LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter 4

      I wanted the meeting early Monday morning. The overhead read:

      Monday 5 July 2127

      Alpha Company exercise Briefing

      As I walked into the small theater at 7:00 a.m., Katie hollered, “On your feet!” Everyone jumped to their feet to attention. As I walked to the stage, I saw everyone was studying me.

      Karen and Adam were at attention. Katie hollered, “At ease, sit down.”

      “I’m Colonel Preston. This briefing is to give you information for the upcoming exercise.”

      Jeff Carlson asked, “Are you to be the commander for this exercise.”

      “No, 2LT Karen Rivera will command the exercise.”

      “Sir, I heard this exercise may be our last exercise.”

      “No, not your last exercise. Just your last exercise in the infantry training brigade if we win.”

      Paul Bryant asked, “Sir, what do you mean?”

      “If we win, both battalions will be graduated and released to my command.”

      Amy Macula asked, “What does that mean?”

      “I’m commander of the 289th Infantry Regiment. Everyone in First and Second Battalions will be assigned to my Second and Third Battalions. If there are no further questions, 2LT Rivera will brief you on the upcoming exercise.”

      Karen stepped forward as a holographic projected map showed the exercise area.

      “We will be on defense first. This is the area to be used. As you can see, it is a small, lightly wooded plateau. A small creek runs from southwest to northeast, just south of the defensive area. The area is an army reserve training camp that has not been used for years. Defense will be set up in the northern central area, two platoons line abreast. The Third Platoon will be a reserve. A machine gun with a five-man fireteam in support will watch over the creek. We will set up a two-tier defense, with fighting positions supported by crew-served machine guns. We’ll set up trip flares twenty meters in front of our positions to give advanced warning. Engagement will be on my command only.”

      “Why not open up when we see them?”

      “I don’t want our positions revealed early. I may need to shift platoons to be effective.”

      “Even the machine guns?”

      “Especially the machine guns. Ten meters to our front will be kill zones. If we can get the enemy in there, the machine guns will open up and cut them to ribbons.”

      “What if they don’t bite? How do we react?”

      “We can slide the kill zones by repositioning the machine guns. Now, for the assault. We have to draw the soldiers to the west.”

      Sandra Collins stepped in. “They should have trip flares set out. Let’s set them off.”

      I responded, “They may be hard to find.”

      “What if we carried some of our own? We could set them off to draw attention.”

      Karen responded, “That’s a good idea. Five soldiers with two trip flares should work. The rest of the company will attack across the creek into the defensive area from the East. Colonel, anything to add?”

      I grabbed a large file folder off a table and walked in front of the table. “This is our battle plan.” I dropped the folder in a trash can as everyone gasped. “The plan only works if the enemy does everything we want. We must be ready to adjust our battle plan as we fight. Who has been trained in night fighting?”

      Everyone just stared at me until the smallest girl in the company, Corporal Samantha Meyer, broke the spell.

      “Sir, do you mean fighting at night?”

      “I mean how to engage targets at night.”

      “We’ve fought at night, but no one said how to engage targets. We just shot at lit up pop-up targets on a range.”

      “Then we will show you how to engage targets Wednesday night. If there are no further questions…that is all.”

      Katie hollered, “On your feet,” as I left the stage and out the theater.

      I had to wait on Katie to come out of the theater. Once in the car, Katie spoke up. “Do you know what you did in there?”

      “I hope I inspired them to do their best and win the exercise.”

      Jamie jumped in. “You did more than that. They will follow you into hell itself.”

      “I think you’re exaggerating a bit, Jamie.”

      Katie countered, “No, Jamie’s right. They see you as someone who cares about them. This is all for them.”

      “Katie, this is so I can get the regiment together.”

      “No, Katie’s right. This is to get the troops out of the training brigade. We seem to learn faster than most soldiers. The commanders just don’t understand us. Can you get them out of the training brigade?”

      “No, however, I can get Jane Minder to get them out.”

      “Who is she?”

      Katie jumped in the discussion. “She is the assistant secretary of the army for manpower and reserve affairs. She’s my sister.”

      Jamie asked, “You mean she’s your sister?”

      “I’m sorry I said that. Jamie, please don’t tell anyone about this.”

      Jamie smiled. “For you, my lips are sealed.”

      “By the way, Jane and me have a good relationship. She’ll see the troopers are treated fairly.”

      I entered the briefing room. The Platoon Sergeants and Squad Leaders were waiting. I turned on the holographic map of the area.

      “This is the area for the exercise. We will set up a defense of three Platoons abreast. Third Platoon will have to bend with the creek. We will use trip flares twenty meters to our front. We will put a kill zone 10 meters to the front of 1st and 2nd Platoon. The trip flares will tell us where they are at.”

      “LTC Reynolds do we open fire when we see a flare?”

      “Open fire when you see the enemy. I will put everyone where they should be prior to the exercise.”

      “What about the unit being released from training?”

      “Colonel Preston doesn’t have the authority to release you from training.”

      “Then what difference does it make if we win or lose?”

      “This will be proof that you aren’t ready to leave training.”

      “So you think we need more training.”

      “You still have a lot of training to do yet.”

      “I think Alpha Company will split their forces to attack the west flank and the central front. We will be ready to cut them down.”

      Paul Wiseman asked, “When will the attack come?”

      “They will attack late night in darkness. There will be only 12 percent illumination during the exercise.”

      Dale Richards asked, “What do you mean?”

      “There will be very little light to see by. The flares will show where they are.”

      “Then we open fire on them.”

      “The next three nights, we will shoot targets on the range at night. That will give you some idea how hard it is to engage targets at night.”

      I looked at my Platoon Leaders.

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