SITREP 25MAY21 - AO ATLAS

[Maj Whelan]

From: MAJ SEAN WHELAN <[email protected]>

Date: TUE, 25MAY2021, 1642CEST

CC: [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Subject: FW:FW:RE: REORGANIZATION

 

Gentlemen, it's been good to speak with you all and welcome you to the pleasant country of Montenegro since you made it in from Beketov last night, I've secured you at least 2 more days of rest after your week in Kosovo before we're back on combat ops, this time ought to be at a lighter tempo.

 

I'm putting this message out to address questions and concerns I've gotten from the teams and to fill everyone in on conversations I've had with you all and Battalion about our mission in Montenegro, and disseminate to your tacs accordingly.

 

Our orders have been modified based on the current intel assessment of the Serbian forces' performance in the Montenegro theatre of operations (AO ATLAS). We are no longer buying time in a delaying rear guard action, our new focus will be helping the Montenegrins halt the Serbian advance. 

 

The Serbs are advancing through some of the roughest terrain in the Balkans and have been bled for it. Their 1st and 2nd Brigades are the primary forces in the region and we have confident estimates that they have taken roughly a 30% casualty rate over the past week. While the Montenegrin AFM have been executing an efficient fighting withdrawal to a short, defensible frontline where they can fully utilize their professional, but relatively small force. For their part the AFM has been performing well, reporting roughly 15% losses while maintaining a squadron of light attack planes and several transport helicopters. With their numerous MANPADS and AA guns, the AFM has significantly blunted the Serbian air advantage, but they cannot completely deny the airspace to the Serbs. 

 

With these factors in play our orders have shifted towards sabotaging Serbian means of sustaining their offensive to stall them into a static frontline engagement. This will secure additional time and leverage needed to secure broader international and domestic support for intervention against Serbia and provide an opportunity for unconventional forces in the Serbian-occupied territories to establish themselves.

 

The Truman and her strike group should be off the coast in 8 days with additional supporting assets. While we cannot conduct combat missions from Allied territory yet, we are still able to launch ISR missions which are providing us with a better picture of the battlespace. We will have an AWACS (callsign: Bandog) on station off the coast and will let the teams and aviation know if they detect any Serbian fixed-wing take-off. The mountains make detecting and tracking helicopters difficult, so do not expect AWACS to. In the meantime Battalion has seen to it that evidence collected by the teams of Serbian war crimes is being disseminated by neutral parties on social media, keep those coming as you uncover them (stop posing with the bodies, or at least don't submit those shots). 

 

We're sorting through tasking coming in from the AFM and will have detailed orders for the teams in the coming days, expect to be back in the field on Thursday.

S. D. Whelan
Major, U.S. Marine Corps
Alpha Company Commander, 3d MRB
Marine Forces Special Operation Command