(The following is radio communication recorded by the USS Saratoga, 1 June, 1992, 0930Z)
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: I have a distress flare in grid square seven seven three by two five eight, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Can you confirm US Forces, over?
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Standard 40mm green cluster flare, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: No US Forces in area, repeat, no US Forces in area, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: I'm seeing local infantry in a search pattern below, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Do not engage. Repeat. Do not engage, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Tracer fire from woodline aimed at local troops spotted, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: No US Forces in area, Cobra-Seven-Six-Two. over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Have spotted a second 40mm green cluster flare, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Repeat: No US Forces in sector, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Am receiving incoming transmission. ID: Viper-Six-Actual, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: No unit designation in use, Cobra, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Viper is calling 'Viper-Six-Actual', over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: No such designation in use, Cobra. Disregard transmissions, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Doing overflight, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Negative, Cobra. Return to patrol, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Negative, Hatchet, moving into overflight. Ground force is identifying as friendly, Viper-Six-Actual. One man on thermal, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Disengage, Cobra. Return to mission, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Negative, Hatchet. Have eyes on. Viper is wearing US military uniform. Patch me through to Lima-Six-Actual, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: No such designation in use. Possible ambush, Cobra, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Viper is on the move. On foot. Damn, he's fast. Heading for cover. Patching in communication.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Negative, Cobra, keep channel flight-ops only, over.
VIPER-SIX-ACTUAL: ...confirmation of ethnic cleansing. Photographic evidence of mass graves. Christ, that was close. Photographic confirmation of civilian executions. (coughing) Dammit. (coughing) Samples of vaccination serum inserted rectally into (REDATED). Make sure to recover (REDACTED) body if she was killed in action. (coughing) Viper-Six-Actual moving to extraction site Lima, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: You get that, flight-ops, over?
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Transmission was unclear. Clear net. Switch channel. No US Forces in area, over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: This is bullshit and we both know it.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Return to mission, Cobra. Clear?
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Clear, Hatchet. Cobra-Seven-Six-Two returning to flight path, over.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Disregard all transmissions from Viper. No designation in use. No US Forces in area. Over.
COBRA-SEVEN-SIX-TWO: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck you too. Out.
FLIGHTOPS-SARATOGA: Hatchet out.
//end transmission
(The following is message traffic between Seeker-Seven-Saber, a Chinook from Log Base Delta, and Saratoga Operations Commands (JSOC), regarding grid square seven-eight-five by two-four-six, on or about 1 June, 1992, 1900Z)
Seeker-Seven-Saber: This is Seeker-Seven-Saber, at seven-eight-five by two-four-six, I've got mechanized infantry on the move. Looks like the locals are scrapping up here, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: Can you confirm, over?
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Roger that. Looks like six (6) cargo trucks of infantry, five ZSU's, one T-55 series main battle tank performing a river crossing over a bridge. There are burning vehicles on the road to either side and HOLY SHIT!
OPCON SARATOGA: Observe proper radio procedure, Serpent, over.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Sorry, OPCON, the ZSU hit a mine on the bridge. The whole bridge just went, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: Casualty estimate, over.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Hang on, I'm getting a distress call, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: Can you identify, over?
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Uh, Viper-Six-Actual running under Echo-Five-Actual is ID, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: Seeker-Seven-Saber, there are no US forces in area. No such designation is in use, over.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Claims to be a cut off element of Viper-Six-Actual, identity Echo-Five-Actual. He wants confirmation of identity, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: This is NavInt, not such designations are in use, over
Seeker-Seven-Saber: That's bullshit, NavInt, I recovered members of Viper-Six-Actual less than 24 hours ago, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: No such unit designations in use. No Friendly US Forces in area. Repeat: No Friendly or US Forces in area, no such designation issued, over.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Bullshit. Don't give me that shit. You're covering your ass. We're going to try to find an LZ to pick this guy up, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: Negative, Saber, return to base, over.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: So we're just leaving this guy out to die? What'd he do?
OPCON SARATOGA: Saber, return to base. Now. That's a direct order from Rear Admiral (REDACTED), JSOC OPCON, over.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: What? I've got him on visual. He's got some kind of hardshell pack on his back. He's on a rooftop. Am moving to extract, over.
OPCON SARATOGA: NEGATIVE SABER! REPEAT: NEGATIVE ON PICKUP, SABER!
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Fuck that, he's right here.
OPCON SARATOGA: Saber, if you don't return to base right this minute, I'll have you shot down.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: So we're just leaving this guy?
OPCON SARATOGA: Return to base, Saber. Now.
Seeker-Seven-Saber: Roger. Terminating pickup. Returning to base. Out.
OPCON SARATOGA: OPCON, out.
//end transmission
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Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th
ActionWattys 2018 Longlist Book! Desert Storm had been a disaster for Sergeant Cromwell. Out of the thirty men and women that had made up the reformed Actual, only a handful survived the bitter combat that took place toward the end of the Ground War. Amon...
