[chico20854]

I'm working with a couple ideas for US troops in China, beyond the temporary linkup of 8th Army & PLA forces in mid-1997 (which I imagine would be along the west coast of the peninsula, with the Norks & Soviet Yalu Front holed up in the central mountains and northeast coast).

First, as mentioned above the British 6th ID is active in the area. I threw in an American infantry battalion, 1st Bn 31st Infantry, with Bradleys into the British division. These guys were soldiers that were serving as advisors and technical specialists training and supporting Chinese troops that were receiving American equipment, operating from a base somewhere securely south of the front, probably near Hong Kong. (Historically, this battalion was always raised overseas, having never once step foot on American soil!) They also get the remnants of the 6th Ranger Battalion after the Cam Ranh Bay raid.

The second, more radical idea, is a covert SAC emergency recovery field in the Takla Makan desert in SW China, to take advantage of the weakness of the PVO (Soviet Air Defense Force) in Central Asia, which historically had the least modern systems and aircraft. It comes in handy when trying to refuel B-1s that are making a "through-trip" across the North Pole, so they don't have to try to tank in a hostile area. Its supplied entirely by air over the Himalays from Diego Garcia, Pakistan or Thailand.

The DC Group is working off an ANZAC mech bde in CENTCOM and an ANZAC light brigade in Korea, in addition to 2nd Bn, Royal Australian Regiment in the British 6th Division and Australian leadership of a composite Commonwealth training cadre that forms part of 6th Division's artillery.