NATO Live Updates

[misha]

See and hear about EASTWIND from the field, as it happens...
BE ADVISED:
Under no circumstances are the "live updates" to be used by anyone as an "intel gathering" apparatus.  The live updates are done "out of game" so to speak, to show the world Eastwind as it happens.  There are troops coming in/out of Eastwind at various times, you are to "forget" that you saw anything once you get into the game.

That being said!  Enjoy all the glory of the muck/mire of EastwindII!

[aswayze]

I am on the way out the door with the M35A2 and the M105 trailer. 

It's really hard to leave the driveway with this thing so I am getting out a little late but am none the less on the way.  I expect to arrive at the AO NLT 12:30 hours today. 


We have gone from "East Wind is coming" to "East Wind is happening"

I hope to see you all there soon. 

[aswayze]

Busy, busy, but the period-correct internet seems to work well, and shoobe has posted a bunch of his photos to his flickr account. Either of the following two tags will show all the EW2 photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoobe01/tags/eastwind2009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoobe01/tags/eastwind2/

Go ahead and tag your own Flickr photos with these tags as well.


Will post some other updates and impressions when we get some time.

[Shoobe01]

Just went to alert. After setting some people up, I get more status and go tell Warnick:
me: We are at full-on war.
dylan: Man, that is really gonna eat into nap time.




More photos up on Flicker, by the links above. I'll be sure to link up a few with comments if I get time (unlikely, as I haven't slept lately either).

[Shoobe01]

In no particular order, and all setup as yet. Also, these are all mine. There's a pro photog here and maybe he'll share some of his much better photos soonest.


The Operations Center, and the better camo nets. No outside photo, sorry.


Allan instructing Houli on some power distribution panel or other. The MKT is immediately behind them.


The inside of the Operations Center. Allan is instructing on recognition of a bunch of enemy equipment, some because he's a gear nerd, and a lot because I forgot my ID books. Here he's drawing russians being scared of riding in sidecars. The others were much better.


We got comically stuck on a leader's recon. Joe tore up his bumper, and as it turns out, his gas tank so the CUCV is unusable and Joe and Stein (in the middle of alert) are under it trying to get it fixed.
This was also good as the E-German guards seemed to think we were over the border, but we have proof that HE was when he came to take photos of us. Diplomacy at the highest levels ensued.


The jeep (okay "MUTT") is very useful, though it was terribly troublesome also. This is everyone leaving me to do a briefing with Warnick way, way up north.


Same jeep, same place, same time. Serving food to the troops in the field from the mermites.


Cooking from inside the MKT.


Allan looking upon a generator with scorn, as it uses fuel. And consumption is bad.


Weather has been tremendous. Almost too good, so we all brought too much. Don't worry, storms tomorrow might ruin it all.
So far the worst thing for me (aside from confusion, tyranny, no sleep and no power) has been the impossibly pre-filled, stinky and dirty "toilet" facilities. Porta-johns that have no service contract. So this morning we finally arranged to get them pumped out. It took a lot of calling to get this to happen, but now they are minty fresh.

[Shoobe01]

I dunno. I am a little disappointed by these Russians. We're here thinking that the last Sov unit to leave the area must be totally hard core and we'll be killed from the pelting of waves of little nesting dolls. But no action to speak of.

And yet, disasters abound. Lost contact with a squad, just to find they lost their leader, who had his codebooks, and is the only guy who can drive the jeep. Just sent out Trucker, in a borrowed CUCV, to drive down the road we had /made/ yesterday, to drive in the dark, without NODs, and try to pick them up. I would not be surprised if further disasters arise from this, but at least this risk has a more solid upside than the other COAs I can come up with.

On top of that, everyone is already worn out. I need a day to rest everyone, or two more squads for the rotation. Tomorrow's defense will be exciting to coordinate.

At least I slept; needed it so much that although I am in the middle of the camp, with generators, trucks, and commo (as well as normal campground noise) all within 20-30 ft of me, I slept through it all.

[Shoobe01]

Overnight, some muddledness.


The camp awakens. Sorta. Most folks slept in, savoring no company formation for a change.


Stein sure does love his russian stove. It makes him happy


I'll let Ben share his own tale of being "captured" as it's pretty funny, but here we are hearing the AAR, over some Froot Loops.


This is out of order. Me from yesterday, when I was barely awake, and sending useless radio messages after the alert. I ran out of time to prep, so actually forgot about equipment, but here you can see that I didn't get time to meet grooming standards either. At least my razor also broke (I am electric-only, yes you can mock me for that) so am now unshaven as well.


Finally! Action! Out of our restful phase, run around, sweep the woods, and flushed two Russians, which were wounded and captured by... someone. Some of the JCT kids, but I didn't see them so am not sure which two.



The two prisoners. As you can see, well-treated. Unlike the way they always treat our prisoners.


Their weapons.


A soviet map, and drawings of our antennas.


Some of their captured equipment. Note the knife, concealed in the map case. Russians are tricky.

After a Red Cross compliant beating, they were returned to their camp.

[aswayze]

Walked in the door to my house at about midnight after hallucinating for about the last hour of the drive home.  Damn I am tired and there is an astonishing amount of work that has to be done this week to facilitate standing down for the  year. 

First though, it is nappy time, in my bed for a change instead of my box.