flstandardbreds Chapter 316 Climbing the Rocky Mountains
Chapter 316 Climbing the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, a natural barrier for Greater California, were always cold to those Greater California soldiers who had long since donned the Grizzly Bear flag.
Wrapped in thick fur, the soldier glanced at the grizzly bear flag fluttering in the wind. Greater California—since the start of the Civil War, the state government had initially hesitated to act, but soon annexed several neighboring states, establishing the present-day "Republic of Greater California."
This isolated land is the most unique place in all of Colombia. The west coast is no longer what it was during the westward expansion. This tamed frontier is now the most prosperous area in all of Colombia, and the greatest mountain city.
A weary group of soldiers entered the mountains. Since the start of the Civil War, every month, every week, refugees had crossed the Rocky Mountains to California. The soldiers had become accustomed to this. Greater California needed labor and young men to join the Republic's army; they couldn't rely solely on the Republic's Rangers to fight.
They had received many refugees before, and today was no exception. The soldier thought that from the moment they set foot on the Rocky Mountains, the California Republic's border guards had been checking the refugees. Most of those who made it this far did not need to be handled by them anymore. Each refugee would receive a Grizzly Bear Certificate issued by immigration officials after crossing the border.
"Alright, listen up, line up and go in one by one. We don't want anyone to get hurt. After you cross the checkpoint, someone will give you your passports, and then someone will organize you. Follow the procedures of the military and immigration, understand?"
The soldier glanced around and spotted a dark elf, a common sight in the area. During the westward expansion, many dark elf tribes provided goods to the settlers, and the majority of the United States was populated by elves.
Although they are refugees, there are quite a few well-dressed people in this group. For the United States, this newly born country has experienced a decade of glory. The investment and industry it has gained in this short decade have created a large middle class. It is hard to say whether there are any guys among these people that the soldiers cannot afford to mess with.
Therefore, most soldiers share a consensus: don't touch these people. The higher-ups know this and have specifically increased the subsidies for these soldiers responsible for bringing in refugees.
The presumptuous elf slowly walked away from the crowd, while the soldier continued smoking his Marlboro. The weather on the Rocky Mountains was as bad as ever.
"I'm in."
The dark elf girl murmured softly, right behind the soldier, her voice drowned out by the cacophony of the crowd.
Rafis, not many people recognized the head of the operations department, Alice Delalaye's bodyguard. She turned and looked at the distant mountain peaks on the other side.
"Received. Operation to climb the Rocky Mountains, Part 1 complete. Area A1 is now under control."
On the mountain, beside an empty outpost, an SVDM sniper rifle leans against a snow-covered rock.
There is only one pass across the Rocky Mountains from Montana, the only pass that can be crossed by tanks and armored vehicles. Only by infiltrating and controlling it can one cross it.
The decision to climb the Rocky Mountains was made by the Front Committee. During this period of strengthening the Front's industrial capacity and expanding the People's Red Army, it was necessary for them to send underground workers to contact the organization of the Greater California Republic and to obtain information about the passes.
Just a week earlier, on March 23, news from Greater California indicated that the Greater California Republic legislature had made a decision, and the Republic government had issued a statement declaring its disappointment with the escalating civil war and choosing to intervene in this chaotic conflict.
It's hard to say whether their first target will be the Montana front. As far as all parties are concerned, news from Montana has not spread, and for them, it still belongs to the Republic government.
Although the National Guard patch on the border has been replaced with the hammer and sickle flag representing the front, only the checkpoint for refugees heading to the Rocky Mountains still bears the guise of the United States. It's hard to say whether the Greater California Republic will target them first, since U.S. Route 77, which borders Montana, is the only road that can be used by heavy armored forces.
The department responsible for infiltrating the area was the Internal Affairs Department of the Universal Star System, headed by Lavinia Olicates, the former head of the Amelansi Secret Intelligence Agency, while the department's first special forces unit, "Alpha," was responsible for carrying out the operation.
Special forces, clad in white camouflage, hiked up the Rocky Mountains at night and took control of Border Post No. 78, located 2 kilometers north of Border Checkpoint No. 77 at a relative altitude of 350 meters, before Rafis arrived.
By controlling this location, the Alpha team can quickly take control of the situation on the ground, including any potential exposure of Rafis.
An entire action team was planted within the refugee group. In addition to Rafis, there was also the "Alpha" team 2. They were unarmed and, after taking control of outpost 78, the team could use this location to deliver supplies.
"How long do you think it will take before we can be transferred? It's so damn cold here."
"How long? Probably not long. I received news, but don't tell anyone, that General Arnason will lead his troops through here to enter the United States in two weeks. Before that, this place will be rotated, and we footmen won't need it anymore."
"Damn, I want to go back to Los Angeles, it's too cold here."
The soldiers chatted without restraint, their awareness of secrecy still lagging behind in this world. This crucial information was quickly overheard by Rafis, who had already obtained her passport.
Two weeks.
Rafis knew that two weeks was not good news. The People's Red Army on the front currently had three columns. The First and Second Columns had just completed the Great March in the west and needed time to reorganize and retrain. Only the three mechanized divisions of the Third Column were ready for combat.
Although the Rhode Island carried a brigade to Montana, a single brigade was hardly of any use.
She could only trust Alice.
The news quickly reached Alice, who sighed in dismay. It had come too fast; just fifteen minutes earlier, she had inspected the Red Star Armory in Montana, an ordinary arms factory producing standard United States equipment.
But the M14 was no good, and neither the AK-47 nor the AK-74 were things that the arsenal could produce. Don't be fooled by how common the AK series was in its time; the equipment and technology required for the AK were by no means inferior.
In two weeks, we could only coordinate with the factory to produce those M14 rifles in three shifts as quickly as possible, while the most important thing was to repair the fortifications.
After taking control of Montana, the Front gained control of the former Montana National Guard and formed the Third Red Army, which had three mechanized divisions equipped with M113 armored vehicles, M35 military trucks, and M48A1 main battle tanks. However, there was no guarantee that California might have something else up its sleeve. She had heard that the Confederate forces in the South had already equipped themselves with a large number of Leopard 1 main battle tanks, and the United States had also brought out their latest M60 main battle tanks, which had been playing a prominent role in the battles at Philadelphia.
According to recent reports, the syndicate has stabilized its lines, temporarily keeping the enemy out of the steel belt. Reid has emerged victorious from the power struggle within the lines, at least maintaining his current leadership, which gives him considerable authority to maintain the unity of the syndicate's military command.