Goalpost (mission)

"Goalpost" is a campaign level in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. It takes place in Hamburg, Germany. The player controls Derek "Frost" Westbrook throughout the mission. The primary objective is to secure the United States Vice President from a hostage situation.

Characters

 * Derek "Frost" Westbrook (playable)
 * Sandman
 * Grinch
 * Truck

Gameplay
In the starting cutscene, chemical attacks were reported throughout Europe, especially London and Paris. The U.S forces responded by sending decon units to affected areas. Ramstein Airforce Base reported attacks by Russian in Germany, asking for immediate assistance against 'the entire Russian army'. Further on, many areas of the world is seen in camera feed under attack, like France, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic and the United Kingdoms. It is then reported that the U.S lost contact with the delegation in Hamburg. Overlord calls for Metal 0-1 to reroute to Hamburg to participate in a principal-level hostage rescue - the Vice President. The level starts with Frost and his team aboard a helicopter, heading towards Hamburg. Other helicopters and LCACs full of tanks are seen moving towards the shoreline. Russian flak and missiles constantly fire and some aircrafts, including an Osprey, are destroyed. After landing, the player along with the rest of Delta Force and an armor battalion have to make their way up the beach and along various streets, battling Russian forces at the same time.

Soon the U.S forces reach a parking lot,where a friendly gunner on one of the two tanks is killed by enemy sniper fire. The player has to replace the gunner in his role, using the mounted Minigun to defend the tank as it drives through the parking lot. Russian Hinds starts attacking the tanks, but trophy systems were set up immediately and the tanks were protected. However, when two tanks try to ascend via a ramp in the parking lot, the ramp collapses, sending the player's tank crashing down. However, everyone in the tank is alright and the U.S forces continue to fight until they reach the Vice President which is held hostage in a room in a building. The Russians see Delta force incoming and quickly closes the door and tries to execute all the hostages. Sandman and his team breached the room and rescued the vice president. Raptor 4, an MV-22 Osprey, arrives to exfil the Vice President.

Found in level
The following weapons can be found with or without attachments.

Intel
20. Cross the beach, then spot the crashed and destroyed plane on the north end of the street. The intel is nestled inside of the plane's nose section.

21. At the top of the street, look for a tall white building with an "L" shaped wall at the bottom. The intel is underneath here, on top of a weapons crate.

22. In the first building you must enter after the tank crashes through the wall, look on the east wall of the building for the intel, located in a cubicle. thumb|500px|right|Intel Locations

Achievements

 * 1) Welcome to WW3- Complete "Goalpost" on any difficulty.
 * 2) Payback- Complete "Mind the Gap", "Goalpost" and "Return to Sender" on Veteran difficulty.

Trivia

 * The opening cinematic for "Goalpost" indicates that Russian chemical attacks focused on Counter-Terrorist forces or Intelligence agencies, such as MI5 HQ in London, GIGN HQ in Paris, Brussels, CNI HQ in Madrid, Bern, AISI HQ in Rome, Prague, BND HQ in Berlin, Copenhagen, Warsaw and Budapest. It also shows Russian Military offensives striking all of these cities except for Copenhagen (although the spreading red on map does cover up Denmark, suggesting that it was also a goal in the offensive). The Copenhagen marker in the intro video is accidentally placed wrong in another country. The marker pinpoints an area east of the Swedish costal town Halmstad.
 * The way the American forces move towards and land on the beach is similar to the way NEST and other American forces land in front of Chicago in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. This is also similar to the Normandy landings of World War II.
 * Wallcroft says that Downing Street is in the middle of the contamination area, making it quite possible that the Prime Minister of Britain was killed.
 * The title "Goalpost" refers to the VP's codename.
 * The Tank Gunners on the Abrams tanks will always mistake the enemy Havoc for a Hind. This was likely a developer's oversight.
 * No matter what weapons Frost has before the Rhino 2 tank crashes through the concrete ramp, his loadout resets to the M4A1 w/ ACOG Sight and Grenade Launcher and SMAW.
 * This is the only mission in the Modern Warfare series to have a beach landing. All other beach landings that exists in Call of Duty are in the WWII series.
 * Oddly, there are no German soldiers in this mission, when the mission is in Germany. However, in the later mission "Scorched Earth", which takes place in Berlin, which is located closer to Russia, the player works alongside three Bundeswehr Leopard 2s, which belong to German forces. There also are Delta Force soldiers but with German names on the bridge when the player meets up with the German tanks. The reasoning behind the disappearance of German troops may be possibly because the majority of them had been killed or injured in the initial chemical attack.
 * While going through the parking garage, sometimes AI friendlies will stand in front of the tanks and get run over. However, if the player stands in front of the tanks, the tanks will just push the player along, and the player will not die.
 * If the player stands under a cannon of a Rhino, when it shoots, the player will be shell-shocked for a few seconds.
 * This is the first mission in the Modern Warfare series where the player sees the inside of the tank.
 * If the player looks closely inside the room with the hostage before it is closed, there won't be anyone inside, except the Russian closing the door.
 * In the Wii version, it's possible to find and use an M240.
 * If the player picks up an M4A1 with any attachments at the beginning of the level, the iron sights/optics will have the same amount of zoom as an ACOG sight.
 * There is a glitch where Sandman will be stuck floating above the tank after you exit it, any attempt to move him, i.e. knifing, pushing or throwing grenades will make him cry out or cower as normal but will not move him, dying/restarting from the last checkpoint will not reset this either. However you can finish the mission without any problems except that, while he will still speak when he is scripted to (like when he orders you inside as the airstrike falls) you cannot hear him as he is still by the tank, subtitles will still appear. There is no action after reaching the cars as Sandman checks the bodies, so you lose the scripted part, however by breaking the window and continuing the mission by entering the room you can still breach. Strangely Sandman is still standing by you while in slow-motion, but returns to the area above the tank afterwards. The animation for Goalpoast being carried still is played, but he is supported by thin air and not Sandman.
 * It is strange that Sandman and a random NPC will be beside you after you breach the door at the end during the slow-mo scene, as you are the first one in the room and the slow-motion should mean that Sandman and the random NPC should still be outside.