This is my first AAR and first time leading a squad since getting my new headset. I figured what better time to type out this AAR than right after the mission.
PltHQ: Spriggan and beta
Alpha CO: Sigma (myself
Alpha SIC: Macolik
Squad consisting of 2 249s
6 Riflemen
2-3 add-hoc JIPs (a medic and another 249 and rifleman)
Planning: After looking at the map for the first time as a leader, I realized that it was going to be important to notice terrain and buildings on the fly. HQ laid out some waypoints for Alpha squad to scout and hold. The mission was to engage the enemy around Obregan and inflict %70 casualties. Intel reported 50+ soldiers and 2 BMPs. Alpha at this point was an infantry squad and did not carry any AT but we did carry flares, which were going to be important considering that this mission took place at night with a full moon.
Execution: We spawned in, myself being inside HQ's tent. Jorge was the leader of the AT squad and was briefed accordingly. I was briefed to bring my team west off the main road and situate ourselves at the edge of a forest overlooking a field. With some mild confusion we got our squad arranged and we proceeded out on foot with nothing occurring.
Upon reaching WP1, we realized that it was going to be a very interesting mission due to the darkness and the forest. We moved to WP2 with no incident, which then changed position and put ourselves at the previously mentioned position overlooking the field. When we reported the all-clear, the rest of the force arrived, bringing up PltHQ and their truck. We were ordered to dig in and hold position and for a while, it was quiet.What I like about the VON in
ArmA is that you can be down the line and faintly hear someone telling a joke, or about women problems, it felt very atmospheric. Once the sandbags were built, I put my SAW gunners on the end of each line, with my riflemen in the middle. This I figure would be able to provide a decent line of fire and would allow the riflemen to see SAW tracers effectively in case of an attack. We covered the North and East ends.
HQ then called upon Alpha to reconnoiter the group of buildings and road 600-1000 meters north of our position. Rather than sending out the full squad, I send out a detachment with Macolik in command. Having the full squad out on the march and patrol would be slower and I thought it'd leave the mainline weakened.
Mac's team successfully patroled the buildings and managed to identify an enemy solder. Rather than put themselves in danger, I told them to return to the new waypoint that HQ had set at the top of a small hill. Alpha then moved up to this position and held it while the rest of the force was brought up.
Mac's team had encountered this soldier by a trio of barn buildings. HQ believed it was a perfect place to set up a defensive position and lure the enemy into a fight. Once the farm was secure, sandbags were built and the HQ was brought into the courtyard. Our position looked into a large field in the shape of an auditorium. Any infantry coming towards us would be out in the open, but had a slight height advantage.
At this point in the mission, it had been nearly 45 minutes without a shot fired. Soldiers were antsy. Alpha's excitement jumped when HQ tasked us to patrol the road leading into Obregan. After picking up a straggler, DeePSix, we made our way onto the road.
We barely gotten 400 meters onto the road when my SAW gunner, LowSpeedHighDrag, sighted a squad of soldiers patroling the field to our North. Informing HQ of this find, we were told to engage and then retreat to lure the enemy into our entrenched position, which now sported roughly 15 troops plus an M2 machine gun crew and AT team. I told my team to take a knee, select burst fire and fire on the infantry until two mags were spent. At my command we opened fire, it was deafening. Two SAW and a compliment of M16's barked out rounds with tracers filling the dark night sky. I'm not sure of the casualties we inflicted, but LowSpeed was hit and killed while Mac was injured. With the enemy sufficiently "pissed off" we retreated back to the farm. We encountered some friendly fire but thankfully no one was hit.
With the enemy starting their approach, I set up my team. I commanded 4 troops on the north end sandbags while Mac commanded another group on the east sandbag position. For what seemed like eternity nothing happened. Then green tracers arced towards our position. All at once our position lit up with M16s, SAWs and grenades. Macolik fired off some flares to illuminate the field in front of us, which helped a great deal. I didn't fire much as I used my binoculars to direct fire on the enemy and check up on my soldiers.
Our position was a very good one, we took few casualties and injuries from enemy fire.Throughout the barrage we head vehicles...BMPs! Luckily the AT team efficiently and quickly disabled and destroyed them without them causing us any real harm.
As quickly as it had started, the action was over. I told my team to check ammo, to replenish their stores and keep an eye out. I looked at the ground and noticed I was swimming in ejected brass shells. I counted two BMP's destroyed and at least 15 enemy infantry killed or wounded.
I reported to Spriggan of our status and awaited further orders. Throughout waiting, the enemy engaged in small skirmishes with us, shelling us with GP25's and even sending a third BMP to our extreme left flank, which was also destroyed by the AT team. I congratulated the medics and the other teams for holding out and knew that soon we'd have to move out.
HQ once again called upon Alpha to make a push into Obregan. This time we picked up 4 more soldiers, bringing our squad to 12 soldiers. With a medic and three SAW's we were ready to make our push. We ventured out on the E-W road into Obregan, double-tapping any soldiers we saw on the ground to make sure they had reported to Saint Peter. The enemy was still active on the outskirts of town as a few soldiers would fire into our group, but we would respond in kind and take them out. As we pushed into Obregan I saw an MG nest light up and fire at us. It is at this point I was hit. I was bandaged and healed, but got the head-bug (it stinks). I ordered Macolik to take the team into Obregan and begin to secure it while I was put out of my misery by XMaster the medic. (One ha ha moment, XMaster was supposed to just shoot me, in fact, two other soldiers shot me at once as well, prompting, "Do we really need three soldiers to kill him"). I respawned at the HQ truck and rejoined my squad as soon as possible.
As made our way into town, the darkness really made it tough to keep an eye out for enemies. We were just about to move into the town proper when the mission ended. Success, we had engaged and inflicted %70 casualties with very few deaths of our own. The mission lasted roughly 2 hours.
Epilogue: I felt like I had lead the squad pretty well, but I'm sure I didn't seem too clear or direct as I wanted. I had just got my new headset and mic and never really led a squad so I just did what I had saw from previous leaders such as Alpha, Lq. Snake, Steven Seagal and Soto.
The nighttime was tough as well, it was hard to see my men in the dark but I want to congratulate them on keeping their facing and maintaining discipline in the heat of battle and in the lull of peace.
That being said, I would do it again!
