[Homer]

There’s some world building still going on.

The JRTC scenario writers ginned up a whole story about the “Isle of Aragon” in the middle of the Atlantic with the countries of (neutral) Victoria, (pro-US) Cortina, and (big bad) Atlantica (later changed to Acadia). There was roleplay and some propwork to support the fiction, a road to war backstory, and varying OPFOR portrayals (the terrorist like LUG all the way to the mechanized hordes of the PDRA). At the end of the day, the focus was on stressing the RTU against a series of threats using the sandbox of Aragon as an enabler. The basic building block for the JRTC OPFOR were extremely well trained and locally familiar fire team sized units under decentralized junior NCO leadership (LGOPs); it wasn’t unusual for four g-men to fix a platoon or disrupt a company. Operations above the squad size were rare for most of the LIC phase and were mainly scripted or O/C directed as part of training objectives (i.e. Plt ambush of the GAC along the Artillery Road MSR or a Plt raid on the BSA).

However, there was no beating around the bush about threat doctrine- the OPFOR used insurgent or Soviet style formations, equipment (or vis mods) and tactics, with the 100 series Soviet Army FMs as a template. Capabilities would be varied in some cases to portray a certain threat set, or deployments and actions would be more heavily directed as required to support the rotational unit (RTU). We had Soviet style rank and branch of service, and different uniforms and kit depending on what force we were (OG107s with a boonie for the CLF, OG107s with a black beret (garrison) or stripped Kevlar for the PDRA, civvies for the LUG, black or tiger stripes for PSOF). Talking to some of the old hands around the unit, the early JRTC saw almost direct portrayal of a Cuban/Soviet styled threat force as operated in Africa or Central America. This realistic portrayal of the threat is very different from what I read in the older Aggressor era manuals, which assiduously avoided naming names!

The level of immersion in the Aggressor FMs is amazing. However, I can see where it would have been less than convincing without a dedicated OPFOR or training center to “set up” the world. Tasking B Co to put a green triangle on their tanks and drive them around the back forty during red cycle is probably less of a threat stressor for the unit than having to face a fully integrated formation that practices being bad guys full time.