On this day 25 years ago (Commentary Thread)

[Homer]

In v1 canon, INF wasn’t written in. Do you see the GLCM force dispersing from Molesworth and Greenham after the strike on Mildenhall? Or would they stay I the GAMA? I’d assume the hardened 3d Air Force Command Post was hit unless it was a fluke and they caught them on the ramp by SILK PURSE. Or maybe they got really lucky and hit the Galaxy Club at lunch…

[Ewan]

Originally Posted by chico20854

January 11, 1997

photo
NATO launches Operation Thundercloud - coordinated pre-dawn landings by the British 6th Airmobile Brigade, East German 40th Air Assault Brigade and the West German 26th Luftlande Brigade to seize bridgeheads over the Oder and Niesse Rivers, opposite Frankfurt-on-Oder, Gubin and Gorlitz, taking advantage of the disarray within the Polish Army.

The 6th Airmobile Brigade is certainly seeing a lot of action (see also 15th December 1996)

[chico20854]

January 12, 1997

The 43rd Infantry Division HQ is formed at Ft Devens, MA, taking command of 187th & 205th Infantry Brigades and the 218th Infantry Brigade (Mech) (all USAR).

Unofficial:

At the Pentagon, the Army staff announces a major change in plans as a result of the increased goegrahic size of Germany and ongoing conflict in Iran and Korea - instead of corps having command of a number of independent Reserve Component brigades, those brigades will instead be formed into divisions, using ARCOMs (Army Reserve Commands) and STARCs (State National Guard headquarters) as kernels of the divisional headquarters. Additional ARCOMs will be converted to corps headquarters.

The Freedom ship North Carolina Freedom is delivered in New Orleans, where it begins loading ammunition and replacement vehicles shipped from the Mississippi valley and the Red River Army Depot.

The Coast Guard interviews the crew of tug boat Janet Pommet, who indicate that the hijackers spoke a Slavic language and slipped away in a raft heading to Mexican waters.

Lt. Gen. Denise Alcort , XO of USAF Europe, assumes command while Lt. Gen. Carol Allby assumes command of 3rd Air Force.

Pacific Fleet launches Operation Iron Claw - At dusk, major air raids take off, targetting North Korean naval facilities in the Sea of Japan from the carriers Vinson, Constellation & Abraham Lincoln.

photo
The bridgeheads established by the prior day's airborne landings in Poland are subject to furious counterattack as both sides rush reinforcements and fire support to the areas, intent on establishing them (for NATO) and wiping them out (for the Pact).

The Polish Communist Party orders disloyal officers to be expelled from the Party and shot; enlisted personnel who rose up are to be demoted to private and sent to the front as motor-riflemen.

On the Kola Peninsula, US troops from the US 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry link up with Norwegian troops of the Vestoppland Infanteri Regiment, part of 6th Division’s 6th Brigade, along the railroad line west of Luostari, completing the encirclement of Nikel and its garrison.

Community leaders in Cyprus issue additional calls for calm; thousands turn out in rallies for unity. After dark fires return to the cities.

The 112th Tactical Fighter Wing (Pennsylvania Air National Guard) begins flying sorties in support of Jugoslav and Romanian troops in northwestern Romania from its deployment location in Tuzla, Jugoslavia.

The 113th Field Artillery Brigade (NC National Guard) completes unloading of its equipment in Bremerhaven and is released to 7th Army for deployment.

The officers of 1st Squadron, 278th ACR's advanced party are relieved of duty following the previous night's "night on the town" in search of whores, beer and the offerings of Amsterdam's famous coffee shops before going into combat.

A Soviet raider sinks the Liberian-flag general cargo carrier Navios Trader off West Africa.

The French government orders the immediate return of the naval transport Bougainville from supporting the nuclear test center in French Polynesia. The ship will be used to transport Ariane rockets to French Guiana.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Homer

In v1 canon, INF wasn’t written in. Do you see the GLCM force dispersing from Molesworth and Greenham after the strike on Mildenhall? Or would they stay I the GAMA?

I had the GLCM (and Pershing II!) force dispersing back in October, when the balloon went up in Germany, even though at the time it was "strictly an internal German matter" (that also involved implementing REFORGER and a general mobiliation). The two biggest GLCM issues were the wings stationed in Belgium and Italy, which relocated to western Germany and Gibraltar, respectively.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Ewan

The 6th Airmobile Brigade is certainly seeing a lot of action (see also 15th December 1996)

You probably not see them again for a few months, as they get some well-needed R&R. They are in better shape than the remnants of the British and American Berlin Brigades, however.

The Polish 6th Airborne is in pretty rough shape as well. And I don't have details worked out yet, but the Pact and German forces have been in three months of continuous action.

[Matt Wiser]

A note on carrier air wings: The A-6s would still be available: some from AMARC, and if Grumman had brains-and they usually did-they may have been building some for the Chinese. If the latter is the case, then those Intruders not delivered are going to the Navy or Marines, and the aircraft remain in production at Calverton (Long Island).

What's being produced at the Fairchild-Republic plants (the Farmingdale, Long Island one used to build F-105s and was involved with A-10 production, while the one at Hagerstown, MD also built A-10s)?

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

A note on carrier air wings: The A-6s would still be available: some from AMARC, and if Grumman had brains-and they usually did-they may have been building some for the Chinese. If the latter is the case, then those Intruders not delivered are going to the Navy or Marines, and the aircraft remain in production at Calverton (Long Island).

What's being produced at the Fairchild-Republic plants (the Farmingdale, Long Island one used to build F-105s and was involved with A-10 production, while the one at Hagerstown, MD also built A-10s)?

Aircraft production was ended in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1984. The plants were still there but the question would be how long to set up the tooling again (which was in storage) and get back in production?

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Aircraft production was ended in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1984. The plants were still there but the question would be how long to set up the tooling again (which was in storage) and get back in production?

I have the plant reopening in 1993 for production of A-10Bs (what we know as the A-10 NAWS) for the South Korean 20th Fighter Wing, followed by an order for 100 from the USAF, those going to the 81st TFW in England (and then to Germany, where their additional avionics are very handy in the German winter weather!). When that order is done the still warm production line starts turning out aircraft for the Chinese.

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by chico20854

I have the plant reopening in 1993 for production of A-10Bs (what we know as the A-10 NAWS) for the South Korean 20th Fighter Wing, followed by an order for 100 from the USAF, those going to the 81st TFW in England (and then to Germany, where their additional avionics are very handy in the German winter weather!). When that order is done the still warm production line starts turning out aircraft for the Chinese.

Keep in mind the distance when you get to the TDM of Camp David to the Fairchild Republic plant in Hagerstown - only about 15 miles away - i.e. the EMP from the strike there most likely will severely affect operations even if the power somehow stays on

[chico20854]

Military aircraft production

I have US miltiary aircraft final assembly at the following locations:

AH-1 - Amarillo, TX
AH-64 - Mesa, AZ
A-6 - Calverton, NY (conversion of existing airframes in Greenville, MS)
A-7F - Dallas, TX (conversions)
A-10 - Hagerstown, MD
A-12 - Tulsa, OK
AV-8 - St. Louis, MO
B-2 - Palmdale, CA
Boeing Skyfox - Mojave, CA
C-17 - Long Beach, CA
C-21 - Tuscon, AZ and Wichita, KS
C-130 - Marietta, GA
CH-47 - Ridley Park, PA (D conversions in Olathe, KS)
CH-53 - Stratford, CT
CH-54 - Central Point, OR
E-2 - St Augustine, FL
EA-6 - Calverton, NY
F-14 - Calverton, NY
F-15 - St Louis, MO
F-16 - Ft Worth, TX
F/A-18 - St Louis, MO and Hawthorne, CA
F-20 - Savannah, GA and Wichita, KS
F-22 - Marietta, GA
HH-65 - Grand Prairie, TX
HU-25 - Little Rock, AR
KC-767 - Everett, WA
OH-6 - Long Beach, CA
OH-58 - Arlington, TX
P-7 - Burbank. CA
SH-2 - Bloomfield, CT
SH/UH-60 - Stratford, CT
T-45 - St Louis, MO
V-22 - Arlington, TX and Ridley Park, PA

The main aircraft plants I don't have producing anything for the military at the moment are the Boeing Renton and Boeing Field plants and the general aviation plants of Piper and Cessna. And I don't want to go down the rabbit hole of avionics plants, engine plants and component plants, except to note that all US aircraft production (and much of Airbus' production in Europe) relied on forgings from two facilities in North Grafton, Mass and in Cleveland, Ohio.

Let me know if there's something I missed!

[chico20854]

January 13, 1997

The 45th Infantry Division headquarters is formed at Ft Chaffee, AR, taking under command the 39th (AR), 45th (OK) and 53rd (FL NG) Infantry Brigades.

The Soviets decide to revive their flagging offensive in Iran, committing the 4th and 45th Armies. The 45th Army attacks from east of the Caspian Sea, overrunning the thin screen of Pasdaran troops still guarding the border with Turkmenistan. 4th Army advances down the coast road along the western Caspian coast, relieving elements of the 7th Guards Army from garrisoning Tehran.


Unofficially:

photo
The Battle of the Sea of Japan starts when the Soviet Kilo-class submarine B-470 spots the USS Vinson (lingering in the area after the prior days' raids on North Korean naval facilities, performing close air support strikes along the DMZ) and reports its location. Escorting helicopters, aircraft and ships sink the submarine before the Soviet air raids begin. Over the next two hours four waves of attackers approach (one of North Korean MiG-17s, one of Su-24s, one of Tu-16 Badger bombers and the last of supersonic Tu-22M Backfire bombers). The carriers' Combat Air Patrols deplete their missiles against the first several waves of attackers (which manage to disable a number of the escorting Aegis cruisers and destroyers), and the fighters are in the process of landing when the Backfire's missiles arrive, shielded by a wall of electronic interference that diminishes the range and effectiveness of the American's electronics. At the end of the day, the Constellation has been damaged and the Vinson and five escorts are sunk.

German attacks in northwest Poland intensify; The garrison of Szczecin (Soviet 21st Motor-Rifle Division, the Polish 12th Armored Division, 12th Border Guard Brigade, Szczecin Territorial Defense Brigade and an ad-hoc brigade formed from naval personnel) is hard pressed and local officials order evacuation of civilians from the city.

DEA agents in Ciudad Juarez conduct an illegal (from the Mexican perspective!) raid on safehouse, resulting in firefight that kills three agents and four suspects. A fifth suspect is taken alive - a starshina in the Soviet Army.

Army contracting officers place an order for CH-54 helicopters from the small Oregon company that bought the design and production rights; the first buy of CH-54s since 1972. The helicopters will sustain the Alaska National Guard aviation company assigned to the 172nd Infantry Brigade and equip additional units.

Contracts are also placed for additional initial training of military helicopter pilots (US and allied) with civilian flight schools across the South; the contract reqires the training to take place on the Robinson R44 light helicopter. This move lowers the burden on the US Army Aviation school at Fort Rucker, whose airspace and facilties were continually overcrowded.

The Freedom ship Wyoming Freedom is delivered in Galveston, TX.

Convoy 202, including the Idaho Freedom, arrives in Guam undamaged.

The Soviet sub Novosibirsk Komsomolets attacks the tanker Astoria Bay leaving the Mediterranean; the submarine successfully evades P-3s sent to locate it from Rota, Spain.

A second day of rallies for unity in Cyprus is disrupted by Greek youth. Rumors swirl that the Greeks are actually agents of the Greek National Intelligence Service. The rallies turn into anti-Greek riots, with 17 killed.

[cawest]

the RQ-5 went into production in 95 for A Company, 15th Military Intelligence Battalion was fully fielded before FY 96 (sep 95?). i could see then being armed earlier. some MQ-1 were testing at Fort Huachuca in late 94

[Matt Wiser]

Existing A-6 airframes could be rewinged at two other locations to bring them up to SWIP standard (which, IRL, was the Navy's plan after the A-12 was canceled): NADEP Alameda and NADEP Norfolk. They also did rewing work at Grumman's plant in St. Augustine, FL.

[chico20854]

January 14, 1997

nothing official today, but unofficially its a busy day!

Soviet aviation commander Marshall Kuzmenko meets with the Defense Council and Admiral Tulaev, commander of the the Soviet Navy, to discuss curtailing future bomber support to the Navy following the costly raids over the Sea of Japan the prior day, in which over half of the attacking aircraft did not return. He proposes that the USSR's remaining bombers re-orient towards 1) retention of intercontinental and regional nuclear strike capabilities, 2) a continuation of the strategic bombing campaign against China, 3) supporting Pact operations in the Balkans (and trying to knock isolated Turkey out of the war) and Iran and 4) supporting the war in the west; pointedly not including tangling with the US Navy. If American fleets once again approach the Soviet coast in the north, they will be met with bombers. His plan receives a cool reception, yet none can offer a meaningful alternative and consequently, over the next several weeks, Naval Aviation is stripped of many of its bombers.

A US National Security Council interagency discussion concludes that the Horizon, Texas ATACMS plant attack, San Diego tug sinking and Ciudad Juarez firefight are evidence that Soviet spetsnaz teams have crossed the Mexican border.

Convoy 202.1 departs Guam with three escorts, 26 cargo ships and the USNS Ponchatoula, headed for Pusan, Korea. Convoy 202.2 departs with 13 cargo ships, two escorts and a rescue ship, bound for Subic Bay, Phillipines.

German troops enter the outskirts of Szczecin.

SACEUR orders his J-4 (Logistics officer) to prepare a summary of the Alliance's supply levels on the Central Front.

On the Kola Peninsula, the 7th Guards Airborne breaks out of its encirclement, penetrating thin American lines and evacuating 5,000 troops.

The Soviet destroyer Buliny, under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Mikhail Mischenko, get its first kill, the Italian-flagged Jolly Smeraldo carrying vehicles of the 13th Corps Support Command.

The rioting in Cyprus continues. Nicosia burns and dozens are killed.

The Soviet 810th Naval Infantry Brigade arrives in the encircled port of Burgas, Bulgaria and moves to the front facing Turkish troops.

The first four (of 16 scheduled) widebody airliner flights carrying troops of 278 ACR depart Charleston, SC for Amsterdam-Schipol.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

Existing A-6 airframes could be rewinged at two other locations to bring them up to SWIP standard (which, IRL, was the Navy's plan after the A-12 was canceled): NADEP Alameda and NADEP Norfolk. They also did rewing work at Grumman's plant in St. Augustine, FL.

For the A-6, I have the following inventory numbers:

According to official Navy inventory numbers, there were 342 A-6s in the inventory in March 1988. I'm using an attrition rate of 1.5% per year, the rate the Navy used in the 80s for budget planning purposes for tactical aircraft. Consequently, 12 aircraft are purchased each year as attrition replacements from 1989-1995.

I have the Navy taking a dual-track approach with the delays in the A-12 program, converting 52 A-6s to A-6F annually until 1994, when the entire fleet has been converted. In 1996, with war on the horizon, the Navy receives 72 new production aircraft (72 being the maximum economic production rate, basically the rate that 2 shifts can turn out from existing equipment and suppliers without expanding the production base).

That gives an on-hand inventory of 487 aircraft (none are sold to the Chinese; the determination is made at some point that they are too sophisticated for the crews to make full use of). 308 are assigned to air wings (10 aircraft each on Coral Sea and Midway, 16 on each of the other carriers except Enterprise, which has the first A-12 squadron). The other 179 are in readiness squadrons, at Pax River and other test/evaluation sites or are in maintenance.

Overall losses in the Battle of the Norwegian Sea approached 50 percent, so of the 80 A-6s in the CVW's about 40 were lost. About that many were lost in the first two months of the war in the Pacific, eating up the entire output of the Calverton plant for the year. There isn't enough time for a second production line to be made operational (assuming that the suppliers could keep the flow of components coming) before the TDM.

I hope this helps! (I also have similar analysis for the remainder of the Navy/Marine Corps air fleet if you're interested, I'll be happy to share the spreadsheet!)

[Matt Wiser]

There would be some new production out of Calverton up to the TDM.

I'm also assuming the F-14A to D program goes ahead along with new production Ds. (some of that work was done at NADEP Norfolk)

[chico20854]

January 15, 1997

The British 6th Infantry Division enters China and comes under Chinese command. It is initially assigned counter-insurgency duties in southern China.

unofficially:

The last Polish units are released from lockdown to contain NATO bridgeheads, although some commanders have new "minders" in their headquarters. The first pontoon bridge across the Oder is set up, leading into the Gorlitz bridgehead.

The 130th Tactical Airlift Wing (West Virginia Air National Guard) is brought into Federal service and ordered to deploy to Sacheon, ROK.

The 343rd Tactical Fighter Wing's alert orders, at Eielson AFB, AK, to prepare for deployment to Korea are rescinded; the 343rd is instead ordered to maintain it’s A-10 tank killers as part of a strategic reserve or for possible deployment to Norway in addition to Korea.

Detachment 2, 99th Strategic Reconnissance Squadron deploys 2 U-2s to Howard AFB, Panama to support SOUTHCOM.

The 202nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (SC ANG) is ordered to Gander, Newfoundland with its F-20As to augment continental air defense.

Interrogation of the Soviet spetsnaz soldier captured in Ciudad Juarez reveals that at least four other Spetsnaz teams arrived in Mexico in December.

The 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia NG, completes its rotation at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, CA and is declared combat ready, while the 3rd Brigade, 26th ID(L) completes Rotation 97-2 at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk, LA and is declared combat ready.

President Tanner signs National Security Directive 97-3, authorizing the detention/internment of Warsaw Pact nationals and setting up a process for detainees/internees to appeal their status with the FBI.

Headquarters, 5th Air Force is ordered to relocate to Kadena AB, Okinawa, to be closer to the Korean Theater of Operations.

Major air battle rages over the East China Sea, as Frontal Aviation's 114th Bomber Regiment (with Su-24 Fencers operating out of China), headed to attack Taiwan, is intercepted by F-15s of the 67th TFS. 12 Su-24s are downed and 13 others damaged, the air raid called off, at the cost of two F-15s, whose crews are rescued by helos from the 31st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Suadron. The Soviets' diversionary attack against Hokkaido is launched late, leading to another fierce air battle simultaneously over the Sea of Japan as Soviet fighters tangle with elements of the 13th & 14th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. The 39th ARRS rescues 6 downed Soviet aircrew, including the first Soviet female MiG-29 and Su-27 pilots captured in the Pacific.

The 25th US Infantry Division enters combat in Korea, coming to the aid of the embattled 2nd Infantry Division.

Convoy 202.1 meets the eastbound Convoy 402 and its escort force composed of Japanese destroyers and frigates. The American escorts turn around, picking up Convoy 402 while the Japanese guide Convoy 202.1 the rest of the way into Pusan.

The Headquarters, 928th Tactical Airlift Wing (Illinois Air National Guard) is disbanded, its subordinate units assigned to the 440th TAW at Bremen IAP, Germany. The move brings the 440th up to full strength and streamlines command and control of airlifters supporting USAF and NATO operations in northern Germany.

In Cyprus, there are battles on the outskirts of Larnaca as gangs of Turkish youth attempt to enter the city, intent on trouble.

The American attack submarine USS Bluefish takes up station outside the Kerch Strait, the exit to the Sea of Azov.

Convoy 110 attacked by a Soviet submarine 150 miles off the Icelandic coast. Two ships (the Cape Edmont and the Baltic Breeze), carrying half the vehicles of the 278th ACR, are sunk.

The first Lufthansa flight carrying 250 released East German POWs arrives in Frankfurt; the returnees are to be evaluated and reassigned to East German units as loss replacements.

[chico20854]

January 16, 1997

Unrest across the island of Cyprus continues as bands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots travel from their homes to isolated communities of the other group. Police commanders, their forces riven by ethnic unrest, seek military intervention.

Unofficially:

German troops reach the center of Szczecin after Soviet armored vehicles are evacuated by ferry. The remainder of the city's garrison withdraws at night in small boats.

A Czech special operations team (that had slipped across the border on December 28) ambushes the commander of the German IV Territorial Command and kill him, leaving his command temporarily leaderless.

On the Kola Peninsula, the Soviet 6th Army’s last resistance collapses and General Dzhidzhilava, who slipped away from his command in a helicopter, is arrested.

The US National Security Council requests that border states activate their State Defense Forces to protect vital war production and mobilization/ deployment sites. The FBI issues a counter-intelligence warning to law enforcement nationwide on the Spetsnaz threat.

The US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) orders the disbandment of ROTC Cadet Command, the collegiate officer training program. College seniors enrolled in the program had been commissioned in October and were beginning to reach units in the field as new second lieutenants. Juniors were transfered to Officer Candidate Schools established at various sites around the country, to be commissioned after completion of a six-week course. Sophomores were reclassed as infantry corporals or sergeants and fed into the replacement system, while freshmen were sent to basic training as privates first class. Junior cadre (Officers below Lieutenant Colonel, NCOs below Master Sergeant) were also fed into the replacement system, while senior cadre remained on their assigned college campuses, tasked to interview students (senior undergraduates and graduate students) to identify candidates for direct commissioning.

The 31st ARRS rescues four Soviet aircrew downed over the East China Sea, including the first Soviet female Su-24 pilot and navigator captured.

In the Pacific, Convoy 202.1 is attacked by the Soviet submarines B-220 and Komsomolets Tadzhikistan, lurking in shallow waters at slow speed. Three cargo ships and the frigate Noshiro are sunk before the B-220 is located and sunk, the Komsomolets Tadzhikistan slinking away to fight another day.

Over the Norwegian Sea, four F-16s of the 465 TFS intercept a flight of 12 Tu-22 Blinders attempting to launch a cruise missile strike on Keflavik and in 4 minutes managed to down all 12 aircraft, with the loss of only a single F-16.

F-16As of the 89th TFS (AFRES) strike a Soviet supply convoy headed for Varna, Bulgaria.

The submarine USS Bluefish is damaged by mine when it wanders into a minefield protecting Soviet transit lane and begins slow withdrawal from area.

A C-141 aircraft of the 702nd Military Airlift Squadron crashes shortly after takeoff from McGuire AFB, New Jersey. Investigators quickly determine that the crash was caused by fatigue, although it is unclear whether the fatigue was in the structure of the 31-year old aircraft or in the exhausted aircrew or maintentance crews, who had been working nonstop for months with inadequate rest.

[Homer]

Great work, and lots of research. Really enjoying this.

Did you move JRTC to Polk in your history? OTL the move out of Chaffee was a combo of a cost cutting measure, aggressive congressional efforts on the part of Louisiana to offset the closure of England AFB (23rd TFW, A-10A) and preserve Louisiana’s remaining military bases (NAS NOLA, NSA NOLA, Barksdale, Beauregard, LAAP, and Polk), and space made available by the deactivation of 5th ID. With England AFB presumably staying open (no “peace dividend”) and 5th ID filling the cantonment, training areas, and ranges on Fort Polk and Peason Ridge there may not have been the impetus to relocate.

One thing that may have happened with a continuing Soviet threat and military spending under the Strategic Homeport Program is the commissioning of NS Lake Charles in the early 90s. In reality, this project was abandoned in 1991. Unlike the bases in NOLA, NS Lake Charles may have been able to ride out the strikes in 1997, even though Lake Charles itself would burn from the Westlake strike.

Barksdale (2d BW, B-52G) wasn’t targeted and was a survivable distance from the strike on Shreveport and Beauregard is expressly mentioned in cannon as surviving. Holding these ports on the Red River of the South may help MILGOV secure a water linkage from LA to enclaves in AR, TN, OH, and OK post 1997.

[cawest]

i knew about the A-37 but just found this about the T-38

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...-at-38b-talon/

[pmulcahy11b]

The correct assignment of ROTC Cadets in wartime emergency is actually as follows:

Seniors are directly commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants, into the Regular Army or the Reserve Forces with an open-ended contract. (It's essentially a pre-emptive stop-loss contract.) Juniors are sent directly to Officer Basic Course (not Officer Candidate School, after which you'd go to Officer Basic Course); what they branched (Junior ROTC Cadets are normally told which branch they will be serving in the Army in the middle of the year) is immaterial. Though TRADOC would look at their previous training, in the end the new 2LTs would go where they were needed. Sophomores (who are not under contract to the government yet) who are at the top third of the class would be offered OCS; the second third would be offered enlistments at the starting rank of sergeant (E-5); the bottom third of the class and the entirety of the Freshmen Class who had completed at least one semester of ROTC would be offered enlistments at Corporal or Specialist (E-4; whether they are Corporals or Specialists depends on the needs of the receiving units). The rest may enlist normally or are cut loose; if they enlist, they enter as Privates First Class (E-3).

Of course, it's the US Army, so everything has to be made unnecessarily complicated, even during a wartime emergency.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

The correct assignment of ROTC Cadets in wartime emergency is actually as follows:

Seniors are directly commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants, into the Regular Army or the Reserve Forces with an open-ended contract. (It's essentially a pre-emptive stop-loss contract.) Juniors are sent directly to Officer Basic Course (not Officer Candidate School, after which you'd go to Officer Basic Course); what they branched (Junior ROTC Cadets are normally told which branch they will be serving in the Army in the middle of the year) is immaterial. Though TRADOC would look at their previous training, in the end the new 2LTs would go where they were needed. Sophomores (who are not under contract to the government yet) who are at the top third of the class would be offered OCS; the second third would be offered enlistments at the starting rank of sergeant (E-5); the bottom third of the class and the entirety of the Freshmen Class who had completed at least one semester of ROTC would be offered enlistments at Corporal or Specialist (E-4; whether they are Corporals or Specialists depends on the needs of the receiving units). The rest may enlist normally or are cut loose; if they enlist, they enter as Privates First Class (E-3).

Of course, it's the US Army, so everything has to be made unnecessarily complicated, even during a wartime emergency.

Thanks for the clarification! That's what I get for quickly going through a summary that's a couple years old itself...

[chico20854]

January 17, 1997

Czech and Soviet troops launch an attack against the German covering force in Bavaria, attempting to divert forces from Polish border.

Cypriot Army units leave their barracks and attempt to restore order.

Unofficial:

The Freedom ship New Jersey Freedom is delivered in Galveston, TX while its sister the Delaware Freedom is delivered from Pascagoula, MS.

At Ft. Stewart, GA the 118th Field Artillery Brigade (Georgia National Guard) is certified unready for deployment by evaluators.

The US submarine USS Tunny arrives in port in San Diego to load a Dry Deck Shelter, a specialized structure to transport Seal Delivery Vehicles.

Convoy 202.1 arrives in Pusan, losing an additional ship (the Taiwanese-flag Wan Hai 203) to a mine in the shipping channel. The Idaho Freedom has completed its first voyage and moves to a berth to unload its cargo of munitions.

In the Northwestern USSR, the 69th Naval Infantry Brigade is formed from personnel of the Litsa naval base complex

The frigate USS McDonnell (FF-1043) is sunk by missile launched by an Echo II SSGN.

A month after being struck by Soviet anti-radar missiles, the Aegis cruiser USS San Jacinto, stabilized in Scapa Flow, begins a tow back to shipyard in US.

British garrisons in Cyprus close their gates to all visitors and offer refuge to their local employees and their families.

The 32nd GMRD, a Category C division from the Moscow Military District, is ordered to mobilize, while the 96th MRD in the Volga Military District is upgraded to Category B, receiving an influx of equipment and men although not slated for imminent deployment.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Homer

Great work, and lots of research. Really enjoying this.

Did you move JRTC to Polk in your history? OTL the move out of Chaffee was a combo of a cost cutting measure, aggressive congressional efforts on the part of Louisiana to offset the closure of England AFB (23rd TFW, A-10A) and preserve Louisiana’s remaining military bases (NAS NOLA, NSA NOLA, Barksdale, Beauregard, LAAP, and Polk), and space made available by the deactivation of 5th ID. With England AFB presumably staying open (no “peace dividend”) and 5th ID filling the cantonment, training areas, and ranges on Fort Polk and Peason Ridge there may not have been the impetus to relocate.

One thing that may have happened with a continuing Soviet threat and military spending under the Strategic Homeport Program is the commissioning of NS Lake Charles in the early 90s. In reality, this project was abandoned in 1991. Unlike the bases in NOLA, NS Lake Charles may have been able to ride out the strikes in 1997, even though Lake Charles itself would burn from the Westlake strike.

Barksdale (2d BW, B-52G) wasn’t targeted and was a survivable distance from the strike on Shreveport and Beauregard is expressly mentioned in cannon as surviving. Holding these ports on the Red River of the South may help MILGOV secure a water linkage from LA to enclaves in AR, TN, OH, and OK post 1997.

I'm glad people are enjoying this!

I actually had JRTC's running at both posts, with Polk being the primary prewar JRTC and Chaffee a war-emergency expansion, staffed by a National Guard Regional Training Institute as cadre. This was mirrored by the addition of two additional NTCs, at Yakima Training Center in Washington and Yuma Training Grounds in Arizona. These expansions allow nearly every reserve component brigade to get a rotation at one of the training centers before deploying, a lesson I imagine the Army may have learned from the Desert Shield mobilizations of roundout brigades.

Louisiana is going to be interesting! Between the strikes, Ft Polk, Barksdale and other military bases, the strategic waterway of the Mississippi, the hurriccane that swept through in 1998, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve sites and petroleum industry there's a lot going on!

[cawest]

Originally Posted by chico20854

Thanks for the clarification! That's what I get for quickly going through a summary that's a couple years old itself...

what about JROTC in high schools. each school would have a NCO and officers but larger schools would have many of both. also each school would have one services. (Army, Navy, Air Forces. don't know about the rest)

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by cawest

i knew about the A-37 but just found this about the T-38

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...-at-38b-talon/

Thanks, I didn't know about that either! I'll have to write them in upcoming updates.

The British planned on their Hawk trainers serving as backup emergency interceptors (armed with Sidewinders), and the USN is soon (in the timeline) going to be fielding scout-bombing squadrons for raider hunting in lower-threat areas flying T-2 Buckeyes, T-45s and TA-4s.

[Homer]

Why do I see more and more mine strikes in NATO and allied ports?

All the Pact trawlers and merchant ships could likely have left them once hostilities looked imminent. That’ll require a major clearance effort in multiple theaters.

On other notes, there are unstruck wells, gas works, small refineries and pipelines in OK, NE Texas, Louisiana (Krotz Springs is pretty big) and Southern Arkansas (El Dorado). Nowhere near enough to make a dent in prewar demand, but enough (once EMP effects and any war or looting damage is fixed) to supply fuel to MILGOV forces in OK and the ARKLATEX, in addition to providing natural gas for cooking, power plants, etc. Depending on how rosy you want things to look…

[cawest]

Originally Posted by chico20854

Thanks, I didn't know about that either! I'll have to write them in upcoming updates.

The British planned on their Hawk trainers serving as backup emergency interceptors (armed with Sidewinders), and the USN is soon (in the timeline) going to be fielding scout-bombing squadrons for raider hunting in lower-threat areas flying T-2 Buckeyes, T-45s and TA-4s.

the Cessna O-2 or Cessna 336 or 337. maybe put a wooden flight deck on a cargo ship for them to use.

HAS

Armament
Guns: SUU-11/A Minigun Pod
Hardpoints: Four MAU-3A bomb racks
Rockets: LAU-59/A Rocket Launcher, MA-2/A Rocket Launcher
Bombs: SUU-14/A Bomblet Dispenser


just found this about a learjet.... just think if it held weapons. https://www.saab.com/products/aerial-target-services

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by chico20854

Thanks for the clarification! That's what I get for quickly going through a summary that's a couple years old itself...

I used to be an ROTC cadet at the University of Texas at San Antonio. No I did not receive a commission. That's a story in of itself...

[Homer]

Originally Posted by cawest

the Cessna O-2 or Cessna 336 or 337. maybe put a wooden flight deck on a cargo ship for them to use.

The Rhodesian Air Force used armed 337s with an overwing mounted 7.62mm MG arrangement, rockets, and bombs/dispensers pretty successfully. I believe they were able to forward base them near operational areas for quick turnarounds.

Another option for an ad hoc light attack aircraft that’s around in large numbers are crop dusters. They’ve got a lot of lift capacity, are mechanically fairly simple, and can land on rough fields.