Operation Mountain Bloom

Operation Mountain Bloom
Guardsmen of Task Force Cannabis
Date April 7 - April 20, 2014 Location Yuma County, Gadsden Result Militia victory
Belligerents
Elizio	Various gangs
Commanders and leaders
Col. Nolan Greer Col. Anna Utley	Unknown
Units involved
1st Battalion, 2nd Mountain Brigade 4th Battalion, 5th Siege Brigade
Strength
~1,600 16 guns and mortars	~500 9 mortars
Casualties and losses
33 killed 60 wounded 3 guns and mortars destroyed 2 helicopters damaged 1 heliplane shot down	~200 killed ~80 captured 9 mortars destroyed

Operation Mountain Bloom was an operation by the Gadsden Land Federal Guard to clear a section of the Mohawk Mountains of drug traffickers and their crops. It is the largest and most intense engagement by the Federal Guard to date. Legal concerns in the aftermath contributed to the creation of the Elizian Constabulary.

Background

On May 29th, 2014, a group of rangers patrolling the western Mohawks were fired upon by persons unknown. A helicopter sent to evacuate them took what was later determined to be mortar fire, but was able to take off. As the helicopter departed with the rangers aboard, the crew and passengers observed a marijuana farm spanning over 600 acres and reinforced with trenches. The rangers informed their Regional Forester, who in turn called Governor Roy Killian. Assessing the situation as beyond any state agency's capabilities, and without cohesive federal law enforcement, Killian summoned the best assets he had—the commonwealth's Land Federal Guard.

Prelude

Task Force Cannabis

The 5th Siege Brigade at Filibusters Camp and the 2nd Mountain Brigade at Fort Mohawk mustered a battalion each to create a task force, call sign Cannabis. 4/5 Siege deployed on a plateau to the west of the farm, while 1/2 Mountain dug in to the north. By April 3rd, they had created an L-shaped line of trenches linking their positions. 4/5's commander, Col. Nolan Greer, parceled out a howitzer battery to supplement the mountain troops' mortar teams. The guns would suppress the enemy in intervals while two platoons of infantry and engineers bounded across to capture critical points at each trench line, where a mounted mortar team would stay with follow-on troops to cover the advance. Close air support took the form of three A-29B attack planes and an MC-27J gunship. Ten MH-60S and six HH-60W helicopters, plus a single CH-150B heliplane, provided insertion and medevac capabilities.

OPFOR

Most of the enemy force consisted of shooters from various, loosely-affiliated Hispanic and African-Elizian gangs. Some had military training; a few dozen or so had even seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan. These individuals had since instructed their compatriots in small-unit tactics. In addition to small arms and ballistic vests, the criminals possessed improvised explosives, ranging from pipe bombs to Molotov cocktails to light artillery. About 60 gunmen had been given additional training in infiltration tactics. They would serve as scouts and assault troops, and were armed with carbines, submachine guns, pipe bombs and knives.

To protect against attack, the enemy had set up a reverse-slope defense where the terrain allowed for it, and a trench system (including abatises, sangars and spider holes) where it did not. The farm proper was rigged with assorted booby traps.