View Full Version : Operation Just Cause - Working with Legs
NousDefionsDoc
03-05-2004, 15:17
Imagine if you will an eight man Strategic Recon Team from 2/7. All key members are experienced HALO Sky Kings. The Team in question recently had the top three finishers in certification in Panama. Came off an intensive six month training cycle in Panama. Knew the next operation would be in Panama. Team Leader is a WO with CCN experience. Team Sergeant former Batt Boy who supported the Iran Op. Two really good demo guys, one of the best commo guys in Group, and two cherry weapons guys that just joined the Team for what all thought would be the upcoming social event. And the medic, well, the medic...
So, this Team deploys to Panama for 7 months for 3rd Batt augmentation. Really good training, several run ins with the Dignity Battalions, etc. The Team is there for the short-lived coup in which Noriega is taken, but told to stand down. The Team then re-deploys to Bragg and goes to Ft. Bliss for a HALO-HAHO-HAMO train up. Because hey! Nothing's going to happen before Christmas right? Group CSM comes to Bliss - "Best training I've seen all year!" The Team then goes on block leave. Because hey! No way anything's going to happen before Xmas.
Then hey! Something happens before Xmas! The medic's gringa Minion of Satan, "Better wake up, there's shooting in Panama on the news."
Medic, "There's always shooting in Panama. Holy shit!"
So the medic goes to the Team Room just on the off chance another Team needs a fill. And his whole Team is already there! No call in nothing. Team Sergeant drove all the way back from NY. All night.
"SGM, we're ready."
"No birds."
Said medic lived across the street from the JSOC AF liaison officer.
"Bob, we need a ride to the dance."
"You and every other son of a bitch on Bragg. Wait one. I've got a C5A headed down in the morning."
"We'll take it!"
So the Team gets to the dance. Sent to Rio Hato to clear the way for the B Team. The war is won, but "they're going to guerrilla warfare and try to drag it out!" B Team comes in and kicks out Team out of Noriegas beach house. BASTARDS!
Batallion Commander and CSM - "You have a mission. This Detachment will be the 7th Group QRF country-wide. We have A Teams deployed here, here and here. You have one MH 53 on stand by. Questions?"
Now medic knows SF doctrine and this ain't it. "Sir, let me see if I've got this straight. There are A Teams spread out all over this country. All of them bigger than ours. Everybody and their grandmother is worried about them going guerrilla and wiping out a Team."
"Right"
"And you and this came up with a plan."
"Right"
"And the plan is, in case something happens to 12 guys, to put 8 more in to die with them? That's the stupidest fookin' plan I ever heard."
"Righ...wait!"
So there we were with a mission.
NousDefionsDoc
03-05-2004, 15:31
Battalion CDR - " Do you guys have a sniper and a rifle?"
The medic, "Roger that! I am one of Longrange's Elite Fightin' Force! Just trained during our last trip. I can shoot a canary off a fence post at 300 meters!"
"Good, this guy, former Macho de Monte Captain, is the prime candidate for leader of the resistance. His mother lives here. Go there and shoot him."
So they plan. Plan is to take the Team (all eight of them) out on a patrol with the 7th ID (Light)(Mushroomhead). make a lot of noise infilling, walk around some, and make a lot of noise exfilling. Leaving the Sniper/medic and spotter (cherry 18B) behind to do a damn damn on the good Captain/G leader.
Off they go with an Apocolypse Now helo formation. Walk around 'till dark, then move and set up near a trail (might get lucky). Mushroomheads all around. One SF guy near each squad (might get unlucky). Our medic hero decides since he's the shooter, no guard duty for him and proceeds to rest eyes. About 0500, Medic Hero hears the safety click off on an M60 in his pos.
Mushroomhead Gunner, "Sarge, there's people coming up the trail."
"Ok, well let's get ready, but NOBODY shoot until I do."
"Sarge, here they come!" Clackers being picked up, safeties going click.
"Tell them to HALT! Sarge, sarge!"
"You tell them!"
"I don't speak Spanish!"
"Hold your fire you leg bitch! You shoot and I'll shoot you."
About that time a squad of Panamanian school girls, replete in in blue plaid skirts and bookbags, turns the corner on the trail. A good 10-12 of them.
Giggling. "Buenos dias." In Spanish "Oooh, that medic dude is cute! But he looks sneaky."
See, in that part of the world, its not uncommon for kids to have to walk 2-3 hours to get to school. And they leave early. Our A Team knew this and managed to avert what otherwise could have been a tragedy of historical and international proprotions.
Moral of the story - best to know your AO.
Roguish Lawyer
03-05-2004, 15:46
Great story! Thanks for sharing.
What ultimately happened to the Macho de Monte Captain?
NousDefionsDoc
03-05-2004, 16:01
Ah, but that's a whole other story.:D
Originally posted by NousDefionsDoc
"His mother lives here. Go there and shoot him."
For some reason, that cracks me up. :D
Great story NDD.
I could read this forum all day and night.
Great story, and well written, too.
Solid
Maple Flag
04-12-2004, 23:36
Originally posted by NousDefionsDoc
So the Team gets to the dance. Sent to Rio Hato to clear the way for the B Team. The war is won, but "they're going to guerrilla warfare and try to drag it out!" B Team comes in and kicks out Team out of Noriegas beach house. BASTARDS! [/B]
Is that the beach house south of the Rio Hato runways with the island just off-shore?
If so, I was there in 2001. The runways are grown over, and a highway bisects them now. The only significant furniture remaining in the beach house is a large broken conference table as I recall. I don't know if the table dates back to Noriega's time, or if it ame after he was evicted.
A cross was put up on the island, where the locals told me that Noriega fed people to the sharks at night.
NousDefionsDoc
04-13-2004, 11:13
That's the one. The highway was there IIRC, they closed it to land the aircraft. The conference table was there and probably the same one. I don't know how it was broke.
The cross was on the island, I think the shark thing is local rural legend.
Electron
07-16-2008, 13:21
When I was at Rio Hato with 2/7 SFG during Just Cause / Promote Liberty, the locals called Noriega "Pineapple Face," I thought that was funny. I remember rummaging through that beach house, it was nice and almost everything in it was destroyed anyway. I also remember shooting at that island with a .50 cal trying to set that pavillion on fire with the tracers. The 7th ID tried to hit it with mortars from a mile away but miscalculated and almost hit our camp. Sometimes the bad guys would try to sneak up on us at night in their boats, using the shadow of the island for concealment. Flares would go up and they would go away for a couple nights. I really don't have any thrilling stories to tell about Panama, but it's nice to know that that little conflict hasn't been forgotten.
7th ID (Light)(Mushroomhead).
I've always fondly referred to those clowns as the "crushed beer can patch".
SOB's tried to kill me at Rio Hato when they shot at movement outside their perimeter.. Since they were too late to relieve 2/75 in place, they set up their own "secure" perimeter, which just happened to be inside the secured 2/75 perimeter... so now I'm laying on my back in my 6" grave watching green tracers come in my perimeter through the head high elephant grass, and the red tracers from the "clowns" heading out...
Don't forget the great showing by the Stealth Fighter.... great marksmanship... moving your primary target to hit the comissary.... only about 1000m off target.
Noriega was at Rio Hato when we jumped, but hauled ass...
My JM leaned back in from his door check, and yelled out "DZ is Hot !!!". Red and Green Tracers crisscrossing behind his head and the "ting, ting" of the rounds hitting the bird after he spoke, was a great annunciation of his statement.
We lost two Brothers that first night..... SPC Philip Lear and PFC John Mark Price
RIP Brothers.
The Front Door was opened with a LAW, which sailed right through the glass door (if I remember correctly) and straight out the back door, narrowly avoiding the Ranger fire team that was approaching from the outside. C Co Boys hit the house, while B Co hit the barracks, and A Co went after the Rhino vehicles. We had a company from 3/75, can't remember if they secured the DZ or had another mission.
You do have a gift for story telling, Thanks
Team Sergeant
07-16-2008, 19:54
The Front Door was opened with a LAW, which sailed right through the glass door (if I remember correctly) and straight out the back door, narrowly avoiding the Ranger fire team that was approaching from the outside.
I laughed my ass off after reading this......the only thing better than reading it would have been watching it happen....;)
TS
Electron
07-17-2008, 12:28
I have pictures of that commissary. The bombers also missed the motor pool across the street and obliterated an arcade. Just before 7th SFG left in Feb '90, after a few run ins with some bushmasters and other nasties, that gulch next to the SF compound was filled in and most of those buildings were leveled... with C4 of course.
Of course I was a PFC then in Signal Company. I need to get those pics digitized some day and post them to a site that hasn't forgotten about Just Cause.
I have pictures of that commissary. The bombers also missed the motor pool across the street and obliterated an arcade. Just before 7th SFG left in Feb '90, after a few run ins with some bushmasters and other nasties, that gulch next to the SF compound was filled in and most of those buildings were leveled... with C4 of course.
Of course I was a PFC then in Signal Company. I need to get those pics digitized some day and post them to a site that hasn't forgotten about Just Cause.
Electron,
I'd love to get a copy of your pics. either hard copy or digital. Of all the fun I've had over the years, i don't have any pics from Just Cause. send me a pm and we can work out the details.
Oh yeah.... lots of fun for a 19yr kid, who celebrated a year in the army in panama...... Fucking scared shitless.
As my squad entered the fence around the barracks, I moved up to a large dark mound for cover. I noticed the smell at about the same time it fucking moved.. Note to self: when seeking cover in a large gunfight, the ant eater's cousin is not a good place to hide.
Meanwhile in another squad, the SAW gunner is shooting at the next barracks, but his rounds are all impacting to the left of where he's aiming at. WTF you ask... It was even weirder at the time with all the guys telling him to knock off the KY windage and hose the door. After the sun came up we realized what had happened. Upon conducting his PLF on the DZ, he had bent his SAW like a banana with his body. You could definitely tell in the daylight that the gun was fucked up. Now, realize that he had shot about a thousand rounds since he landed as we assaulted the compound until it was clear. He grabbed an RPD and used it for the rest of the mission. The Unit Armorer did the gauge testing on the gun and it was "out of tolerance pretty bad..." It was a wonder that there was no Major Malfunction with serious injury.
My buddy Brant got to spend time with his dad who was there with the varsity team doing great things. Years later his dad when he was the COMSOCEUR in 1999 told my company commander that "he didn't have a job for us, but to go into Kosovo and find one". The company commander's response "Roger that, Sir!" Hell of a mission statement and brief (less than 10 min in duration). But that is another story.
CPTAUSRET
07-22-2008, 06:53
NDD:
Somehow I missed this thread.
It's a great read, guys!
Well done NDD. I was chucklin' throughout the read. I needed that, thanks.
longrange1947
07-22-2008, 15:45
NDD - I too somehow missed this thread. Good story telling of potentially ugly problems. The thing I never got was that the Rangers came in and secured Rio Hato with minimal damage for our teams to come in and use the supplies on site. Somehow, 7th ID was able to come in and throw grenades in the washing machines and machine gun the four wheel drive and ATVs we were to use gong into the mountains. Never did figure that one out.
After "my training" you were able to hit that bird in the head at 305 meters!! :munchin
"Thanks for the memories", as Bob Hope would have said. :)
NDD - The thing I never got was that the Rangers came in and secured Rio Hato with minimal damage for our teams to come in and use the supplies on site. Somehow, 7th ID was able to come in and throw grenades in the washing machines and machine gun the four wheel drive and ATVs we were to use gong into the mountains. Never did figure that one out. :)
You're forgetting that the 7th ID got into firefights with the 82nd, 2/75, 5th ID and possibly shot down one of the little birds.......:eek: at least you could say that they were equal oppurtunity boneheads, though they were never engaged by the enemy....:munchin
I don't remember any "grenading" of washing machines, though we did shoot up a fair amount of vehicles in and around the airfield/barracks areas trying to take those Rhino type vehicles out before they could get loose with their .50 cals on us. All the major shooting was done the first day when we seized the airfield, then it was just sporadic instances during the next couple of nights out in the boonies around the airfield.
I still to this day cannot find anyone from the 7th ID who will admit to being at Rio Hato. It's like they all vanished from the face of the earth. All I want to do is punch them in the head for shooting at me....
longrange1947
07-22-2008, 21:04
Stras - You guys didn't grenade the washing machines the 7th ID did that after they relieved you guys and took over "security" of the area. I moved out smartly with my team in tow and went to Agua Dulce as soon as I could to get out of the line of fire. :D
Those clowns just boggle my mind when I hear of the shit they did.
I think that it was a good demonstration that the COHORT concept has some serious flaws in it.
I'm pretty sure that attacking helpless washing machines with grenades is in violation of the Geneva Convention. I'll get my lawyer at work on this.. he'll be laughing for days....:lifter
One of our Rangers was from Guam, and kin to our incoming 1SG and the former 2/75 CSM (LG). Day 2 or 3 of the holding of the airfield, we're running out of chow (you'll only be there 24hrs and then relieved). This kid drops his boots, and the next thing I know he's 20ft up a coconut tree just hacking away. Nothing like fresh coconut to soothe a hungry stomach. It went real well with the "glass" bread we found in the comissary. You had to eat it very carefully after you picked out all the glass shards.
Another Bonehead example:
In my 2 man security position on the far side of the airfield, we had a shallow hole dug, claymore out (which one of us checked every morning), and in elephant grass about 10-15 ft high. Our positions are approx 50ft apart around the airfield. We are replaced by a single PFC from the 7th at about 0800 on Day 4. "you guys see any action?" came out of his mouth at about the same time he saw the pile of pull rings and empty casings (can you say eyes the size of dinner plates?). "No, they were a little quiet last night, though you need to check your claymore this morning". I had just checked it at about 0700 when the sun came up.
Remington Raidr
07-23-2008, 16:25
OK, I gotta ask, what about the term "mushroomhead". I googled 7th ID and understand the crushed beercan remark, and even PM'd a guy from the 7th ID on another board. Nothing. SO, what's up with that?:confused:
NDD, the floor is yours......
:munchin
The Reaper
07-23-2008, 18:32
See, I always thought of them as Rasta heads, Dred heads, or Rag heads.:D
TR
Electron
07-29-2008, 05:04
I brought in some of my photos. The photos were taken in DEC89/JAN90 by photographer SGT Jon Long of HSC 2nd Bn, 7th SFG (A). I will bring them by my unit's photo section to see if they can digitize them. I have a few good shots of the shot-up PDF HQ, the canal, the Bridge of the Americas, some bullet-riddled vehicles, a jackass digging up a cache, some blown-up buildings and Noriega's beach house at Rio Hato. I still have to dig out my old photo album with my personal pics. It's been a while since I've seen it... One thing I will never forget... Nobody is more cocky and has more of an ego than a young Ranger private with a CIB and a mustard stain on his wings.
One thing I will never forget... Nobody is more cocky and has more of an ego than a young Ranger private with a CIB and a mustard stain on his wings.
You forgot the "less than a year in the Army at the time"..........:D
19 Jan was my one year anniversary.
longrange1947
07-29-2008, 19:42
You forgot the "less than a year in the Army at the time"..........:D
19 Jan was my one year anniversary.
That was my last seven months in the Army after more than 23 years. :lifter :D
..... any pics from Just Cause. .
Had a little time to dig, so here you go.
v/r
JAGO
Really it is a well written story, except, If I remember correctly, the medic wasn't that cute...
ZonieDiver
10-26-2010, 14:21
Had a little time to dig, so here you go.
v/r
JAGO
Great pictures! Thanks for posting. I always loved the Rio Hato area during my time in Panama in the early 70's. Great beaches for body surfing! Los Cholos Rojos at the checkpoint!
Reading all this made me miss Panama (93-94, 97-99). I looked it up on Google Earth earlier and there are some pics of the airfield at RH and some of Noriegas house in disarray. Nice resort back towards the city. I might have to plan a vacation sometime. (Playa Corona)
I was stationed there from 87-91 and remember the beach house well. We were OPCON to 7th GRP on/off again for about a total of 6 months. Got small boat training from a Team at the house and would go off to do Zone/Area Recons at night.
My favorite Just Cause story is how the 508th (a great battalion down there) used a 105MM Howitzer on direct lay on the barracks at the barracks for the PDFs 5th BN (could be remembering this wrong).
After they secured the bldg one paratrooper asked them why they kept fighting as they knew they were beat and they kept calling for them to surrender on teh megaphone.
The PDF POW replied: After that first howitzer round we couldn't hear anything!
Note to self: Howitzers hard on ears as well as rest of body!
Habu-MFFI 175
11-24-2010, 19:44
Loads of fun for everyone. I think all the teams out in the out lying PDF garrisons ended up with at least a platoon plus or company minus of 7th ID guys. Loads of fun to work with those guys. :(
1/504 back in 89 , I have one of the PDF's NCO jungle knifes I got out of a wall locker in tinajitas .