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Deployment Order 09-26

17TH RANGER BATTALION

DEPLOYMENT ORDER 01-26

OPERATION ENDURING SPEAR

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED // MILSIM
Area of Operations: Lythium Province
Duration: 10 Weeks
Primary Staging Location: Marauder Airfield
Supported Operation: ENDURING SPEAR

1. SITUATION

Coalition intelligence has identified a significant increase in insurgent activity throughout Lythium Province.

Previously independent insurgent cells are demonstrating increased coordination, including shared logistics, weapons, personnel, financing, and tactical information.

The command structure responsible for this coordination remains unidentified.

Enemy forces are expected to consist primarily of irregular infantry supported by technical vehicles, machine-gun positions, RPG teams, mortars, IED networks, and limited heavy weapons.

Enemy strength, disposition, and leadership structure remain under investigation.

Insurgent forces maintain freedom of movement throughout portions of the mountainous interior and possess extensive knowledge of local terrain and civilian movement patterns.

2. FRIENDLY FORCES

The 17th Ranger Battalion will deploy to Lythium Province as a direct-action element supporting coalition operations.

Battalion forces will operate primarily from Marauder Airfield in AO BASTOGNE.

Additional coalition positions throughout Lythium may provide staging, refueling, medical, logistical, and QRF support as required.

Aviation and supporting elements will provide infiltration, extraction, reconnaissance, close-air support, logistical support, and casualty evacuation subject to mission requirements.

3. AREA OF OPERATIONS

The Lythium battlespace is divided into five designated operational areas:

AO VIKING — Northern Lythium.

AO APACHE — Western and northwestern mountain region.

AO RANGER — Central valley and primary north-south corridors.

AO SABER — Eastern Lythium.

AO BASTOGNE — Southern Lythium and primary coalition support area.

AO boundaries exist primarily for command, intelligence, and operational coordination.

Enemy networks are not expected to respect these boundaries.

4. MISSION

17th Ranger Battalion deploys to Lythium Province in support of Operation Enduring Spear to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy insurgent command, logistical, financial, and combat networks operating throughout the province.

Battalion operations will focus on intelligence-driven targeting of enemy personnel and infrastructure.

Where possible, high-value individuals will be captured for exploitation.

Where capture is impractical, hostile forces may be neutralized in accordance with mission ROE.

5. COMMANDER'S INTENT

Purpose

Prevent insurgent organizations operating throughout Lythium from developing a unified command structure capable of conducting sustained operations against coalition forces.

Method

The battalion will conduct aggressive intelligence-driven operations against enemy networks.

Each operation should generate information supporting subsequent operations.

Targeting priority will generally follow:

Fighter → Facilitator → Courier → Commander → Leadership

Enemy logistics, communications, financing, weapons caches, transportation networks, and safe houses will be exploited whenever discovered.

End State

Insurgent leadership identified.

Command networks dismantled.

Major logistics routes disrupted.

High-value personnel captured or neutralized.

Organized insurgent forces in Lythium rendered incapable of conducting coordinated operations against coalition forces.

6. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

Operation Enduring Spear will be conducted as a sustained 10-week targeting campaign.

Early operations will focus on developing the intelligence picture and identifying relationships between local insurgent cells.

As intelligence develops, Ranger operations will progressively target higher levels of the enemy organization.

Mission profiles may include:

  • Direct-action raids

  • Air assaults

  • Airborne operations

  • HVT capture/kill missions

  • Vehicle interdiction

  • Cordon and search

  • Sensitive-site exploitation

  • Reconnaissance and surveillance

  • Personnel recovery

  • Route interdiction

  • Weapons-cache destruction

  • QRF operations

  • Deliberate attacks against fortified enemy positions

Operational tempo should remain unpredictable.

Enemy forces must not be allowed to determine where or when Ranger forces will strike.

7. INTELLIGENCE PRIORITIES

All Ranger elements will prioritize the recovery of exploitable intelligence.

Items of interest include:

Cellphones.

Radios.

Maps.

Ledgers.

Computers.

Photographs.

Documents.

Weapons serial numbers.

Vehicle information.

Names and aliases.

Locations of safe houses.

Known associates.

Courier routes.

Financial records.

Captured enemy personnel.

Sensitive Site Exploitation is considered a mission-essential task.

Destroying the target without exploiting the site may result in the loss of intelligence necessary for future operations.

8. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Positive identification of hostile intent or hostile action is required unless otherwise specified during mission briefing.

Civilian casualties are to be minimized.

Civilian infrastructure will not be deliberately destroyed unless required by military necessity.

Personnel designated for capture will be detained whenever tactically feasible.

Ranger elements retain the inherent right to defend themselves and friendly forces.

Individual mission OPORDs may establish additional restrictions.

9. READINESS

All 17th Ranger Battalion personnel will arrive prepared for sustained combat operations.

Individual equipment will be inspected prior to commencement of operations.

Team leaders will verify communications equipment, medical equipment, night-vision systems, navigation equipment, ammunition, and mission-essential specialty equipment.

Airborne, air-assault, vehicle, and specialty teams will maintain readiness appropriate to assigned tasking.

Ranger elements should expect operations during both daylight and limited-visibility conditions.

Night operations will be frequent.

10. COMMAND AND SIGNAL

Battalion command will operate from Marauder Airfield unless otherwise directed.

Operational command relationships will be established during individual mission OPORDs.

Primary and alternate communications plans will be issued prior to each operation.

Loss of communications does not terminate the mission unless specifically directed by the mission commander.

Subordinate leaders are expected to exercise initiative consistent with the commander's intent.

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

Effective immediately, the 17th Ranger Battalion is placed on deployment status for Operation Enduring Spear.

Personnel will prepare for movement to Lythium Province.

Detailed intelligence regarding initial enemy activity will be distributed following arrival at Marauder Airfield.

At present, the enemy command structure remains unknown.

That will change.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY.

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