East Timor

I saw some video from the tango on the border of East and West Timor.
Actually heard the gunshots and saw people jumping for cover. Those
Aussies had on their full field kit - their rucks didn't look terribly
light.

I don't know about other nations, but Canada had an "emergency
breakaway" manoevre that I was taught in basic. It involved undoing your
waist ruck strap and then pulling a tab on each shoulder and the ruck
just "went bye bye". Then you could beat feet fast and fight more
effectively once you'd dropped that extra 50+ lbs. What's the doctrine
for this in the Aussie infantry?

Anyway, I didn't know any Aussies were injured - the report I saw
mentioned seing the Timorese take out a couple of what looked like
bodies.

I guess this was all over a map dispute. Coverage here has been good if
in little snippets. I've seen some pretty awful pictures of the violence
of the militias on the net. Enough to turn even my stomach.

Hope all the Aussies and other peacekeepers/makers keep their heads
down. Don't want anyone getting killed if we can avoid it :(

Anyway, to pull back towards OT, I think the idea of a scenario with two
forces with differing marked borders is great. In fact, making the
player survey and try to corelate a bad map with the board to GUESS
where the border is (for both commanders) would be even better.

FWIW, I don't plan to turn anything from this mission into "gaming
material" until the boys are home safe and sound. Historical recreation
of battles long done, I'm okay with. Future speculation, fine too. But
gaming what real folk are out dying and killing over at the same time is
just a little out of flavour to my mind. I'll let the good ideas keep,
but I have a (probably unusual) sense of respect for the situations as
they are still unfolding.

Just my 0.02.