MetalFox here. So this is a bit of a different project that I've kicked around for a while. This isn't a story like Saving Private Ryan or Platoon or Fury, this is more akin to Generation Kill or Jarhead. But instead of following a frontline grunt this is the head of a support guy. A Signal soldier to be precise. There's no high flying heroics here, just the thoughts and reactions of a rear echelon soldier dealing with his situation. And this version of Nick doesn't know he's writing something for other people, these words are purely for him, so he may or may not go into detail about certain situations. This might do really well, or it could flop entirely. Honestly I'm just glad I could get this idea out of my head and onto paper...or screen. You know what I mean. But first I'll give you a quick crash course on a few things just so you don't get too lost in the jargon.
Structure from lowest to highest command:
PlatoonTroop/CompanySquadron/BattalionBrigade
Quick brush up on some acronyms and terms to know before starting:
NCO= Non-Commissioned Officer, all Sergeants
1SG= 1st Sergeant, the top Sergeant in a company or troop
CPL= Corporal, the lowest rank of NCO and what Nick is
SCO= Squadron Commander
XO= Executive Officer, the second in command under the SCO
Backstory for the situation poor Nick finds himself in on February 2nd:
He and his unit just returned 3 months ago from a deployment and had just gotten off the deployment cycle and were looking forward to a few months of relaxation. Then they get a call that only their squadron is deploying while the rest of the battalions they deployed with stay home because the brigade that is deploying needs an extra scout squadron. And nobody is happy about it.
Feb 2nd
We got the call this morning. Fuck. Fuck this shit. Fuck this place. Fuck this Gaia-damned unit. Why us? We just got back from a deployment and now only WE get sent AGAIN? Was there no other squadron? Judy's not gonna be happy about this. But I can't blame her, because I'm not happy about it! Welp, nothing to do about it. Embrace the suck.
-Nick
Feb 4th or 5th
We got in country today. Fuck am I tired. I was right, Judy was hopping mad. Haha. It's not that funny. At least they rented an arena to sleep in instead of tents (that we don't have) in a field. Can't wait to rack out on this cot after 10 hours of flying. Goodnight.
-Nick
Feb 9th
44 hours….I was awake for 44 hours yesterday. WHY THE FUCK CAN'T THEY GIVE US PLANS THAT ACTUALLY WORK! I have spent the last two days straight reprogramming fucking radios! It got so bad I would be given a radio, turn it on, look away, then look back at the radio forgetting that I had been holding it! If any poor sap picks this journal up in the future here's the stages of sleep deprivation. 1: Mostly just normal tired this is around 18 hours. 2: around the 20-22 hour mark I start to feel a little sick in my stomach. This is the hardest time to stay awake. 3: 23-25 hours in I get my second wind, my brain is a bit slower but my body isn't fighting being awake anymore. 4: 30ish hours brings on slight hallucinations, seeing movement out the corner of your eyes and hearing things, also by this time your brain slows waaay down, talking in full sentences requires actual thought here. I hit this stage in the early morning while it was still dark, so most everyone else was still sleeping. I hated them simply because they were laying down. 5: I call this stage Acceptance. I hit it somewhere around 33-35 hours in. My body just gave up all hope for sleep, in return the motivation for my body to function even slightly efficiently was gone. Forget speaking in full sentences, focusing long enough to remember what you're talking about after five words becomes herculean. That's not mentioning that it took you about thirty seconds to untangle the words that were spoken to you and a further ten-15 seconds to start speaking back. There is something freeing about this stage as you don't have the mental capacity to think about the future or try to remember the past; the only thing you are capable of comprehending is the present. What's in front of your muzzle right now, and once its gone, it's forgotten. You start to actually think about breathing. You can feel your heartbeat. It's surreal and you can only really acknowledge it afterwards as in the moment you're brain is too fried to think about anything other than the task at paw. Any way, I'm gonna take a nap now.
-Nick
Feb 12th
Round two of shitty mission plan bullshit. Thankfully the troop reps are really helping out on this one. It's just simple paw-jamming, but damn its tedious. We got done about 0100 in the morning. It snowed last night too. It was comforting watching it fall on the glass dome over the arena. Today lots of mammals are packing. We're supposed to move towards the border soon. Hopefully the showers there are consistently warm, I'm fucking sick of taking cold showers in 30-40 degree weather. The others say I'm nasty for only showering every other day, but I don't care. I got limited clothes and no where to wash them. Been wearing the same uniform for two weeks.
Feb 15th
At the new place. That was a shit show. Both mine and the SCO's weapon went missing in the move. I told XO that it was a bad idea, but what's a CPL supposed to do against a Major? Learned my lesson. Thankfully everything was found, but boy did 1SG put me through the wringer. This isn't a bad place. Some training camp in the mountains. More snow. Had my first hot shower in over a week, so I'm happy. Also finally changed my uniform. It feels so light. Not excited to paw-wash my other one. We have the whole S6 in one room. It's a tight squeeze, but it ain't bad. Since I was one of the last to get here I'm on the floor, also I didn't feel I deserved a bed after the weapon fiasco. At least there's roll out mats that are decently comfy. Better than the cots in my opinion.
Feb 16th
Just washed clothes for the first time since being here. I had to wash my uniform twice to get the water looking clear when I rinsed it. You don't realize the amount of dirt and grime that gets caught in your clothes.
Feb 21st
Not good. Out of Zootopia cigs. Have resorted to Ewepean ones. They taste stale even out of a new pack. Kill me…
Feb 24th
Fresh snow this morning. Gotta say smoking in the snow is awesome. I've started having my first around 08 in the morning and this was a nice wake up. If only the cigarettes were better.
Feb 25th
"Found one brand of decent cigs. I might survive this yet. Also fresh snow again. Please stop snowing, Sky. You're fucking up our coms.
Feb 26th
Snowed again. Bad coms again.
27th
STOP SNOWING WE NEED TO CHECK EMAIL!
Feb 28th
A white blanket of silence coats the landscape. Beautiful, infinitely unique flakes fall from the heavens. The majesty of nature astounds me. And I hate it. LET ME DO MY JOB ASSHOLE!
So ends the first month of the deployment. Hope you liked it. Tell me what you thought. Like I said, it's a bit different, but I was going for just a real person. And unfortunately real can be mundane, but I think even that can be interesting.
Alright well thanks for reading! 'Til next time,
MetalFox