“Yes, Sergeant,” echoed the chorus of voices through the platoon.
The Day America Changed Forever
The Coast Guard boat was bouncing around as it sped through New York Harbor as the crew began their inspection shift. They were responsible for conducting boardings and inspections of ships as the higher headquarters or DHS directed. Since the start of the war, DHS had been directing the Coast Guard to conduct an increase in cargo ship inspections before ships were allowed to move up the Hudson River.
“I was watching the news before we left on the boat, those videos they were showing of that air attack in Israel were unbelievable,” Mike said while lighting a cigarette.
“I missed seeing it, I heard a few of the guys say they wiped out most of that Muslim army,” said George as he sped the boat towards a group of freighters entering the harbor.
“Cut the chatter guys. Take us towards that freighter near Ellis Island; it’s not answering the harbor master’s hails and DHS want us to investigate before it enters the Hudson River,” said Petty Officer Ed Phillips.
While the small Coast Guard boat headed towards the freighter, they could see it begin to pick up speed as it moved past Ellis Island heading into the Hudson River. “That freighter is moving a bit fast into the Hudson, don’t you think George?”
“Ed, that ship looks like its speeding up, not slowing down” George said.
As the new sun began to expand into lower Manhattan and Jersey City, it rapidly began to gain in speed and temperature, quickly rising to 20 million degrees Fahrenheit vaporizing everything — buildings, trees, cars, and people — in a 2.5-kilometer radius. In an instant, nearly one million people were killed and four million people received fatal doses of radiation and deadly burns. As the several hundred mile an hour winds swept through the city and surrounding boroughs, it blew out windows, pushed cars into each other and threw tens of thousands of people on the streets of New York to the ground and into buildings like ragdolls.
Within seconds of the blast wave dissipating, thousands of taxis, delivery trucks and other vehicles that travel the busy streets of New York began to explode as the firestorm from the blast created thousands of secondary explosions. Gas and water mains started to explode, further adding to the chaos and destruction that was being wrought on Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs.
Battery Park, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty were obliterated in the blast, destroying one of the most recognizable symbols of America. As the Statue of Liberty fell apart into New York Harbor, so too did any restraint President Stein or the military were using in the war with the Islamic Republic. More Americans had died in this single act of aggression than any other in American history. The Islamic Republic was showing no restraint in their war against Israel and the US. It was time for not just the muzzle to come off of the American military, but the leash as well.
Acronym Key
ABML = Anti-Ballistic Missile Lasers
ACLU = American Civil Liberties Union
AFC = America First Corporation
AG = Attorney General
AIR = Advanced Infantry Rifle
AO = Area of Operations
AT = Anti-tank
BCT = Brigade Combat Team
BG = Brigadier General
C3 = Command Control and Communications
CAG = Commander, Air Group
CAP = Combat Air Patrol
CENTCOM = Central Command
CG = Commanding General
CIC = Combat Information Center
CIO = Chief Information Officer
CMC = Central Military Commission
CNO = Chief of Naval Operations
DHS = Department of Homeland Security
DIA = Defense Intelligence Agency
DOD = Department of Defense
DOE = Department of Energy
DOJ = Department of Justice
EMP = Electromagnetic Pulse
EO = Executive Order
EU = European Union
EUCOM = European Command
FP = Freedom Party
FSB = Russia’s version of the CIA
GC = Grain Consortium
GDP = Gross Domestic Product
GRU = Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Russia’s equivalent to America’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
HEAT = High Explosive Anti-Tank
HUD = Heads Up Display
HUMINT = Human Intelligence (Information gained through spy craft, interrogations, and source operations)
IAF = Israeli Air Force
ID = Infantry Division
IDF = Israeli Defense Force
IDS = Iron Dome System
IED = Improvised Explosive Device
IFV = Infantry Fighting Vehicles
IR = Islamic Republic
ISI = The Pakistani Interservice Intelligence Agency
ISR = Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance
J2 = Joint Intelligence Directorate
JAG = Judge Advocate General (military lawyer)
JDF = Japanese Defense Force
JSOC = Joint Special Operations Command
KIA = Killed In Action
LDT = Light Drone Tank
LNG = Liquid Natural Gas
LNO = Liaison Officer
LTC = Lieutenant Colonel
LTG = Lieutenant General
LTV = Light Tactical Vehicles
MANPADS = Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems
MBT = Main Battle Tanks
MG = Major General
MIA = Missing In Action
MEF = Marine Expeditionary Force
MLRS = Multiple-Launch Rocket System
MRE = Meal Ready to Eat (packages of meals that are shelf stable for a long time and used by the military)
NAD = New American Dollar
NAFTA = North American Free Trade Agreement
NCO = Non-Commissioned Officer
NIC = National Identity Cards (biometrically enabled cards for identification and tracking)
NSC = National Security Council
OPEC = Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries
PACOM = Pacific Command
PEOC = Presidential Emergency Operation Center
PGA = Provisional Governing Authority (temporary government set up by the US)
PLA = People’s Liberation Army (Chinese Army)
PLAN = People’s Liberation Army Navy (Chinese Navy)