MONTANA

1) NUCLEAR TARGETS

Helena, SS-16
Malmstrom AFB, 10 SS-18M2
Glasgow AFB, SS-16

2) MORROW PROJECT ASSETS

Morrow Industry's Cryosleep Development Center: Before the war, Montana State University in Bozeman was a center for Morrow Industry's genetics and cryonics programs. This is where test subjects were used to determine the best way to freeze people. The current condition of the facility is unknown.
Intelligence and Operations Squadron 1-A: Bolthole location unknown. 23 members. A very special "problem solving" team made up almost entirely of ex-CIA personnel.
Science Team M-2: Bolthole located 22 miles due North of Billings, Montana. 10 men with one BV-206 and a HEMMITT.
Recon Team M-4: Bolthole located 10 miles West of Glasgow, Montana. 6 men with 1 V-150 w/ 20mm and 1 Hummwv w/ MAG.
Recon Team M-5: Bolthole located 3 miles North of Helena. Bolthole vaporized when nuke detonated 300 meters from buriel site.
Recon Team M-7: Bolthole location unknown. Presumed buried near Idaho border.
Air Recon Team UAR-1 Specialist Recon Team: Bolthole located 8 miles east of Livingston, Montana; adjacent to Mission Field Airport. 11 men with 4 Air Scouts and 1 Hummwv w/M2HB and Airscout Recovery Trailer. Tasked with linking up with area teams and providing Air search and support. Area of operations are Montana and Wyoming.

3) NORTHCENTRAL MONTANA

This region of open prairies sloping up into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains was always known for its scenic beauty. It was also known for thickly-sown fields of ICBMs. It was this later trait that brought devastation from the skies.

The ruins of Great Falls: Smashed by spillover damage from the multiple nuclear hits on nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base. Nothing lives in these charred ruins.

The ruins of Helena: The single nuke laid waste to most of the city, fires burned for months afterward, and the local casualty rate ran close to 95%. Anyone who survived fled immediately, leaving the ruins to the rats and roaches. 150 years later, most of the city still contains small amounts of residual radiation. The ruins have been searched by dozens of marauder bands, soldiers and local defense groups over the decades. Few people live in the area now, though a handful of rugged individuals farm areas which once were parklands or landscaping by the entrance ramps for highway interchanges.

Lewistown: The largest functioning city in the state, Lewistown is now home to about 1,800 people. Existing as it does between two large Amerind regions, Lewistown sees a fair amount of trade and travel and has developed a reputation as The place to stop for traders looking for a place to rest and exchange information. The hotels are the cleanest, the bars have the best beer and the women have the fewest residual third limbs of all the caravan stops in the Upper Rockies. Gypsy Truckers are especially common here, and an entire industry has built up servicing their vehicles. All people are welcome here, though it is not uncommon for feuding Indian tribes to snipe at each other along the trails leading to the town.

4) EASTERN HALF OF MONTANA

The plains of the east have always been dry, and the constant droughts have made it even more so. Nevertheless, food supplies remain fairly secure for most of the year and the numerous wide rivers provide both water and transport for the settlements. Several towns in this huge expanse of rolling prairies and river valleys are home to white slaver enclaves, the most notable at Glendive in the far east. There are, however, long stretches where there is absolutely no human life and every town is deserted and looted.

Fort Peck Indians: The wide grassy plains of the upper Missouri River valley in the northeast part of the state are the home range of a large tribe of Native Americans. Mostly residents of the Fort Peck Reservation, these Indians guard the rich bounty of the river valley and are charter members of the Amerind Empire, with the Sioux to the east in South Dakota and the Flatheads to the west. While they have been a part of the greater Amerind confederacy for several generations, the Indians at Fort Peck have always been afraid of loosing their identity and their lands in being assimilated in with the Amerinds. There are roughly 2,000 Indians in this area, in various small settlements mostly along the wide Missouri River. The Tribe's "capitol" is in Wolf Point on the Missouri River. Their territory is ill-defined, but a number of outposts have been established at the edges to monitor traffic into the area. These outposts are at Circle in the south, at Lambert, Culbertson, and Antelope to the east, at Scobey in the north, and at the radioactive ruins of Glasgow in the west. The braves are well-armed but prefer bows when hunting. They have had little trouble with outside forces in the last century, except for the occasional Canadian hunting party from across the Saskatchewan border and slaver raids from the Glendive enclave. If they had enough firepower, they would surely wipe out the Glendive slavers.

Harlowton: Typical of the farming communities in the region, with about 300 citizens and a militia armed with hunting rifles and pistols.

Billings: Billings is eastern Montana's largest town, the fertile valley of the Yellowstone River supporting some 2,000 ranchers and farmers. They have a militia called the "Billings National Guard" to defend the surrounding ranch land from interlopers and refugees. Recently there has been conflict with a band of wandering Children of the Night who, while they say they want to peacefully settle down here, are really looking to feed on them.

Canucks: The long border with Canada is just a line on a map. For the last 150 years, that line has not stopped frequent cross-border travel for both merchant caravans and bandit raids. There is a large Canadian settlement in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and their cavalry is occasionally seen in northern Montana, looking for raiders or loot. There are a number of Canadian settlements in Montana, mostly north of Highway 2, and there are also a few American settlements in southern Saskatchewan.

Harve: In the early morning hours of December 11, 1989, the Soviet High Command sortied a force of 54 TU-95KM Strategic Bombers to strike over the pole at the heartland of America. The Soviet Generals (those that were left) assumed the US command and control was as decimated as theirs was. The flight flew unchallenged until they overflew Edmonton, Alberta. Edmonton's sole surviving air search radar picked up the flight and flashed out an alert. 22 F-15C Eagles forward deployed to Billings Logan Airport streaked into the sky within minutes to engage the invaders. 52 of the bombers were annihilated in mid flight, and the remaining 2 were crippled. Unfortunately, the Fighters were now low on fuel and out of missiles. The two remaining bombers were last seen burning and losing altitude near the US Border. Bomber KR-39982 lost it's starboard wing on decent and crashed into a farmstead just inside the Montana Border. Bomber KR-33985, per procedure, deactivated the two bombs they carried and dropped them in a lake on their decent flight path. They then made a rough emergency landing in a large field 2 miles NW of Harve. The bomber crew was shaken and hurt, but alive. The townspeople rushed out to help the downed aircraft, but when they saw the bomber, they were pretty clear that big Red Star on the fuselage meant Rooskies. Armed only with sidearms, the aircrew was wiped out after a brief gun battle.

Today: Before the war Harve was known for two things; being the Pahrump, Nevada of the North, and as a scenic whistle stop for Amtrack. The town of 500 has flourished in major part due to the arrival of the Russian bomber. Long ago stripped of everything useful such that only a rusting air frame remains, the true treasure lay within the engines. The six meter counter rotating propellers were stripped out and became a series of windmills, providing power, food processing ability and light manufacturing. Also, while the trains are gone, the rails remain. In town there was a EMD series locomotive with a seized engine. The bomber's 16 cylinder engines, while not entirely compatible, were retrofitted to the locomotive in a Frankenstyle configuration, and while absurd looking, it works. The town survives by trading processed grains and light manufactured goods up and down the rails and providing transport to merchants. The area Indians are given free passage in exchange for protection. The bomber's tail 23mm cannons are mounted fore and aft on the train for protection and are the pinnacle of firepower in the region.

5) BITTEROOT MOUNTAINS

Western Montana fared a bit better than the eastern half of the state. The Bitterroots and the Lewis Mountain ranges sheltered a large portion of the area from the fallout from Washington State, although there was some. This rugged forest of towering peaks and lush valleys is now a veritable Garden of Eden populated by bears, gold prospectors and Native Americans.

The Flathead Empire: As the nuclear autumn descended on the nation, the Flathead Indians, with a large population and organized leadership, fought to become the dominant power in the area of their reservation. Since the 1960s, the Flatheads had a plan to do just this in the event of a catastrophe, and had caches of weapons and ammunition scattered about their reservation. Initially, the Flatheads limited their territorial gains to the immediate area, but over the years, as the area became more and more depopulated of whites, they expanded to the south and east. In the days after the war, the Indians were reasonably tolerant of wanderers and refugees who wanted to join their tribe. As long as the whites were willing to adopt the old ways and live according to the Indian way, they were accepted. After the war, many whites were willing to do this as a rejection of the "old way" that caused the war. This was important, since before the war, the Indian population had been pretty small. By accepting non-Indians into their ranks, the tribe's numbers swelled and they soon had a self-sustaining population that was capable of holding the land claimed by the tribe.

Amerind Empire: Several generations ago, the Flatheads became aware of the larger Amerindian Empire growing to the east on the plains of the Dakotas. Contact was established, and despite age old differences in opinion, the two groups decided to merge to form a larger empire. The sheer distance between the two regions precludes any day to day cooperation, but the common cause has had a positive effect on the Flatheads, making them believe that they are part of a greater whole. 150 years later, the Flatheads occupy and maintain a virtual empire stretching north-south from roughly the Canadian border south to the Idaho border. This border is vastly undefined, however, and real control only exists around the various settlements.

Polson: Though they have abandoned most of the larger "white man's cities" within their territory, and they are mostly falling into disrepair, they have chosen Polson as their "capitol". Abandoned during the post-chaos days, and then reoccupied from the south by the Flatheads, the city is now home to some 2,300 Indians who hunt and farm the surrounding land and fish the large Flathead Lake to the north.

Kalispell: Another small Flathead town, known for a center of Shamanistic learning, where many a "dream walk" has been performed. With the spiritual power here, the town is heavily protected by a large force of cavalrymen.

Missoula: Another small Flathead Indian settlement, notable only for producing attractive women and healthy babies.

Glacier National Park: The Flathead Indians consider this area of vast mountain ridges and secluded valleys to be a paradise on earth. Settlements are few and far between, and tend to be more insular than settlements further south. The largest settlements are located at the old park headquarters off Highway 2, at several luxury ski lodges and hotels scattered throughout the park, and at the towns of Pinnacle, Lake McDonald, and a small one at Waterton Park across the Canadian border.

Arlee: The last majority "white" town in the area, along the southern border of the Flathead areas. The town survived the last 150 years in no small part thanks to the Montana Militia, a pre-war survivalist group from this area. With the MM's weapons and training, and the local population's desire to keep their land and their businesses, Arlee has prospered. Today, there are some 1,100 people living in town, a nice mix of whites and Amerinds. A large number of Bison are ranched in the rolling flatlands to the north, providing both meat for the residents and a continual bone of contention with the Flathead Indians to the north. A man named Grimes has built a steam engine and Arlee has some electrical power now.

The Montana Militia: The "MM" is a 300-strong group of well-armed militiamen, descendents of a pre-war survivalist group from this area. They have kept this area in the hands of the white for 150 years now. The MM officially control a small thread of land from Thompson Falls to Arlee, about 40 miles wide and 75 miles long. They are mostly armed with M1 Garands, but all sorts of rifles and shotguns are in use. Some limited amounts of hand grenades and C4 explosives are kept in reserve. Since ammunition is still a little harder to make, it's not uncommon for the MM to use bows and spears for general hunting.

"Site-B": An underground secret base known as "Site-B" is located somewhere in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana. This is the Snake-eater Regional Command Base for the Idaho/Montana area, holding a squad of Green Berets, detailed to watch MP assets in the region. It is fairly large, and for the most part intact, and all the men are still alive. The emergency exit was discovered by Indians about 75 years ago, but they lacked the ability to breach the inner door and have left it alone. They have marked it on their maps, however, and keep an occasional eye on it.

People who have contributed to this entry:
John Raner
Cruzan
Karl Zohler