SGT Lewis gathers the squad the evening after talking to the training exercise umpires:
Well, we had a good day as a squad. That means each of you did your jobs, and didn’t screw up to get yourselves, or anybody else killed. Just remember though that sometimes even when you do everything right somebody can get hit, and it takes only one shot to kill a man, or wound him anywhere from slightly to very badly.
When that happens, and it WILL, we need to be sure we are looking out for each other and checking on each other. What if, for instance, instead of Malcolm making the great shot, the guy on the other side did? Who was Malcolm’s buddy keeping an eye on him, ready to apply first aid if he needed it?
See what I mean now, don’t you guys!! I’m going to see if I can get one or two more guys assigned to this squad. We are a little light as it is, and in my experience, no matter how much you wash, or try to stay healthy, anytime you get eight Soldiers together, SOMEBODY is going to either get sick for awhile, or get grabbed for some detail, or else something else will come up to keep him from being an effective member of the squad for some period of time. It never seems to be at a convenient time either.
Remember this too, we may have had a good day as a squad, but it was “in training”. We were well fed, in good shape, and had plenty of sleep the nights before. It won’t always be like that, believe me.
We also had new, nice, clean, equipment, and plenty of ammunition and grenades. Well it won’t be long before the equipment isn’t new anymore, but every one of us is going to keep their equipment nice and clean. That means every night the weapons are cleaned, spotless, and oiled. …and every morning they are checked, and gone over again to be sure nothing got into them overnight, that mean critters as well as moisture.
Yeah Crowenshield, I have seen snakes crawl into rifle barrels to get out of the rain. I have also seen them crawl into pockets of sleeping Soldiers to keep warm in cold weather. Not just pockets either, if you know what I mean… So be careful!
About ammunition and grenades, my friend in headquarters says they are ordering a lot but it isn’t coming through quickly, or in the quantity they would like. What that means to me is we probably won’t have the luxury of all the different colors of smoke grenades to choose from, probably not all the different types of other grenades to pick from either.
Craig! That means you may not get as many smoke grenade launchers to lay down a smoke screen at distance. So when you get a chance to get a few extras, pack some away, or give a couple to each of us to pack with us. It sure is handy to have you putting that smoke between us and the enemy when we need to cross open ground, or are under enemy fire.
Now a word about ammunition. We all know that Gus loves to pump magazine after magazine out of his B.A.R. Yeah Gus, I know that’s what it’s for. My point is that big and strong as Gus is, he can’t be expected to carry all the ammunition he needs, and WE need for his B.A.R. – That means the rest of us need to lend a hand and carry some, two or three magazines each. Yeah, I know that means we are weighted down a little more, but we need to manage it. Pick and choose what personal stuff you take with you carefully. Better to have what the squad needs and be alive instead of taking stuff the squad can do without and not have what we need. Yeah Gus, I know you “need” more food than the rest of us. That’s on you to carry. Good thing you are up to it, sure.
Dubois, I am really hoping we get to ride in some kind of vehicle as much as possible. That’s where I really appreciate your driving skill, and especially your ability to keep engines running. Be sure you keep the tools you need with you. It’s OK if you don’t carry as many smoke grenades in launchers or BAR magazines in order for you to have the tools you need. What?? What?? Say that again more slowly… Jesus Christ !!!
Let me tell you that it’s a good thing you don’t talk much, because half the time I can’t figure out what you are saying when you ARE talking. Wipe that grin off YOUR face Crowenshield, your accent ain’t no picnic for me to understand either.
That reminds me… I SAW you mixing it up with that Brit, smoking cigarettes, and talking “la-dee-da” while the training exercise was still going on. WE all need to train like we are going to fight. I am not going in for extra hardship for the sake of it. We will get plenty of that later. But when the game is on, we need to be looking around for the enemy, and maintain situational awareness. Before you ask what the second part of that means, Meister, it means figuring out what is happening, and what is going to happen next from what you see going on, ESPECIALLY at a distance. …OK, Gus I get it.
Listen, somebody who can see well and pick up things a long way off needs to buddy up with Gus. Yeah Gus, you are right, “if somebody can point ‘em out, you can shoot ‘em.” So, depending on the situation, somebody in the squad who can see and hear well needs to stick close to Gus. That means they will carry some 6 magazines of BAR ammunition on a belt in addition to their own weapon and ammunition. I’ll give you guys a chance to work that one out.
Karas, you seem to be good at concealing yourself when moving through the hedges and brush. You also seem more adept than the rest of us at putting on the soot to take the shine off your skin in moonlight. That’s useful. You are fleet when moving, and it seems you can pick out a route, and detect the enemy pretty well. It makes you a good scout, or it could make you a good spotter for Gus.
Greeley, you are our other scout, especially with your backwoods experience. Craig is nearly as good, but he is our grenadier, and depending how we need him in that role, it should be Max, or Malcolm who goes up ahead with you on missions.
But Greeley, in this last exercise you didn’t take up cover quickly enough after you came through the hedge, and the umpires said you took a shot to the back from one of the enemy. Fortunately, Dubois was there to help you with first aid, but it could have been worse.
As I said, you each did well in this last exercise, but according to the short briefing on our upcoming mission, it will not be the same when we actually land in enemy territory. Somebody is going to have to speak to the locals. Malcolm will probably be that man.
What I want each of you to do is think about what you will carry, and what each will do in different situations that might arise. Prepare yourselves mentally in advance for meeting the enemy. Be prepared to kill him first. The first time is always the hardest. Don’t hesitate when it needs to be done. Don’t make noise to give away our position when we are trying to be quiet either.
I want to say that I am glad to have each of you in the squad, and am confident that if you perform as well in combat as you have thus far in training, and on the ship on the way over we can get through this together and go home together.
One more thing… We have this bottle of port. It is ours as a group, and it is to be shared by the group. It would fetch something pretty good in a trade, or we can save it to share together in a toast after we beat the Nazi’s. I don’t intend to carry it into combat, and have the bottle broken and wasted.
Crowenshield, since you seem to get along well in these British Isles, I think you should see to its safekeeping. I am looking to suggestions from the squad as to what we should do with this special token, and whatever we decide we will decide together. Agreed?
Good! Now, do any of you have anything you would like to say about the recent training exercise, or about the squad, and its members? Does anybody have any questions?
(SGT Lewis pauses and waits for someone to speak up)
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