Tactical Decision Game #95-8
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Tactical Decision Game #95-8 August 1995

Crisis in Protagonista

by Maj John F. Schmitt, USMCR

View a map of the situation

Situation:

You are the commander of a forward-deployed Marine expeditionary unit (MEU). Your ground combat element (GCE) consists of an infantry battalion (four rifle companies) reinforced with a battery of 155mm artillery, a reinforced light armored reconnaissance platoon (six LAV-25s with scouts), a combat engineer detachment, and a reinforced assault amphibian vehicle (AAV) platoon (10 AAVP-7s and 2 AAVC-7s). Your aviation combat element (ACE) consists of a medium helicopter (HMM) squadron (12 CH-46s), reinforced with 4 CH-53Es, 4 AH-1 Cobras and 2 UH-1 Hueys. Providing logistical support is a MEU service support group (MSSG).

Protagonista is one island in the Central Pacific Federation. Consisting mostly of former French possessions, the Federation is no in "free association" with the United States for defense and foreign policy. The island is a popular tourists attraction for American and Japanese vacationers, famous for its long white beaches. The capital, Saint-Jean (15,000), and Belle-Anse (8,000) are the only cities of any significance. Saint-Jean is the sole port capable of handling anything larger than small craft. Outside the beach resorts, the locals live on spice production and subsistence farming. The countryside, including Mt. Protagonista and Mt. Moyen, is mostly covered with light forest or semicultivated crops.

A minority faction of Antagonistans launches a surprise coup. Antagonista is another island nation with a long history of cultural and political antagonism with Protagonista. Initial news reports indicate the coup is surpisingly well organized and equipped . government House in Saint-Jean has been seized and the governor assassinated. Saint-Jean International Airport has also been seized. Within hours of the initiation of the coup, regular Antagonistan military forces are reported to be arriving in Saint-Jean by air - it is clear that the coup was a preplanned precursor of a deliberate invasion. Breaking news stories report about 200 Antagonistan infantry around Saint-Jean, 2000 moving toward Belle-Anse, and another 100 in Est-Anse. On the ship's television you see news footage of troops equipped with automatic weapons, light mortars, and some light trucks and towed 12.7mm antiaircraft guns.

Most American tourists have fled west ahead of the arriving Antagonistans and are now at Pointe-Quest, where an evacuation is going slowly and will continue throughout the night. A smaller evacuation effort is operating out of Sud-Est. Declaring Protagonista an "historical princedom of the Antagonistan island kingdom," the Antagonistan Government has announced a policy of "ethnic scrubbing." There are now confirmed reports of violence in Saint-Jean and the countryside. The Federation president and the Japanese Government have requested U.S. intervention. The U.N. has not had time to react.

Yours is the closest U.S. force to the scene. The amphibious ready group (ARG) commander is designated the navel expeditionary force (NEF) commander, and you are designated the commander landing force. The NEF receives instructions, within its capabilities, to launch a landing operation within 4 hours to: (1) protect and assist in the evacuation of U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals, (2) stabilize the general situation, (3) facilitate the arrival of follow-on forces, (4) put a halt to the "scrubbinging," and (5) cut off the arrival of Antagonistan forces at the airport - in that order of precedence. You are to minimize collateral damage, but you are authorized to engage Antagonistan military forces as necessary to accomplish your mission. You can get aerial refueling support for the CH-53s from an Air Force tanker detachment operating in the region, which means you can launch your Sea Stallions immediately if you wish. You should not expect any other reinforcements for 24 hours.

Requirements:

"Where the heck is Protagonista?" you ask yourself. Your S-2 provides a map. The ARG is already heading for the scene. With your S-2 and S-3, you sit down with the NEF commander and his principal staff to talk it over. Take 20 minutes. Come up with a n intent and general concept of operations for the employment of your GCE, ACE, and combat service support element. Then provide a sketch of your plan and an explanation of your rationale.
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For more detailed information on the structure of Marine Corps units, Marine Corps equipment, and symbols used in Tactical Decision Game sketches, see Marine Corps Gazette, October 1994, pp. 53-56 and the modification reported in the January, 1995, edition on page 5.