'm confused how did the 1-503rd get from Korea to Kenya. For that matter why did the 228th Aviation Battalion deploy to Kenya and not deploy with the 1st Cavalry Division to Europe?

[Raellus]

I'm confused how did the 1-503rd get from Korea to Kenya. For that matter why did the 228th Aviation Battalion deploy to Kenya and not deploy with the 1st Cavalry Division to Europe?

Since I'm not an ORBAT master, I used the units FF mentioned in the archived threads. I wasn't aware that the above mentioned units were already accounted for elsewhere. Perhaps it was a redesignation deal.

[HorseSoldier]

1-503rd was an element of the 2nd Infantry Division during the late Cold War.

When the 173rd was reformed, it initially began life with 2-503rd (former 3-325th) and 1-508th AIR. If I am understanding the information correctly, it eventually gained the 1-503rd lineage as well, making three battalions, and then dropped 1-508th when it converted to current army organization for BCTs and such.

For the Twilight War scenario, you might want to consider going with 1-508th, 2-503rd and then either 2-508th or 1-555th, which is mentioned in Frank Frey's notes as being reformed and assigned. You could even toss in something like 6-143rd Infantry (Airborne), Texas Nat'l Guard, for a fourth line battalion, if you want to posit the reserve component units mentioned in FF's notes eventually showed up.

[Raellus]

For the Twilight War scenario, you might want to consider going with 1-508th, 2-503rd and then either 2-508th or 1-555th, which is mentioned in Frank Frey's notes as being reformed and assigned. You could even toss in something like 6-143rd Infantry (Airborne), Texas Nat'l Guard, for a fourth line battalion, if you want to posit the reserve component units mentioned in FF's notes eventually showed up.

Thanks, HS. One of Frank's two 173rd BCT ORBATs included four infantry battalions- two airborne, one airmobile, and one light motorized- which, for simplicity's sake, I went with. I really want four line battalions so I may go with the reserve battalion, shipped in just before the balloon went up.

Using your ORBAT, may I assume that the 50x battalions are airborne qualified? Which battalion should be the airmobile one? Could an NG battalion realistically be set up as a light motorized unit? (using, as per Frey's idea, French-supplied light AFVs)

[HorseSoldier]

The 500 series infantry regiments all (if I'm not mistaken) have an airborne lineage, but may or may not actually be on jump status now (and there are some regiments without 500+ numbers that have historical or current airborne status, to add further confusion to the matter).

The 'Guard unit could be the light motorized one, especially since whoever gets the role is falling in on new equipment. They could have been slated to be a reserve round-out/round-up unit for the 173rd who arrived in theater with only a portion of the unit jump qualified (from personal experience in and around several NG airborne units, getting everyone to and through jump school is a PITA, as is keeping them current during peace time).

I would perhaps say that the three regular army battalions were all initially jump qualified, and the NG battalion was supposed to be, but when the NG battalion arrived in theater it was sufficiently deficient in jump-qualified personnel that it was looted for jumpers to replace casualties in the other battalions, and then became a receiving unit for non-jumping replacements. (Particularly because I'd think that Kenya would be low on the priority list for airborne qualified replacement personnel in most any MOS, with 18th Abn Corps, the Rangers, assorted SOF units and LRS units, etc, in action in busier AOs.)

As the war wore on, the decision was later made to pool increasingly scarce equipment and personnel in two of the other battalions, and take the third off jump status (allowing it to also incorporate non-airborne replacement personnel, including indigenous Kenyan and expatriate personnel).

Or something like that.

[shrike6]

First I'd like to point out that the 1-508th was assigned to the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama till '97 irl.
As far as a light motorized battalion, something you might want to consider using is a TLAT battalion. http://www.orbat.com/site/history/open_vol2/TheTOWLightAntiTankBattalion1980.pdf May not be exactly what your looking for but they are light and motorized and it would kill two birds with one stone a reserve unit and motorized. Another option to fill that hole is to say the NG reactivated the 1-143rd Airborne again in TX. As far as which battalion is motorized, etc. thats pretty much up to your discretion. As far as my suggestions for the unit designations I'm more of a historical guy so I would take one of two options here. A. Go with 2-, 3-, 4-503rd and one of the NG options plus I'd change the Cavalry Squadron (I'm assuming you're using a whole cavalry squadron by your designation and not just a troop.) to either the 4-16th Cavalry or the 5-17th Cavalry Squadron which actually had historical ties to the Herd from Vietnam (via their lineage through D Co 16th Armor and E Troop, 17th Cavalry respectively). If your using just a troop then historically it would be D Troop 16th Cavalry or E Troop 17th Cavalry or if you want the latest flavor A Troop 91st Cavalry. now on to B. Keep the 1-503rd and say the one in Korea got reflagged to another unit designation like the 2-506th or something at some point previous. Thats my tastes your tastes are probably different and I'm curious to see how you work it out.
As far as the 228th Aviation Battalion, when the 1st Cavalry began converting to Division 86 configuration. The division added a second aviation battalion to go along with the 227th around 1983. So they went with the 228th for it which makes sense given the history of the 228th. That designation stuck until they regimentalized the aviation branch in the mid to late 80s eliminating the separate aviation battalions designations. So if your going with the early 80s designations which is what is used in Twilight 2000 and by Frank then 228th was already assigned prewar to the 1st Cav.

[Raellus]

Is there anything else I could/should add in order to make this more source-booky?

[Olefin]

very interesting - never saw this before - working on my own Kenyan source book as well - in mine the Tanzanian invasion is turned back easily by the Kenyans but they then get overwhelmed by marauders and guerrillas from other nations hitting them because they see Kenya as ripe for the knife due to having to concentrate their forces to stop the Tanzanians -

the US comes in because Kenya appeals to them for aid to stop those other invaders so they can concentrate on the Tanzanians

[Raellus]

very interesting - never saw this before - working on my own Kenyan source book as well...

I posted a link to it when you put up a new thread on Kenya a little while back. Since you mentioned a Kenya sourcebook today, I thought I would bump this old thread since some of us old-timers (forum history-wise, that is)have already put a bit of thought into it.

I would never argue that my version is canon, but I was pretty stoked with the Frank Frey endorsement. He helped out with some info from his old notes and I added a couple of my own flourishes (the Tanzanian invasion, namely).

I just feel like what I've written up so far is a little thin for a sourcebook. Would it be helpful if I broke Kenya down into some geographical regions and got a little more specific with the local conditions found there? Would more detailed write-ups of the OPFOR be useful?

[Olefin]

its what I am doing - took frank's notes and so far have 35 pages on not only Kenya but other areas too

[Legbreaker]

I just feel like what I've written up so far is a little thin for a sourcebook. Would it be helpful if I broke Kenya down into some geographical regions and got a little more specific with the local conditions found there? Would more detailed write-ups of the OPFOR be useful?

A full on source book would seem to be a bit of overkill for just one small(ish) African country not directly involved with the overall war. Eastern Europe, a dozen or so countries which were, only got one book between them.

I'd say aim for something that would fit into 6-10 pages - what you might expect to see in Challenge. Either that or expand to cover the entire continent (which is far more work than I think any of us here would want to do given there's virtually no foundation material).

Realistically, the only countries/small regions which deserve a "book" are the US, UK, France (and it's dependencies and colonies), the Mediterranean (focusing on Greece and Italy), Korea and it's immediate neighbours including China (pretty easy - melted glass with the odd scorched bone sticking out of it), and perhaps Pakistan/India and Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands and including Indonesia and up to about Singapore). Might be worth exploring South and Central America in one book also, but as none of them were a part of the main conflict zones...

[Olefin]

Actually a sourcebook is what the area needs. And Kenya is critical to the war - you dont send an airborne regiment plus a lot of support units plus naval and air units there unless its damn important considering all of those units are really needed in the RDF.

That refinery and the port are critical for the RDF.

I am working on such a sourcebook now to cover Kenya, the area around it, and how it fits into the whole war, using other modules and canon information plus what Frank Frey has posted or approved from other posters in order to use it as a source for those who want to play in the area and as a basis for modules and adventures.

Should be ready soon.

Oh and for those who follow the news Mr. Kony and his fun guys from the LRA are part of those the US is having conflict with.

The way I see it - if GDW was going to issue a module/sourcebook on the country and the area around it then as far as they thought it was pretty important to the overall war effort.

[Legbreaker]

It's just a Regiment. That's roughly three Battalions plus a few supporting units. It's not a major deployment for a military as big as the US. It's only about a third of what's in the US 8th ID way over in the Baltic states.

It's an interesting sideshow and gives players and GMs something different to play with, but strategically it's fairly insignificant. Chances are neighbouring African tin pot dictators are fielding greater manpower.

[Tegyrius]

Leg, I'd like to be sure I understand your position before I attempt to address it. Are you saying that you feel only major combat and large geographic areas are worthy of receiving sourcebook attention?

- C.

[Legbreaker]

Not exactly, just that giving too much detail on a small area could constrain another GMs creativity. IMO there should be plenty of opportunities for others to develop on the framework initially provided.

This isn't to say the initial writer should feel in any way limited in fleshing things out for themselves, just that if their main intent is to provide a resource for others to use, then they should use a similar level of detail as the original GDW writers.

Individual countries/regions should be able to be adequately covered by shorter articles of the 6-10(ish) pages size.

Of course it's absolutely fine, even encouraged for writers to post more detailed work if they're looking for constructive criticism to help make their personal game world more believable/playable, but as far as "source material" goes, it should remain fairly skeletal, but with plenty of potential plot hooks.

[Olefin]

Actually its a lot more than a regiment

There is an aviation regiment as well, elements of various infantry units, an armored battalion sent over to give them some armor and a whole special forces group plus elements of two others

plus naval forces, air force elements and then you have the Kenyan Army as well

add it all up and its a major US deployment,especially for Twilight 2000

and thats just from Frank Frey's notes which he admitted were not complete

have added a few units myself and a couple of creations for auxiliary forces like the British Lions

its very obvious that Kenya was going to be a base for an African series of modules just like Iran is

oh and Kenya is not a minor sized nation unless you say France is a minor sized nation - they are comparable in size

Also keep in mind that Kenya is mentioned in two modules - the RDF and Kings Ransom - obviously it is important for CENTCOM or why are they sending forces there

And CENTCOM is probably the largest organized force the US military still has with the possible exception of whats in Korea - and most likely if the story had continued would have been the driving military force for the restoration of the US eventually

[Raellus]

@Olefin: I think we have slightly different visions for Kenya as a T2K setting.

I like a grittier, slightly more chaotic setting where the U.S./allied forces are a little weaker and the opposition is stronger. In my mind, this is what T2K is all about. You seem to prefer one where the U.S./allied forces are significantly stronger and the opposition not quite as formidable. You say tomato, I say tomato.

This is why I don't think either work can/should be considered as canon or even more properly canonical.

BTW, did FF add the armored battalion or is that your touch?

@Leg: A semantics error on my part. I was thinking Challenge article/supplement but I typed sourcebook.

[Olefin]

Take it from me - while the US is in a better position strong they arent - and they have a lot of enemys - Somalian warlords, the PARA, the LRA, and Sudanese rebels - then add in a bunch of non-aligned marauders, local Kenyan criminals and the fact that Kenya, while it may look small on the map, is roughly the size of France.

Thats a lot of territory to cover with what is there.

And what Frank has in his original notes as he posted on the other thread is what I used. I just rounded out his force.

[Legbreaker]

A semantics error on my part. I was thinking Challenge article/supplement but I typed sourcebook.
I thought as much. You've probably got enough then with a bit of polishing here and there. We all make the mistake from time to time of trying to cover too much in too much detail and then never being happy with what we've got.

Thats a lot of territory to cover with what is there.
Not when you consider the areas covered in the canon books.
And what Frank has in his original notes as he posted on the other thread is what I used. I just rounded out his force.
Is "rounding out" even necessary? Doesn't that add in units which may have been intentionally left out by Frank to give more balance to the region?

[Olefin]

No actually rounding out means things like adding a CID platoon to the MP battalion that Frank was going to have there or adding some reinforcements from Europe (a la what is going to the RDF), in this case a specific unit as well as having auxiliary groups and things Frank forgot like the Kenyan police units that are used for internal security that would be backing up the army.

Plus filling out info on stuff like the Army unit flying Skyraiders (that was Frank's idea originally I am fleshing it out) and the US recruiting from trapped Americans and others in the area to try to get replacements.

Keep in mind the US would be having ops in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia and the Sudan. Its not just one country but a large area. And I am including information on the whole area up to and including Djibouti - not a ton of detail but enough that you can use it to run a campaign if you wish.

I am bringing the M8 Bulldog "officially" into the game as well - should be there for sure. And incorporating real world events that post date V1 of the game but fit into the timeline for sure - like the Rwandan genocide as an event.

And fixing the French deployments in Djibouti to match reality and correct the error in the RDF where they left out a whole unit that has been there since the 1960's.

There will be references and material there from other GDW modules which I will give credit to - for instance I will be replicating the charts in the back of the RDF sourcebook (and citing that module as where they came from) for those who dont own that particular sourcebook for character creation.

Probably looking at 50+ pages by the time its all said and done - basically my idea of what Frank would have published if GDW hadnt abandoned the V1 timeline and went to MERC instead.

[Legbreaker]

I am bringing the M8 Bulldog "officially" into the game as well - should be there for sure.
"Officially"?
Can anyone who was not involved in the original development honestly claim anything they do to be "official"?
FYI, the M8 is already in 2.x which is really just an evolution of what started in 1.0. It first appeared in the Eastern Europe Sourcebook and later in the 2.2 BYB. Also, it's a Buford, not Bulldog. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m8-ags.htm also, http://www.pmulcahy.com/best_stuff_that_never_was/best_lcv_that_never_were.htm

And fixing the French deployments in Djibouti to match reality and correct the error in the RDF where they left out a whole unit that has been there since the 1960's.
See my comments elsewhere for possible explanation why they may be absent and not necessarily "missed".
...Frank would have published if GDW hadnt abandoned the V1 timeline and went to MERC instead.
Err, what?
T2K was not abandoned in favour of anything. Merc was simply an alternate universe using the same timeframe and rules as T2K. There were plenty of books published after Merc came out, and 2.0 itself came before Merc.

[Olefin]

actually yes we can claim it - notice I said "officially" i.e. in quotes

as in fan canon

and in the absence of any new information being officially put out thats as official as it gets

I will be sending the sourcebook to Far Future as well to see if they are interested in publishin it - who knows maybe they will

you dont have to use it Leg - frankly if no one does then they dont - thats their choice - but at least it will be out there for anyone who does want to use it.

[LAW0306]

OLEFIN, I published a draft a few years back and Frank came on here and said as far as i'm concerned this is Cannon now! Chico saved the post. It still did not sway leg. Just write whatt you think is cool send it to chico for edit. He is a world class guy I would give my life for. We know each other on a personal level and eat lunch together when i'm in town. Talk too him and he will make you better. He is the man in my opinion. I learned a long time ago fighting on here does no good and people are keyboard commando's ...turn the other cheeck edit before you send and treat all with respect even if they dont do it too you and you will go a long way here.

[Targan]

actually yes we can claim it - notice I said "officially" i.e. in quotes
"We" huh? So who else are you speaking on behalf of then?

and in the absence of any new information being officially put out thats as official as it gets
I've tried so hard not to comment on any of your posts lately Olefin but mate, I'm calling you out on this one. Your ego is musular well beyond the point of having a positive self image.

you dont have to use it Leg - frankly if no one does then they dont - thats their choice - but at least it will be out there for anyone who does want to use it.
I'll be sticking with Raellus' take on Kenya, thanks very much. You've got a good head for analysis Olefin and you're a pretty good writer but the way you've barged into this forum and (it seems like) set out to deliberately piss people off, I wouldn't touch any of your source material with a 10 foot pole. You're older than me so I'm surprised you haven't learned that sometimes you'll get further with people if you take a diplomatic approach. PMs be damned. If you're going to constantly mark your territory in open forum I'm abandoning all restraint with you.

[Tegyrius]

I will be sending the sourcebook to Far Future as well to see if they are interested in publishin it - who knows maybe they will

You say "Far Future" as if it's still an extant publishing company... rather than a legal entity existing solely to hold the rights to properties on which all work is being held in indefinite abeyance.

Do you have any prior experience in dealing with publishing companies, whether in this "industry" (read: "subsidized hobby") or otherwise?

- C.

[Olefin]

we - as in we's like Chico with what he has done with the DC working group, Mr. Mulcahy with the great work he has done, etc..

on things like the various guides that are fan canon that have been published on the Mexican, Pole and Czech Armies

like the Survivors Guide to the UK that Rainbow is working on

they are as "official" as it can get unless we can get someone interested in doing official publishing again on the game

as for Far Future - as Chico pointed out to me they still own the rights to the game - as such I think I have to at least email them and credit them as the people who own the rights on the sourcebook to keep everything on the up and up. And you never know - maybe one day they may decide to do something with Twilight 2000.

Oh and Targan - my source material for Kenya is the posts that Frank Frey put up on various threads here as to notes for that area. So if you dont want to touch it with a ten foot pole then you have to reject Raellus as well since its the same material he used to build what he has.

As for comments on my ego and what I post I have talked to one of the other moderators here and been told that there is no issue with what I have done so far.

And yes I am new here - but boards need new blood to stimulate discussion and new threads. As for your other comments Targan I will follow the board policy and make no reply to them.

[Targan]

Oh and Targan - my source material for Kenya is the posts that Frank Frey put up on various threads here as to notes for that area. So if you dont want to touch it with a ten foot pole then you have to reject Raellus as well since its the same material he used to build what he has.

Get back to me after Mr Frey has returned to this forum and publicly given your work his endorsement as he did with Raellus' work. You didn't even have to decency to suggest collaborating with Raellus, you just put forward your newly written work as an alternative product. Yeah, you're going to win a whole bunch of friends that way, for sure.

[Olefin]

Actually what I am doing and what Raellus is doing are alternate versions of Kenya and thus both represent ways that Kenya can be looked at.

He has taken one approach and I have taken another.

I am looking at a wider area and a different US approach than he is. Both are based on what Frank put up here as his notes as to the base units and the enemy units. From there they diverge into different approaches.

And when the time comes to have it ready I will send it to Frank Frey and see what he says and will wecome his comments. And also Raellus comments as well as those of others here. I have already made changes based on the few things I have posted about it from comments and input.

Simonmark6 has helped a lot with it with his great idea for the British Lions nd I will fully credit him for that. And Raellus idea of a Tanzanian invasion will also be credited by me as its a great idea,done differently by both of us, which is great - the more ideas the better.

As for my saying its official - Raellus's Kenya is also official. So is anyone else who comes up with a good idea for Kenya. In lieu of a publishing authority to say what he real timeline or real module is all are equally official.

Some may like my version, some may like Raellus, some may like neither or combine both into something new.

Hopefully both of them will find acceptance and maybe will be used for campaigns in the future.

And I am not here to win friends, just discuss the game. So far this forum has been a great place to be. Because of it I am playing the game again as of this week after a long absence.

[Legbreaker]

And I am not here to win friends...
That is painfully obvious to us all.

[Olefin]

"That is painfully obvious to us all. "

Since when did you represent the views of everyone on the forum Leg.

LAW said nothing of the sort that I am doing anything wrong here. So have others. Obviously some dont feel as you do.

[Legbreaker]

Perhaps you should start listening to the Moderators then, hmm?

[Olefin]

I have Leg - I was told directly by a moderator this afternoon that what I was posting was per board policy and there was no issue at all with any of the threads I had posted or in my approach to the board.

So yes I have listened to a moderator.

[Webstral]

A little bit of oversensitivity goes a long way towards bruised feelings all around, whether one is new or an old hand.

I agree that some fresh ideas are an excellent thing. Many of the people who used to provide new material, like me, are too occupied with other responsibilities to do much writing. (How I'd love to get back to "The Storm in Germany"!) It's good to have some new voices and new ideas.

That much said, we all ought to have a look at how James conducts himself. His ideas are well-considered and well-presented. He accepts feedback graciously. He's willing to modify his work to reflect feedback. He shows a positive attitude. It's really an impressive show. I wish we'd had him in the old days when we were trying to build a common vision.

It's fine not to like certain aspects of the published material. The Howling Wilderness horse is dead, my friends. Those of us who don’t dig Howling Wilderness don’t require further convincing that there are problems with it. Those of us who prefer Howling Wilderness aren’t amenable to new arguments that it needs fixing, given all of the discussion that has taken place on the subject over the years. Certainly, those who prefer Howling Wilderness more-or-less as it is aren’t going to change their minds when presented with an argument salted with “That’s stupid”. There’s plenty of room for a factual review of the holes in the timeline, disappearing reinforcements, and the like without anybody’s feelings getting involved.

Everyone has their feelings about Howling Wilderness and the published materials. I have a wife and two young children, so I get plenty of drama at home. When I’m teaching, I have classrooms filled with tweens, so I get plenty of drama at work. I keep the company of men on the Internet to avoid the drama. Let’s not get spun up over whose ideas are more logically consistent or more likely to win favor from Frank Frey. In all likelihood, Frank is steering clear of us because he doesn’t need the drama, either.

[pmulcahy11b]

OLEFIN, I published a draft a few years back and Frank came on here and said as far as i'm concerned this is Cannon now! Chico saved the post. It still did not sway leg. Just write whatt you think is cool send it to chico for edit. He is a world class guy I would give my life for. We know each other on a personal level and eat lunch together when i'm in town. Talk too him and he will make you better. He is the man in my opinion. I learned a long time ago fighting on here does no good and people are keyboard commando's ...turn the other cheeck edit before you send and treat all with respect even if they dont do it too you and you will go a long way here.

I suspect everyone here picks, chooses, and modifies as necessary. So what if your game strays from canon a bit. Suppose it makes sweeping changes to canon. It's a game. If a good time is had by all, who cares?

[Raellus]

Let’s not get spun up over whose ideas are more logically consistent or more likely to win favor from Frank Frey. In all likelihood, Frank is steering clear of us because he doesn’t need the drama, either.

I am sorry for dragging his name into this. That was my pride getting in the way of my good sense.

I just wanted to remind people I'd done a Kenya piece. It's been a while since I've done anything else with it and I wanted to maybe dust it off and make some improvements. Considering the tone on the forum these past couple of days, my timing, it seems, was pretty poor.

[Olefin]

I in no way intend to drag Frank Frey into anything over whose version of anything is more canon than any other. If anything just wanted to show it to him and see what he thinks and ask if I need to make changes to follow his orginal guidelines better.

Cant wait to see more work on your version of Kenya Raellus.

[Legbreaker]

I published a draft a few years back and Frank came on here and said as far as i'm concerned this is Cannon now! Chico saved the post. It still did not sway leg.
That's bit of a misrepresentation but meh, whatever. Everyone's entitled to their opinion.
The situation is simple. Create what you like, post it for review if you want, but please don't try and pass it off as definitive and "canon" without being able to back it up with verifiable evidence.
Sometimes other people can see holes the size of a truck in an argument. That simply means that if the writer wants it to "conform with canon" they just need to address the issues raised and tighten their work up a bit. Nobody's perfect, we all make mistakes. A second set of eyes looking it over can only be a good thing.

[Tegyrius]

With all due respect to Mr. Frey and his work, I'm not certain he has any more authority than anyone else does to declare anything "canon." Unless he's speaking as a duly-authorized representative of Far Future Enterprises - of which I have seen no evidence - he has the exact same status as any other former writer who published under contract to a company and has since moved on to other tasks.

(I would be interested in knowing if he was an in-house writer or a 1099 freelancer, though. The former would presumably make him somewhat more informed about the design intent and long-term company strategy regarding the T2k line, and I have a head full of questions on those issues.)

Olefin, I'll rephrase my question to you: do you have any familiarity with how the publishing industry - RPG or otherwise - operates today?

- C.

[Targan]

With all due respect to Mr. Frey and his work, I'm not certain he has any more authority than anyone else does to declare anything "canon." Unless he's speaking as a duly-authorized representative of Far Future Enterprises - of which I have seen no evidence - he has the exact same status as any other former writer who published under contract to a company and has since moved on to other tasks.

Perhaps this needs some clarification. I never suggested that Frank Frey has declared (on this forum or elsewhere) that anything written by anyone that wasn't part of the original V1, V2 or V2.2 published material + Challenge Mag articles was canon. I said he endorsed Raellus' work, basically saying that he felt it was very much in keeping with what he had intended for the final, published version of his never-published Kenyan sourcebook.

Also, the recent strong disagreements around here seem to being mis-characterised as a canon vs non-canon argument. It's not. Even strongly pro-canon advocates on this forum have repeatedly stated that they don't have a problem with anyone running any of their campaigns as they see fit. Canon games, non-canon games, all fine, each to their own. The arguments are about what is and is not canon (which is really only of concern for those who prefer to stick to canon) and having certain opinions rammed down others' throats.

My main gripe concerns the methods of delivery of certain opinions, and the complete lack of respect for the status quo that existed until not so many weeks ago. Old wounds have been opened, sensibilities have been offended, and for what? Seriously, how hard is it to display just a little bit more sensitivity, particularly after gentle warnings were clearly spelled out early in the piece?

Please, someone let me know if what I'm writing here makes no sense and I'll scuttle off to some place where it does.

[Legbreaker]

Makes perfect sense and sums up the situation succinctly.

[Olefin]

No I dont have that knowledge but I would love to see if we can get that knowledge. A long time ago I submitted a couple of ideas to Dragon Magazine about an idea I had called the undead hunter. We went back and forth working on it as something for publication but I lost interest when I started college and had a lot more pressing things to do (like study for instance)

Frankly seeing the work that has been presented here and on other sites by the members of this board we would have quite a case to present to Far Future of the ability to create new canon works for them to sell even if only as web only pdf sales.

[Tegyrius]

In that case, my first advice to you is this: if you really want to write for publication, enroll in an undergraduate English class on grammar and mechanics. Regardless of the strength of a writer's ideas, few publishers, editors, or line developers will offer him more than one contract if his work consistently requires extensive copy editing.

Second, I suggest you research unsolicited manuscripts and their typical reception at publishing firms.

Third, you may need to recalibrate your expectations regarding the size of the RPG publishing market today versus one, two, or three decades ago, as well as the likely success of an attempt to resurrect a property whose core concepts have been left in history's dust. In other words: "market research." It is an unfortunate geek tendency for individual fans or small local (or online) groups to project their own personal enthusiasm for a property onto the overall global population of potential customers, then make sweeping (and erroneous) generalizations about the commercial viability of their personal visions for said property. In some cases, this failed understanding goes so far as to drive catastrophically bad business decisions.

Fourth, you should understand how a product progresses from initial concept to published work. "Writing new material" is but the tip of the iceberg, even in the very small companies that comprise the majority of RPG houses today. A large amount of budgeting, scheduling, and other project management work occurs behind the scenes, to say nothing of the art and production tasks. It's my unqualified belief that it's in the invisible-to-the-consumer PM side of the effort - not in the act of arranging words on a screen - that most catastrophic business failures are born. A good starting point for such research would be the publisher forums over on RPG.net. We've also had several relevant discussions in this forum, which an informed use of the Search function will unearth for your reading pleasure.

Fifth, you may wish to take to heart the behavioral advice given to you by the eminences grises of this forum, not just pay it lip service while continuing to violate the spirit of the guidelines that govern interactions here. Statements like "I am not here to win friends" do nothing to earn respect or establish professional credentials - social currency which, had you bothered to comprehend the atmosphere of this forum before entering, you would understand to be far more valuable than a high post count. To the contrary, such statements only establish your image as a confrontational, argumentative intruder who would rather be "right" (ironic airquotes intentional) than be part of the community. If it is your wish to be the undisputed dominant poster in a depopulated forum that serves only as an echo chamber for your own creative excursions, or if you seek the sulking self-justification of a formal ban or informal ostracism for conduct unbecoming, then feel free to continue undeterred on your present course. If you want to be offered a seat at the grown-ups' table, first learn to moderate your excesses of self-righteousness.

- C.

[Olefin]

Thank you very much for the advice and the information. I hope that not only me but others read it as well who may want to see if we can get some of the fan canon things that have been created possibly published as official Twilight 2000 canon one day.

[Raellus]

This isn't new, but I figured that a link to the fanzine version of my Proud Lion piece might be helpful.

http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=3785

Here's a PDF version hosted on Paul's awesome site.

http://www.pmulcahy.com/PDFs/good_luck_youre_on_your_own_issue_1.pdf

[Olefin]

always loved that work of yours - and drew on part of what you and Franky talked about for some of the details in my East African Sourcebook - i went a a different way with the 173rd than you did but your work is great - wish we had a new edition

[unkated]

Cairo probably wouldn't even be damaged by a flood from the Aswan Dam destruction. The biggest problem the lower half of Egypt would face would be the lack of electrical power from the Aswan Dam hydro-electric generators.

Almost as important, agriculture falls back on the annual flood, rather than being regulated to a conisistent level year round.


The surviving Egyptian government might use this as a means to unite the people into rebuilding the country. What better motivation could they have "Our water is being stolen by the savages to the south, the lifeblood of Egypt is being sucked away by these leeches"

An attack on Kenya, as mentioned earlier, is highly unlikely to succeed but the Egyptians might be content with giving guns and food to Sudanese rebels to harass the Kenyan border thus placing greater strain on the Kenyan government, causing pressure to give into the Egyptians demands.


My problem with this is that The Egyptians would havd to get aid through a few layers of bandits in northern Sudan before reaching southern Sudanese who might raid into Kenya. I have my doubts they could reach.

Also, I question any government giving away much in the way of arms and ammunition. No one has the existing industrial AND supply base to afford to give away to anyone. They don't know where the replacements would come from.



P.S. and the Egyptians have some oil of their own (995,000 barrels/day in 1995 with reserves estimated at nearly 4 billion barrels) along with mining coal and gas from the Sinai, enough for them to be exporting it to nearby countries

Wouldn't THAT make a more likely target in T2K for a nuke than Aswan? The concern was more to hit targets that would give Western militaries a source of oil.

And to that end, please explain why the BCT's mission would be to prop up all of Kenya, when they could do a better jobnof ensuring an oil supply by concentrating around the location of the refinery and the nearest port?

Uncle Ted

[Raellus]

And to that end, please explain why the BCT's mission would be to prop up all of Kenya, when they could do a better jobnof ensuring an oil supply by concentrating around the location of the refinery and the nearest port?

That's a fair question. The rationale has more to do with gameplay than with the backstory. I wanted to open up all of Kenya, with its various diverse geographical and cultural regions, to gameplay. This, I thought, would be easier if components of the 173rd were spread out a little. The fait accompli I used is the food situation- the fertile agricultural regions in the west eventually became more important to the BCT than the tottering refinery. Without regular resupply from the sea, the BCT would have to feed itself.

I suppose if you needed more reasons, another could be dispersal of the 173rd when it was believed that the refinery site would be nuked. Dispersal also creates defense in depth. Also, one could argue that abandoning the rest of the country to the deprivations of various enemies, foreign and domestic, would be a surefire way to lose the support of the Kenyan people and military.

Here are the pertinent sections of my piece:

The Aftermath

With the onset of limited nuclear warfare in November of 1997, the situation in Africa became even more dire. Humiliated by the failure of their offensive and feeling betrayed by their Soviet allies, the Tanzanian government and military turned on itself and the country collapsed into a brutal civil war. Scattered Tanzanian army units continued to raid across the Kenyan border. The Ugandan government also collapsed. Former Ugandan army troops joined the Lord's Army in pushing deeper into Kenyan territory. Incursions by Somali bandits increased. Citing the correlation of increased Western presence in Kenyan and East Africa's mounting problems, the Junudullah grew and became bolder in their attacks.

By mid-2000, the 173rd has been operating in Kenya for three years. They have not received replacement personnel since early 1998. Shipments of ammunition and spare parts have also all but ceased. Only a handful of the BCT's fixed wing and rotary aircraft are operational at any given time. Very little fuel is being produced at the refinery. Most of the brigade's ground vehicles have been converted to run on alcohol, saving what little gasoline is available for its aircraft. Elements of the 173rd BCT are scattered around the country, with Brigade HQ relocated to Nairobi. The BCT is combating a host of enemies, most of which can be broadly categorized as marauders. Fighting alongside the Americans are the remains of the once formidable Kenyan army, the British Army's Africa training cadre (including an SAS mobility group in the north), a few French military "advisors", and multi-national PMC personnel (mostly Israeli) formerly employed guarding the refineries (this duty has been taken over by the USN and USCG).

Operations 1997-2000

Throughout the remainder of 1997, the Herd's infantry battalions remained concentrated around the strategically important cities of Mombasa and Nairobi. Although the Tanzanian offensive had been blunted and thrown back, the remnants of the Tanzanian military (including rogue forces of Tanzanian origin) still retained the capacity to threaten southern Kenya. Operations focused on destroying the remnants of the invasion force remaining in the frontier region. An operational shift occurred after the escalation of the nuclear phase of the war in the autumn of 1997. Shipments of replacement personnel and equipment, ammunition, supplies, and spare parts from CENTCOM and CONUS slowed to a trickle. The forces in and around the strategically important refinery and port facilities in Mombasa braced for a nuclear attack which fortunately never came.

With the continuation of drought conditions throughout East Africa, the food situation for the Herd, as well as Kenya's urban population, soon became critical. Kenya's western highlands, one of the Africa's most productive agricultural regions, became a area of strategic importance. At the same time, incursions by LRA and renegade Ugandan military units in the region increased as the situation in Uganda spiraled out of control. Farms and farming villages were overrun, crops plundered or ruined, and atrocities against civilians committed on an alarming scale. The Kenyan infantry brigades assigned to the region were hard pressed to stem the flow of Ugandan marauders. Scattered reports of disgruntled Kenyan troops deserting from their units and joining the Ugandan marauders began to reach Nairobi. The 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were sent to western Kenya to stabilize the situation and secure the valuable food producing regions.

As of July 2000, the 1/503 remained in western Kenya, along with elements of the 2/503. Other elements of the 2/503 formed ad-hoc task forces that were deployed to trouble spots in the north of the country, as circumstances dictated. Along with most of the Brigade Combat Team's remaining operational aircraft, the 4/503 (airmobile) were based around Nairobi and operated mostly in the central highlands. A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry and the 3/503 (light motorized), using French-made AFVs, operated out of Mombasa and were tasked with keeping the Mombasa to Nairobi highway open. Throughout Kenya, the 173rd BCT operated alongside loyal Kenyan military forces which, for the most part, displayed professionalism and fighting spirit.

[Olefin]

P.S. and the Egyptians have some oil of their own (995,000 barrels/day in 1995 with reserves estimated at nearly 4 billion barrels) along with mining coal and gas from the Sinai, enough for them to be exporting it to nearby countries

Wouldn't THAT make a more likely target in T2K for a nuke than Aswan? The concern was more to hit targets that would give Western militaries a source of oil.

And to that end, please explain why the BCT's mission would be to prop up all of Kenya, when they could do a better jobnof ensuring an oil supply by concentrating around the location of the refinery and the nearest port?

Uncle Ted

Ted - thats one reason why I had the Egyptians getting nuked and nuked pretty heavily to deny that oil to the US (since the Egyptians were US allies in the 90's) with nukes hitting in Cairo and Alexandria and other refineries - with only the small one in the Sinai not getting hit (its old and pretty small)

And one reason for propping up most of Kenya, as Raellus pointed out, was the need to protect the agricultural area - the area you really need to protect isnt the entire country if you want to get the most bang for your buck, its the heart of the country that runs from Nairobi to Mombasa, add in the agricultural areas, and run patrols in the rest

[rcaf_777]

Enjoy

Sergeant Stuart Selkirk

Sergeant Stuart Selkirk, was born in Big Piney, Wyoming , his primary military specialty is infantry, and his secondary military specialty is SERE instructor. Outback was an instructor at both the USAF SERE School and the USMC Jungle Warfare Training Center at Camp Gonsalves in Japan. He has had extensive experience in Central America and Africa primary with the CIA and DIA. Stuart is not intimidated by wilderness, and believes in being part of his environment rather than its adversary.

His reputation in extreme climates and environments earned him a spot with the 1/503 his and Corporal Daniel LeClaire were actually part of joint CIA/DIA mission to train and advise Tanzania rebels. When the 173rd BCT established its Recondo school, Stuart and Daniel where immediately assigned as instructors.

Stuart prefers to prove his ability to do without any tech. He views the gadgets and gizmos of today's modern world as distractions, which come at the expense of essential skills like finding food, crafting shelter, and navigating the world without the use of GPS. Stuart’s ability to improvise solutions with the bare minimum of resources has saved his life and the lives of his teammates time and again.

Corporal Daniel LeClaire

Corporal Daniel LeClaire, was born in Wheaton, Wisconsin, his primary military specialty is infantry and his secondary military specialty is intelligence. He was a Cadre member USMC Jungle Warfare Training Center at Camp Gonsalves in Japan.

LeClaire is also graduate from 9th Infantry Division Recondo School in 1979. He left the army in 1986 and worked as bush guide in Africa where he was bought into contact with Sergeant Selkirk during a 1988 mission in South-West Africa (Namibia).

After this his help on this mission he remained as paid CIA informant in the region till he returned to the states in 1992. In 1995 both him and Selkirk were hired as contract officers for the CIA and were sent to Kenya.

Daniel hates the cold, and loves being in the jungle, hauling a rucksack through the bush, and sweating through his cammies. He is a qualified expert with the M-14, Swedish K, grease gun, M-1911A1 Auto Pistol and M-79 grenade launcher.

[Raellus]

Cool.

rcaf_777, I appreciate how you incorporated details from my article into your NPC profiles. As a side note, as a kid I had the G.I. Joe figure (Recondo was his name, IIRC) from which the photoshopped pic on the left was derived.

-

[swaghauler]

Also remember that as Somalia was falling apart, Kenya opened the "base" at Manda Bay (known today by US servicemen as "THE ZOO" due to the wildlife that often cross the wire) in 1992. It wasn't called Camp Simba, but it was in existence. The US actually had "boots on the ground" there in 1993 during RESTORE HOPE. When Kenya agreed to help with Al Shabob; An informal presence by the US was established at what is now Camp Simba. It is operating under the guise of a humanitarian mission, and (supposedly) consists of engineers and PSYOPS/ADMIN specialists. These "specialists" have some very interesting skill sets though.

[Olefin]

Went back thru this thread and hope now that the East Africa Sourcebook is now officially published and officially part of the canon that others who put out fan canon work can work to get their material published as well. It definitely can be done - I spent nearly two years before I said the heck with it and contacted Marc Miller last year and wished I had done so a lot earlier.

I would love to see some of Chico's, Raellus's, Mark's, James's, etc. work that they have put here join mine as new published canon works for Twilight 2000.

And I definitely hope Frank Frey, who said on his podcast last year how much he wished something official had been published on Kenya, reads and approves of that finally happening.