The general pointed toward several areas along the thirty-eighth parallel as he spoke. “Elements of the First and Third Armies have already crossed the DMZ along the three major avenues of approach and are heading north. We moved slowly at first, but it soon became obvious that the KPA Forward Army corps have all pulled back. To assist in picking up the pace, I’ve assigned the First, Seventh, and Thirteenth Special Forces Brigades to scout ahead and clear the way of any left-behind obstacles.”
Rhee looked at the map and saw unit markers some twenty kilometers past the DMZ along the Kaesong-Munsan approach to the west, the Chorwon approach down the middle, and the east coast approach along the eastern seaboard. It was very strange, looking at the map and seeing markers for ROK Army units streaming into the DPRK. The general was right; Rhee better get used to the bizarre.
“I’m keeping the special mission units behind to guard against infiltration by DPRK Reconnaissance Bureau teams and to pick up any high-ranking officials if they attempt to escape the fighting to the north,” Kwon continued. “Needless to say, we are going to have a colossal humanitarian problem on our hands, the refugees will be flowing like water over a falls. As for you, Colonel, I’ve saved the really hard job for your Ghosts.”
Rhee’s left eyebrow cocked up with curiosity, nothing the general had described thus far sounded particularly easy. There was a lot of territory to cover, and very few men to do it. None of the special forces units had even a thousand men in them, and their area of responsibility would only grow as the ROK army pushed northward. Rhee wasn’t sure if he should feel honored or concerned.
“We’ve been ordered to initiate Operation Gangrim — the securing of as much of the DPRK weapons of mass destruction inventory as possible. The Third, Ninth, and Eleventh brigades will take this task on,” ordered Kwon. Operation Gangrim was named after the Korean mythological hero, Gangrim Doryeong, who captured the king of the underworld. Capturing the North’s WMDs would be at least as difficult, if not more so.
Rhee frowned. He was very familiar with the Gangrim plan, but the units the general had listed were less than adequate. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kwon beat him to it. “Yes, Colonel, I’m well aware the OPLAN calls for at least four brigades to execute this mission, but we didn’t anticipate the Kim regime would come crashing down so fast, nor that we would be able move so quickly. Our plans needed to be adjusted.”
The Korean colonel heard the sharp edge in Kwon’s voice and realized that the man had had a similar conversation before… and lost. It was time for Rhee to salute smartly and do the best he could, with what he had. “Understood, sir. What are my orders?”
The professional response helped to ease the general’s manner. Kwon may have been expecting an argument. “I’ve had the target list thinned out, since we’ll be shorthanded for this mission. All the known and suspected facilities near the DMZ will be handled by the advancing First and Third Army units. Your Ninth Special Forces Brigade will tackle the big facilities on the west coast. The Third will go up the center, and the Eleventh will cover the facilities on the east coast.”
Rhee whistled softly. He now understood what Kwon had meant when he said he was saving the “really hard job” for the Ninth Ghost Brigade. Circling the area to the north of Pyongyang with his finger, Rhee half stated, half asked, “So, my unit will be responsible for the major nuclear facilities as well as the chemical weapons depots to the south of the capital.”
“Exactly.”
Rhee swept his hand over the area on the map. “These sites are the ones we know about or suspect, sir. How are we to deal with the estimated numerous unknown sites? My resources will be limited. I certainly won’t be able to go hunting for them.”
“Once we have command of the skies, we’ll be able to send in reconnaissance aircraft to begin large area searches. They will provide likely locations for your men to investigate and secure as necessary. We have no illusions about getting all of the WMDs, Colonel. Our goal is to secure as much as we can.”
Taking a deep breath, Rhee nodded and said, “We will do our best, sir.”
“I’m hoping elements of the Third Brigade will be able to link up with you before you get to the nuclear facilities, but I’d be lying if I said that was a likely prospect.”
Staring at the map, Rhee barely heard the general’s last sentence. He looked at his diverse and, unfortunately, spread-out target set. This was going to be a bastard of a job. Turning back toward Kwon, he asked, “I’m assuming we’ll be inserted by air?”
“Yes, Colonel. But it will have to be a phased deployment; the Fifth Tactical Airlift Wing only has sufficient lift capacity to deploy one brigade at a time. Yours will be first, followed by the Eleventh, and then the Third. Unfortunately, the insertion won’t be quite as covert as you’re normally accustomed to.
“Due to the size of the units involved, the deployment schedule, and the urgency of the situation, we’re just going to blast on in. Given the confusion and degradation to the North’s air defense network, we believe we can deliver you before they can react. However, there will be a fighter and SAM sweep just ahead of the C-130s. Just in case,” Kwon concluded.
The general’s last statement did not encourage Rhee one bit. Intentionally giving up the element of surprise ran counter to everything he’d been taught. He knew the ROK Air Force was short of tactical transports, but this was more than a mere inconvenience. If the insertion was challenged, Rhee could lose hundreds of his men before they even hit the ground. The operation was getting uglier and more complex with each passing moment.
Grasping for straws, Rhee asked, “What about asking the Americans for help?”
Kwon shook his head sternly. “General Fascione and the American ambassador briefed the president, defense minister, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday. The US has publicly declared this to be an internal Korean issue. They won’t deploy any forces north of the DMZ, or violate DPRK territorial waters.”
“China,” Rhee stated bluntly.
“Of course,” answered Kwon. “The Americans are hoping that by keeping their forces south of the DMZ, and dropping broad hints, the Chinese will stay north of the Yalu.”
“An interesting theory,” observed Rhee with growing frustration. “I don’t think it’s very likely, given the refugee buildup on the Chinese border, but I can appreciate the Americans’ caution.”
“Don’t be too hard on General Fascione. He’s a soldier like us and has to follow orders. From what I saw, he didn’t appear pleased with the idea, either. He will move as many units as he can forward to the DMZ to take over the defensive positions, allowing our troops to head north. He’s also requested additional units to reinforce the current standing US force. With luck, a strong US presence will deter the Chinese, or at least force them to think about it first. We can use that time. This is a meaningful compromise, Colonel.”
Rhee nodded slightly, feeling a little ashamed. He’d served with many US military personnel over his career and the vast majority had been honorable people, willing to help defend the Republic of Korea. And in the last war, many American comrades died during those cold battles. Soldiers he could trust — politicians, not so much. “When do we leave, sir?”
“I need your brigade ready to move out by 1700 tomorrow. You’ll be dropped just after nightfall. This is, by far, the most difficult assignment I’ve given anyone in my career. I’m giving it to you because your brigade is the best. I’m confident you’ll get the job done.”
“Nothing is impossible, sir,” replied Rhee, quoting the ROK Special Forces motto. He then snapped to attention and rendered honors before departing.