The new Marine Corps Crisis Response Force. via Marine Times...
The Pentagon has approved the development of a new 500-man Marine crisis-response force, but the U.S. must still determine where it will be based overseas, two top Marine officers said.Head to Marine Times to read the entire article but let me hit you with this scenario...don't be offended but its a replay of the Libya crisis with a twist...hang in there with me please.
The unit is called Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force–Crisis Response, said Lt. Gen. Richard Tryon, deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations. It will include a company of infantrymen and be based around six MV-22B Ospreys and two KC-130J Hercules tanker planes, he said.
2100 Hours Libya Embassy. A flash message is sent to AFRICOM telling them that a large group of protesters appeared almost out of nowhere. Intel from both the CIA, allied intelligence and military intel did not indicate that there were any indicators pointing to this possibility.
2330 Hours AFRICOM. Upon receiving news of the mob, AFRICOM alerted both the Marine Corps Crisis Response Force (MCCRF) and the SOCOM theater commander attached to his command. He informed SOCOM TC to get his guys ready for possible action.
0100 Hours Libyan Embassy. Message traffic is sent to AFRICOM indicating that local authorities appear to have the situation contained and that the crowd doesn't appear to be getting any larger or violent. It is hoped that after a bit more yelling the crowd will disperse and the citizenry will go about their normal activities. Intel agencies are not able to explain what incited this or why it is occurring.
0130 Hours White House Situation Room. The Watch Officer has been monitoring the situation and has made contact with his counterparts at the DoD, State, CIA, State Dept Diplomatic Security, and AFRICOM. It is decided on a satellite call that the principals will be informed as part of the daily brief as this doesn't appear to be an aggressive act.
0330 Hours AFRICOM. The Combatant Commander is torn. He could start moving forces toward the scene or he could cancel the alert...deciding not to waste a good training opportunity he starts the MCCRF towards Libya. He's tempted to send along the Alert SOCOM unit but the SOCOM TC talks him out of it. Africa is a big place and if intel missed this then there might be a 'real' incident about to pop off at another location.
0400 Hours Libyan Embassy. Shit went from zero to 100 in minutes. One second the Libyan security personnel were there, the next they weren't. A second after that the first RPG hit and suddenly the compound was getting peppered with small arms fire. The Marine Security Guard had begun to secure and return to normal operations when the first grenade hit. The Chucks with flak jackets were exchanged for real deal 782 gear. Kevlars and everything. This was already a long night...now it was going to be a longer day.
0405 Hours AFRICOM. The AFRICOM TC is asking himself one question. What the fuck just happened. How did a simple demonstration suddenly go bad? Luckily he has the MCCRF already enroute. Now the decision had to be made. Does he let them land? Does he commit them to an unknown situation that he doesn't have a clear view of? They're still approximately an hour away. He has little time to dick around. Time to wake the boss.
0500 Hours White House Situation Room. The Principles have all gathered and have been briefed on the issues. The MCCRF is already enroute, the Libyan Government has stated that they are still gathering information but will allow reinforcements to land at the embassy and the President has given the go ahead for DEFENSIVE operations only. The SOCOM Ready Alert Force has been recalled and will be enroute shortly by C-17s. While they won't be able to land directly at the embassy its expected that the fast, high flying airplane will arrive soon enough to make a difference if things go bad.
0500 Hours AQ Assault Force. The AQ Commander has studied American operations in Afghanistan and their reaction to the first attack in Libya. He is aware of the loss of face that the Americans received (even though the American public was too stupid to realize it) by having an Ambassador---the freaking equivalent of a 3 or 4 star General killed by his men. This time they would be smarter. They wouldn't kill the messenger of SATAN. No. This time they would kidnap him, make money off his suffering and then slaughter him like a goat on the internet to make the American people fear TRUE ISLAM and understand what will happen to all foreigners that invade their lands. Besides. He also studied the American Marines new force. A crisis response force they call it. He knew that the easiest way to kill Marines were in the air. Before they touched down. Videos, brochures and articles on the V-22 indicated that while fast and high flying it had one glaring flaw. When transitioning to helicopter mode and flying low and slow it could not maneuver like a helicopter. It was crazy vulnerable. It had no protective firepower like the CH-47 and CH-53 that had guns sticking out both sides and at the ramp. Fire at the beast from either head on or at the sides and they would risk nothing. The trap was set and his anti-air teams were already sliding into place. It wouldn't be long.
0530 Approaching the Libyan Embassy. Squad Leaders are doing last minute equipment checks, weapons are being readied and the Company Commander and the Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander have both agreed that they'll do staggered landings two by two to get the force on the ground as quick as possible. They would land inside the compound because it would be more secure, they would avoid the issue of landing on Libyan soil.
0545 AQ Assault Force. The first two V-22 can be heard approaching. The MCCRF would...if it were attached to an MEU have a couple or more AH-1Zs riding shotgun...they would have flown in first, hoping to attract fire and blast the stupid camel jockey that had the nerve to take a shot at America's finest. The MCCRF didn't have that protection. The AQ Assault Force didn't have to worry about that. The AQ Commander was good and had two teams fire at each V-22.
AFTERMATH.
The Marines were packed in tight. All 40 died before they touched sovereign US soil at the Libyan Embassy.
The remaining aircraft were diverted to the Libyan International Airport. The C-17s carrying the Ranger Battalion(-) that was currently serving as the SOCOM Ready Alert Force was placed in command of the reinforcement mission and he would be taking over as soon as he touched down.
Meanwhile the Embassy was assaulted before they even touched down---the AQ Commander kept his promise and kidnapped the Ambassador. Despite intense efforts by intelligence, SOCOM and our allies his location was never found. A secret ransom was paid in the amount of 25 million dollars (the reward amount for info on Bin Laden leading to his capture---the AQ Commander thought it a nice insult)...after a few videos of the ambassador pleading for his life, he was finally beheaded ... again. On video.
The Marine Corps was sunk into controversy. Suddenly all the voices that stated that the MEU and REAL combined arms task forces was our way of warfare and the future of the Corps were finally heard.
Unfortunately for the current Commandant, he continued the initiative of his predecessor. In the middle of the worst crisis to hit the Corps since Ribbon Creek Incident, the leadership was in turmoil. The MCCRF was disbanded and the MEU reinvigorated. No longer would change for change's sake be tolerated.
This is a scenario that I can see happening. This force is just big enough to get into real trouble. THE ENEMY IS SMART. WE CAN TALK SHIT ABOUT THEIR CAPABILITIES BUT THEY ARE RESILIENT, FORMIDABLE AND ARE DEDICATED. They know how we operate and will set traps unless we keep on our toes.
The MCCRF is just waiting to fly into a modern day Ia Drang Valley in the desert.
