Milsim West AAR: 1st Platoon is Best Platoon. Get SAPI. The Medic’s Perspective

I was on the last stretch of my drive. It was a grueling final eight miles until I got home. I just got finished dropping off Sean Lai, who carpooled with me, and I had a trunk full of guns and gear. I remember the iconic Toyota dealership that marked the end of the Pullman/Moscow highway. I noticed that right next to it, there was a completed Time Warner building made of terrible looking Las Vegas like masonry and lined with annoying neon blue lights. I remember thinking “what the actual frick!” I remember seeing construction on the foundation when I left but holy crap they literally erected a building in a span of three days. This blew my mind. It straight up blew my mentally exhausted mind. I didn’t realize how immersed I was at Milsim West. It felt like weeks and in a good way. I felt so engrossed with the fact that we were BB war heroes that my exhausted mind kept telling itself “was I gone three days or a week?”

It was 0430. I was on two hours of sleep and I was wide awake. I was waiting for this moment for months. I was nervous. I didn’t know anyone and I was the least experienced of 1st platoon. How could they expect me to be their medic? I do know my emergency medicine but none of that applied. I had a lot of time to think about this. In fact, I had a full eleven hours to think about this. After picking up Sean, we took a detour up to Spokane to pick up my platoon leader’s (PL) gear as well as Ben Brison’s weapons (enough guns and gear to literally supply our machine gun squad – known as weapons). Ben Brison was originally our weapon’s squad leader but he was injured while working so he had to forfeit his spot to recover.  That made me anxious. Ben, the PL and Nick Day were the only ones I knew on 1st platoon and  only the PL would be there the first day.

After a hectic drive that included a very foggy stretch of road called “the pass” near Seattle, Costco refusing us service as well as being stuck in a one hour traffic jam at the border of Oregon and Washington, Sean and I finally arrived at Camp Rilea. We hustled to unpack our gear and to get checked in. Gear check, chronograph, and being issued BB’s and bandages were incredibly confusing.  This only compounded my anxiety. After finally finishing registration and going to the safety briefing, I finally was sent to bay 1. It seemed like everyone was settled in. I walked past tons of strangers all the way to the end of the bay getting stares and looks. I found an open bunk and began dropping off my gear in the locker when someone excitedly said “hey man!” I turned around and saw Brent Foster, a 9th group member and a person I met during Operation: Blue Devil that was hosted by Eastern Washington Airsoft. This was probably the greatest thing that could happen to me. Literally all my anxiety disappeared. It only got better from there. Hearing my voice, Jacob Rittenhouse broke away from his small leadership meeting and came up to shake my hand and said “we have been waiting for you”. More people started going up to me and shaking my hand and before you knew it, I had met first squad (1-1), and weapons. I had gear for them and apparently I am #internetfamous for my tech work and my impressions. I will not lie, that caught me off guard.

As I began to meet people, I realized that these guys were mostly from Impressions/Gear (I/G). I/G is an impressionist group on Facebook that has a well-spoken “Crye or Die” motto. It stood true. Everyone had either AC or G3 pants and combat shirt as well as either a JPC, AVS, or CPC’s. The amount of gucci gear in our bay alone was too damn high. It was impressive to see almost thirty or so people with just Crye. Impressionists were represented very well.

Our first night was filled with drills and learning how to “form up”. We were slated to providing QRF or quick reaction force to 2nd, 3rd, Task Force 144 (British special forces or SASR), and the MARSOC contingent. This meant that we were literally the only ones not going on mission. Again, this is probably the best thing that could have happened. With an uneventful night full of drills and constant alert. The PL (Jacob), and the first sergeant (BB) used the moment to set the tone to how squared away they wanted us to be and we, as a platoon, used the time to bond and learn about each other. Because of my status as medic, people started referring to me as “doc”. By the end of the night when we were sent out to ensure that 2nd platoon’s index was good to go, I knew these guys like the back of my hand.

Saturday was much more eventful. After waking up in the morning to the A-Team theme song that PL set, we all hustled to get ready for the day. Speed loaders were clicking, guns were being plugged in or gassed up, and all the Crye was being donned. It was a different day. You could just feel it. PL got orders to patrol and control an area known as “training site 8” and recon the area for Russian activity. After being dropped off by two covered 5 tons, and splitting from the MARSOC unit that caught a ride with us, we set up a textbook triangular patrol base and waited. After five minutes, one of the machine gun teams spotted two unidentified units in an set of trees about three hundred feet away. Initially, we believed they were a friendly sniper team but after several failures to identify, 1-1, aka 9th Group, was sent to flex left side. After immediately flexing, 1-1 came under fire. My heart raced as I realized this was my first time in a Milsim West engagement. I raised my rifle and started engaging. After seven or eight rounds, I managed to hit him in the neck area (on accident). Almost instantaneously, I hear the cry “medic” and “doc” from a wounded and BB. I ran over, applied aid as best as I could and moved on to my second patient, who was in the open. He was pretty easily taken care of and from there we moved on. At this point, I realized that my anxiety was pointless and that I have a job to do, make sure these guys don’t die to PKM fire.

 I failed. We were walking in the swamp area only 50 feet from our previous engagement and the PL was trying to navigate past a wall of impenetrable bushes. All of a sudden the Russian whistle sounded, sarcastically known as the “rape whistle”, and blank fire and PKM just started lighting up the area. 1-1 and 1-2 were eliminated almost instantly. I believe that only one person survived the initial contact from 1-1 and 2 survived from 1-2. BB immediately sent 1-3 and weapons right, knowing that there would be an enemy unit sent that direction to attempt their own flanking maneuver. He was right. BB, the veteran sniper – who’s story of the “ESAPI rapist” and war tales gave 1st platoon nightmares, is always right. I learned that pretty damn fast. While 1-2 and 1-3 began engaging the right flank, BB and I moved up, battle buddy style, attempting to recover whoever was left. We got only three people and the PL was MIA. I knew only to trust Rittenhouse and to not worry about him. Instead, our makeshift squad attempted to pull back onto the ridge line, where we were then engaged by a squad of Russians. 1-2 and 1-3 had failed. I was hit and was immediately down, not saying a word. After a… interesting decision by a Russian to shoot me in the face, telling me to “shut the fuck up” BB eliminated him with relative ease. After a bandage wrap over my “laceration” and some Motrin, I was ready to go. I gave BB my gun and he yelled to a group of four of us to recover as many units as possible from the initial point of contact. It dawned on me that it was my job to maintain unit cohesion and to keep the unit going. I was part of the leadership team, not only as a medic, but a motivator. It was my job to keep them going. Immediately, I took the units available to me and pushed up a ways eliminating one or two Russians and had them provide security while I “medic-ed” members of 1-2. I couldn’t get to 1-1 in time. They were gone. I believe the only person alive from 1-1 was Garret. As we traveled back to the CCP on a ridge, we were able to gain environmental advantage and maybe even a numeral advantage against the Russian platoon. After the event, I was told that the Russians retreated because they were no longer “combat effective”. Talk about giving back what they dished out right?

Wrong. Almost instantly after we got a CCP going and when I started taking casualty reports, all hell broke loose. It turns out that the “combat ineffective” platoon called in for QRF so we, the survivors (about 15 or so), stared down a fresh platoon of PKM’s and blank fire. God damn it. This time it went better. BB was able to use the range on my gun to pick a massive amount of people and his grenades were able to eliminate entire squads. This is not to say that his efforts were the sole reason why we won. The rest of 1st platoon kept fighting hard and after a long while, Rittenhouse was able to get a danger close indirect fire mission to eliminate the remaining Russian forces. Like out of the movies, Task Force 144 and 2nd platoon staggered column-ed in on the road behind us. Are you kidding me? They couldn't have walked faster? An admin timeout allowed the Russians and US to resupply on admin gear, such as water bottles, and to allow the Russians to safety travel the roads. In the end, 1st platoon technically won the engagement but with only nine guys up in the end, it didn’t feel like winning.

The rest of the day was full of cat and mouse. After setting up, and then splitting from the Mobile TOC (tactical operations center), we finally got our designated AO (area of operation). It was full of near impenetrable bushes and dirt roads that were in a grid pattern. After setting up and leaving a patrol base, we began traveling to village where we had to do recon. Too bad we never got to do recon. As soon as we turned a corner, we came face to face with a Russian platoon just standing around getting ready to move. Immediately PL had us pull out and started requesting indirect fire missions on the area. While trying to retreat, we realized that we were being pincer-ed by another unit on our 6. It was absolutely nerve racking. Tension was high and unit cohesion was down. PL made an interesting choice to take a left towards the initial contact and BB and I couldn’t help but question this move. We were doubling back to the larger force and we were being trapped like rat. This was the last time I questioned Rittenhouse. He knows what the hell he was doing. Over the admin net, we heard that the platoon we called indirect on had 17 causalities. After double timing it to a new patrol base, we decided to take a break. It was much needed. We were worn out and we weren't as effective as we should be. After a thirty minute break, we were able to push back onto the road and began advancing to our mission location.

Of course, the Russians found us. Somehow, BB, a marksman and I were able to find higher ground without the Russians knowing. We were able to provide valuable intel for PL and even almost began engaging my long range rifle and a crap ton of thunder B’s. Before we were able to engage, a safety cease fire was called and all units were ordered to return to the barracks to rest up and to hydrate and eat. I learned an incredible amount on that hill. The way he (BB) described the environment and how he talked about the situation opened my eyes to what to look for and how to analyze a situation.

 When we got back, we were pretty happy. A break was what we needed to recharge our batteries and get our moral and unit cohesion back. Our next mission was to be a backup QRF. Are you kidding me? We are QRF to the QRF. 3rd platoon was given QRF and Roscoe Leiner, the company’s XO, was commanding the MARSOC and TF144 guys. Their mission was to secure a HVT but instead ended up in direct fire with all of the Russian platoons. The MARSOC and TF144 guys were laying waste to the Russians but as the QRF was sent out on the 5 tons, the Russians were able to eliminate the entire QRF with incredibly accurate mortar fire way before they were able to reach the AO. MARSOC and TF144 apparently had great success eliminating the Russians but the TF144 leader ended up being captured. After everyone returned, we began prepping. It was easy to see what our next mission was. PL and BB started making glass houses and all the squads enthusiastically started learning how to stack up in rooms, large rooms, short rooms, long rooms, and hallways. After collecting back in the bays, Roscoe comes running in yelling “fuck yah you guys got THE mission wooo”. It was about time. Because of the composition of the platoons that consists of Task Force Nessie, and I/G, and because of their reliability and typically being the only NATO platoon squared away, we are given the support tasks, such as QRF or support by fire rather than direct fire missions. To be somewhat opinionated, I feel that this led to a very sever downfall of NATO at the end of the event.

So what was “THE mission”. We were tasked with a rescue mission to recover HVTs including a black operative, and the captured TF144 leader. The TF144 leader was “injured” in the since that he required stabilization. His team noted that he was shot in the leg before being captured so I assumed extensive hemorrhage. Tourniquet.

Just kidding, but we did have “THE mission”. We were inserted by 5 ton at night, and besides being silhouetted by the town’s lighting, it was incredible. 1-3 and machine was able to move up onto the church (where the prisoners were being held) and 1-1 was able to stack up on the church before all hell broke loose. It was actually kind of funny how it started. On the left side of the wall, everyone was prone, aiming through the cracks and holes. Machine gun teams were watching our immediate left. They call contact and BB runs over to find that there is what looks to be a NATO SF unit behind a few buildings. We attempted to verify by calling 4 and received the correct response of 1. One of them runs over and sits next to BB and it turns out the guy was Taters, who was not friendly... at all. BB realized the mistake and pretended to be a good player, letting the Tater walk back, alive, to his CCP. As soon as the Tater was 20 feet away, BB calmly told all our machine guns units “fuck them up (or something to that extent).”

Hell. Broke. Loose.

               After engaging the Tater platoon for a few minutes, PL yelled the words “3rd Litter.” This meant that I became attached to 1-3 and that 1-1 had cleared the Church and had set up security. I can’t say better things about 1-1. They were a group of steady, level headed people that really made a difference in this mission. They trained hard and their communication was incredible. Anyways, I ran into the church, ran down a flight of stairs to the basement where I found the PL going all “marine” on two cobra cuffed Russians, who were spewing Potat’s heresy. That reminded me never to screw with Rittenhouse. You just don’t. In another corner, a member of 1-3 (I believe) was calming down a former Ranger and current black operative wearing a white waffle top who looked strangely like Joshua Warren. It took me only a few seconds to get the stretcher ready to go and we were able to strap in, secure, and stabilize an injured HVT (the TF144 leader). After an administrative intervention (a Russian guy played dead, which is extremely confusing in airsoft), NATO was able to exfil with two Russian prisoners, one black operative, and the injured TF144 leader. We stagger columned back towards the 5 ton and the platoon leadership walked it back with the company CO basking in the glory of finally getting a direct fire mission. I did have issues carrying the TF144 (as part of the litter crew). It turns out that I inhaled in incredible amount of smoke which started up breathing issues. When I got back to the barracks, I immediately contacted the senior medic (Garrett Lukens) who, then, contacted Abraham Inton. We got it all figured out after that.

               The break was eventful. It was longer this time because there were two prisoners that needed to be interrogated. After BB threatened to rape them with ESAPI plates, and after a (fake) waterboarding, we eventually got intel about the whereabouts of a certain HVT… and the RR stash of thunderdrank.

               Sunday started at a solid 0600 for me. I did my basic inventory check as well as packed all non-necessities. We got our orders at 0900 and left promptly. What was the mission? Eliminate a HVT and provide support by fire for the rest of NATO. Yep, another god damn support mission. After walking in a staggered column for some time, we were told to “get on line” on the ridge. I couldn’t help but think about the AAR at 2300 last night where PL was saying that MOUT is a “clusterfuck” and that we needed to just “JDAM the entire town”. I couldn’t help but agree. As we began our push, PL decided to take initiative and try to set up a CCP in a group of containers near the edge of the city. 1-1 and 1-2 both pushed up with great success after being covered by overlapping machine gun and 1-3. Our platoon was in sync. As a medic, I could only stand back and watch the magic unfold. Rittenhouse was telling me how incredible and badass it feels to be part of a team that really synced and how amazing it felt to breach through a hallway where everyone knew what to do. That description of seamless movement was perfect in this situation. As the overlapping fire hit a target, 1-1 would instantly move to it. After 1-1 moved to it, they would breach and clear with great success (because of the glass rooms we had set up). As soon as 1-1 would breach, the overlapping fire would switch to 1-2’s next position, where 1-2 would move to and breach. It was incredible to watch. To take a total of 6 or 7  buildings took roughly five minutes. We did have a decent amount of cas though. Luckily, Baron, the medic from TF144, and I pooled our resources together to move everyone out of the CCP as soon as possible. After setting up a company CCP, our point of insertion into the MOUT, and despite our success, 1st platoon was ordered back to the ridgeline to only provide support by fire. We were relatively ineffective. I had to hand my gun to someone because it was one of the only long guns that could actually hit anyone from our distance. Despite our orders, we took it well (at the time) and moved 1-1 into a group of trees on our left to counter any attempt to flank. This lasted a solid one to two hours. There was action over on the left when RR-COM and 9th Group were engaging each other. It was like I/G’s battle of the century. RR-COM on one side, 9th on the other. Brian Clarkson (or Joshua Warren… I am not sure who the true head of RR is) on one side, and the Welshman himself on the other. It would have been incredible to watch but I didn’t have time for that. I had to run around and put myself in situations to make sure all available rifles were up and ready to go.

               It started ending there. After the rest of NATO lost all of the initiative and the ground that was taken by 1st platoon, it started stalemating. Eventually, in the end (for fun), we bum rushed the middle of the field attempting to skirt past a wall of PKM’s. That wasn’t happening. In the end, the PL was right, MOUT is a clusterfuck.

               What I learned from the event was invaluable. I have worked with the PL before. Jacob Rittenhouse led NATO on my first “milsim” event, Operation Barterwings, hosted by Spokane Airsoft. I thought he was a badass then, and I think he is a bigger badass now. He taught me that being calm and collected really gets the job done and that as a leader, it’s important to set an example with everything you do. He does still need to teach me his mad landnav skills. All of those indirects were spot on and I am straight up jealous of those landnav skills.

               I learned from BB is that I need to look beyond what is obvious. I need to start critically thinking about what normal is. I remember how he showed me where the sniper team (that we engaged on the beginning of Saturday) travelled by just looking around. He was able to point out the trail they took with ease. His battle buddy skills were just unparalleled. He had my back and I had his. I felt that I knew what he wanted before he even asked for it. He kept me safe and I kept him safe. He knew my limits and I think I knew his.

               What I learned from 9th Group is that you just cannot stop pushing. 1-1 did die during our first engagement on Saturday but that pushed them to be better and better. There was a reason why they were selected to breach and why they, along with 1-2, were able to take so much of the town in so little time. They knew their jobs between each other and that chemistry as well as that determination made them Jacob’s utility tool.

               I learned so much at this event. I came in nervous because I knew I knew a lot more than the typical airsofter but a lot less than the military guys and I was right. I have since redone my kit a little bit to focus on  minimizing pointless gear and I took my time trying to balance out Gucci with functionality. I also decided to officially focus on being a medic. I loved my role. Even though I barely shot a mag the entire event, I didn’t want to shoot more. I loved being the medic and I think that I will be making my kit to fit this role.

One more thing I learned. Don't fuck with RR. Just don't.
              

               Will I go back? Yes. Will I recommend it for everyone? No. It requires motivation and dedication. It isn’t for everyone but I’m glad it’s for me.

Task Force Nessie!

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