Lost Sight - NATO-Russia Conflict 2018

11: Lieutenant Katherine Williams, USMCR

Forward Operating Base Mattis

South of Targu Mures, Romania

Around 2230 Hours Captain White of Hitman Company, 2/5 Marines, needed helicopter support for a night raid mission led by one of his subordinates. It is said that his men had located the position of an advancing Russian Shock Infantry Company that was supposed to replace/reinforce the Russian positions near Foxtrot Pass, an area in which the pilots and gunners of Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 601 (HMLA-601) had just recently heard of. It turned out that Foxtrot Pass was a part of FOXTROT LINE, a strategic chokepoint within the city that was currently being held by Romanian Mountain Hunters and of course, Captain White’s company.

“We request a helicopter section up in the air near Foxtrot Pass. Up in the air by 2200 Hours,” Captain White had said through a relay by Major John Eldridge, USMC, commander of 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines to Captain John Galloway, USMCR, commander of HMLA-601.

“Roger that, Hitman One. We’re sending two Cobras in the air. I’ll contact you again once we have them flying. 2300 Hours?”

“Roger that.” White said.

“Alright, captain. Peregrine One out.” The captain dropped the radiotelephone and turned around to face his pilots and crewmen. “Alright, we got orders. Lieutenant Williams, get your section ready. I’ll brief you on the way.”

First Lieutenant Katherine Williams, USMCR, replied, “Aye-aye, sir!”

With Second Lieutenant Douglas Craig, her wingman, she went to quarters, put her flying coat, gloves, and took her helmet. She put on her gear belt as well, along with the light plate pilots were entitled to wear. She slid in her standard-issue M9 into a velcroed pistol holster at the front of her vest.

Williams wasn’t born a US National, in fact, she received citizenship when she was 18. She was born in Switzerland to a Swiss mother and a Swedish father but her parents divorced when she was 14, and she went with her father to America and had lived there ever since. She graduated from Embry-Riddle College with a BS in Aeronautics and a flight license in several fixed and rotary wing aircraft. She received a commission from the United States Marine Corps Reserves as an attack helicopter pilot in 2016, after 4 years of working as a civilian pilot. She was among the veterans at the Battle of Odessa and her previous squadron, HMLA-224, had lost 16 of their 20 AH-1Z Vipers within the battle and the retreat from Ukraine through Moldova. However, she was witness at what cost did the Russians pay in trying to achieve that. HMLA-224 achieved about 237.5 confirmed ground kills and a record-breaking 20 air kills – the highest number a Reserve unit had ever achieved. Williams herself had achieved 42 ground kills, including a dozen tanks and APCs. She personally took down three Russian transport helicopters and a Russian airlift helicopter.

With her equipment ready she went towards the open field and headed to her vehicle. Going into the cockpit, she was met with Staff Sergeant Diego Rosando, the gunner. Staff Sergeant Rosando was not a Reservist, unlike her, but was with the regulars. His pilot got shot up pretty bad and he was transferred to HMLA-224 initially, and when that squadron got wiped out he was transferred to HMLA-601.

“Good evening, lieutenant.” He said.

“Had your coffee, Diego?” she said. She started up the engine and she could now hear the turbines burning up. The rotor spun, and she could feel the power of the blades about to lift up her aircraft. She looked down to her watch. It was 2258. She checked her helicopter’s levels. Fuel, altitude, speedometer, bearings, stabilizer, compass – they were working great. Now for the radio. “Tower, tower, this is Peregrine One-Five. How copy?”

“Roger Peregrine One-Five. Lima Charlie. Over.”

“Roger that.” She changed frequencies to Captain Galloway and ran a check.

“Peregrine One, Peregrine One. This is Peregrine One-Five. How copy?”

Galloway’s mechanical voice replied crisply. “Roger Peregrine One-Five. You good to go?”

“Doing final checks, captain.”

“Roger that.”

Now she switched to Lieutenant Douglas Craig. “Peregrine One-Six, Peregrine One-Six, this is Peregrine One-Five. Good to go?”

“Roger One-Five. We’re good to go, Kat.”

“Good to be back in the skies.”

“Fucking-A, One-Five.”

She lowered her Night Optical Device onto her eyes and went to Captain Galloway’s channel. “Peregrine One-Six, this is One-Five. We’re good to go. Over.”

“Roger. Good to go. Goodluck. Out.” He said.

“I’m marking it on your HUD. Head to a 335 Degree Vector.”

“Roger. Dusting off.” She said. She pulled up, and the helicopter launched, heading to a 335 degree vector, which meant a Northwest heading. Captain Galloway (PEREGRINE 01) informed the targets. On first priority there was an advancing Russian Mechanized Battalion heading to reinforce the frontline at FOXTROT LINE while on the opposite only half a battalion of Romanians accompanied by a Marine Company. A whole company was to be put near FOXTROT PASS, which was held by a squad of Romanian Mountain Hunters – some kind of their elite special forces units – and a platoon of Marines codenamed Hitman 01. The CO of Hitman 01 had a genius idea of marking the enemy forces with PEQ-2 from their rifles. Once the enemy was marked, Peregrine 15 and 16 would then engage the enemy forces.

However, the CO of Hitman 01, Lieutenant Salvade, didn’t know that there was a whole battalion reinforcing the lines, and that also included a couple of BMPs and VODNIK armored cars, so Kat would have to inform him about that. She had a good feeling about this officer, however.

She pushed the throttle, knowing that it was already 2310. Mid-flight, she contacted Lieutenant Salvade.

***