- "We're gonna secure the perimeter and grab Al-Asad. Oorah? Lock and load!"
- — Lt. Vasquez
"Charlie Don't Surf" is the fifth mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Giving the player control of USMC Sergeant Paul Jackson for the first time in the game, this mission sees Jackson and the 1st Force Recon Marines involved in a hard-hitting raid against an Arabian coastal town in order to capture Khaled Al-Asad.
Characters
- Paul Jackson (playable)
- Vasquez
- Griggs
- Massey (possibly K.I.A.)
- Khaled Al-Asad
Plot Summary
Reacting swiftly to the death of President Yasir Al-Fulani at the hands of Al-Asad, the U.S. Department of Defense decides to launch an invasion in hopes of restoring order to the area and removing Al-Asad from power. A large fleet of aircraft carriers, Amphibious Assault Ships and other Navy ships stationed in the Persian Gulf deploys thousands of United States Marines, including the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company to a small coastal Gulf town, via Black Hawk helicopters. According to US Military Intelligence and Marine Spotters, Al-Asad is broadcasting propaganda from a radio station on the west side of the town. Flying through anti-aircraft and RPG-7 fire, the Black Hawk helicopters manage to deploy the Marines about 60 yards from the target building, who fast-rope down and proceed towards the HQ building. The back door is breached and the raid is quick and decisive, but Al-Asad's body is not amongst the dead bodies.
Receiving a report that Al-Asad has instead taken over a local television station half a kilometer east and is broadcasting from there, the Marines move to secure the new objective. Under the chaos of low-flying fighter jets and patrolling Blackhawks, the Marines prowl their way through the town, strategically defending themselves from enemy troops. After securing a bombed-out building and parking lot, they proceed towards the side entrance of the TV station. They breach and clear the first room and proceed to the main broadcasting studio, where they encounter heavy resistance. After the main studio is cleared, they proceed to a large open hall, where the Marines regroup with their other team. The unit proceeds upstairs to the studio and busts down the door; however Al-Asad is nowhere to be found again. In fact, the entire room is empty and the broadcast was simply on a loop. Despite the considerable losses inflicted upon Al-Asad's forces and the capture of the town itself as a front line for the main invasion, the battle remains a strategic loss for the Americans, as their primary target has slipped away, presumably to the Presidential Palace.
Walkthrough
Getting Started
The player will spawn in a Blackhawk helicopter. The player can take out some of the OpFor troops from the helicopter using their M4A1's red dot sight.
After fast-roping down, take a left and go through an alley. At the end, there is a square building with allies in its side. Get near the door the allies are against. One of them will place a bomb on the door. After the door is blown open, go in first and eliminate the two hostiles. After the dust settles, Lt. Vasquez will order the player to take point. Move down the stairs, but do not charge into the next room. Doing so will get the player killed. Instead, one should get positioned so as to toss a flashbang against the far wall into the room. Only after it goes off should the team move in. Take down the hostile directly in front, polish off the two on the right, then move slightly farther into the room and kill the tango standing behind the box. An enemy armed with a W1200 will spawn in the small room directly behind the player, but nine out of ten times Vasquez and Massey will neutralize him before he can do any damage. Flashbang and clear that small room to pick up an Intel. Move to the closest doorway, bounce a flashbang off the wall into the room, then move in and clear the area. Move to the right of the green ammo boxes to take down two enemies on the right, then move to that corner to eliminate another two or three that come from a door on the left. After that the entire building is clear, leaving the player free to pick from the munitions on the table in the main room. Taking a shotgun is tempting, but keep in mind that most of this level's combat will take place at ranges exceeding the shotguns effective range. In all cases, keeping the M9 pistol or picking up the USP .45 is probably the best way to go. The player can also grab an AK-47 for extra firepower, although it takes longer to switch to it than it does a pistol. There is also the choice of taking a Dragunov, which helps when street sweeping and taking enemies out on rooftops. The player can also take an AK-74u or a W1200 that will help in the clearing of the TV station, because these weapons are good at close range.
Street Cleaning
Once back on the street, the player can either go forward or go right. Going forward means the player will be flooded with troops firing from the roof. If the player goes right, one will have to fight troops in a relatively tight area with thin walls. The right area is easier because the player can catch the troops while they are coming in.
From where the player is, turn right, and one will see some troops firing at him/her from near a car. The player can do the usual flashbang, or toss a primed grenade at the car, causing it to explode and take out all the nearby troops. Either way, when they are dead, go right then when near the car, go left.
The player will be in a yard with a structure made out of tin in the center. Go to the right, then up. There will be troops pouring in. Flashbang them, then finish them off. The player might have to go back and pick them off because some might not get hit by the flashbang. When the area is cleared out, go forward and there will be a building on the player's right. Go in it and climb up the stairs. There, one will find a W1200, AK-47, AKS-74u, AK-47 Grenadier, M9, and Dragunov along with a troop and an intel piece. The player can grab what ever is needed, then go out and go forward.
Get back on the street and keep going until reaching an area with tires on the sides. Once near the area, an enemy with a .50 machine gun will perform a drive-by. Upon seeing him, run back and wait for him to drive away to the road on the opposite side. After he drives away, take him out. To the right of the opposite street are troops equipped with RPG-7s, so fire though the walls to take them out before they fire. They'll keep on respawning, so when there's a break, run across to the opposite street.
At this location look to the right for a staircase. Go up into a room filled with weapons. There's an AK-47, Dragunov, RPG-7, W1200, AK-74U, AK-47 Grenadier, and intel. The player can grab whatever is needed then proceed to the top of the stairs and pick off the troops.
Now the player has a choice to either go left into an alley, go straight, then take a left to skip a fight and go straight into the TV station, or go forward then left to take out some troops, then go to the station.
If the player is going straight, go forward then take a left at the end. The player will see some enemies on the second floor of a building to the right and some hiding behind a cement wall. Take out the enemies on the second floor (one may have to shoot through the wall in order to get them). After taking out both sets of troops, get rid of the troops in the ruined building, then head to the station by going forward, taking a left, then going right.
Raiding the TV Station
Once there, take a right and there will be a door with allies near it. Get near the door and they will blow it open.
Inside are some troops to the left. Take them out, then look through the doorway in the middle of the room to see more troops. Take them out, then go forward, then take a right.
Once in the control room. On the other side is a server room filled with enemies, begin firing at them. Some may enter the control room from the right, so keep an eye out there for any troops. Hostiles tend to hide behind the windows, so fire at the walls under them to flush out hiding troops. Run through the control room into the server room and take out anybody that's left. Be careful not to run into any troops going through the room.
At the end, the player will see the main room. This area can be pretty daunting if one does not know what to do because of its size and that enemies are pouring in from the upper-right corner. First off, do not run forward and enter the office area. It's a deathtrap. Plant some claymores to kill troops charging in, then turn right and begin walking past the uninhabited rooms. These rooms have respawners in them, and running by them disables them. Eventually the player will see a room move through it and begin taking out the enemies. Make sure to take out the enemies on the second floor as well, because at least one of them has an RPG-7, and he will fire it. The enemies are being churned out by a respawner in a room on the right, so the player will have to get close to shut it down. Even if there are a few enemies, toss a flashbang just in case.
When the player gets near the room, run into it and wait for the allies to catch up. When they come up, they will destroy a door on the left, revealing the main lobby that the player saw earlier. Go straight, then take a left. The player will see some allies, including Griggs, come in through a door to the right of a stairway. After they introduce themselves, go up the staircase and follow the path to a dead end. Near the end of this scene the player can wait for the allies to come up. When they get there, they will open up a door on the left. Inside is the exit.
Video Walkthrough
Weapon loadout
| Starting loadout |
|---|
 M4A1. Comes with a Reflex Sight and laser light  M9. |
| Found in level |
|---|
Enemy Intelligence
- Laptop 5 is located in the first building that is searched for Al-Asad. The basement will have a room in the left corner where it will be found.
- Laptop 6 is located on the second floor of a ruined building found in the right path that leads to the street where the player engages the Technical.
- Laptop 7 is located in a building with external stairs found on the left path after the fight against the Technical.
Achievements
Your Show Sucks (20
) - Destroy all the TVs broadcasting Al-Asad's speech.
The Search (40) - Complete "Charlie Don't Surf" on Veteran difficulty.
Trivia
- Main article: Charlie Don't Surf/Trivia
Transcript
- Main article: Charlie Don't Surf/Transcript
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