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shoulder patch for Recon team R-47

Team Members

     Background checks began late 1981, contact by the Project recruiters would have been in April of 1982, and actual induction (after the background checks) was roughly May of 1982. Thus it's very likely the team members were born between 1953 and 1960 (especially if they just received a bacherlor's degree). Covering up for the new member's absence, or arranging for a fake death, took a month or so. Training began right after the 4th of July, 1982 (in cohort 4), and ended in March of 1983. The team was frozen and placed in their cryo-berths on April 27, 1983.

     The team has a V-150 command vehicle.

Standing Orders

     You expect to be awakened a very few years after the War.  

     The goal of the Project is the continued survival of human civilization after the War. The standing orders for every team are to:

• assist the population in recovering in any way you can

• reunite with the rest of the Morrow Project

• survive!

     If they don't get any immediate specific instructions otherwise, Recon teams are expected to observe, record, evaluate and report on conditions in their assigned area -- locations of nuclear attacks, and the resulting damage, the environment (especially fallout and radioactive contamination), remaining population, power generation and industry, transportation, communications, government, civil rights and public safety, etc.

     The team members know that hidden somewhere in California south of the Tehachapi Mountains there are:

• three other Recon teams (R-46, R-48, and R-49), with various V150 armored cars and XR311 "off road scout cars"
  

• two MARS teams (M-40 and M-42), more heavily armed than the Recon teams
  

• a well-stocked Maritime Base with a landing ship (400+ people) and lots of other vehicles
  

• an 8-person Engineering team (E-4) with an Overland Train in a depot

• a 7-person Science team in a V150S armored personnel carrier (S-41). 

     To support these teams, there are at least a dozen caches in Southern California.

     The Maritime base commander is the "top boss" of all these teams, with the Engineering team leader as second-in-command. Project operations north of the Tehachapi Mountains exist, but you don't know any more than that. It's also possible that there are other specialist teams in southern California known only to high-clearance Project members.

     All the team members know that the Project has large amounts of "reconstruction supplies" stashed in various places.

     The Team R-47 team leader has an additional instruction, and is authorized and encouraged to share it with the rest of the team immediately after wake-up:

Facilities

     For security purposes, you only know the location of your own bolthole and of your team's six supply caches. Keep in mind that the Project might have to change your team's location, vehicles, equipment, or even membership after you've entered cryosleep. The Team's intended bolthole is about 30 kilometers southwest of Palmdale, in Ventura county. It's located in a little-visited part of the Angeles National Forest, about 1600 meters north of Alisa Canyon Road. AutoNav coordinates:  34°26' 7.3" North latitude, 118° 6' 49.2" West longitude.

     Nearby water sources:

• Aliso Canyon, and a few smaller ravines, is fairly dry -- entirely dry in drought years.
  

• a small, but sturdy earthen dam two kilometers west-southwest holds water year-round for cattle; a windmill pumps water for the pond
  

• homes and camps to the west along Aliso Canyon Road have wells, water tanks, swimming pools, or small ponds

• Gleason Canyon, about 4 kilometers west, contains some water (the Santa Clara River) most years. The town of Acton is only a few kilometers away, along the river.
  

     Three of the team's caches are in Southern California, one is in Virginia, and one is in North Dakota. Each cache is shared with at least one other Recon team; MARS teams, Science teams, depot staff, and of course Prime Base also know some or all of the cache locations. 

• Cache CA25 :  Konocti (200 meters from west side of Clear Lake)

• Cache CA33:  in the Santa Rosa Mountains, south of Palm Springs

• Cache CA36:  in the Mojave Desert, north of Morongo Valley.

• Cache CA38:  near Panamint Springs, in Inyo county at the edge of Death Valley.

• Cache VA01

• Cache ND12:  on the western edge of the Black Hills

   

Radio Frequencies

     The team is assigned ten FM voice communication frequencies:

• channel 1:  48.1 MHz - Zone 4 common tactical channel
  

• channel 2:  44.5 MHz - team primary channel
  

• channel 3:  41.9 MHz
  

• channel 4:  40.5 MHz

• channel 5:  38.1 MHz

• channel 6:  33.0 MHz - also MARS general
  

• channel 7:  36.4 MHz
  

• channel 8:  34.2 MHz

• channel 9:  32.7 MHz

• channel 10:  32.5 MHz

A couple of other important FM channels:

• 34.0 MHz - Recon common channel
  

• 31.0 MHz - Science common channel
  

     Note that changing these frequencies on their PRC-68 radios will require a successful Electronics skill roll if your skill is less than 40%; a failed roll (especially a fumbled roll) will result in channels not being usable. The PRC-70 vehicle/backpack radio is much more flexible; the HF band covers a lot of aircraft and marine channels, though it requires a long antenna to be really useful. 

     HF channels to watch:

• 2.182 MHz:  international distress and emergency

• 7.0 to 7.3 MHz:  the "long range" channels for the Project (one for each Zone, plus a couple of general purpose channels) ... Zone 4 uses 7.185 MHz.
  

• 14.06 MHz:  a common amateur radio channel

• 26.617 MHz:  Civil Air Patrol common channel
  

• 26.96 to 27.41 MHz:  CB radios on 40 channels. CB channel 11 (general calls) is 27.085 MHz; channel 9 (emergencies) is 27.065 MHz
  

• 27.87, 27.92, 27.97 MHz:  US Navy-MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System)
  

Immediate Instructions

The equipment preparation checklist for Team R-47 is as follows. At minimum expect to take 3 hours to prepare to move out:

• inspect Auto-Nav and computer in vehicle; both should already be on and will have received data from the bolthole monitor

• any changes to team location, equipment, personnel, etc. will be described on a sheet of paper on the driver's seat, or (if confidential) on the computer

• remove and install the single camera battery and radio battery from the recharger into the radiation survey meter and one of the team's M1 CBR kits; spare (discharged) batteries should be placed in the recharger every 15 minutes until all the team's batteries are charged

• log into the computer to view any high-priority messages or information

• vehicle preparation
  

• inspect portable and fixed fire extinguishers for pressure

• visually inspect vehicle for damage or corrosion

• fill tires to 45 psi. 20 minutes 

• bring the following up to full with gear oil:  front differential (10 liters), rear differential (10 liters), transfer case (7 liters), transmission (10 liters). 30 minutes
  

• WARNING:  if these components are run without oil, or with insufficient oil, damage can result from as little as 10 minutes of driving

• apply lube oil to the winch cable; door hinges; control clevises, cables and pins; seat moving parts; winch barrel and cable; turret rings, elevation and traverse gearboxes, etc. 90 minutes
  

• apply chassis grease to winch drum; hull drain plugs, suspension spring bushings; steering tie rod, bearings, kingpin and knuckles; wheel bearings; universal joints; drive shafts; towing pintle. 90 minutes
  

• check steering, brakes and parking brake for proper action

• remove vehicle from jackstands, using the vehicle jack. 20 minutes

• inspect hull drain plugs

• test bilge pumps for operation

• check engine cooling fan for proper operation

• check all doors and hatches for proper opening, closing, and seals

• ensure vehicle NBC system has its filter installed, and provides air to each crew member

• apply necessary lubricant to weapons and cupola bearings, and place ammunition for each weapon. 10 minutes

• check headlights, tail and brake lights for function

• check bolthole monitor and radio for status - they should have self-destructed after initiating team wakeup

• load the vehicle with team and personal equipment. 30 minutes 

• insert batteries into radios and other electronic equipment
  

• test vehicle and personal radios for power and function. Before the main door is open, it is not likely that they can be detected outside the bolthole

• remember to move your personal effects boxes into the vehicle

• when the vehicle is ready to move and team members are fully equipped, raise the periscope and inspect the vicinity

• after visual inspection, team members should don SCALP suits or AUIB protective clothing before opening the door. 10 minutes

• with the driver in the vehicle, engage the hydraulic rams to open the main door. Note that the rams are chemically-powered, and will only operate once

• if the main door will not or should not be opened, the emergency exits may be used. Each has an operating bar with two shackles; one person should be able to pull the bar to empty the shaft, but ropes or winch cable can be attached to the shackles if required

• once the main door or the emergency exits are open, team members should closely observe environmental conditions, and the gauges on their M1 CBR Kits