Chapter: 2661

Charlie Wade and Faisal walked through the central square, and the noise of the diesel generators grew louder around them. The roar made it hard for people to talk, which suited Charlie just fine. If something went wrong during their rescue mission, it would be harder for outsiders to hear any shouts for help.

Charlie turned to Faisal and asked, “How long do your diesel generators usually run?”

Faisal quickly replied, “Since the government cut off our electricity, we rely on a 50-kilowatt diesel generator. We also have some power storage equipment.”

He continued, “During the day, we don’t use the generator much because our electricity needs are low. We use the stored power to keep essential equipment running. We only turn on the generators at night for lighting and to recharge the storage. Today, we started them early due to the cloudy weather.”

Curious, Charlie asked, “Aren’t you worried that bright lights at night will attract government planes to bomb this place?”

Faisal explained, “In Syria, most of the fighting is on the ground. The government’s planes have mostly been shot down. The few old fighter jets they have left are stationed in Damascus and the southern province of Dar’a. They won’t risk sending them out to bomb us because there are many civilians here. If they bomb indiscriminately, it would anger the public.”

Charlie Wade listened intently. He understood that modern warfare, especially like the Gulf War, relies heavily on air power, with the navy and army playing supporting roles. In that conflict, the U.S. used fighter jets to gain control of the skies first. Then, they sent in bombers to take out key enemy defenses and military resources. Once the enemy was weakened, ground troops moved in quickly to occupy the area.

However, Charlie noticed that the fighting in Syria was quite different. It resembled World War II more than modern tactics, focusing mainly on ground forces instead of air support.

Remembering that Faisal was the captain of an armored brigade, Charlie asked, “Faisal, since most of the battles here rely on ground forces, does that mean your armored brigade is very important?”

Faisal nodded and replied, “Yes, our two main forces are the armored brigade and the flying brigade. But the flying brigade only has four armed helicopters, so my armored brigade is the primary fighting force.”

Curious, Charlie continued, “Since you lead the armored brigade, don’t you have a higher rank in the armed forces?”

Faisal quickly explained, “Actually, my squadron is mainly managed by the commander during the war. I became a captain because I know a lot about tanks, so my role is more like an instructor rather than someone with real power.”

Charlie nodded in understanding. He recognized that the armored brigade was indeed crucial to their combat efforts.

It made sense for them to go straight to the commander. Under Faisal’s leadership, Charlie Wade followed him outside the courtyard wall made of loess. When they stepped out, they saw a crowd of people. Everyone was shouting to communicate.

Charlie noticed that the crowd was speaking different languages. Some were speaking English, others were speaking French, and there were also people talking in a language he didn’t understand at all—it was likely Arabic.