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When I arrived at special forces training I found out just how easy the rest of my military training was. The instructors seemed to think it was their job to make sure everyone, especially officers knew what living in hell was like. The days started a good two hours before the sun came up and didn't end until several hours after it set. Anywhere you went was done at double time and they didn't wait for anyone who couldn't keep up. If you fell behind you washed out of the program. I was determined I wasn't washing out, the government had already spent to much on me for what I had given back and until I felt I had given back at least as much as I had received I wasn't about to quit. I watched as several of the officers I arrived with washed out and went back to other units never to get another chance to prove they were the best.
“Lieutenant Waters, your instructors say you're ready for the final test. Tell me Lieutenant, do you think you're ready?” The training commander asked.
“Sir if my instructors say I'm ready, who am I to question their judgment? I don't mind saying sir, that having heard what the test consists of it scares the hell out of me, but if they feel I'm ready then I feel I'm ready,” I answered.
“You'll have a six man unit Lieutenant. The test commences in one week. You and your unit will be dropped and have one week to find your way back to base. Lieutenant if one man fails you all fail. You will be the commander on the training mission.” I was told.
Five other men counting on me to make the decisions that would get us back to base in one week, and as yet I had no idea who any of the men were, or where it was we would be dropped and with what supplies.
“I'd like to introduce you to your unit, Lieutenant. This is Sargent Mac Denvers, Private Kelly Summers, Sargent Pete Upton, Sargent Kevin Wallace, and Seaman Anthony Littlefield. Gentlemen Lieutenant Samuel Waters will be your commander and will have the details of what it is you'll be doing. This exercise is your last before you are assigned to your units. Remember gentlemen if one of you fails you all fail. We do not leave our people behind,” The commander said.
For the next week the men I was supposed to command and I did everything together so we knew what we were each capable of. I needed to know each of their specialties and they needed to know I wouldn't ask anything of them I wouldn't be willing to do myself if it weren't they could do it better.
The day we waited for came and still no one had given me anything about where we were going, or what equipment we would have. I grew suspicious the closer it came time to leave.
“Lieutenant, any word yet on where we'll be going, or what we'll be taking?” Mac asked,
“Mac can you have everyone pack survival gear. I have a feeling when they finally tell us anything we won't have time to do more than grab our packs and go. If possible make sure everyone has at least two days of food and water, at least one change of clothes and basic survival gear beyond that. Make sure Littlefield packs a radio as well and see there's a full med kit in my pack if you don't mind. Half a dozen compression bandages splints you know the drill,” I said.
“Yes sir, I'll see to it right away sir,” Mac said.
“Mac.” He turned back to me. “Lose the sir unless there are other people around please,” I asked.
I packed my gear a few days earlier so I was carrying a full pack during our workouts over the last week. If I was going to have to carry that pack into the field for who knew how long I wanted to be use to its weight.
“Lieutenant are your men ready to go?” The commander asked.
“Yes sir, we were just waiting for the orders to come down sir,” I responded.
“You'll be air dropped into this area.” There was a map laid out showing about a two hundred mile radius and he told me we were being dropped at least one hundred miles from the base and were expected to make it back to base in one week or be considered AWOL. “From there you will have one week to take out a target here,” an area that would mean we would need to cover at least double the area a straight line would have given us. “Another one here,” another detour that would add about fifty miles to our route back. “ And then be back on base in two weeks. You have one hour to get everything you'll need together and be on the runway.” The commander said.
“Yes sir. Sir,; may I keep a copy of this map so I can go over it with my men on the way to the drop point?” I asked.
He nodded and I saluted and started rolling up the map to see there was another just like it underneath.
The Hidden Rose Page 4