Three Rivers Region

[Jmouse]

You bestow honors in such an elegant manner, David, I will be looking forward to seeing the newest installment.

Until next time...
Joan

Brrr!

[thundercrack83]

Man, I can't wait until the snow! It was flurrying a tiny here in PA last night, but I'm really looking forward to a good storm! Have fun in the cabin, my friend, and I'll be looking forward to see what you have for us when you get back!

Dustin

[BigSlark]

The snow is beautiful. I'm really jealous, I like snow in small amounts, just enough to really enjoy it. It hasn't even frozen yet here!

I'm looking forward to the Arsenal update.

Cheers,
Kevin

[quackmofro]

The snow looks fantastic! Snow is a rarity in Texas; we might get some sleet or freezing rain once or twice a year and that's about it. Quite a shame, really.

BTW, the progress on 3RR has been awesome from start to present. Just wanted to say that I love the work that's been done and am eagerly awaiting the next update.

[DFire870]

Ah, snow... Like quackmofro said, snow rarely falls here in Texas, especially where I'm at (Austin/Central Texas). Although a few years ago the Gulf Coast did get quite a bit of snow, which was odd since it was the only place in the US that snowed on Christmas Eve. I can't wait to see what you'll do with the Arsenal.

-- John

[dedgren]

On October 20, 2007, our good friend Jeff (kalanc69) made the 2,000th comment here at 3RR-SC4D [linkie].  That's easy enough to say, but think about it a minute...

3RR started here on December 20, 2006 [linkie].  Exactly 10 months later, on a website with just a few less than 5,000 members, it had gained 2,000 comments- an average of 200 each month, or between six and seven a day.  Over at ST, a site with about 40 times as many members on the rolls, there are only five city journals out of the almost 1,000 that have been published that have ever reached that milestone.  Clearly, we have something special going here.

I used to kid everyone that many of the 3RR comments and most of the page views were actually made by my doting great-aunt in Hoboken, New Jersey.  I'll come clean- there is no doting great-auntie (although Hoboken [linkie] may actually in fact exist).  It's all you- that great bunch of 3RR Regulars^* who have done something here that is unparalleled anywhere at any SC4 fansite.  It's just not right to say otherwise.

With that many comments (less mine, of course- I run somewhere over one every other day), the only way any particular one stands out is when we sort of arbitrarily call attention to it, which has been done to date by recognizing "double-0" posts: 100, 200, 300 and so on.  If things hold true, we'll have our 22^nd double-0 in a little more than a week and we might hit our 25^th by the end of the year- way cool.  Jeff, however, becomes only the second 3RR Regular^* to notch a "triple-0," the first being Alex (Tarkus), who made comment #1,000 back on April 10th of this year [linkie].  It'd be great to see many more triple-0s, in any event.

So Jeff- welcome.  I take it, from any number of hints you've left here and there, that you are mighty proud of the United States Marine Corps [linkie],



which, at 230 years, is the oldest US military branch of service and which just celebrated a birthday yesterday, November 10^th.  A big HOO-WAH! to you.

n.b.:  I note, my friend, that I also still owe you and everyone else the final installment of the "Creating Large Seasonal Woods Ploppable Lots" tutorial [linkie to Part One].  I haven't forgotten about that project at all- let's just say that there are some ongoing developments in some areas that I want to make sure I take into account.  I think that the wait, though, is just about over.

Before I start the honors section of this post, let me take the opportunity to co-dedicate what you're about to read to our good friend and MD God meinhosen, who is serving in the United States Army in upstate New York with the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) [linkie].



I'm sure you've noticed from meinhosen's sig that he's about to start a two-year deployment to Iraq.  Whatever your feelings might be about that conflict, there can be no disagreement that we want our brave friend both safe while he's over there and home as soon as he can be.  I note that it's November 11th, Veteran's Day, in the United States [linkie]- as good a reason as any, no matter where you might be, to stop and take a minute to think about the men and women who have served or are now serving their country- many of whom are today stationed in perilous places far from home and family.

* * *

n.b.:  The first newly completed portion of the ever-growing back story in months.  This section is completely new.

Military and Police Forces

Three Rivers Region's military and regional police forces are under the Department of Regional Protection ("3RRDRP").  The 3RRDRP is the most recently created executive agency of the region's government, combining the formerly independent branch 3RR Marine Assault Force with the 3RR Trooper Department.  The command structure has been unified and civilianized down through the equivalent of brigade level.  Here, the troopers, which provide regional land-based law enforcement and related security and investigative services, serve under the 1^st and 2^nd Trooper Battalions, each commanded by a Colonel.  The marines serve under the 1^st (Hotham Inlet), 2^nd (Grand Lake and River), 3^rd (Barrett Lake and Wind River), and 4^th (Cold Lake and River) Battalions, notionally of the 297^th Regiment, and these units are commanded by Captains.  These ranks, for international protocol purposes, are considered the equivalent of a U.S. Lieutenant Colonel or Canadian Commander.  The Director of the 3RRDRP is considered equivalent to a U.S. and Canadian Lieutenant ("two-star") General.

   

Historical Background.  As has been noted elsewhere, Three Rivers Region has a strong tradition of non-involvement in the affairs of other nations- a stance evidenced by the national motto, "Vos mens vestri res quod nos mos mens nostrum res," which loosely translates as, "You mind your business and we'll mind ours."  The region has never committed troops to a conflict outside its borders, although it does have a long history of close cooperation with the armed forces of both the United States and Canada.  The region has been a member since the 1950s of the North American Air Defense Command ("NORAD") and had U.S. Nike-Hercules air defense missiles stationed at the tip of Iron Hook Cape into the 1970s.



It is also one of only two North American sources of the key national defense mineral upsidasium [linkie], and rumors linger of Top Secret projects that are still ongoing.



In pre-independence days, the doughty citizens of Pineshore, who perceived that any attack on the fledgling region would most likely come from the road south out towards Duluth, built the earthen works of Fort Defiance to guard a critical ford over a creek just a short ways from the current city center of Richwood.



The earth berms were topped with wooden palisades, which are long gone.



The area is today preserved in a Richwood city park.  A few of the original cannons remain.



There is no record that the fort or its cannons were ever used in connection with any hostilities, and they were likely abandoned by the 1850s.

As Pineshore grew quickly around the time the Duluth, Winnipeg & Western tracks reached the city, an area just north of the mouth of Ship Creek was being developed as an arsenal.



The forces that quickly became known as the 3RR Marines were based here under their first commander, Captain J. Kalanc.  From the Grand River Arsenal and later local armories, Kalanc and his men could deploy incredibly quickly in their 28 foot/8.5 meter "assault canoes," and could arrive in the furthest reaches of the region usually by the next day.  Smaller canoes allowed force projection up even the smallest of 3RR's streams.



After freeze-up, the canoes were replaced with snowshoes and sledges.  The average marine was a man to be reckoned with.  An early motto of the 3RR Marines was "Canoes at the ready, Sir!"  For some unknown reason by the late 1800s this was replaced by the official motto "Aqua Velva!"



These words, of course, were the inspiration for the eponymously-named popular after shave product [linkie] of the 1900s.

The Grand River Arsenal, shown here in a postcard dating from about 1890,



produced a substantial number of cannons, some heavy but most light, for use in fixed regional defense works.  One of the most significant of these was the redoubt on North Head, which is located on High Island at the mouth of the Grand River.



This great sandstone bluff commands a sweeping view of the West Channel and the City of Pineshore, which was not lost on the region's military planners.  Batteries of howitzer cannon were emplaced on the top of the cliffs, ready to direct devastating fire down on any attacking force.



To guard against attack on the batteries from the south across the island, abatis and gun positions were established.



Like Fort Defiance, these weapons were never called upon.  By 1910, the High Island batteries were all but forgotten.  The world was headed to war far away, and Three Rivers Region, while quietly supporting the efforts of the allies, enjoyed continued peace at home.  The Grand River Arsenal closed in 1919 and the buildings on it were largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1934.  The land remained in public hands, lying vacant until the 1970s when construction began on the government center and office complex that now occupies most of it.

The 3RR Marines command moved to Camp Meinhosen, which was a former training area lying to the northwest of the site of the arsenal on the north shore of Lake Evendim.  A handsome headquarters building was constructed along with a large parade ground.





Many relics from the Grand River Arsenal found their way there as well.



The days of the "assault canoe" seemed long forgotten.  Most of Camp Meinhosen was converted over to Three Rivers Region University after World War II, and the marines by the 1980s seemed fated to become an anachronism- a relic of another time.  Enlistments dwindled, and morale suffered greatly.

The Three Rivers Region Troopers, by contrast, had grown by that time from a small force established in 1937 to patrol the region's rural highways into a full-service police agency that combined the criminal investigative function of agencies such as the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the special police services of the United States Marshals, and a host of other law enforcement activities such as highway and border patrol.  The multitude of missions meant that each trooper was often significantly overworked and had to deal with many conflicting priorities.  The end result was much the same as the situation suffered by the marines: low morale and job dissatisfaction.

Current Status.  In 1987, the marines and the troopers were reorganized together along current lines.  A number of what had previously been 3RR Trooper missions were transferred to the marines and a single command structure down to battalion level was implemented.  The elimination of redundant functions and organizational structure provided substantial cost savings, which the newly created Department of Regional Protection was permitted to use for increased training, pay and benefits.  As of 2007, department operations were organized as follows.

[tabular type=1]
[row] [head] [/head] [head] [/head] [head] [/head] [/row]
[row] [head colspan=3]

Department of Regional Protection

[/head] [/row]
[row] [head]

3RR Marines

[/head] [head]

Joint

[/head] [head]

3RR Troopers

[/head] [/row]

[row] [data]

Lake and Waterway Patrol
Water Safety
Port Security
Border Patrol
Counterterrorism

[/data] [data]

Command and Control
Administrative Services
3RR Bureau of Investigation
Air Operations
Civil Defense
Drug Interdiction
Search and Rescue
Logistical Support
Training
Maintenance

[/data] [data]

Rural Law Enforcement
Highway Patrol
Motor Vehicle Safety
Marshal Service

[/data] [/row]
[/tabular]

As noted, the 3RR Troopers are organized into two battalions.  The 1^st Battalion is responsible for the area west and south of the Cold River and west of the Grand River and Hotham Inlet and is headquartered at Falls City.  The 2^nd Battalion is responsible for the area north and east of the Cold River and Hotham Inlet and east of Grand River, and including Pratt and High Islands.  It is headquartered at East Pineshore.



Individual Trooper units are called posts, and they are located as follows.

[tabular type=1]
[row] [head] [/head] [head] [/head] [/row]
[row] [head colspan=2]

3RR Troopers

[/head] [/row]
[row] [head]

1st Battalion

[/head] [head]

2nd Battalion

[/head] [/row]

[row] [data]

Falls City (HQ)
Baudette
Boissevain
Ellsworth
Fox Rapids
Montgomery
Whitehall

[/data] [data]

East Pineshore (HQ)
Ellisport
Rushford
Truman
Warren
Willoughby
Wolf Lake
Wood Ridge

[/data] [/row]
[/tabular]

The 3RR Marines are organized into four battalions.  The 1/297^th Battalion's area of operations is responsible for Hotham Inlet and its tributary rivers and streams less the Grand and Wind Rivers, and the battalion headquarters is at East Pineshore.  The 2/297^th Battalion's area of operations is Grand Lake and Grand River and its tributaries less the Cold River, and its headquarters is at Aurora.  The 3/297^th Battalion's area of operations is Cold Lake and Cold River and its tributaries, and its headquarters is at Brooks Ferry.  The 4/297^th Battalion's area of operations is Wind Lake and Wind River and its tributaries, and its headquarters is at Highland.



Marine battalions are made up of one or more companies, and they are based at installations called armories as follows.

[tabular type=1]
[row] [head] [/head] [head] [/head] [head] [/head] [head] [/head] [/row]
[row] [head colspan=4]

3RR Marines

[/head] [/row]
[row] [head]

1/297^th

[/head] [head]

2/297^th

[/head] [head]

3/297^th

[/head] [head]

4/297^th

[/head] [/row]

[row] [data]

East Pineshore (HQ)
Portis (A Co)
Independence (B Co)
Des Plaines (C Co)
Avon (D Co)

[/data] [data]

Aurora (HQ and A Co)
Grand Valley (B Co)
Loon Lake (C Co)
Weaver (D Co)

[/data] [data]

Brooks Ferry (HQ and A Co)
Meriden (B Co)
Marchand (C Co)
Ottawa (D Co)

[/data] [data]

Highland (HQ and A Co)
Boissevain (B Co)
Harwell (C Co)

[/data] [/row]
[/tabular]

The armories range from basic and utilitarian, as at Ottawa,



to substantial and historic.  This is the armory at Aurora.



Again, a far cry from the days of the assault canoe.



As a final note, in 2008 the Department of Regional Protection will move its offices and staff from Camp Meinhosen to a new regional training center under construction just outside of Haypoint.



"Son of Meinhosen," as the area and associated facility is currently informally referred to, is expected to be dedicated next summer.

* * *

So, Jeff, meinhosen- and everyone else reading this who are serving or have served anywhere for his or her country- 3RR sends its very best to you.

Later.


David

^*  A 3RR Regular, of course, is anyone who has ever posted here or over at 3RR-ST at least once.

[M4346]

Although I don't agree with the war and the current state of things, one thing is for sure and that is that there is a war going on and that there are men and women out there risking life and limb - as you pointed out David - and it is therefore to them and their families that I send my well wishes.

To everyone in the field, all the best.

[Ryan B.]

I recognize that patch!  That division is based at Fort Drum, near Watertown.  I've been up there once before, and saw a military convoy at least once.  I thought it was pretty cool. 

I can't wait to see what sort of security 3RR will have. 

[Pat]

David i soo cant wait to see you finish this up.... My dad was a 1st Sgt with the corps and he was a Russian Linguistics Specialist [linkie], and my grandpa served in WWII in the 91st infantry division [linkie].... My dad passed in 02 and my grandpa in 05... So seeing this post to honor all vets i truly cant wait - pat

My salute to all you Vets of all wars of the past to current, from peace to active duty........................



NB David that is a wonderful completion of the post as you promissed instead of posting again I'll save that new space for something else.... Those are some fansicnating stuff David wow.... I love the 3RR patch.... see you soon again my friend - pat

[DFire870]

I can't wait to see what's in store for the military, as my brother-in-law is currently serving in the Marines (he's a sergeant stationed at Camp Pendleton in CA) and just got back from his 4th tour in Iraq -- thankfully he won't have to go back again... And my grandpa was in the military (don't remember which branch, but he was stationed at White Sands in NM). So I definitely think about all of the men and women who are serving our country every day, but especially today.

-- John

[BigSlark]

David,

Excellent tribute to kalanc69 and the men and women of Three Rivers Defense Forces. I'm looking forward to the rest.

In all truth, I come from a military family myself, I am the first Slark not be an officer of Her Majesty's Royal Navy in over 400 years and find military history fascinating. That said, I must echo the sentiments of Marius, support the soldiers at all cost. They're simply following orders.

I hope all is well in the cold and snowy North.

Cheers,
Kevin

[mightygoose]

another great chunk of backstory there, i bet by the end there will be a more comprehensive guide to 3RR than the real corresponding guide to the area in reality...

[kalanc69]

David,

Thanks for the great military history section. I am honored to have been such a great part of 3RR military history. I have followed your journal/MD since its early days at Simropolis, and your creativeness and attention to detail as never failed to amaze me over the years. Your conotributions to the SC4 community have been numerous, and have helped me to take my game to the next level! Thank you for every thing you do, and I look forward to many more exciting and wonderful contributions in the future! 

I would now like to say SEMPER FI! to all my Marine Corps brothers in arms stationed throughout the world as they serve thier country and strive to uphold the values that we hold so dear in our CORPS. HONOR, COURAGE, COMITTMENT and Esprit de Corps will always be something that I live my life by and strive to achieve every day. To all of my fellow service men and women, both active duty and veteran alike, I take pride in knowing that we have paid the price to ensure that the people of our country can live in peace knowing that because of our sacrifices they can live thier lives however they choose. GODSPEED my friends, and I hope each and every one of you find your way home safetly and quickly.

SEMPER FI!

Kalanc69

[dedgren]

With 3RR's military and regional police forces addressed [linkie], it's on to the current "double-0" honors...



John (DFire870), your turn in the barrel's coming up shortly.

Later.


David

[kwakelaar]

It is interesting to follow this project if only for the shear amount of details going into the different updates, nothing left to coincidence here. This was another great update with lots of fascinating history and information on the current state of the military in 3RR.

[beskhu3epnm]

I find it amazing how David takes a keen observation (kalanc69) regarding the Marine Corps, turns it into an entire 1/2 page update complete with how it relates to the history of 3RR, and current RL events.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was completely real.

Genius!

[thundercrack83]

Just got caught up on the all the information about 3RR military. Interesting stuff, David! And definitely a fitting tribute to all our friends serving in the armed forces! I hope everyone is safe, and I thank you all very much for your service!

I'm also looking forward to seeing the tribute to DFire870, too!

Take care, my friend!

Dustin

[threestooges]

Excellent update on the military (history and current affairs) for the region. I can't think of words to express how impressive it is, and what a fitting tribute it is as well. I do have one question though: what BATs are on the approved list for the 3RR bases?

[Pat]

hmm Silicon prairie hmmm i wonder is that like the valley lol

btw welcome to pg 109

[Schulmanator]

David, I found myself quite impressed with the 3RR military history. Then, I saw it: 3RR's claim to fame... at last! "Aqua Velva"! Whaddaya know, I had a li'l piece of 3RR right on my shelf all along!

SWEET!