AEF's Legacy Fundraising

G'day all,

28-year-old Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney, from the Brisbane-based 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan yesterday morning.

He leaves behind his three-year-old daughter Annabell and wife Beckie, who is about to give birth to their second child any day now.

"Nothing meant more to him than his family," she said.

29 August to 9 September 2010 is Legacy Week in Australia. Legacy is an organisation founded in 1923 dedicated to caring for families like Lance Corporal Jared's.

Many members of the AEF are current or ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force or come from ADF families.

Please show your support for the sacrifices made by Australian Defence Force personnel and their families this year by donating whatever you can spare and spreading the word to friends and colleagues, in emails, forums, blogs, and social networking websites you have access to, like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/aef

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,
Swedge

Images sourced from www.defence.gov.au

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From the editor:

We play a military simulation game. In saying that, the knowledge that what we do in a video game is also carried out in real life by every day people in our Defence Force is never forgotten. The men and women of the ADF have our utmost respect for the job they do and the sacrifices they make.

For what it's worth, our deepest condolences go out to those who have lost loved ones while serving. We hope everyone will do what they can and donate to help care for the families that have been left behind.

CTB News and Updates

ACRE Installation Guide

Gene Hunt, from Combat Team Bravo, has created a user friendly guide to installing the ACRE radio add on. You can view the guide here: http://www.aef-hq.com.au/aef3/forum/viewtopic.php?f=321&t=58356

Many thanks to Gene for putting in the time and effort to get that guide together - here's hoping it makes life easier for those having issues with its installation.


CTB Setup Night

All CTB members are encouraged to turn up to the Addon-Setup night being run on Friday the 27th of August, at 2000HRS Sydney time on the CTB game server.

The night will give you the chance to test your addon setups and allow you to get some help with troubleshooting addons such as AAW and ACRE. Logon to the AEF forums and check the battle orders for more information.


AEF Teamspeak 3 Server Up & Running!

After a long period of testing and discussion, the AEF has officially begun migrating to it's now voice comms server! With the imminent closure of Ventrilo a new option was needed, and both Mumble and Teamspeak 3 were put up for comparison. TS3 came out on top and was chosen for a number of security and easy of use factors.

Feel free to jump in the public channels for games such as BC2 and the CoD series:
AEF TS3: 202.62.137.195:9989

As always the AusArmA Community TS3 server us where you'll find the fun and games relating to the ArmA series.
AusArmA TS3: ts.ausarma.org:9987

Roadside Bomb Kills 4

Campaign related info:
Captured footage from an insurgent camp shows the IED strike that wiped out a US special forces patrol vehicle and its 4 occupants.

Mission Testing Night 17/8/10

Tuesday night seen a number of CTB regulars get involved with some new mission testing. Two new missions - Operation Horizon and Secure Timurkalay - were made using the newly released AAW units and weapons, and CTB is looking to once again adopt them as a standard addon for the team.

Below are some videos and screenshots from the testing of Op. Horizon.

You can also visit AusArmA (http://www.ausarma.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5010#p5010) for more screenshots from the night. 

CTB Basic Infantry Training Night

The trainees and trainers after a busy session on the range.

Tonight a handful of both new recruits and veteran members of Combat Team Bravo get down and dirty in a night of infantry training. The night was part of the current Training & Drill system setup by the management group, and is designed to train our members in everything from basic infantry contact drills to providing effective vehicle support in larger operations.

(AEF)Delta giving instructions

Tonights line up seen half an hour on the practice ranges, doing basic formations, fire and movement and a range of other basic skills. Trainers Floydii, Wolffy and Delta ran the evenings proceedings. 

(AEF)Gunner doing something... constructive.

Overall, training ran smoothly and after everyone sorted out some ACRE bugs we were straight into Operation Golden Retriever on Takistan. 

AO for Golden Retriever

Mission Night - 06/08/10 - Hotel Soap

Mission Overview
Special Operations and embedded General Infantry members from Combat Team Bravo were inserted to conduct a variety of operations in direct action against Takiban insurgents. The actions were focused within the Feruz Abad region in order to disrupt OPFOR operations and activities.

Objectives
1 - Locate and Establish FOB
2 - Conduct a cordon search for ammo caches
3 - Kill or Capture HVT
4 - Search for supporting Lieutenant [CANCELED]
4 - Disrupt local militia camp

Segment of the AO in use by the team.

Mission Review

OBJ01
Dagger was assigned to locate and secure a possible FOB location out of 3 pre-determined areas. Dagger dispatched with 2 SOV HMMWVs including extra ammo and 2 mortars. Scythe was to prepare the Chinook with the required objects to build a Forward Operating Base.

Upon entering final possible LZ location, Dagger contacted 1 hostile section of 10 infantry, proceeding to out maneuver and eliminate the threats within the SOV's, successfully executed.

Scythe landed at LZ3 and began construction on the FOB whilst dagger provided security. Dagger's RO spotted hostile infantry attempting to ambush the FOB during it's construction and eliminated all hostiles using the MK19 in over-watch.



OBJ02
En-route teams encountered an IED [GR07121494] which was marked and bypassed. Scythe set up an FSP SW of OBJ2 using MMGs and mortars to support Dagger's assault. A snap ambush was set-up prior to eliminate 1 hostile patrol outside of the town, resulting in approx. 5 enemies KIA, however a single hostile hid during the ambush and was able to inflict damage onto Dagger, with one member suffering light wounds.

1 ammo cache was located and destroyed in the NE corner of the main intersection of the town.
Approx. 2 enemy sections eliminated during assault.
On RTB to FOB Pork teams 'safely' detonated the IED to prevent possible accidents.


OBJ03
Callsigns again moved off within 2 SOV HMMWVs on an extended operation to secure 2 enemy lieutenants, however due to low fuel, OBJ4 was canceled with the new obj to secure a fuel supply from a local contact in Sakhe.


The first lieutenant within Feruz Abad was located in the southern hill overlooking the town. Initially the target was cooperative but attempt to take the life of one of the Dagger operators and was put down, investigation pending.

Zero casualties during the kill or capture
approx. 1 enemy section and sporadic infantry eliminated.


OBJ04
Teams pushed on towards Sakhe, encountering a second IED [GR03690522]. The IED was disabled and teams navigated around the area with caution. Upon reaching Sakhe, teams located an enemy training camp.

Scythe split up into a sniper team utilizing the eastern ridge, and an assault team, whilst Dagger divided an LMG team to provide support from the western ridge.Snipers initiated contact whilst the assault elements swept through the town eliminating all threats and locating a cache.


A hostile patrol in the southern hillside must have heard the gunfire and proceeded down to ambush. Both teams suffered 2 injuries as of this however no CASEVACs were required.
Approx. 3 enemy sections eliminated
Teams secured fuel and RTB for the day.


Summary
Duration: 3.5hrs
70+/- OPFOR KIA
- 6 Sections
- Sporadic engagements
0 BLUFOR KIA
3 BLUFOR WIA [No CASEVAC required]
- 1 Injury during ambush, flesh wound
- 1 Injury from enemy sniper fire
- 1 Injury from falling off a roof
0 CIV KIA
0 Assets Lost

Mission Night - 21/7/10 - Black Gold

Mission Overview

Your group is the lead element of the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. You consist of 4x M1A2 Abrams MBT's, and 3x M2A2 Bradley IFV's, without dismounts.You have been tasked with clearing passage into Northern Takistan via the barren oil fields located in the country's north east. To counter our movements, the Takistan Military has moved elements of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Mechanised) and the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armoured Division to hold the area between PL-Gold and PL-Terril. The force consists of an unknown number of BMP-2's, BRDM-2's, BRDM-2 ATGM's, T55's and T35's. The unit also has infantry teams helping with defence.

Objectives
1 - Cross PL-Gold
2 - Eliminate Armour
3 - Eliminate HQ-BMP

Mission By: (AEF)Swordsman

(AEF)Swordsman's M1A2 entering the AO

Mission Review

CTB got stuck into Black Gold as the first mission for the evenings proceedings. The heavy-cav based mission is aimed at training vehicle crews and improving their situational awareness.

OC (AEF)Floydii heading south

Mission commander (AEF)Floydii split the four Abrams main battle tanks into two groups, one covering the northern flank, and one covering the south. The Bradley IFV acted as the unit scout travelling in the center of the formation and calling targets.

(AEF)Chappy's vehicle after the hit on
his vehicles tracks.

Upon entering the AO, the two groups encountered a small scout party of 6 BRDM-2 variations and disposed of them with the longer ranged main guns on the M1A2's. The two groups of MBT's then engaged the defensive line of the remaining Takistani Mechanised Infantry Division, eliminating the majority of the BMP-2's in quick succession. During this period (AEF)Chappy's M1A2 suffered damage that rendered his vehicle immobile, making the situation for the vehicle commanders interesting.

The two groups were able to offer supporting fire to each other from their over watch positions, which allowed CTB to successfully destroy the T55 counter attack that attempted to flank the group to the north and south (resulted in 5 more OPFOR heavy vehicles destroyed).

(AEF)Kynetic enters the fray.

From this point on, reinforcements arrived and the remaining two Bradley IFV's joined the fray, helping to clean up the infantry defending the oil platform with their cannons, as well as knocking out two entrenched BMP's with TOW missiles.

The MBT element moved through the AO in an extended line, converging on the enemy HQ and eliminating the unit commander with a single SABOT round from 2 kilometers. The remaining armour in the area was destroyed and the group moved over platoon line Gold after the 45 minute engagement came to a close.

(AEF)Swordsman's M1A2 from the view of (AEF)Thyco's M2A2.

Lessons Learnt

Crew commanders quickly learnt to stay on their guard and scan every direction for targets. The mission also highlighted how important it is for vehicles to choose the correct position in the terrain (e.g. hull down). 

Overall the mission ran well considering the majority of the players and even some of the vehicle crew commanders were new to heavy-cav style game play. Everyone involved enjoyed the mission and looks forward to future cavalry missions.