| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 24b, part four |
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TxJAG_b
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Date Posted: 08:58:21 01/17/08 Thu
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TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service" on 09:04:26 05/08/07 Tue
Chapter 24b, part four …For Meritorious Service
“Hey El-Tee, here come the last of our recruits…”
1st Lieutenant Carlson Ebbits turned and saw two figures hustling towards him. (Cripes, they look female…) Ebbits groaned silently. His worst fears were confirmed as the two approached.
Yep, they’re both female. Even worse, one of them was a light Colonel. (Great…)
He gave her a crisp salute. “Colonel,”
Mac returned his salute. “Lieutenant Ebbits, Colonel MacKenzie; this is my aide, Lance Corporal Danvers….”
Kayce gave Mac a furtive sidelong glance. That was just what the light Colonel had hoped she would do. Until now it had been an unofficial assignment. She wanted to keep this Lance Corporal as close to her as possible. If Kayce was a spy for Colonel Livingston, then Mac was going to follow the old adage ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies….’
Ebbits looked the two up and down as the Marine light Colonel continued her introduction. (At least they aren’t prissy. Neither one had a compact out, checking their hair or makeup…so far, so good….)
“…Colonel Livingston said that you would brief us on the mission particulars…” Mac trailed off, noting that the Lieutenant seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. “Lieutenant?”
If Lieutenant Ebbits was embarrassed, his voice didn’t betray it. “Got a lot on my mind this morning, Colonel,” he said by way of an apology, “I’m sure you understand….”
Mac didn’t miss a beat. “Of course, Lieutenant.”
“You and the Lance Corporal can store your gear temporarily with Gunny Dallas and Corporal Calapango, ma’am,” Ebbits said. “Then I’ll brief you and your aide on our mission.”
Mac was certain Ebbits had just a hint of sarcasm in his voice but decided to let that slide for the moment. Though she was a senior officer, she was technically under his command. Besides, it could be fatigue or something else that could be causing that tone. Better to wait and learn more about this junior, but seasoned Marine Force Recon officer.
She nodded her appreciation. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” She turned to Kayce, “C’mon Corporal.”
“Yes ma’am,” the younger woman said as they both walked over to the two Force Recon soldiers who Mac surmised were Gunny Dallas and Corporal Calapango. The men were standing by a neat row of stacked gear.
*~*
Mac and Kayce were carefully checking their chutes one last time. They checked their MC1-1B parachute lines and rigging as well as their canopies on both their main and reserve chutes. The light Colonel thanked God it was still dark. She didn’t want Danvers to see how nervous she was. Maybe she would just think Mac was being cautious.
“Begging your pardon ma’am, I don’t blame you for being overly cautious. I haven’t jumped in a while either….”
Relief flooded through Mac. Danvers had bought it. Or at least she was acting as if she had bought it.
“You can never be too careful when doing this, Corporal,” Mac replied trying to sound confident. “You remember ‘Blood on the Risers’ from airborne school, don’t you?”
“Like it was yesterday ma’am. They changed the lyrics when I was getting ready to jump. It was supposed to psych me out.”
Mac turned to the young Lance Corporal. “Did it?”
“It psyched me up rather than out, ma’am.” She gave Mac a big grin.
Mac couldn’t help but give her a bright smile in return. Part of her really hoped Kayce wasn’t a spy for Colonel Livingston.
“Colonel,”
Mac turned and stood up as did Danvers. Lieutenant Ebbits walked over to them. He had what looked like several paperback books in his hands.
Ebbits looked down and saw that their parachutes had been expertly packed. That impressed him…some. So there was more to these two than the proverbial ‘meets the eye’. He gave the Light Colonel a steely look. “I heard you were with Captain Walls’ Force Recon Team in Bosnia…”
Mac couldn’t see Kayce Danvers’ flared eyes. Apparently Lieutenant Ebbits had read her package…all of it.
“Yes Lieutenant.”
“Well, that’s good. I hope it means that you’re a fast learner, Colonel….”
“I can do what you need me to do, Lieutenant.”
“Good, because you’re going to be my second in command on this mission, my assistant, if you will. The Master Guns is going along with us to make sure everything goes smoothly with the new recruits – those new recruits include you, Lieutenant Colonel.”
Mac mentally debated about verbally slapping the Lieutenant for this breach in protocol, but figured she would find out soon enough what was behind his slip. It was clear something was bubbling just beneath the surface.
Ebbits seemed to rein in whatever he was trying to control. “Here; keep these with you at all times….” He handed each of them a small paper bound book with a green cover.
Mac assessed the compact volume in her hands. “Small Wars Manual….”
Ebbits nodded. “A lifesaver out here, Colonel. It’s how we operate. And this….”
The other small book looked more like a copy of a dissertation. “A History of the US Army versus the Indians of the West….” She said as she fingered the volume.
“Another God-send out here, Colonel, and don’t either of you lose these. You’ll need’em both…and you’re responsible if you lose them.”
“All right Lieutenant,” Mac said like a senior officer willing to tolerate this kind of treatment - up to a point. “What about our mission?”
Ebbits nodded. He squatted down and pulled a map out of the case he had slung over his right shoulder. Mac and Kayce squatted down to join him. All three studied the map.
“You heard about the Fedayeen element in Amariya during the intel briefing?”
Both the light Colonel and the Lance Corporal nodded. “Well, that was just part of it. The SEAL team got a prisoner that they brought back with them. Seems that our friendly neighborhood al-Qaeda has been helping Saddam’s boys.”
Ebbits took out his grease pen and began marking on the map. “They’ve got a well entrenched series of bunkers, emplacements and fortified houses on this hill right in back of the village.” He circled “Hill 522” located in back of Amariya.
“The SEALS saw the BMD carrier here.” Ebbits hastily scribbled a symbol for an armored personnel carrier near the crest of the hill. “Our job is to make a detailed observation of the Fedayeen/al-Qaeda positions from this hill, lure that BMD out of its hidey hole, knock it out or at least disable it, and hightail it back here.” The Force Recon Lieutenant placed symbols for their team on “Hill 520” and marked a kill zone between the two hills near what looked like a farm.
Ebbits stood as did the two women. “Marine CAS will take care of the rest; any questions?”
“Just one, Lieutenant,” Mac said “The trucks I saw being loaded…?”
Ebbits gave her a knowing smile. “One of the Colonel’s personal touches. She got them surplus-ed from an Army unit shortly before we came overseas. Thought it would give us more of a local flavor since Technicals are the vehicle of choice for the Fedayeen.”
He paused for a moment. “How long has it been since your last parachute drop, Colonel?”
“Oh, it’s been a couple of months,” Mac said glibly. (More like a couple of years….) she thought grimly.
The Lieutenant gave her a fake smile. “Don’t worry ma’am, it’s like riding a bicycle, you never forget.”
(I sure hope that’s the case….)
Ebbits looked at his watch, “We’re getting close to zero hour, Colonel, you and your aide better grab your gear and prepare to board.” He then looked at Kayce. “Danvers, I heard you were a sniper….”
“Yes sir,” she replied.
“Good. You’ll be with Corporal O’Grady; we’re short a sniper for this mission. You familiar with the Mike 82 Alpha three?”
“My weapon of choice, sir.” Danvers smiled wolfishly.
Ebbits chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Glad to hear it. Your job will be to disable that BMD or any other motorized bandit we run into along the way.”
“Aye sir,”
“Outstanding.” Ebbits saluted Mac, “Colonel, see you in a few.”
When the Lieutenant was out of earshot, Kayce turned to Mac. “If I may ask, what’s your impression of our CO, Colonel?”
Mac shot her a ‘you know better than to ask that’ look. “I think we’d better get our gear in order, Lance Corporal.”
“Aye, aye, ma’am.”
*~*
The KC-130 transport rocked and swayed in the pre-dawn darkness. Mac thought back to the Patrol Order that Lieutenant Ebbits had handed to the assembled team members just before they boarded the aircraft.
He had waited until this moment because it turned out that Mac and Kayce were a ‘surprise’ that Darcy had thrown in for Ebbits to deal with at the last instant.
Ebbits, a true Force Recon Marine, handled this aberration with aplomb. His Patrol Leader’s Order reflected that. There were no last minute scratch-outs on the paper she had been handed. The Lieutenant had anticipated his second in command would not be named until the last moment.
At least Kayce Danvers would not be her concern for a while. Mac looked down the row of seats. Kayce and Corporal O’Grady were deep in conversation. One then the other nodding their heads in response to something the other had said.
The Marine Judge Advocate only hoped that Kayce wasn’t reporting to one of Darcy’s ‘eyes and ears’.
While Mac had been doing her mental gymnastics, she hadn’t heard the aircraft commander tell a lanky Staff Sergeant that Ebbits had three minutes to the drop zone. The Force Recon Lieutenant nodded and shuffled over to the door.
The Staff Sergeant released the lock and the big back door of the KC-130 slid up and locked open overhead. The whistling of the warm morning air added to the noise in the cabin.
Ebbits, acting as jumpmaster hooked up and looked at the team sitting on either side of the aisle.
“GET READY!” He barked above the howling wind.
Everyone leaned forward, one foot under the seat and one in the aisle. Mac could hear the pilot throttling back.
Carlson Ebbits stuck his head outside of the craft and looked all around the exterior. Satisfied, he pulled his head back in.
“OUT-BOARD PERSONNEL, STAND UP!” Mac, Kayce and the other two Force Recon Marines stood up and secured their seats. Ebbits nodded his approval and then looked to the other side of the aircraft.
“INBOARD PERSONNEL, STAND UP!” The last three of the Force Recon Marines stood up and secured their seats against the side of the aircraft walls. Mac noticed the Master Gunnery Sergeant gave her a nod. She didn’t respond.
The assembled team turned toward the Lieutenant. “HOOK UP!” He barked.
They unsnapped their hooks from the reserve carrying handle, reached up and clipped it to the anchor line. Then they slipped the safety wire into the hole, toward the aft end of the aircraft and bent it down. Next, they took the slack out of the static line by forming a bight at eye level and held it. As one they turned toward Ebbits. The First Lieutenant nodded.
“CHECK STATIC LINES!”
Mac and the other Force Recon Marines took one last time to feel the line that was hooked to the anchor line. She checked it minutely for frays or tears, that it was properly attached, that it was properly routed and there was no excessive slack. The others did the same. Their inspection completed, they turned back to the First Lieutenant.
“CHECK EQUIPMENT!”
With one hand still on the static line, Mac used her other hand to quickly check herself. No loose belts, the lanyard to her 9mm pistol in her thigh holster was secure. She looked back up at Ebbits. Apparently so did the others.
“SOUND OFF FOR EQUIPMENT CHECK!”
Each Marine sounded off one by one. As they did, they would tap the Marine standing next to them who would then reply “OKAY!”. That continued until she was tapped by the Marine standing next to her.
“ALL OKAY!” She reported to the 1st Lieutenant.
Ebbits nodded. He made sure the cargo door was securely open and then made a final safety check of the immediate outside area around the thundering aircraft.
Satisfied, Ebbits motioned to Mac to come forward. Mac shuffled up to the open cargo door. The dark land was lit only by moon and stars and nothing else. The cool high altitude wind whipped at her face.
Ebbits leaned in so he could be heard. “Ready Colonel?”
“Ready!” (as I’ll ever be) she added silently.
She had made a few jumps on and off since her Bosnia adventure, just to keep from losing her skills completely. She had jumped with Harm twice; once when their MiG was shot out from under them when she’d gone with Harm to Russia to search for his father; the other time had been in response to a dare from the good Commander. Despite the fact the moments up to the jump gave her a major case of the butterflies, she’d shown Stickboy just how seasoned she was. Harm had admitted she was damned good. The glow had stayed with her for the rest of that weekend.
“STAND IN THE DOOR!”
Mac put her hands on the outside of the aircraft, her eyes on the horizon.
“GO!”
Mac thrust herself out of the Hercules transport and led her ‘stick’ out of the rocking aircraft.
She counted to five and pulled the ripcord. Like clockwork, the parachute she had packed earlier so carefully, opened.
Mac looked around and saw Kayce to her left and other members of her stick around her.
The Marine Judge Advocate tried hard to remember her training from long ago. As she looked around, she ran down her mental checklist:
(…eyes open…
…chin…
…elbows…
…fingers…
…right hand…
…legs…
…toes…
…bend forward…
…check canopy…)
Mac looked around and saw the rest of the Recon team floating around or above her. As she looked toward the horizon, it was slowly starting to turn gray. Before long it would turn bright as the sun rose. She watched the KC-130 slowly turn in the purplish gray darkness, her navigation lights glowing.
It was time to get ready to land. Again she began her mental checklist.
(…head up…
…feet and knees…
…elbows…
…hands…
…legs together…
…pull steering mechanism…
…drop and roll….
…get up and snag the chute, spill air out….)
0530 Local
USS Patrick Henry
Harm felt his body slammed back against his seat as the carrier’s steam catapult launched his F-14D Super Tomcat into the pre-dawn sky. Following immediately to his left and behind him was Nicole’s Tomcat.
Both planes quickly gained altitude.
Harm and Nicole’s planes soared over the dark warm waters of the Persian Gulf, heading into the brightening pre-dawn sky. As he always did when flying, Harm felt more alive than he had felt in quite a while.
“Great view isn’t it, Hammer?”
Harm reached over for his combination radio mike/oxygen mask. “The best, Supergirl.”
0532 Local
Drop Zone
Northeast of Mirbullah
‘Master Guns’ Rudy Willbane grinned “Okay Recruits…good job, not outstanding, but it’ll do for this morning. Now heads up because I don’t want anybody squashed flat by the supplies they’re dropping on our heads!”
Mac looked up with her night vision goggles and saw the transport lazily circling overhead had disgorged several large crates with chutes which were now making their way earthward.
“Look alive, Recon! After these packages are safe on the ground, our transport will come in low and drop off our rides!”
0540 Local
Persian Gulf
The two Tomcats sliced through the warm morning air. Harm still couldn’t believe he was back in the cockpit again. He looked over at the F-14D riding shotgun.
“So what’s on the agenda for today, Nicole?”
Harm could tell Nicole Hollands was grinning. His eye caught the name stenciled on the side of her aircraft ‘Supergirl’
“How about we see *how good* you really are, Commander?”
Harm got a sly smile on his face as he clipped on his oxygen mask, kicked in his afterburners and watched his wings fold back. “Bring it on, Supergirl.” He said softly.
Harm, out of the corner of his eye, could see Nicole streaking toward him. She was eager for the first kill. Harm kicked his Tomcat into a corkscrew that brought him briefly into her sights, but not long enough for a gun or missile lock. He passed to the left of her as she attempted to close on him.
“Dammit! We overshot him Supergirl!”
“I’ve got eyes Dust Storm! Just keep him from blowing our tail off!”
As the two Grumman fighters wheeled through the early morning sky, Nicole could see the Reservist had made a fatal mistake.
“Engaging with missiles!”
“You haven’t got a lock!”
“I’m only going to get one chance!”
In Harm’s plane, the warning tone of a missile trying to obtain a lock could be heard.
“Harm! She’s gonna blow us out of the sky!”
“Not if I can help it! Hang on, Pitcher!!”
Harm corkscrewed out of Supergirl’s line of sight.
“Damn! Missed him!!”
“He’s good Supergirl!”
“Oh yeah?! Well, I’m better!!”
Nicole yanked her ‘cat over into a similar corkscrew, hoping to catch Harm at his own game.
The aviator/lawyer smiled at the younger pilot’s maneuvers and reduced his speed, causing the other F-14 to shoot out in front of him.
“Gotcha Supergirl,” he said softly as targeted her plane and ‘fired’ his missile. “Fox two….”
The warning tone sounded in Supergirl’s fighter.
“He’s tracking us!” barked Sandy
Nicole looked around frantically. “Where is he?!”
“Eight o’clock high! Hammer has both gun and missile lock on us!”
The warble changed to a solid tone indicating a kill.
“We’re toast!!” Sandy barked.
Nicole swore under her breath as she brought her plane around. She shouldn’t have fallen for such an obvious trap. She had underestimated her opponent. She wouldn’t do that again.
With the tone still ringing in her ears, Nicole laughed hard, trying to show the Reservist pilot that his ‘lucky kill’ hadn’t rattled her. “Damn legal eagle, where did you learn those maneuvers?”
“In the Gulf of Sidra, Supergirl.” Harm replied laconically. He looked in the mirror and smiled at Jeff. The RIO was grinning too. Since they were both Reservists, it was nice to put this hot shot in her place.
“Wanna go for best two out of three, Hammer?” the challenge in her voice was evident.
“Anytime you’re ready, Supergirl….” Harm felt the adrenaline rush as the fight or flight feeling took over.
Supergirl yanked back on her stick, sending her ‘Cat off towards the stratosphere.
“What’s she doing?!”
“Trying to line us up for a kill, hang on!” Harm broke right and then instantly regretted it. In his mind’s eye he could see what Supergirl was doing.
“She’s rolling inverted! She’s gonna come down on top of us!!” Jeff reported.
“I know!” Harm snapped as he tried to coax a little more speed out his plane. At the right moment, he would throttle back and Nicole’s fighter would streak into his kill zone.
“I’ve got a warning tone!”
“Damn!!”
“She’s letting us have it; missiles and guns!!” Jeff added unnecessarily.
“Figures,” Harm said disgustedly
“Sorry Hammer,” Nicole sounded like a gleeful kid trying not to gloat. “Looks like we’re even now….”
Harm looked over at Supergirl who was now flying even with him. “Good job, Supergirl,”
“Thank you, Hammer,” she said trying to sound gracious. She was surprised by his compliment. She was used to sullen silence or snide remarks from someone she had just shot down, not gallantry. There was more to this aviator/lawyer than she thought. Maybe he was just showing off his courtroom manners, like he would to another attorney who’d just beaten him in court.
“Shall we give it another go?”
“Sure; you did say best two out of three…”
As soon as the words left Harm’s mouth, he yanked his plane over in a screaming right turn that caused Nicole to overshoot him.
“Oh Crud!” Supergirl yelped as she tried to decelerate and catch him at his own game.
But Harm rolled his plane back to the left and vicious game of aerial scissors developed as each pilot tried to gain the advantage.
Harm maintained his climb and at the last possible moment did a barrel roll that brought him above and in back of Nicole’s plane.
Nicole swore softly as the warning warble changed to a flat tone.
“Damn Supergirl! He got us again!!” Sandy’s voice was full of awe and admiration.
“Yeah I heard,” she muttered. Though she was aggravated with herself for falling prey to this Reservist, she had to admit he was damn good.
0600 Local
Northwest of Mirbullah
The Toyota Landcruiser sailed down the black ribbon of highway leaving Najaf. The last time Brad was on this highway was when the then CBS reporter was embedded with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division [Mechanized] as it raced the other way during the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He and his passenger hadn’t said very much to each other while negotiating their way through the Marine and Army checkpoints as they headed out of the city, but now that they were on the open road, Brad relaxed a little, though he still had to keep an eye out for any possible Improvised Explosive Devices [IEDs].
He stuck his hand out to the tall Latino Marine Gunnery Sergeant sitting next to him. “Brad Holliman, ZNN.”
His passenger obviously felt more relaxed as well. “Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez”, he replied shaking the younger man’s hand. “I appreciate the ride Mr. Holliman, they weren’t going to get that helo fixed anytime soon and I need to catch up with my unit as quickly as possible.”
Brad took his eyes off the road for just a moment so he could make eye contact with the Gunny. “No problem,” he said with a smile. “What unit did you say you were you with?”
Victor gave the man a brief smile in return before resuming his scan of the road. He didn’t want them stumbling into an IED. “2nd Force Recon temporarily attached to the 36th MEU in Mirbullah.”
Brad Holliman chuckled at his good fortune. “No kidding? That’s where I’m headed…I’m meeting up with the correspondent who covered the court martial of that Cobra gunship crew.”
Victor paused in his scanning and turned toward the driver. “Stuart Dunston?”
Brad rewarded the Gunny with another smile. “The one and only…say, would you be willing to give me interview on what it’s like to be in Marine Force Recon, it’ll be good publicity for the Marines….” (And what a feather in my cap this will be….)
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant resumed scanning the sides of the road, looking for anything unusual. “Only if my CO approves it, Mr. Holliman.”
Stuart’s replacement wasn’t going to let a little reticence on the part of a Marine stand in his way of a potential exclusive. “I’m sure that…” Off to the side of the road, something was sticking up out of a sand-filled gully. The morning sun was making it difficult to see. “Hey, do you see that?” He said motioning with his chin.
Gunny immediately looked that direction. “See what?”
Brad motioned with his chin again. “That…sticking up out of that gully over on the right….”
Victor’s eyes zeroed in on the cylindrical object sticking out of the gully. “Pull over, sir.” He said tersely.
Brad knew better than to argue with the Marine. More than once when he was embedded with the 3rd Infantry, they had kept him from getting his head blown off. He figured this Gunnery Sergeant had spotted an IED. He carefully eased the Landcruiser off onto the shoulder of the highway.
Victor had his door open before the SUV had rolled to a stop. “Stay here Mr. Holliman,” he ordered as he got out carrying his rifle, and moved toward the object.
Brad nodded. When he was sure the Gunny was far enough away, he grabbed his personal minicam off the seat and began filming as the Marine closed in on the object.
As Victor got closer to the object, his years in as a recon solider and law enforcement officer told him what he was seeing. An arm, a human arm sticking up out of the gully. The fingers were missing. As far as he could tell there weren’t any protruding wires or other tell-tale signs that this was a gruesome IED.
Brad was having trouble seeing what the Gunnery Sergeant had found. Slowly, quietly he opened his door and resumed filming. Brad felt a flick of revulsion when he zoomed in on the object. It wasn’t an IED. The ZNN Correspondent inadvertently fingered the door latch when he realized it was a body.
Victor heard the snick of the SUV’s door latch. “Stay in the car, Mr. Holliman.” He called over his shoulder as examined the arm. He wished he had a camera.
He turned around to look at the ZNN Correspondent who had disobeyed his request. Mr. Holliman was holding a minicam, pointed right at him.
Brad stopped filming for a moment. “Is he--?” The ZNN reporter wondered if the Marine was going to chew him out.
Gunny waved the man toward him. “Yes sir. Come over here, I need you to record this….”
Brad slowly made his way over to the Gunny, filming as he approached. “Shouldn’t we call someone? Who is he?” The reporter said asking the obvious questions.
Gunny could see that all the fingers had been removed and the pattern of blood coloring the sand in back of the arm indicated the head was missing as well. Whoever did this wanted to be sure that except for being Caucasian, that the body couldn’t be identified.
“I don’t know, but yes sir, we should call someone….”
As the ZNN correspondent continued filming, Gunny fished his cell phone out of his pocket.
--- TBC…
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