Linda's Viper Challenger Report
As part of Operation Viper Challenge the 23rd Marine Raiders were dispatched to an Afghan police compound near the Pakistani border about fifty miles south of Camp Maholic. The team arrived in two fully loaded (mostly with ammo) HMMWVs fitted with GE M134 machine guns. The drive to the Gemstone Compound was uneventful. The layout of the compound was as expected, with the exception of an acre of land to the west that had been cleared away for some purpose for which the Gemstone employees were vague about.
The Security System
Upon arrival, the team split up to most efficiently inspect and secure the area. As the team's security specialist, I spent the first day improving the compound's area surveillance system. This consisted of two networks of video-only, optical-only, fixed-mount cameras connected via coax cable. One network was dedicated to the grounds of the Gemstone Compound. It provided an acceptable visual coverage of the inside of the compound, but provided little coverage of the compound's perimeter, and no coverage of building interiors. A second network was dedicated to the interior of the detention building. There were two observation stations--one in an office building dedicated to the task, one in the detention building itself. Both network's video could be backed up to magnetic tape.
I had to make a few modifications to optimize the Gemstone Compound's security. The camera that monitored the front gate was inoperative due to the forced removal of its connecting coax cable. The haphazard placement of the coax cable made such an accidental forced removal likely. I cannibalized a camera from the detention building and secured the coax cable against further inadvertent mishaps. As it happened, there were 18 prisoners in the detention center, which contained 24 cells. One cameral monitors two cells; as there were plenty of empty cells, I was able to use one to replace the damaged front gate camera with a negligible loss in security.
The modification I had to make prior to this caused me concern. The observation station in the detention building could only monitor the interior of that building, i.e. the prisoners; but the observation station in the office building could access both the compound grounds and the detention building's interior (though not at the same time). In order to access the detention interior, toggle switches in both locations had to be set to allow the feed. This made no sense. Why allow the video feed from the detention building to the primary observation station in the office building to be cut off at the detention building? This was quickly corrected by setting the toggle in the detention building to allow the feed, then physically cutting off the switch so it couldn't be toggled back.
I had hoped to look over some old video surveillance footage, but all the backups were taken by the majority of the Gemstone staff that had bugged out the day prior.
Exogen's Medical Research Facility
Other members of the 23rd Marine Raiders were equally busy. Sergeant Esparza, when she wasn't busy translating, investigated an off-the-books medical research facility associated with Exogen Research. The facility was at the extreme end of the compound, and while within the protective walls of the Gemstone Compound, was in no way associated with it. Apparently the Exogen staff had bugged out when most of the Gemstone staff did, taking their research (including computer hard drives) with them, but leaving their patients: four dead, two barely alive (who died within hours are were burned near the latrine). Based on interviews with the remaining Gemstone staff, it seems the Exogen patients were made up of volunteers from the prisoner population. The few volunteers that were still alive were dead by the end of the day. Based on the biohazard precautions found within the Exogen facility and symptoms exhibited by the volunteers, Sergeant Esparza concluded they all died of some infectious disease.
IEDs and Afgani Nationals
Corporal Martinez was lead to the discovery of three IEDs when, during his patrol, he happened upon one Afgan trainee burying one near the wall by the rifle range. Ryan, the remaining Gemstone employee in charge, was surprised at the news, claiming the Afgani in question was one of his best trainees. Based on this, Gunnery Sergeant Wilson ordered all Afgani nationals searched and detained in the barracks. Only five Afganis were subsequently searched and sequestered, a fraction of the dozen or so that had been seen during meal time:
- 1 Afgani trainee w/o papers discovered by Corporal Martinez burying an IED and place in the detention building
- 1 Afgani trainee w/ papers that complained so vehemently he was placed in the detention building
- 1 Afgani trainee w/o papers that cooperated and was placed in the barracks
- 2 Afgani trainees w/ papers that cooperated and were placed in the barracks
- 1 Afgani civilian in the barracks--the cleric from Barwani
- 18 Afgani civilian prisoners already in the detention building
- 5 Afgani trainees unaccounted for
- Several dozen Afgani citizens from Barwani just outside the main gate
Ryan informed us there were a dozen Afgan trainees. How many did not bug out with the Gemstone trainers in unknown. Ryan also mentioned the Afganis routinely climb the walls into and out of the compound to do whatever it is Afgani men do)
Corparal Martinez managed to find and defuse two of three IEDs, but the one near the rifle range wall proved too problematic. He did ascertain that they made use of a cell phone trigger. Obviously, all Afganis had been relieved of their cell phones when they were searched.
Birwani Villagers
An added complication was the arrival of several dozen locals from the nearby Birwani village. The presiding cleric asked for Corporal Martinez by name, claiming Allah had revealed to him in a vision that Corporal Martinez would be at the Gemstone Compound and that they could receive medical attention. (The 23 Marine Raiders had encountered this man and his village during Operation Short Reaper only three weeks prior.) The Birwani village was in the middle of an epidemic, several had already died and about ten were currently infected. Gunnery Sergeant Wilson allowed the cleric and a few of their sick inside the compound in order to better ascertain the nature of their illness. It was a familiar story to those of us that have been around since Team Delta: they get a flu-like symptoms, then either die or become deliriously violent. Any infected that died outside the Exogen building were burned near the latrine (two Exogen subjects, two from Barwani).
COs
Gunnery Sergeant Wilson was the commander in charge during all of this, as Lieutenant Zsasz spent much of evening in the latrine, apparently from food poisoning. (He and a few other choose the local chuck wagon over MREs.) The four PFCs: PFC Philip Watt, PFC Robert Bradley, PFC Angela Gomez, and PFC Jack Iverson also performed adequately.
Shelling
The attack began with mortar shells early in the night. Based on my early visual confirmation of one mortar position, the rate of shelling, and second-hand information from Sergeant Esparza and Corporal Martinez, I believe the Taliban attack force was making use of four mortars in locations 50 to 300 meters north of the compound . Several shells fell well off the mark, but several managed to create breaches in the west wall and the detention building. Soon after the shelling, we started taking small arms fire from the west. It became obvious to me that the main force would be coming from the west. I informed our team of this and Gunnery Sergeant Wilson (the latrine that Lieutenant Zsasz was in was obliterated by a mortar shell) assigned resources appropriately.
After being forced off the roof of the detention building by a mortar shell, I took up a shielded and concealed position behind the ruble of the latrine. This allowed me and the machine guns in both HMMWVs to defend the compound against enemy troop incursions through the two breaches in the west wall. One of the enemy's objectives was the liberation of a prisoner being held in the detention building. I was able to eliminate that prisoner and several enemy combatants before losing consciousness due to injuries sustained from my fall from the roof, a grenade blast, and a bullet to the leg.
Aftermath
Thanks to all members of the team performing with intelligence and bravery (including Ryan, a civilian Gemstone employee), the Taliban forces were ultimately repelled. While a tactical victory, Lieutenant Ira Zsasz, PFC Philip Watts, PFC Angela Gomez, and Ryan were killed. The Taliban's jailbreak attempt was unsuccessful: I shot the Afgan national as he was being escorted out of the detention building by two Taliban combatants. Unfortunately, several of the diseased Afganis were discovered to be missing from the Exogen clinic. Drag marks and the execution style murder of PFC Gomez and several of the infected corpses indicates the recovery of some diseased Afganis was possibly another of the Taliban's mission objectives. I have my doubts that the Taliban were responsible for the events inside the clinic, however.