Operation: Homefront
Chapter Two
The airlift back to Charlie-Zulu, our FOB was extremely quiet. The rotor blades cut through the dim afternoon like a knife dicing tomatoes. The air was also heavy. I leaned back into the chair and sighed. The day today was a rush, more fighting than usual. These Taliban suckers are getting way more smart. My men were dead. All sore, and tired from today. Our WIIA's were lifted to a near hospital in friendly teritory.
We finally made it back. When the heli landed, we all headed back to the bunk house, or as we call it, the cave. I dropped my equipment, and walked to the cookhouse, a small building made out of adobe. My pal, Carter, made me a stew, and the news came on.
"Heard the convoy was a heaping mess," Carter said. "any prisoners?" He said intently.
"'Nope, too dangerous, they killed both humvees.
"It's a ragtag world out there, outside the base. It's like dice. Sometimes you get somethin' different, sometimes, it's the same."
"Yeah," I finised. "it sure is." I turned to the news broadcast, where Diane Sawyer was talking about the economical plunge. I grew weary of listening, and my stew, and I left. Base 219 Charlie Zulu was the home of 52 men, and 23 civilians. They are here studying the geography and life in the large desert. The shifting sand dunes made it hard to study anything. As I walked into the bunkhouse, they sounded the alarm for a sudden meeting. I turned around with a sigh, and headed to the intel base. The group of soldiers, and civilians gathered in the high-matinence room, filled with communication jammers and interceptors, tags on all sodiers, and computers.
"Ladies and Gentleman,: Coloneal Bavier started. His voice could make any conversation die. "You are wondering why I've called you here. Well, civilians, please follow doctor Patterson into the medical bay." He waited until all civilians left. "Okay, since the civi's have left, I have one question for you all." He paused, creating a dramatic effect. The air suddenly grew thicker, and one of the younger soldiers cowered with fear. "What kind of bull crap was that you called defense! Just think of it. Now leave, I only need the Majors." After all the soldiers left, he went out of control. "The four of you!" He said sharply, "You all need to step up! Tori, tell your platoon to stand up for themselves. Jacob, tell yours to get up, and if I see them slacking off once more, your platoon will all be degraded one ranking. Noah, Brandon, stay, the two of you, leave now." The two majors left. I was scared, but I still stood up tall.
"At ease, both of you," he said with a smile. My tensed muscles decompressed with a sigh. "Your battalion is kicking some serious butt. Both of you are being promoted from Major to captain." A smile was lit on Brandon's face. "If I die, you will both be ranked up to Commander. Get outta here, there's a meeting for your covert op team. Ten minutes."
"Yessir!" We both shouted and saluted, and quickly left the room.
The battalion filled the room, watching the projector.
"Battalion Foxtrot," Coloneal started, "Your mission, is to take the civilians t-" Before he even finished, all the soldiers moaned. "Shut your traps! Now, you will search mosques, and go to base Alpha Zulu, for the civi's to do they're research. After, you will proceed down the river, and infiltrate the Taliban and Al Queda strongholds. After neautralizing all hostilesm return to base. Clear?"
"Yessir!" We saluted.
"You move out in 0800 hours, MOVE!"
We finally made it back. When the heli landed, we all headed back to the bunk house, or as we call it, the cave. I dropped my equipment, and walked to the cookhouse, a small building made out of adobe. My pal, Carter, made me a stew, and the news came on.
"Heard the convoy was a heaping mess," Carter said. "any prisoners?" He said intently.
"'Nope, too dangerous, they killed both humvees.
"It's a ragtag world out there, outside the base. It's like dice. Sometimes you get somethin' different, sometimes, it's the same."
"Yeah," I finised. "it sure is." I turned to the news broadcast, where Diane Sawyer was talking about the economical plunge. I grew weary of listening, and my stew, and I left. Base 219 Charlie Zulu was the home of 52 men, and 23 civilians. They are here studying the geography and life in the large desert. The shifting sand dunes made it hard to study anything. As I walked into the bunkhouse, they sounded the alarm for a sudden meeting. I turned around with a sigh, and headed to the intel base. The group of soldiers, and civilians gathered in the high-matinence room, filled with communication jammers and interceptors, tags on all sodiers, and computers.
"Ladies and Gentleman,: Coloneal Bavier started. His voice could make any conversation die. "You are wondering why I've called you here. Well, civilians, please follow doctor Patterson into the medical bay." He waited until all civilians left. "Okay, since the civi's have left, I have one question for you all." He paused, creating a dramatic effect. The air suddenly grew thicker, and one of the younger soldiers cowered with fear. "What kind of bull crap was that you called defense! Just think of it. Now leave, I only need the Majors." After all the soldiers left, he went out of control. "The four of you!" He said sharply, "You all need to step up! Tori, tell your platoon to stand up for themselves. Jacob, tell yours to get up, and if I see them slacking off once more, your platoon will all be degraded one ranking. Noah, Brandon, stay, the two of you, leave now." The two majors left. I was scared, but I still stood up tall.
"At ease, both of you," he said with a smile. My tensed muscles decompressed with a sigh. "Your battalion is kicking some serious butt. Both of you are being promoted from Major to captain." A smile was lit on Brandon's face. "If I die, you will both be ranked up to Commander. Get outta here, there's a meeting for your covert op team. Ten minutes."
"Yessir!" We both shouted and saluted, and quickly left the room.
The battalion filled the room, watching the projector.
"Battalion Foxtrot," Coloneal started, "Your mission, is to take the civilians t-" Before he even finished, all the soldiers moaned. "Shut your traps! Now, you will search mosques, and go to base Alpha Zulu, for the civi's to do they're research. After, you will proceed down the river, and infiltrate the Taliban and Al Queda strongholds. After neautralizing all hostilesm return to base. Clear?"
"Yessir!" We saluted.
"You move out in 0800 hours, MOVE!"