United States Agrees To Help China and UN Rebuild - The Globe & Anchor - March 29th, 2018

[Sgt (Ret) DelPercio]

 

United States Agrees To Help China and UN Rebuild

 

 

WASHINGTON -- A little more than a year after hostilities between rogue Chinese troops and U.S. forces on the Horizon Islands ended, the Moore administration has formally agreed both to oversee, and to aid, the Chinese government’s efforts to rebuild infrastructure on the islands. This news comes as President Thomas Moore has recently signed a bill to allocate $3.5 billion to assist in cleanup on Tanoa.

 

This comes as a shock to both the citizens of the islands, as well as to the United Nations, who were wary to allow the Chinese back on the islands unsupervised. However, this joint effort is seen as a good step forward in repairing Sino-U.S.relations after a rogue Chinese General attacked U.S. forces during the RIMPAC exercise in 2016.

 

The 13th and 11th Marine Expeditionary Units conducted combat operations on the islands in late 2016 and early 2017, respectively. Since the end of hostilities, a skeleton force of Marines and other joint personnel have maintained a presence on the islands. These Marines have mostly kept to helping local authorities and civilian contractors clean up unexploded ordnance and depleted uranium tank shells.

 

Army and Marine Corps Officers meet at a USMC Checkpoint, Tanoa, 2018

 

Now, the Marines on the Islands are being relieved by the Army’s 25th Infantry Division, or “Tropic Lightning”. The commander of the 25th, Major General Charles Richards, will be in the Horizon Islands for the next two weeks to oversee the transition. Shortly after arriving to the Tanoa, where most of the fighting occurred, General Richards told reporters “My men and I are excited to begin working here in the Horizon Islands. The people here are very kind and welcoming to us,” the General continued, moving to address concerns about Chinese involvement “We look forward to working with Chinese engineers and peacekeepers as they help all parties move past the battles that occurred here a year ago.”

 

Since the announcement, military and State officials have been careful to assure both Americans and Tanoans that the Chinese involvement is limited to non-combat peacekeeping and nation building missions. Pentagon officials have been tight lipped about the exact details of U.S. forces’ mission on the Islands. Today, though, General Richards gave a stern warning to bandits and pirates that have plagued the civilian populace in recent months, “Tanoans and all Horizon Islanders can hold us to this: the criminal organizations that have cropped up since the RIMPAC incident will be identified, targeted and systematically dismantled.”
 

A photo of U.S Air Force Planes and Army Troops at Aeroport de Tanoa, 2018

 

 

On the ground in Tanoa, U.S Army engineers have already begun the initial reconstruction of the base U.S. Marines left behind. FOB Puller will retain its name, however, the hasty fortifications left in place from the initial conflict will be replaced by more permanent walls and buildings. Large convoys and helicopters have been sighted traveling back and forth between the largest airfield on the island, Aeroport de Tanoa, and FOB Puller.
 

The Globe and Anchor will continue to report on events in the Horizon Islands. 

 

Jack Woods - The Globe & Anchor

 

This article is a work of fiction, intended to support the storyline of the 3d MRB Arma 3 realism unit.
 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2018 by Cpl DelPercio

[GySgt Cole]

@Cpl Wauben not pictured™

Edited March 29, 2018 by 1stLt Cole

[SSgt (Ret) Braathen]

Strykers! @SSgt Bazarnicki

[SSgt Waller]

Nice work! That plane takeoff in the back though ;)!

[MSgt Falconer]

Did the army forget to paint their HMMWVs green?

[Specter]

10 minutes ago, Capt Falconer said:

Did the army forget to paint their HMMWVs green?

Those are probably the Marines, using equipment from Desert Storm 1