The Gas Station
Lowering his rifle the trooper, reached for his microphone to call in and let the major know that his plan worked perfectly. “Red Dog 6, this is Red Dog 1, over” he spoke in to the radio. “Red Dog 1, Red Dog 6 go, over” was the reply. “All secure, sir, we didn’t take any casualties and we count six enemy KIAs.” He waited for the Majors response. “Good, resume patrol, Over” Allen turned to his squad. “Ok, the major is real happy now, so happy that we get to continue this stroll through the woods. Check them bodies for documents or other stuff that the Intel weenies would want.”
He looked around, wishing for a smoke, but knew that he would not be able to have one for more than eight hours, not until the column pulled into the city. It amazed him that so much changes when you become a part of the army. Just a few months ago, he was a half hearted college student more interested in hitting the local bars than any text book. His biggest dilemma back then was trying to decide which pizza chain to call for a late night snack, but now, well eating MREs was not exactly a joy but at least he was eating. Dodging snipers, watching for traps and ambushes around every corner, that was what he spent his days doing. Bombs, mines, pitfalls, spikes, and drops were all things that he had to keep an eye out for. He reached down and pulled the magazine out of his rifle, looking at it he counted only 6 rounds left in it. He reached into his web gear and extracted a full clip into his rifle. If only they would give us a stand up fight like they are out by the border he thought to himself, then we could put them in their place in short order and I could go back to school.
He checked his watch and realized that he had four more hours left on patrol. It was an important job. The rebels had hit the column five times at the cost of two tanks and APC and 22 dead or wounded not to mention that they were being stalled. Each attack forced the Major to deploy men to find the enemy, who usually ran to hide or set another ambush. “Boudreaux What the hell are you doing?” he called out. “I’m Setting a grenade under this scab. Some reb comes along sees his buddy, goes to burry him and BOOM, two rebs for the price of one!” Boudreaux grinned as he started to pull the pin. “What if some kid comes along and looks for a souvenir or something?” “Sucks to be him” Was the reply. Allen had enough of John’s shit but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He watched john pull the pin and rotate the body back onto the explosive devise.
The sounds of the armor moving down the road carried through the brush jarring the men into action “Come on ladies we have 20 more miles to go before we can sit on our asses and wax on about what bad asses we are” Allen called out to the squad. The men got up and carefully fell into their positions before moving parallel to the road. John took point, followed by Jonesy then Allen, Greg and Eddie brought up the rear. Allen thought about them and about how he hated some but loved them all. It was funny like that, guys you would never associate with in the real world become your best friends when people are shooting at you. Allen hated the war, hated combat, but he did it because he was drafted into it and he turned out to be good at it.
If only the rebels would give up and surrender. The Government was not that bad, they kept order and they were only looking out for the good of the people. It was not like it really mattered. Life was good before the protests, before the break-ins, before the riots. The stupid Rebs thought they could change the government, change the world.
And I’m going to die if I keep thinking about that He refocused his attention to the task at hand, to move down the tree line until the next ambush. They could not have had one patrol making all of the attacks. That would just be suicidal. That Reb LT was young, but he looked to have some common sense about him, at least until the 5.56mm rounds form Allen’s rifle sent him to meet whatever God he believed in.
The heat was almost unbearable, Allen missed his New England home, even in the heat of summer it was never this bad and it was only June. The bugs were also a problem. The still air was not helping because a breeze would have been nice and maybe carried the smells of the enemy lurking about. The noise he and his squad made was minimal. They did not have to carry their packs, which were tucked inside of their APC. Traveling light meant they didn’t have extra gear on them to make noise and they would not tire out as quickly. The city was a mere twenty miles away but the ambushes would make the normally forty minute drive take more than two hours. They could just drive right through to it, but the major didn’t want to leave a single Reb able to fight. It was costing time, something that worked for the rebels and not Allen’s unit.
The city was going to be a problem for them. So far all of the fighting they had to do had been in the country side and that had been easy. It was straight up warfare, you and your guys on one side and the bad guys on the other. But this garrison duty was going to be different. They were told that most of the population was sympathetic to the enemy if not down right supportive of them. Urban combat was filled with many more dangers that fighting in the woods. There were thousands of places for snipers, traps and civilians all around to make sure that it wouldn’t be easy. At least they didn’t have any embeds in their squad. Allen smiled as he thought of them hold up in the tracks, with their electronics and creature comforts. The Government wants the reporters happy. Besides, Allen preferred to being out here, it was hot, his feet hurt and the bugs never stopped, the enemy could be behind any tree but at least he would not be trapped in a steel coffin waiting for a hit from a rocket.
Allen’s mind was yanked out of the day dreaming by John holding up his hand and the entire squad quietly sought cover. Allen moved up stealthily. “What is it” he whispered. John pointed through the trees. The forest thinned out and in the clearing next to the road stood a small gas station. The tracks would be approaching soon and the major would want this checked out. “Damn.” He cursed “John you and Greg go around the back, Jonsey and I will go around the front, Eddie, you cover us with the SAW” This could be nothing, or it could be the start of hell on earth for the five of them.
He looked around, wishing for a smoke, but knew that he would not be able to have one for more than eight hours, not until the column pulled into the city. It amazed him that so much changes when you become a part of the army. Just a few months ago, he was a half hearted college student more interested in hitting the local bars than any text book. His biggest dilemma back then was trying to decide which pizza chain to call for a late night snack, but now, well eating MREs was not exactly a joy but at least he was eating. Dodging snipers, watching for traps and ambushes around every corner, that was what he spent his days doing. Bombs, mines, pitfalls, spikes, and drops were all things that he had to keep an eye out for. He reached down and pulled the magazine out of his rifle, looking at it he counted only 6 rounds left in it. He reached into his web gear and extracted a full clip into his rifle. If only they would give us a stand up fight like they are out by the border he thought to himself, then we could put them in their place in short order and I could go back to school.
He checked his watch and realized that he had four more hours left on patrol. It was an important job. The rebels had hit the column five times at the cost of two tanks and APC and 22 dead or wounded not to mention that they were being stalled. Each attack forced the Major to deploy men to find the enemy, who usually ran to hide or set another ambush. “Boudreaux What the hell are you doing?” he called out. “I’m Setting a grenade under this scab. Some reb comes along sees his buddy, goes to burry him and BOOM, two rebs for the price of one!” Boudreaux grinned as he started to pull the pin. “What if some kid comes along and looks for a souvenir or something?” “Sucks to be him” Was the reply. Allen had enough of John’s shit but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He watched john pull the pin and rotate the body back onto the explosive devise.
The sounds of the armor moving down the road carried through the brush jarring the men into action “Come on ladies we have 20 more miles to go before we can sit on our asses and wax on about what bad asses we are” Allen called out to the squad. The men got up and carefully fell into their positions before moving parallel to the road. John took point, followed by Jonesy then Allen, Greg and Eddie brought up the rear. Allen thought about them and about how he hated some but loved them all. It was funny like that, guys you would never associate with in the real world become your best friends when people are shooting at you. Allen hated the war, hated combat, but he did it because he was drafted into it and he turned out to be good at it.
If only the rebels would give up and surrender. The Government was not that bad, they kept order and they were only looking out for the good of the people. It was not like it really mattered. Life was good before the protests, before the break-ins, before the riots. The stupid Rebs thought they could change the government, change the world.
And I’m going to die if I keep thinking about that He refocused his attention to the task at hand, to move down the tree line until the next ambush. They could not have had one patrol making all of the attacks. That would just be suicidal. That Reb LT was young, but he looked to have some common sense about him, at least until the 5.56mm rounds form Allen’s rifle sent him to meet whatever God he believed in.
The heat was almost unbearable, Allen missed his New England home, even in the heat of summer it was never this bad and it was only June. The bugs were also a problem. The still air was not helping because a breeze would have been nice and maybe carried the smells of the enemy lurking about. The noise he and his squad made was minimal. They did not have to carry their packs, which were tucked inside of their APC. Traveling light meant they didn’t have extra gear on them to make noise and they would not tire out as quickly. The city was a mere twenty miles away but the ambushes would make the normally forty minute drive take more than two hours. They could just drive right through to it, but the major didn’t want to leave a single Reb able to fight. It was costing time, something that worked for the rebels and not Allen’s unit.
The city was going to be a problem for them. So far all of the fighting they had to do had been in the country side and that had been easy. It was straight up warfare, you and your guys on one side and the bad guys on the other. But this garrison duty was going to be different. They were told that most of the population was sympathetic to the enemy if not down right supportive of them. Urban combat was filled with many more dangers that fighting in the woods. There were thousands of places for snipers, traps and civilians all around to make sure that it wouldn’t be easy. At least they didn’t have any embeds in their squad. Allen smiled as he thought of them hold up in the tracks, with their electronics and creature comforts. The Government wants the reporters happy. Besides, Allen preferred to being out here, it was hot, his feet hurt and the bugs never stopped, the enemy could be behind any tree but at least he would not be trapped in a steel coffin waiting for a hit from a rocket.
Allen’s mind was yanked out of the day dreaming by John holding up his hand and the entire squad quietly sought cover. Allen moved up stealthily. “What is it” he whispered. John pointed through the trees. The forest thinned out and in the clearing next to the road stood a small gas station. The tracks would be approaching soon and the major would want this checked out. “Damn.” He cursed “John you and Greg go around the back, Jonsey and I will go around the front, Eddie, you cover us with the SAW” This could be nothing, or it could be the start of hell on earth for the five of them.
posted by Vulture 6 | 3:14 PM
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