Elmer Johnson was the primary military advisor to Charles Taylor, and was responsible for the early NPF victories and maintaining the NPF as a viable fighting force through his charismatic leadership and military skill. Following his death, the NPF fell into disarray and spent the rest of the war committing brigandage.

Johnson was an expatriate Liberian who held dual American and Liberian citizenship. He had served in the U.S. Army in the early 1980s, and had returned briefly to Liberia in 1984 to take part in an abortive coup against Doe. He was captured and later released, and stayed in the United States until 1989, when he traveled to Cote d'Ivoire to advise the NPF and lead them through quick many victories over Doe's AFL.

On June 4, 1990, Johnson was leading a convoy of 30 NPF rebels in captured AFL vehicles when he was ambushed, ostensibly by 500 counterattacking government troops. He was captured and executed by the ambushers. Doe was quick to claim responsibility for the ambush and it is likely that the AFL did perform the ambush and execution, but there is also circumstantial evidence which suggests that Charles Taylor himself may have ordered Johnson's execution.

This scenario is a scaled-down version of the ambush with the goal of the NPF being simply to survive the attack, and the ambusher's role being to wipe them out. Players wishing to play with realistic forces should simply multiply all units by 3.

NPF: The NPF is led by Charles Taylor and is ferrying troops from the captured Firestone plantation to Roberts Field when it is ambushed. At this time, NPF ranks have been swollen by new recruits, so while morale is high, troop quality is quite low. NPF objectives are to survive the ambush. NPF troops set up in vehicles on the road.

NPF Units:

                          1                      Line                  M-16A1

                          3                      Green               M-16A1

                          1                      Militia                RPK with 1 drum

                          5                      Militia                PPS 43

Ammunition and Weapons: Except where otherwise stated, all troops carry 6 magazines FMJ and 3 RGD-5 hand grenades each. The PPS 43 may be replaced by the Uzi SMG.

Vehicles: The NPF troops are riding in 2 civilian pickup trucks.

Ambushers: The purpose of this ambush is to destroy the entire convoy. Positions have been carefully selected and explosive weapons are available ensure that nothing leaves the kill zone. Ambushers set up anywhere on the map, and may even move the log barricade.

Ambush Units:           

                          1                      Line                  M-16A1

                          4                      Green               M-16A1

                         10                     Militia                AK-47

                          2                      Militia                BAR A2

                          3                      Militia                M16A1/M-203 with 10 HE  

Ammunition and Weapons: Except where otherwise stated, all troops carry 6 magazines FMJ. Also available are 2 M26A2 hand grenades each, and a total of 4 command-detonated Claymore mines. The BARs may be replaced with M-60s with one belt each.

Victory: This is a simple scenario. To win, the ambushers must kill or capture all of the NPF troops. NPF troops must try to prevent that. Note that if Johnson (the Line trooper on the NPF) is captured or killed, it is a propaganda victory for Doe's AFL.