VII. Publicly-stated rules at the start of MC 02

Prior to MC 02, Gen. Kernan said, “This is free play. The OPFOR has the ability to win here.” [43] Well, Gen. Kernan was right about one thing--the OPFOR certainly had the ability to win. However, the OPFOR was not allowed to win. [44]

In the press briefing on September 17, 2002, USJFCOM went to great lengths to explain that MC 02 was not truly free play and why that was so. That explanation will be discussed in a separate section.
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43. Naylor, “War Games Rigged?”

44. I initially thought there was no difference between “Red force” and OPFOR (Opposing Force). However, in the September 17, 2002 press briefing, Gen. Cash explained that there is a difference between “Red Team” and OPFOR. The Red Team includes civilian as well as military components, whereas the OPFOR is the military force. Because I am focusing on the military component--and the sake of convenience--I will primarily use the term “OPFOR” instead of “Red force” or "Red team" even though use might not be technically correct in some instances. Also, be aware that some the sources quoted herein use the terms "Red force" and "Red team." For purposes of this work, all three of these terms are treated as identifying the opponent in MC 02.