Kalistani Major History

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Training operation Sea Tortoise conducted without international participation
"Training waits for no nation", says Defense Minister
Bozo River AGTC, Ananto
September 1, 5322


Regular Infantry make amphibious landing at Bozo River AGTC, in Ananto during war games

The Kalistani Regular Force conducted combined arms exercises called "Operation Sea Tortoise" in and around Bozo River Air Ground Training Center throughout the month of August. This was the largest field op the Regular military conducted since Reorganization began earlier this century. The field operation and war games involved Regiment level operations and involved units of all five Field Divisions as well as the Militia, who played the role of "Americanians", who, according to the rules of engagement, invaded Kalistan from a fictional country of Americania.

"We wanted to put our Regulars to the test, " said Defense Minister Col Heather Y. Bradley. "To test not only their strength, courage under fire and tactical training, but also the new weapons systems that we are redeploying across the Republic. What better way to do it than against the Militia, who themselves require training too, representing a fake imperialist, capitalist country bent on world domination?"

Bradley said that the Bozo River facility is perfect for the type of combined arms activity that characterizes modern mechanized warfare. "Our infantry needed to remain highly mobile and flexible in dealing with the irregulars in the Militia. But that sort of adaptability is made far more difficult when you are also coordinating fire with tanks and heavy artillery. Throw in some Air on station and you really start playing four dimensional chess at that point and it also becomes a challenge for command and control. This operation was also designed as a stress test. The militia really did a number on the regulars in that department."

When asked whether foreign units had participated in the exercise, Bradley diplomatically expressed her disappointment that the war games were Kalistan only. "We put out the welcome mat for wargames. We actively tried to encourage other nations to engage on that front. This time, unfortunately that did not happen. Perhaps next time. But, as they say, Training waits for no Nation. It took a small amount of reconfiguration of the parameters of this exercise in light of other nations' failure to respond. But I'd say we did well."

The Republic was on hand to watch one unit of Regular infantry perform an amphibious landing on one of the beaches at the Bozo River facility. Our reporter was accompanied by the Defense Minister, as well as General Jesus Garcia, who was overseeing the entire exercise. "See what we have here is a Marine landing," said Garcia. "The Regular Navy maintains our Marines, who usually handle amphibious landing, but the Navy is in a support capacity this time around, and the Regular Army is conducting the landing drills. It came as a surprise that the Militia, who is playing the Americanians, isn't here to greet the Regulars, but judging by the last few days, I imagine that the Regulars are in for quite a shock when they get into those hills over there beyond the coastal road. Hopefully they are savvy enough to anticipate an ambush or 300. But we will see. The Militia has been keeping these guys up at night."

When asked why the militia is playing defender, the General was forthright: "If Kalistan is ever invaded, the Militia will likely be the first to engage the enemy. They need to know what to do too. I am curious as to why they didn't engage on the beach though, and wondering myself where this particular exercise will go." As the day went on, it became obvious what the Militia's plan was. Draw as many Regulars into the landing zone, and then hold them there, compacting them on the shore and then blowing them apart with indirect fire. General Garcia later commented: "See, what the Americanians have done is forced our Regulars to remain in the sand near the beach. You can't effectively deploy tanks or artillery in that, and just being down there is hot and exhausting, while they hold the high ground just there, see? And they are sitting up there with firebases and are raining mortars down on these guys all day." Mortar fire was simulated with flash bang that stunned but didn't hurt anyone while Artillery fire was simulated using FO Firing coordinates called into the Command HQ. By the end of the day, General Garcia adjudicated that "Today, the militia whooped the Regulars--They made it to the road, but never past. They couldn't even see the Militia's positions over the berm. But don't worry. The Regulars aren't out of this yet: Tomorrow its the Militia's turn to try and invade."

As units took turns in different combat situations, both groups said they really benefitted from the training. "This is as close to war as we will probably ever come," said Melinda Carruthers, of the RSMoK. "Kalistan has really worked pretty hard to make friends of nations who used to hate us, and right now there is no real threat on the horizons, but we still gotta stay sharp, because tensions could flare up in conflicts that we have nothing to do with, and next thing we know, some imperialist is trying to invade us. It happens." Regulars themselves also report value to the training. "Its always nice to get out in the field and fire artillery," said Cpl Kenneth Bryce, of the Ananto Regulars. "Bozo River is one of the greatest training areas in Seleya. It's so remote, we can do anything and not worry about noise ordinances or population centers or anything. Last night during a fire mission, a plane came over and dropped a 700 pound bomb like 3 miles away. We got to watch it. Seriously, it looked like a massive fireball. never saw anything like that before!"

The range at Bozo River has quieted down now, for a few months. The next major training exercise is scheduled for mid December, and meanwhile, Militia units are scheduled to cycle through Bozo River for a week at a time.