OPERATION INCIDENT: 07/03/2021
AUDIO RECORDED: 11/03/2021
INTERROGATOR:
Analyst ██████
Site-231 Intelligence Division
INTERROGATION SUBJECT:
MTF Senior Operative Third Class WHITESTRAKE
Detachment Commander, Hoplite 1 HQ
THE FOLLOWING TRANSCRIPT IS CLASSIFIED LEVEL 3
</ AUDIO RECORDING BEGINS />
INTERVIEWER: I'm Analyst ██████, debriefing SO3 Whitestrake on the events of March 7, 2021. Please state your name and rank.
WHITESTRAKE: Senior Operative Third Class, Whitestrake.
INTERVIEWER: What capacity did you serve on the night of the event?
WHITESTRAKE: Detachment Command.
INTERVIEWER: You were in overall command of the operation?
WHITESTRAKE: That would be Jansen. I commanded the ground team.
INTERVIEWER: Of course. What do you remember after leaving the FOB?
WHITESTRAKE: I wrote this in my report.
INTERVIEWER: I need you to state it for the record.
WHITESTRAKE: As per my report, I took half the ground force and stepped off from our FOB. Debarked our vehicles east of ███████, moved southeast to first objective to investigate. Spent 25 minutes on site before Command issued an early recall. Got back in our vehicles, retrieved the SUV, RTB, end-ex.
INTERVIEWER: Right. A strangely short report, don't you think, Operator?
WHITESTRAKE: Command issued an early recall.
INTERVIEWER: As you've stated multiple times. Why did you leave your vehicles back at ███████, why not drive closer?
WHITESTRAKE: That was the plan we laid out after the mission brief.
INTERVIEWER: And why did you plan it that way?
WHITESTRAKE: Command was present, all parties agreed on this course of action.
INTERVIEWER: But why did you do it?
WHITESTRAKE: That was the plan we laid out after the-
INTERVIEWER: Yes, as you've stated. Right. What happened at the first objective?
WHITESTRAKE: We investigated the SUV.
INTERVIEWER: For 25 minutes?
WHITESTRAKE: That's correct.
INTERVIEWER: Your GPS records indicate that none of you moved more than a metre during this time.
(Several seconds of silence.)
INTERVIEWER: Care to comment on that?
WHITESTRAKE: No.
INTERVIEWER: You don't think it's strange that nobody was moving around?
WHITESTRAKE: No, that's normal when holding security.
INTERVIEWER: Right. What can you tell me about the SUV?
WHITESTRAKE: Command issued an early recall. We didn't find anything.
INTERVIEWER: Nothing at all?
WHITESTRAKE: Nothing.
INTERVIEWER: You're sure? No enemy forces? No contact with anomalous entities? No strange feeling of familiarity?
WHITESTRAKE: We found nothing.
INTERVIEWER: If nothing happened, can you explain several thousand rounds of missing ammunition and a large amount of medical supplies?
WHITESTRAKE: Again, as per my report, we didn't find anything. Command issued an early recall before we moved any further in. I'd look into the armoury guys for the missing gear.
INTERVIEWER: Right. Why did you order Bravo to cross the river to the south?
WHITESTRAKE: That was the plan we laid-
INTERVIEWER: You said that already. What was the purpose of having Bravo over there?
WHITESTRAKE: Command and Bravo lead were there, that's what we planned.
INTERVIEWER: Don't you think it's strange that you separated half your force and put them on the other side of a river from your investigation objective?
WHITESTRAKE: Sometimes it's good to keep elements displaced.
INTERVIEWER: Why was it a good idea in this operation?
WHITESTRAKE: That was the plan we laid out-
INTERVIEWER: You've said that! You've said it... four times now. Make a tactical assessment for me, Operator. Given the objective, would you split your force like that?
WHITESTRAKE: I couldn't say.
INTERVIEWER: You can't tell me why you'd break off Bravo like that?
WHITESTRAKE: Per my report, that was the plan we agreed on.
INTERVIEWER: Right. Were you in contact with Bravo Team Leader - Operative Apprentice Stood - during the period of movement from the FOB to the objective?
WHITESTRAKE: We were in radio contact.
INTERVIEWER: Did they report any anomalous activity? Did you report any anomalous activity to them?
WHITESTRAKE: No, we didn't find anything.
INTERVIEWER: Right. Do you recall at any point engaging enemy forces wearing MTF equipment?
WHITESTRAKE: No.
INTERVIEWER: Do you recall at any point touching a book? Being transported to another location?
WHITESTRAKE: I don't recall that.
INTERVIEWER: Your helmet camera's storage was inspected and determined to be damaged beyond salvaging upon return to Site-231. When did that happen?
WHITESTRAKE: It must have happened in the field. Sometimes things break.
INTERVIEWER: The storage device in particular was damaged, in such a way as to make the contents unreadable. That would have been a very nasty hit from something to have done that damage... or maybe sabotage.
WHITESTRAKE: Sometimes things break out in the field.
INTERVIEWER: Right. Moving on somewhat, when you received the recall order, you said you mounted up straight away. How could you have mounted up if you left the vehicles all the way back at ███████?
WHITESTRAKE: Oh. Uhh, someone must have driven them up.
INTERVIEWER: Was any of your team unaccounted for during your 25 minutes of investigating the SUV?
WHITESTRAKE: No, all of the ground force was accounted for.
INTERVIEWER: And you don't find it strange that despite not sending anyone, the vehicles were retrieved for you to mount up immediately and return to base?
WHITESTRAKE: It's not abnormal for teams to consolidate assets while others investigate an objective for intel.
INTERVIEWER: Right. Surely you can see how these discrepancies are concerning, Operator. The missing rounds - the signs of weapons use, and medical supplies. Ordering Bravo south. The vehicles not being where you left them. You can't explain any of those?
WHITESTRAKE: Check with the armoury regarding the supplies, I can't account for that. Bravo moving south was the plan we all agreed on. And consolidating assets isn't out of the ordinary. You can corroborate all our movements with Command.
INTERVIEWER: Right... All as you've stated... Multiple times. We're done for today, Operator. Expect a follow-up interview at a later date.
WHITESTRAKE: Of course.
</ AUDIO RECORDING ENDS />
