On this day 25 years ago (Commentary Thread)

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Homer

Poor Monroeville Mall can’t catch a break. Overrun by zombies in 1977; overrun by looters in 1997!

All kidding aside, I wonder how Pittsburgh ARS/ANGB get treated. In the 80s there was an ANG A-7 unit there that would have probably gone to Europe, an SAC gained ANG KC-135 unit, and a MAC gained AFRES C-130 unit. Plus some nice long runways, defensible terrain, and in place communications. Probably a good bomber dispersal field as well.

Monroeville Mall in the 90s was a reliable source of Camel cigarettes and Slim Fast diet shakes for me!

The ANG A-7 unit ended up in Jugoslavia until things began to fall apart there and they ran low on aircraft. I'll have to look at my notes for the other two units.

[Homer]

It’d be interesting to see the results if the folks wrecking monroeville and moving in from Ohio have a go at the airport. It’s on high ground with a pretty defined perimeter thanks to the layout of 376/376B and sits on the other side of the rivers from Monroeville, Pittsburgh, etc. There’s plenty of places to set up interlocking fields of fire for SPs or MPs with their relatively high scales of belt fed weapons, an internal road network for qrf and reserve movement, ample billeting (riding Armageddon in the Hyatt wouldn’t be that bad), and self contained power, etc. The downside is it’s a huge perimeter, you’ll have to deal with moon township by co-option or isolation, and you’ll need to be able to project power to interdict the river crossings which are set well out. Probably not enough troops to manage all that. Probably gets abandoned eventually for lack of forces and military value as the situation deteriorates.

Another airfield in PA that may be in a similar predicament is Harrisburg IAP. It’s got long runways, a pre-war ANG presence with comms and support facilities (Commando Solo EC-130s), sees a lot of traffic from 89th MAW aircraft doing training, is convenient to a few COG/COOP sites, and has water on half its perimeter. In T2K it probably benefits from a generally larger presence of security forces at NSA Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland Army Depot, and the redeployment of any remaining PA ARNG forces from Indiantown Gap. Unfortunately it abuts two urban areas, is overlooked by high ground, is on the wrong bank of the river for use as a barrier to foot movement, and is right off 283 and the PA turnpike bringing the hordes from Philly via Lancaster and reading. It’d be a little easier to crack than Pittsburgh IAP.