The Phantom Pain Incident was a series of events in 1984 that were driven by the eponymous phantom pain experienced by its participants, particularly by the two opposing forces Venom Snake, the leader of Diamond Dogs, and Skull Face, the commander of XOF. The incident comprised of Skull Face's attempt to control the global military balance of power, and the actions taken by Diamond Dogs to stop him, in Afghanistan and Central Africa. As the successors of Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF), Diamond Dogs also sought revenge on Skull Face for the destruction of their Mother Base nine years earlier, expanding its forces through these missions and building a new Mother Base, under the leadership of Venom Snake, Kazuhira Miller and Ocelot.