US Panama Bases T2K?

[kalos72]

Did the bases in the PCZ have their own training units?

Did the US military installations in the PCZ have their own training regiments? Did they have basic/AIT training or did everything happen back in the States?

I am trying to figure out where/what might still be available come after OpOmega for training new units

I have a heavily reinforced Sixth Army - U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH)based in Panama in my storyline and thought maybe they have the training personnel to start the training process up again.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by kalos72

Did the bases in the PCZ have their own training units?

Did the US military installations in the PCZ have their own training regiments? Did they have basic/AIT training or did everything happen back in the States?

I am trying to figure out where/what might still be available come after OpOmega for training new units

I have a heavily reinforced Sixth Army - U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH)based in Panama in my storyline and thought maybe they have the training personnel to start the training process up again.

Only training units was the Jungle Warfare Center and the School of the Americas, the latter being a Military Assistance program for Central and South American countries. There was also a branch at one time at Fort Bragg.

Basic and Advanced Training is in the U.S..

[Legbreaker]

Just because there isn't a formal training unit in a particular location, doesn't mean training can't be done. I can't speak for the US military, but in Commonwealth militaries (UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc) one of the first things an NCO learns, and usually as a requirement of promotion from Private to Lance Corporal (or it's equivalent), is how to conduct lessons.

NCO's and Officers get rotated between units with some likely having spent a year or more with an actual training unit teaching recruits and specific job skills. Officers generally conduct less actual teaching and more admin/leadership tasks though - in my experience probably only one in fifty lessons is done by an officer or senior NCO, except for those lessons where the students are NCOs or above themselves.

[kalos72]

In my campaign, we have secured the PCZ with a fairly large US force and a PMC contingent.

Considering the goal is to train the Panamanians in a war against Soviet support Colombia, I can see a full basic training and select MOS's being moved to Panama come 1996/1997...

Now create new ones or move existing...

[Legbreaker]

More likely you'd see an expansion of the existing Panamanian training facilities with US advisers and instructors assisting the locals. Doesn't sound like any US forces are getting trained in the area, so I can't imagine why much more than that would be necessary.

[kalos72]

I can see the School of the Americas being moved back in my timeline...

Does anyone have a good orbat/write up of the PDF forces in T2k timeline?

[mcchordsage]

Did Just Cause happen in the T2K timeline? If not, you could reasonably use the circa 1989/1990 ORBAT for the PDF. Don't forget the Dignity Battalions.

[kalos72]

I haven't had any real luck with one online...links maybe?

[mcchordsage]

Mostly drawn from Osprey Elite 37: Panama 1989-1990. There's a lot more detail in there about the PDF small arms, organization, motivation, but here's the order of battle more or less as it was when Just Cause started.

Panamanian Defense Force (PDF)
Batallion 2000: Fort Cimarron
-600 to 700 men
-Intended as a mobile reaction force
-Questionable loyalty to Noriega

Eagle Company
Fury Company
Mechanized Company
-2x V-150 command vehicles, 4x V-150 APC, 9x V-300
Fire Support Company (heavy mortars)

Attached

1st Infantry Combat and Fire Support Company "Tiger"
2nd Infantry Airborne Company "Puma"
-High loyalty to Noriega

Batallion Policia Militar "Victoriano Lorenzo"
-Usually functioned as uniformed military police and security patrols.
-Also infantry trained.

5th Infantry Company: Fort Amador
-High loyalty to Noriega
8th Infantry Company: Fort Espinar

2nd Batallion "Paz": Chiriqui Province
-400 men
-"low priority" unit

Air Assault Company A "Fortune"
Air Assault Company B "Minnow"

4th Batallion "Cemaco": Las Palmas
-Units attached as needed on the Colombian border

1st Mountain Company

Escuadron de Caballeria "Gen. Jose Antonio Ramon Cantera": Panama la Viejo
-180 men
-48 horses
-Primarily a ceremonial unit


6th Infantry Mechanized Expeditionary Company: Rio Hato
-High loyalty to Noriega
-2x V-150 command vehicles, 9x V-150 APC, 4x V-300


7th Infantry Company "Macho de Monte": Rio Hato
-High loyalty to Noriega


Unidad Especial Seguidad Antiterror (UESAT): Panama la Viejo
-70 man counter-terror unit
-Bodyguard platoon assigned directly to Noriega


Unidad de Comandos: Fort Espinar
-Incompletely trained

Operational Tactical Group A
Operational Tactical Group B

Peleton de Ingenieria Militar (Military Engineer Platoon): Rio Hato
-50 men


NCO & Officer School: Rio Hato
-250 cadre, NCO students, and officer cadets


Pequeñas Unidades de Fuerzas Especiales (PUFE)
-Nicaraguan small special forces units, roughly detachment sized.
-Throughout the country training and advising PDF units.


Cuban Tropas Especiales
-Cuban special forces, trained and used similarly to Spetznaz.
-Throughout the country advising PDF units.



Fuerza Aerea Panamena (Panamanian Air Force)
-500 men
-21 Bell 205A-1: Usually assigned to the 2nd Airborne Infantry Company
-37 other strike, recon, and STOL transports


Fuerza de Policia
-Under PDF command
-5,000 men
-Handguns and assault rifles

2nd Anti-Riot Company "Centurion"
-High loyalty to Noriega
National Director of Ground Traffic
Highway Patrol

Departamento de Nacional de Investigaciones (DENI)
-1,500 men
-Secret police organization running informants and undercover agents in civilian populace, government, Panama Canal Commission, and US armed forces civilian employees


Guardia Nacional

Presidential Guard
Penitentiary Guard
Port Guard Force
Forest Guard

Dignity Battalions
-Intended to show support for Noriega
-Many members "encouraged" to join, including convicted felons and low level civil servants.
-Small salary or stipend as well.
-Led by PDF "Brigade" staff
-11 battalions, from 24 to 250 volunteers, mostly in urban areas
-Failed to turn out mostly during Just Cause

[pmulcahy11b]

Once again, I have a PDF of a web site someone once put up for Central America in T2K. It's only partially done -- the owner apparently abandoned the site for years, then it disappeared altogether. Again, I cannot contact the owner for permission; the email provided is not valid. However, I may post it in the same manner as the World War 2 site -- do you want to see it?

[kalos72]

Paul is it the Order of Battle: Allied Forces - SouthAmerica by Chris Callahan?

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by kalos72

Paul is it the Order of Battle: Allied Forces - SouthAmerica by Chris Callahan?

I don't think so, but in truth I really don't remember offhand. I'll have to look at the PDF and see.

[kalos72]

If its on your site I can check it out. Or email / pm?

Thank you!

[shrike6]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

I don't think so, but in truth I really don't remember offhand. I'll have to look at the PDF and see.

If it is the one I'm thinking about it might be Steve Charlton's or came off the site that Steve Charlton's oob did, because if I remember right it was pretty detailed. I might have it somewhere I just dont remember where I put it right now.

[shrike6]

Thank god for the wayback machine.

https://web.archive.org/web/20021206...uthamerica.htm

I guess its Chris Callahan's.

[kalos72]

Yep, thats the only one I have found but it was amazingly helpful.