Memories 1 - Rapid Deployment
(May 2022 - Curragh Army Ranger Wing Barracks)
“EVERYONE UP! You have 20 to get to the briefing room, up and at’em, boys, girls and whatever the hell the rest of you are!”
I yelled as I slammed open the door to the barracks. I could hear a near stampede as everyone immediately stirred and started to hurriedly roll out of bed in their rooms.
I moved on to the next barrack building and yelled the same at full volume. Some of them were already up and came walking out of their rooms in uniform. They came hustling out of the building and across the grounds towards the briefing room.
I was looking for the first officer I could find and spotted Sitri making her way towards me.
“Second Lieutenant Seeker.”
I entoned once she made it to me, she saluted. I returned the salute, then she stepped to the side to avoid blocking the walkway. Then replied.
“Reporting, Captain.”
“I need to go check if the major is here, make sure everyone is accounted for in the briefing room. This is all hands on deck.”
Leaving the barracks buildings at a fast pace, I made my way over to the admin building and found the first senior clerk and requested that they look into the current status of the major.
“I’m sorry, sir but Major Anders is not available. He had requested leave as he had an operation scheduled today and so left this morning. From what I understand, he will be under anaesthesia until tomorrow and incapacitated for a couple of days afterwards.”
The clerk informed me.
“Dammit, today of all days ok pass it up to the brass. I’m taking over as acting Major until he can return.”
I immediately replied and turned to leave.
“You can’t just declare that you’re acting in a higher rank, sir it has to be approved by high command, it’s against regulations…”
He began to go into a spiel about regulations, but I cut him off quickly.
“We have Irish troops in contact on the outskirts of Cincinnati. They need immediate QRF, and although the Americans are scrambling, high command has told us to go in; they will let this pass, just send it up, that’s a direct order.”
I told him in a tone that brooked no quarter.
“Yes, Sir! I will pass it up the chain.”
He wasn’t happy in that way that annoying admin staff thought their bureaucracy took precedence over operational necessity, but he would do his job correctly, or he would be in deeper trouble than he could talk himself out of.
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Running my way double time to the briefing room and bursting my way through the door, every eye turned to me and all chatter ceased immediately.
I stepped up to the front and began a briefing.
“Everyone, listen up. We have a Rapid Deployment order. Two C295S are being loaded and prepped in Casement Aerodrome for our use. We are deploying to the area around Cincinnati in the United States. As of 0400 we have Irish and US troops in contact with an unknown enemy that is supposedly of extraterrestrial origin.”
“The reports we are getting suggest a large amount of ground-based troops as well as aerial superiority. We will be landing at Cincinnati International. Once we are on the ground, we are linking up with a loaned group of M1126 Strykers.”
They will act as transportation. Keep them intact as best you can operational objectives are as follows: move to assist the embattled Irish 1st Infantry.
“Once they have been stabilised, we are to decide whether to make a push into the city proper to assess the enemy disposition, death toll and if any remain, extract civilians.”
“I am temporarily acting Major of the ARW Ground Force as Major Anderson is currently indisposed for a few days. Questions?”
One of the men at the back put up his hand first, then asked.
“Why have you needed to step into an acting major role, sir?”
It was a genuine question and exhibited his relatively new posting in the ARW.
“Because we have previously had issues when dealing with other nations' military during joint operations when operating with a lower-ranked officer in charge of the ground force, as egos can flare when not on an equal playing field in terms of rank, good question though, Cart.”
Another hand went up. This was from Bravo 1-1 Lieutenant Carson.
“What’s the known disposition and composition of the enemy forces?”
I paused to lift the intel report that was left on the podium at the front of the room.
“From the spotty intelligence we are getting passed to us, the enemy is biological; animals somehow come in large quantities and there has been a sparse set of larger combatants requiring AT to take out.”
Another Lieutenant ‘Bandit’ of Wraith, our scout sniper specialists, had his hand up next. I nodded for him to speak.
“Terrain?”
A man of few words.
“It'll be a city fight, mostly going by provided maps, some foliage cover, but otherwise expect an open street fight and CQB.”
A couple of others put their hands up, but before I could get to them, ‘Ifrit’, who was off to the side of the room, put his hand up and everyone immediately dropped theirs.
“Where are the troops in contact?”
“Current information places the 1st holding roughly 10km north of the Ohio River. The US troops are holding a rough cordon around the area of the first impact.”
I quickly answered the Veteran. Priest 1-1 ‘Father’ was the next to put his hand up and ask a question.
“What equipment is being loaded onto the transports and what is the loadout?”
“Anything man-portable we can get on short notice, we have 2 strykers per squad, so we have space to fit more equipment in with each fireteam once we're on the ground, divvy it up standard spread exceptions per specialisation. Otherwise, pack in standard ammo loads.”
I answered a few more questions and then wrapped up the briefing. We had another 90 minutes before we were due at the aerodrome, so just shy of 50 to get geared and 10 spare in case.
“Go get your gear and get loaded into the trucks. We leave in 50!”
I said as a way to end the briefing.
75 Minutes later, we arrived at the airstrip behind the two C295s which were already spooling up their engines.
We hustled towards the lowered cargo ramps, 4 squads per aircraft. My command squad Gold was tagging along in the left bird, along with squads Genie, Wraith, Priest and Siren, as they had the lower amount of gear stored in the hold.
Bravo, Pub, Clown and Troll got the second bird. They were our more heavy specialised group, so they needed the extra space. The crew loading the planes had done a good job on short notice and everything was properly divided to make it easier to load up the squads upon landing. Strapping in, I gave the go-ahead to the Loadmaster and the back ramp began to close.
Hound Of Ireland Book Notes
SCS Extended Universe
Map for the Fanfics extended Universe, and that gave me the idea for helping myself plan out things on one myself so here you go access to the
