Attack this state,You be the General!!

[Raellus]

Why?

Perhaps Canada is invading to secure a buffer zone (kind of like France's invasion of the Rhineland in the v1.0 T2K canon) after some kind of man-made or natural disaster (massive, terrorist offensive, long-term economic depression, severe drought and rising sea level due to global warming, all of the above...) has devastated the U.S.

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. refugees from the densely populated northeast and the midwest are flooding into Canada, putting added strain on its already hard-pressed economy/social services/law enforcement. With the U.S. unable (or unwilling) to stop the exodus, Canada launches a limited invasion to create a buffer zone (and to seize strategic assets within that zone).

It would be one of those "This hurts me more than it hurts you" type deals but there could be more aggressive/aquisitive elements in the CAF that want to push it as far as it can go.

[Mohoender]

About Vermont, I can see a number of possibilities. Of course, they might launch some scouting but they would launch a more serious attack very quickly.

First, I would think that they would drop troops on four main objectives (if they still have that capability).

1) Burlington International Airport: that would be done to prevent the air national guard to intervene. Moreover, they can hope to take countrol of a few F-16s there plus 1 F-4 Phantom and, I think, a few T-33 (however, I don't know if they still can fly).

2) They would simulataneously take control of the main harbour facilities in order to cut Vermont from the state of New York and from any eventual reinforcement that could cross the lake.

3) They would jump on Essex Junction. Not far from the airport, anyway, in order to take control of the IBM research facility there. A small dam is also producing electricity on that nice "Onion River" of them if I'm not mistaken at Winooski, next to the Mall.

4) The best for them would be to take control of the General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products division (that's an interesting thing over there). However, you might slow them a bit at Ben&Jerriy. Nope?? .

Second, almost at the same time, they would send mobile troops through the border on the interstate 95. Burlington is about an hour drive from the border and if they take Vermont by surprise, they can be there before the guard can react. You just have to send groups out of the interstate from Winooski to Colchester and control almost all of the Chittenden County. I also forgot but the Fletcher Allen Health Care and VU are also some major objectives.

Going to Montpelier, in the first place is worseless as there is not much there (IMO). Anyway, once you control Burlington you have cut the southern part of the state from most of its immediate supply (it will have to rely on help from other states). You'll find most of the broadcast system there, the most important banks, and plenty of room for your troops (For exemple, an old military camp has been turned into townhouses at St. Michael's College). One more thing might be important on the islands by the lake: they house a vineyard that could be turned into alcohol production.

Once this is done, things might become more tricky for the Canadians. Vermonters are tough guys and they might not appreciate what is happening. The mountain ranges are perfect for guerilla warfare and they might often be able to cut Canadian supply coming down interstate 95. Even, near Burlington, you'll have places that would allow a Guerilla force to come very close. The mountains are full of trails that are perfectly known to most Vermonters and accessing them is not always that easy (but you must know that already ). The lake would also quickly become a weak point as many people own a small boat and as it could be used to smuggle goods.

I have a question, then. What about the student population and the ROTC which is or was there? Strangely, I can easily imagine a situation similar to that of the film "Red Dawn". I happened to watch Hueys travelling down the valleys while I was sitting on some mountain crests and that always made me thought of that movie

[jester]

Re: Vermont, remember they have the legacy of Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys who put a thorn in the side of the British and Canadian durring the Revolution. So, I can see a unit either existing, or one raised from locals who are not to thrilled about being invaded doing some damned nasty things to those polite people from the North who do not know how to pronounce the letter "O" and end everything with "ay."