THE WASH UP: OPERATION WHITE TIGER 3 - THE KAZAKH INCURSION
WT3: The Kazakh Incursion took place on Saturday 12 July at Gelsim Ranch, Milmerran. It was our first fully tactical, overnight event.
Once again, we’d like to thank all players, staff members and sponsors for allowing us to do what we do. Your support is integral to us continually pushing the boundaries of gel ball MILSIM in Queensland. We would not be able to put these events on for you, without you.
Thankfully, no elephants this year, just a few Mitty’s!
THE STORY
NATO forces entered the Milmerran AO to disrupt RICC elements preparing for cross-border incursions into neighbouring Uzbekistan. Fearing the fate the ODIN faced in their last engagement with the ESS, they brought a much larger and more prepared force. Meanwhile, RICC forces had established themselves at the Eastern Trenches—a known defensive position with strong observation lines and cover. Two RICC sections were dispatched to occupy and fortify Pazin, while the remaining two were tasked with securing the Northern MSR, a critical movement route used by both NATO and local militia forces. The intent was clear: deny NATO freedom of movement, solidify control over the town, and create a buffer zone to counter future offensives.
NATO forces infiltrated the Area of Operations (AO) from the north via a deliberate long-range pack march, using low-profile movement to avoid early detection by RICC ISR assets. The terrain, while open and exposed in parts, was navigated successfully, allowing the force to remain covert during initial stages of deployment.
Upon entering the AO, NATO elements established a harbour location west of the main axis of advance, near an abandoned dam site. This location provided natural concealment, defensible terrain, and proximity to key objectives. From the harbour, reconnaissance patrols were deployed to identify enemy positions, routes of movement, and potential strongpoints held by RICC-aligned forces and ESS insurgents. With critical intelligence gathered and a clearer picture of the battlespace forming, NATO seized the initiative by launching a fighting patrol composed of an assault platoon toward Pazin, a strategic town situated in the centre of the AO. Pazin was assessed as a key terrain node—offering control over road networks, local logistics hubs, and influence over civilian movement in the central corridor.
The NATO assault platoon executed a deliberate clearance operation, conducting a systematic sweep through Pazin, neutralizing entrenched RICC elements through close-quarters engagements and coordinated fire support. Resistance was stiff in pockets, but the platoon maintained momentum and successfully secured the town with minimal friendly casualties. Simultaneously, recon patrols operating forward of the main force fed back real-time intelligence, identifying RICC movements, supply caches, and potential fallback positions. This information not only supported the seizure of Pazin but also laid the groundwork for follow-on operations deeper into RICC territory.
The successful clearance of Pazin marked a critical early victory for NATO, establishing a foothold in the AO, disrupting RICC’s local command structure, and demonstrating to both ESS insurgents and allied partners that NATO could project force decisively and with precision in contested terrain.
Following the successful seizure of Pazin by NATO forces, elements of the task force began refurbishing equipment and reorganising logistics within the town’s perimeter. A forward-facing reconnaissance and security screen was maintained to the east to monitor potential RICC or ESS counteraction, while patrols continued to exploit intelligence gained during the assault.
As part of follow-on operations, two NATO sections were tasked to investigate a known RICC weapons cache located to the west of Pazin, in a suspected logistics node previously flagged by reconnaissance patrols. Intelligence indicated the cache may contain weapons, ammunition, and possibly encrypted communications gear. As the sections approached the objective on foot, one NATO soldier inadvertently stepped on a concealed anti-personnel mine hidden in dense brush near the edge of the cache site. The device detonated, severely injuring the soldier. As he fell, his movement triggered a secondary mine, resulting in additional fragmentation injuries and temporary disorientation of the nearby patrol.
The unit immediately executed casualty evacuation drills, securing the wounded and rapidly pulling him back beyond the danger zone. Once the casualty was stabilised and extracted from the objective area, the section commander of the NATO patrol moved in to assess and clear the site. While approaching the cache itself, the section commander began conducting manual inspection and EOD protocols. Despite his approach, a booby-trap device concealed within the cache was triggered when it was opened, resulting in a secondary explosion. The section commander was critically injured in the blast, and the site was immediately reclassified as high-risk and potentially rigged for area denial.
Following the heavy losses sustained during the NATO assault on Pazin, the remaining RICC elements regrouped at a Dam to the south, establishing a Casualty Collection Point (CCP) to provide immediate medical aid and reconstitute combat strength. As wounded fighters were treated and ammunition redistributed, Platoon Command directed a reconnaisance element to move north and identify the exact location of a communications relay array node believed to be operating to the southwest of Pazin, known as the “Training Camp”. It was positioned to enable continuous ISR coverage and maintain secure C2 links across the AO. The array served as the backbone of NATO’s operational tempo, controlling UAV flights, intel relay, and force coordination.
However, the location of the relay was quickly compromised. RICC reconnaissance elements, discovered the site and relayed its position to a nearby strike team. Within minutes, RICC forces began a destruction operation, aiming to knock out the array and blind NATO’s surveillance capabilities. A NATO patrol tasked with local security responded, conducting an attack-by-fire on the objective, engaging RICC forces as they attempted to disable equipment and plant demolition charges. Leveraging knowledge of the terrain and superior positioning, RICC outmanoeuvred the NATO defenders, engaging them from multiple angles and successfully seizing the Training Camp. Once in control, the RICC elements established defensive positions within the surrounding trench lines, preparing for a likely counterattack. Holding firm, the RICC sections shifted tactics to deny NATO medical support, actively targeting combat medics to degrade the enemy’s ability to recover casualties. Despite being outnumbered, they inflicted significant disruption and held the camp for an extended period.
Recognising the critical nature of the site, a NATO quick-reaction force was rapidly rerouted from Pazin to assist. They tactically moved towards the objective, coordinating with mutual support and attacking the objective. The follow-on force quickly regained control of the site, neutralising RICC elements and regaining full operational use of the relay before major damage could be inflicted.
However, the commitment of these forces left Pazin vulnerable. Sensing this gap, RICC launched a swift assault on the town, targeting its eastern flank where only a small NATO holding force remained. The defenders, caught in scattered positions, conducted a delaying action, using dense urban terrain and key chokepoints to stall the attackers. Within minutes, NATO forces redirected their focus. Reinforcements were rerouted from the relay site, and elements from reconnaissance patrols collapsed inward. NATO troops executed aggressive counter-clearance of Pazin’s outskirts, re-establishing a solid defensive perimeter and halting further RICC advances.
After the fierce engagements at the Training Camp and the heavy casualties sustained at Pazin, RICC forces once again reorganised at the Eastern Trenches, establishing a defensive posture while rotating sections through security, picquet, and rest cycles. As some elements recovered and rearmed, TOC issued a high-priority directive—a RICC pilot had been downed near the Northern MSR, reportedly carrying sensitive documents and comms data critical to the integrity of ongoing operations.
Recognising the strategic importance of the pilot’s recovery, two RICC sections were quickly deployed, using terrain knowledge and previously reconnoitred routes to move north with speed and stealth. Despite signs of NATO reconnaissance activity in the area, the RICC force managed to locate the downed pilot, who had sustained moderate injuries but was still in possession of the secure documentation.
With the pilot secured, the recovery team moved swiftly back to the Eastern Trenches, successfully returning him to RICC lines for exfil and intelligence backfill. The operation was executed efficiently—however, it had not gone unnoticed. NATO, tracking the movements from aerial ISR and intercepted comms chatter, dispatched multiple sections to intercept the returning RICC elements and conduct a quick assault on the Eastern Trenches. What followed was a coordinated assault on the RICC defensive position, with NATO forces attacking in force from multiple angles, capitalising on RICC’s momentary vulnerability during rotation and reorganisation.
Though RICC fighters put up a determined defense, especially from those sections that had just returned from the successful recovery mission, the overwhelming pressure from NATO’s assault force proved too much. After a brutal firefight, NATO overran the Eastern Trenches, clearing the position and eliminating the remaining RICC ambush element that had been attempting to cut off NATO reinforcements in the surrounding terrain.
Once NATO had inflicted significant damage, eliminated key RICC fighting elements, and disrupted their ability to regroup in the area, NATO command ordered a tactical withdrawal. With no intention of holding the Eastern Trenches and risking potential counter-battery fire or encirclement, the assault force exfiltrated, returning to their harbour position with minimal casualties.
As night fell over the AO, NATO command received word of a downed RICC ISR drone to the northwest of Pazin, believed to have been brought down by electronic warfare interference or small arms fire. The drone carried sensitive surveillance data and onboard systems deemed critical to ongoing operations. To attempt to exploit the possible intelligence, a NATO section was deployed under darkness to conduct sensitive site exploitation (SSE) and destruction operations of the drone. Operating with minimal visibility, the team moved across open terrain to the drone’s last known coordinates.
Simultaneously, a second NATO section moved north of Pazin to act as a blocking force, tasked with screening the recovery team and intercepting any enemy movement toward the site. As they reached their position, the blocking force encountered a well-equipped RICC section, which engaged them with superior night-fighting equipment (NFE)—including thermals and IR lasers. Outgunned and outmaneuvered, the NATO screen was quickly overwhelmed, sustaining multiple casualties in the initial burst of contact. Hearing the blocking element’s fate in the distance, the recovery team located the downed drone, conducted rapid SSE, secured sensitive components, and then destroyed the wreckage in place using thermite and marked the site with chemlights in a symbolic gesture—later dubbed the "chemlight murder."
Once the drone was destroyed, the SSE team reoriented and began a deliberate movement toward the sound of contact, tracking the RICC force responsible for ambushing their counterparts. The two forces clashed in a prolonged, close-quarters firefight near the northern main supply route. Despite RICC's initial advantage and use of advanced optics, the NATO team fought with aggression and cunning, employing a silent flanking manoeuvre to eliminate the enemy force.
In the dead of night, under cover of darkness and operational confusion, RICC launched a coordinated multi-front raid on Pazin, aiming to exploit NATO’s thinly stretched posture across the AO. With a significant portion of NATO combat power committed to drone recovery and flank security, RICC moved freely through the terrain, staging their assault elements without detection.
RICC forces attacked simultaneously from the east, south, and west, applying pressure on multiple axes to fracture NATO’s defensive cohesion. Their use of night-fighting equipment, decentralised communications, and aggressive infiltration tactics allowed them to close distance quickly and disorient NATO defenders. Inside Pazin, chaos took hold as scattered NATO defensive positions attempted to identify and engage enemy movement. In one incident, a full RICC section advanced undetected down the main western road, entering a NATO-held trench line amidst the confusion. Mistaking them for friendly elements—or failing to react in time—NATO forces only realised the incursion once the RICC troops were already in their position. A grenade was thrown into the trench to neutralise the threat. The blast killed the RICC assaulters, but also resulted in friendly casualties, with several NATO troops caught in the detonation. This tragic fratricide underlined the fog of war, poor visibility, and fractured communication that plagued the defenders during the raid.
Despite the disarray, NATO units gradually reorganised, using overwhelming firepower and hardended positions to suppress enemy assaults and coordinate ad-hoc counterattacks. Room-by-room and street-by-street, NATO troops fought to hold key terrain, eventually regaining fire superiority and pushing RICC assaulters back from the outskirts. By early morning, the RICC forces had withdrawn, likely with unknown casualties. The full extent of the damage—both to NATO personnel and infrastructure—remained unclear, but the defense held. Pazin was bloodied, but still in NATO hands.
Following a turbulent night of RICC multi-axis assaults, and with intelligence indicating the imminent threat of long-range indirect fire and potential MLRS strikes from deeper within Kazakhstan, NATO command made the tactical decision to withdraw from Pazin at first light. The risk of mass casualty events from standoff fires outweighed the strategic value of holding the town.
The force extracted westward under early morning cover, moving into a forested area beyond the urban limits. There, they established a new harbour location—concealed, defensible, and offering improved terrain for early warning. From this position, NATO resumed a wide-reaching reconnaissance push to monitor enemy movements and re-establish situational awareness.
Recon elements were tasked to patrol:
East, to identify any RICC reoccupation of trench lines near Pazin.
South, toward the old dam, now a suspected enemy strongpoint.
North, along the road network suspected to be used for RICC patrol rotation and supply.
In the south, a NATO recon team located a RICC harbour position near the dam. Evidence of recent enemy activity was found—field packs left in the open. The site suggested RICC forces had left their original harbour at the eastern trenches, likely anticipating further NATO assault attempts. The section attempted to exploit the sight by gathering intelligence and booby trapping some of the packs. At the same time, a NATO fireteam broke from the main harbour to re-enter Pazin, attempting to retrieve a pack and sensitive items inadvertently left behind during the night extraction. As they moved through the outskirts, they encountered a RICC security element holding the town. A brief but violent skirmish followed and the NATO fireteam was wiped out, with no survivors able to return to report. To the north, another NATO patrol successfully tracked a RICC movement element circling the town, shadowing their patrol route and confirming ongoing RICC presence around Pazin. The NATO patrol returned to harbour without engaging, preserving their position and avoiding detection.
Upon returning from the south, the NATO section that had booby-trapped the harbour at the dam was ambushed by a RICC clearance patrol. A brief firefight ensued, with both sides trading fire before the NATO section disengaged under suppressive cover and broke contact, returning to their forest position.
NATO forces regrouped in their forest harbour west of the town. Reconnaissance had revealed a notably weak eastern flank, while RICC forces, emboldened by NATO’s absence, had begun shifting southward in an effort to initiate contact and push pressure onto NATO’s presumed harbour position. This premature movement left a gap. Seizing the opportunity, NATO launched a coordinated flanking assault, looping south of Pazin before swinging east to attack from the least-defended direction. However, NATO was detected approximately 100 metres from the southern edge of town, as the advancing RICC assault spotted movement in the treeline. Despite early warning, NATO was able to conduct an effective flanking manouvre and push into the town from the east. A brief engagement at the outskirts quickly escalated into a full clearance operation as NATO sections moved building to building, suppressing enemy positions and retaking control of much of Pazin in a matter of minutes.
Most RICC forces, still out of position or retreating from their own southern push, faught valiantly but were quickly overwhelmed by the speed and aggression of the NATO assault. The only sustained resistance came from two Kazakh militia fighters, who retreated to the west of the town. Despite the clearance around them, they continued to fight, exchanging fire with NATO troops until the end of the operation.
After securing the town and confirming no major RICC reinforcements were inbound, NATO chose not to hold the position. With the threat of indirect fire and enemy counteraction still present, a controlled and rapid withdrawal was conducted, with NATO forces returning to their harbour before ultimately extracting from the AO.
FOR FUTURE EVENTS
An effective field sleep system
We were happy to see a huge improvement in the kit that players had on them for this event. We really tried to hammer home the point that you are expected to carry in and out all of the gear that you want to use. As we continue to progress as a company, our standards and expectations will continue to increase of the playerbase. For example, some players didn’t bring out their sleeping kit and slept in the safe zone before either coming back out or giving up and calling their event early (one player decided to stay in the field without their sleeping kit entirely… they had a very cold evening). Moving forward, if players want to sleep in the safe zone, they will not be able to continue playing into the next day.
Overnight kit needs to be refined to the essentials. Hootchies, sleeping bag, bivvie and ground mat should be sufficient (if not excessive) for most players to survive for one night. If players are struggling to fit all that into a pack, they need to reassess what else they are bringing into the field.
We will also be refining our resupply procedures for future events. Gel supply and medical supply will be closely controlled and monitored per faction to add an additional complexity to gameplay. This includes spare supplies such as blasters, batteries and any extra kit and equipment.
As we continue to develop, our processes and procedures become more efficient. This year we brought in a full checklist for the check in procedure in the form of a DEPORD. Our requirements around our kit checks and equipment compliance will continue to tighten, specifically around how our kit checks are conducted. More details around this will follow in due time.
While we understand that it was very cold overnight, all players were forewarned about the weather and the conditions. We want to see more players try and stick it out overnight. While around 75% of REDFOR and 50% of BLUFOR remained in the field, we want to see those numbers closer to and above 80% for both sides. What did baffle some members of staff however, was that some players remained in field overnight and then decided to call it quits in the morning. To us, the overnight was the hard part, once the cold was pushed through and gels were defrosted, the rest of the event was a walk in the park.
Finally, we’d like to see a bit more urgency in terms of player readiness. Numerous times on both sides, players were given a timing to meet, whether that be to step off on a task, be ready to receive orders or a miriad of other reasons. We need players to be more aware of the timings that they’re given and be ready by those times. It is crucial that Section 2ICs are ensuring that their section members are meeting those times as well.
What IMPRESSED US
The pre-event coordination this year was a massive improvement compared to WT2. Most, if not all, sections had some sort of group chat organised and were communicating well before the event. Section Commanders were given the responsibilty to organise their troops and we feel that this was a natural evolution of the ability of our players. This is what we want to see moving forward for future events.
Section planning, briefing and execution of tasks was fantastic. Once a section was briefed and had stepped off on task, they were trusted to execute that task on their own or in tandem with other sections. Faction commanders rarely had to step in to ensure the task was being completed to their requirements. We are always looking to help improve section tactics, techniques and procedures. If players would like specific training events put on, please let us know and we’ll see what we can make happen with our staff of cadre.
YOUR FEEDBACK
We’ve gone through all of your feedback and, as of writing, we have received 27 responses with an almost 50/50 split between BLUFOR and REDFOR. Compared to the 19 we received last year, that’s a huge improvement. We want as many players as possible to provide us feedback so we can improve each year and understand what the majority of you want to see in a MILSIM event. Here are some of our takeways for the pre-event and check in process:
All players agreed or strongly agreed that they were provided adequate information prior to arrival
All players agreed or strongly agreed that the check in process was smooth and professional
The vast majority of players found the campsite atmosphere and access to facilites to be positive and to their satisfaction
Over 80% of players said that OnTrack Meals should be continued as an option for meal supply at the field
Over 70% players said that they would enjoy a gel supply system in partnership with SummerCat Gelball
There should be some signs around the safe area for the check in process
No toilets were at the REDFOR FOB
The pre-event orders that were sent out were very immersive and helped players get into the vibe of the event
Players would like to see some training opportunities pre-event
We are continuing to invest in our pre-event experience to keep as immersive and smooth as possible. We will look at further improving this by creating signs that make things easier to read and comprehend. There was a drop toilet at the REDFOR FOB however, it was open air (very little privacy). Having portable toilets out in that location will be something we consider for the future.
We are looking to expand our partnership with OnTrack Meals and SummerCat Gelball to enhance our gameplay experience for players. For our next event we are looking into supplying full rat pack style meals from OnTrack and a proper gel supply system from SummerCat. These are still in the early stages however.
We are also looking into how we can facilitiate some training prior to event start on check in day. We want to be able to pass on knowledge on basic formations, react to contact drills, harbour drills and RATEL if possible. This comes down to staffing numbers and the ability of players being able to make it out early enough.
During the event, our main takeaways were:
There was too much downtime on the second day for REDFOR
No attacks during night phase meant that piquet felt pointless
More action was requested
You’d like more varied objectives for both sides
More BOSS units, NPC/Civilian interaction and pyrotechnics would help improve immersion
The medic system works well and the flow chart helps new players get their heads around it
The spirit of MILSIM was achieved for this event
It was too cold
There was no debrief at the end of the event
The down time for REDFOR on the second day unfortunately came down to a miscommunication between admin staff on their scheme of manoevre for the day. We apologise to players who felt that they had their day almost wasted by the amount of downtime that they had. This has been addressed amongst the admin team and will not happen again.
We were uniquely aware that this was our first night phase event and one of the first proper full night phase events in this community for a long time. With that, we wanted to ensure that players had adequate opportunity to rest and recover from a full day of fighting and not freeze to death over night because it was so damn cold. Additionally, we believe that attacking an enemy harbour overnight is not a very fun experience to keep doing over and over again. That’s why we had the UAS recovery objective, as it provides a bit more meaning to night objectives, rather than just slinging a bunch of gels at a defended position and waking people up for no reason. As such, we made the decision to not actively send out players into the field at night, primarily as a safety measure. To be clear, if players wanted to come to a faction commander with an idea for a night sortie or recce, they were well within their rights to do so. It was up to the faction commander whether they would approve or deny the mission. There was no “gentlemens agreement” to not attack each other throughout the night. We want to continue to expand on our night phase as the player base gets more experienced with it, developing more objective based gameplay to keep all players commited and in the field for the whole event.
Action is a fine balance to keep. One sides perception of an event may be completely different to another. We are always striving to find the best balance between action, immersion and appropriate down time for recovery. We want more action, more varied and meaningful objectives and more immersion. To achieve this, we want to continue invest in the players, in systems that allow us to create more objectives and equipment that enhances immersion. This is not cheap and it will take time. Unfortunately, MILSIM events aren’t big money makers and every cent that we make from these events is immediately reinvested into the business to make it better for next time. Staff members are all volunteers and aren’t paid, they do this out of love of the community, love of the events and belief in the business. We are continually looking into more ways that we can improve all aspects of our events, it just won’t be as fast as people think due to the cash flow.
Regarding NPC/Civilians and pyrotechnics, while we are primarily focused on a force on force style event in the vein of MILSIM West and The MIA Series, we understand that the player base is interested in more LARP interactions. This is something we are looking into to improve interactions with our event however, it is a delicate balance as we would be taking players out of the game to put them in more admin roles which could have a negative impact. We are also looking at how we can implement more pyrotechnics into our events. Unfortunately Australia has fairly strict legislation regarding these items but we are actively investigating ways that we can implement them legally and safely.
In future, we’ll make sure that we schedule events in months that aren’t as damn cold. Unfortunately for The Kazakh Incursion, there were several other major events on during the time period that we wanted. We acknowledge that this community is still quite small and we can’t afford to put competing events on at them same time. Additionally, we’re going to ensure that we have a proper debrief at the end of all our events. We want all our players to come together and share stories and interact with each other to keep building this community. We’ll look to partner with more sponsors and see if we can organise giveaways and other goodies for this time.
HOW WE WANT TO IMPROVE
We’re continuing to improve our events to give the best possible product. Here are some of the things that we’re pursuing to make our next events even better:
Fixing our staffing issues by subsidising select tickets for select players to enable a smoother check in process and have more interactable NPCs
Dedicating one hour pre-event, per faction, for TTP briefing and training drills to increase the standard of players
Expanding our partnerships with SummerCat Gelbal and OnTrack Meals and creating a gel supply system (more info at a later date)
Investing into more BOSS Units, vehicles and players to enhance immersion
Investing in more props to expand objective selection, especially more night phase objectives
Looking to more options for fields that are closer to Brisbane
Expanding our partnership with Gelsim Ranch to allow for greater resource sharing, enabling greater cohesion in field
Further expanding our check in process and making it more immersive
Investigating more partnerships to enable more player participation at night
Ayo, it me
Time for me to get personal again. I want to thank all the people involved in the successful running of this event. First and foremost, you the player. Without you, these events don’t run and we don’t get to enjoy the MILSIM experience. You turn up every year, dealing with all the problems that come with gel blasters and gel balls, and you keep playing. I can’t thank all of you enough for continuing to support us as a business and this community.
I’d also like to thank our sponsors of this event. Rowan and Blacksite Gelball for providing our insurance, Tim and Urban Gelball for providing our toilets, SummerCat Gelball for providing gels for our staff and a free pack of gels for every player and OnTrack Meals who provided meals at a much reduced rate. Also, a special mention to boys from NZ, Benno and Max. Your belief in our organisation and you promotion of us across the ditch doesn’t go unnoticed and we’re forever grateful that you guys believe in us as much as we believe in ourselves. Without your investment in us, we wouldn’t be able to put on such high quality events.
Once again, I deployed numerous times during this event for my real job. I can’t thank the rest of the Mjolnir Gelsim team for stepping in when I wasn’t available and pulling this event off. The Kazakh Incursion was by far our smoothest and most successful event yet, and I attribute that to the prior planning from the boys and lessons learnt from previous events. Special thanks to Mitch and Rob, our REDFOR faction commanders. They stepped up for this event and made our lives way easier. As always thanks go to Braydon and Dan, our founders, Tim, our technology manager, Lachie, our finance coordinator, Matt, our social media coordinator, and Josh, our merchandise coordinator.
I would like to make a special mention to Josh. Josh has made the decision to step away from the day to day running of Mjolnir Gelsim for personal reasons. While he’ll still be involved in the events, it will be at a much reduced capacity. Josh has been one of the driving forces behind the business, especially in my absence when I’m overseas for work. Josh’s hard work to keep us on track to strive and meet our goals will be sorely missed and he’ll always be known as a founding member of our team. Josh has been integral to our success, and we hope for and wish him nothing but success in his future endeavours.
Finally I’d like to make a special mention to my wife, Sydney. For some context, The Kazakh Incursion took place one week after I had returned from my last overseas trip… and she still allowed me to come out and shoot gel balls with you nerds. Her support of me and this business is nothing short of amazing and I know it will continue for as long as we do this.
Thank you all and I’ll see you at…
- Ben