OPERATIONS ORDER
Operation Panther (1969), Tandemonium (Part I)

--- OPERATIONS ORDER ---

Situation

Background Information
During the night, a US helicopter carrying medical personnel on route to a field hospital was shot down and you are being mobilized to get to the crash site just northwest of Ban Pakha, locate the stranded medical team deep behind enemy lines, and bring them home.

Friendly Forces
- Air cavalry platoon from the 1st Cavalry Division. - LRRP squad from the recently formed 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) is operating in the area southwest of Phouvong.

Supporting Assets
- 2x UH-1D Slicks operating from Camp Striker. - 3x Howitzer Artillery support on standby in Camp Striker

Enemy Forces
Unknown at this time. Expect VC militia forces and prepare for entrenched troops and positions along the line.

Mission

Tasking
The combined efforts of the 1st Air Cavalry Division platoon and the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) LRRP squad are centered around: - Locating the crash site - Securing the location - Recovering the surviving and deceased personnel. The helicopter was carrying a pilot, a crew chief and a field surgeon at the moment of last transmission. If the crash site holds no survivors or KIA personnel, you are to scour the nearby garrisons of Ban Pakha, and Antoum to locate them or any intelligence on where they are located. Should our efforts be fruitless, you are to regroup inside of Antoum and link up with the LRRP squad to communicate your intentions, capabilities and intelligence, and mount an assault on the camp in the south, just across the river, south of Antoum. To match possible overwhelming enemy presence in the area, you will be supported by 3 Howitzers operating out of Camp Striker. Use them wisely to achieve fire superiority in the area and to deal with what is expected to be severe enemy presence in the area. The LRRP team will be unsupported for the entirety of the operation until they link up with the Air Cavalry platoon in the village of Antoum. Once the AAA threat has been resolved, you will have support of the 2 UH-1D slicks providing fire support and air reconnaissance in an effort to locate enemy positions and possible holding facilities of the helicopter crew.

End-state
The mission is successful and finished once the crew of the downed helicopter has been located and brought back to base at Camp Striker.

Execution

Commander's Intent
Intent is to infil, locate and identify crew from the downed helicopter crew. We will land to the north east of the expected crash zone investigate the area and continue on until we have found or identified the bodies of the crew or are forced to retreat. SF teams have their own objectives relating to AA assets in the area.

Tasks and Sequencing
This will be dependent on what we identify during the operation.

Administration/Logistics

Resupply
Extensive logpack will likely be unavailable during operation

Medical
In accordance with SOP

Rules of Engagement
In accordance with SOP

Fire Support Plan
- 3x Howitzer Artillery support on standby in Camp Striker

Close Air Support
- 2x UH-1D Slicks operating from Camp Striker.

Command/Signal

Communications Plan

Callsign	Primary Frequency	Superior Frequency	ACTUAL
ALPHA 9	40mHz	37mHz	MSG Crossy Platoon Commander (≤45)
ALPHA 1	250mHz	40mHz	Squad Leader (≤15)
ALPHA 2	260mHz	40mHz	Squad Leader (≤15)
DELTA 9	361mHz	37mHz	SSG Johnson SF Commander (≤45)
VENOM 4	70mHz	43mHz	SFC Kevin Logistics Support Chief
VENOM 4-1	71mHz	70mHz	PFC Cypher Fire Support Chief
FOXTROT 5	80mHz	33mHz	Sgt Grezvany13 Rotary Crew Chief (General)
FOXTROT 5-1	81mHz	80mHz	SP1 Wavan (Ret.) Rotary Crew Chief (General)

Considerations
In accordance with SOP