Ash was a good pilot but, in her own opinion, a middling officer at best. She was twenty five years old. She had been a First Lieutenant for just over a year at this point. To be under the review of a promotion board for Captain, a rank that she realistically shouldn't be eligible to achieve for another couple of years was mind-boggling to her.
"Lieutenant Paige, enter." A voice rang out from the room in front of her. Ash proceeded forward, opened the door and walked into the office. She was standing in front of a trio of officers and senior non-commissioned officers. Major Hamilton, Major Edwins and Sergeant-Major Jean Hallaway. The base adjutant, a squadron leader and the base's most senior enlisted airman - airwoman, technically.
Ash walked to the centre of the room and saluted the officers. "First Lieutenant Ashley Paige, 108th Fighter Squadron, present and accounted for, Sergeant-Major."
"Concur. Lieutenant Paige, take a seat." Sergeant-Major Hallaway ordered. Ash made a 180-degree turn and sat down at the seat situated in the middle of the room. She faced the board. The three leant in to discuss this matter at a whisper. Ash could hear them talking, but she couldn't make out what they were saying exactly.
"Lieutenant Paige," Edwin spoke. "Tell us a little bit about your history."
"Sir, I was born in Heierlark in 1984. My father was a pilot in the Air Defense Forces. I went to Heierlark Air Base High School, graduating in 2002. I studied at the University of Oured in 2003, entering the early joiners program and studying Aviation, graduating in 2007. I joined the Osean Air Defense Force late that year, earning my wings in 2008. My first assignment was to the 191st Fighter Squadron stationed out of Gambit Bay Air Force Base, Alaska Providence." Ash gave the bare basics of her life, education and military service.
Sergeant-Major Hallaway leant forward. "Lieutenant, what are the five core values of the Air Defense Forces?"
"Sergeant-Major, the five core values of the Air Defense Forces are service, respect, courage, integrity and excellence." Paige answered, correctly, no less.
"Very well. Lieutenant-"
"That'll be all." Hamilton hijacked Hallaway's question to give Ash an order to leave the room. Ash stood up and walked out. She waited outside the door. A minute after she had shut the door, Edwins and Sergeant-Major Hallaway left the room without so much as acknowledging her presence. A few seconds after Edwins and Hallaway, Hamilton walked out into the hallway.
"I believe that's the quickest promotion I've been on either side of." Hamilton remarked, approaching Ash.
"What, is that a good or a bad thing?" Ash asked. She wasn't sure.
"For you, it's a good thing." Hamilton stated. He pulled out a little ziplock bag that had a green velcro tab in it, and two twin silver bars. He handed it to Ash.
Ash gave the items in the bag a onceover. "Are these-"
"They're my old captain bars. I don't need them anymore, obviously." Hamilton cracked a smartass joke. "Given your new command, you'll get better mileage out of them."
"Does that make me the youngest captain in the Air Force?" Ash cracked a joke of her own as she changed the lieutenant insignia on her chest to the captain insignia.
"There were a couple of men in the Osean War that made captain earlier than you." Hamilton shot down the idea. "Who knows, if you stick it out a few years you might become the Air Force's youngest major."
"That'd be a sight, wouldn't it." Ash mused. She was now bearing the bars of a captain. "How does it look?"
"Official." Hamilton decided. "Congratulations, captain."
Ash saluted Hamilton. Hamilton returned the salute. Without a further exchange of words, Hamilton left the hallway to see to his other duties. No longer required in that corner of the base, Ash left the building and made full stride for the squadron room, more precisely, the showers. She predicted it was going to be a long day.
Her prediction would prove to be correct.
For all the wrong reasons.