09-16-2016, 05:15 PM
Toni got called into the CO's office the next morning at 0730, right after morning PT. She barely had time to change into her BDUs and none at all to wash her hair. It wouldn't do to have wet hair when she went to see the company commander. Even though it was probably to congratulate her on last night's exercise. She knocked on the door and got called in.
She stopped in front of Captain Richardson's desk and snapped him a salute. "You wanted to see me sir?"
Captain Richardson peeked out from behind a sheaf of papers. The onetime 2nd lieutenant had done well so far, having grown into the command position. "At ease."
He returned the salute and stood. "Sergeant Perez. Do you know why I requested your promotion to staff sergeant even though you were three months away from time in service to qualify?"
Probably so it didn't seem like nepotism for that legacy snowflake puke Johnson to get his rocker so soon. Or it could have had something to do with the other things in her personnel jacket. Or that weren't in her file. When she'd returned from Camp Hoover, the captain had acted like she'd never been gone. Which was fine by her. She'd rather forget that crazy plae anyway. Aloud, though, she only said "On the merits? Sir?"
He grunted. "You are an outstanding individual, Perez. But you need temperance if you're going to be an effective soldier."
His words took on an edge. "I had hoped that the experience of leading a squad and being responsible for others before we see real action would teach you to dial it back a notch. And yet..."
He threw down the stack of papers and his eyes drilled into hers. "And yet I hear you ordering a GODDAM HELOCAST FROM TWENTY FEET!"
Oh, that? Uh oh. Someone must have complained. Probably Snowflake Hernandez. Toni snapped her hands behind her back to parade rest. "I did, Sir. Wanted to make it a more realistic experience like if the squad needed to bail out at sub-optimal level-"
Captain Richardson slammed his fist down on his desk. "My Soldiers are not your GODDAMN PLAYTHINGS, Sergeant. COPY?"
Oh, shit. CO was really mad. She wondered if maybe she'd stepped over the line. "Rodger, sir."
Well, it wasn't like it was all her fault anyway. There was the chief warrant officer who was piloting the thing. But no one could yell at warrant officers. They were immune to getting chewed out.
"You have a bad case of Too Hooah Syndrome, sergeant. I would rather have one average Ranger who can just do what he's told than a whole platoon of outstandingly hardcore Rangers with THS who can't follow the spirit of discipline. Understood?"
That sounded really dumb to Toni but she didn't argue. The captain took a breath. "Any one of my Rangers who gets hurt during training will not be able to fight in the real battle. And we need everyone in top readiness condition. Immediately."
Toni cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"Orders."
He sat back down and motioned at the documents in his hand. "You'll find out in a couple hours anyway, so what the hell. The 75th Ranger Regiment has been issued deployment orders."
What? Oh, hell yeah! They were finally going to ship out and see some real action. Toni hadn't been on a deployment before. Just years of training. "Where are Merrill's Marauders going?"
"Officially, I can't say yet,"
the captain replied. "Unofficially -- Africa. Something about a humanitarian something or other. We're there to assist and advise, officially."
Well, that didn't sound too exciting. But from what she knew of Africa, the most humanitarian thing that could be done would be to put that continent out of its misery. It would most certainly be better than sitting around with Johnson for company. "Yes sir, you can count on my squad to be running at peak op tempo."
She nodded and snapped him a salute.
"I wasn't finished yet,"
he barked. Toni stopped in her tracks. "I know you will do your utmost to follow orders. But I am unconvinced that our conversation will do one bit to temper your...excessive hardcore attitude. And I just got this request from Public Affairs. Vulpesnet has asked for the Rangers to accept a media embed. Public Affairs will think it'll be good for something something. So I'm assigning this reporter to your squad."
"What?"
Aw, fuck no! She was going to have to babysit some puke civilian reporter in a war zone? There was no way they'd let them go anywhere dangerous or involve her squad in any top-secret missions. "Sir. No. Please. Anything but that."
This was totally going to suck, but not in a good way.
The captain shot her a glance. "That's an order, sergeant!"
He cracked a wry grin. Damn officer was grinning inside with his own smugness, she just knew it. This was funny to him. "A true Ranger is able to embrace the suck on many different levels. You're just going to have to learn how. From this moment on, you are responsible for the well-being of every hair on her head. Now, why don't you show her to breakfast."
Fucking CO. But yeah, he was right. She needed to suck this up, too. "Yes, sir,"
she said.
"Dismissed."
Toni saluted and left Captain Richardson's office in search of this reporter. I'll make sure not one hair is hurt on this little special snowflake's head,
she thought, I might as well try to enjoy it.
She stopped in front of Captain Richardson's desk and snapped him a salute. "You wanted to see me sir?"
Captain Richardson peeked out from behind a sheaf of papers. The onetime 2nd lieutenant had done well so far, having grown into the command position. "At ease."
He returned the salute and stood. "Sergeant Perez. Do you know why I requested your promotion to staff sergeant even though you were three months away from time in service to qualify?"
Probably so it didn't seem like nepotism for that legacy snowflake puke Johnson to get his rocker so soon. Or it could have had something to do with the other things in her personnel jacket. Or that weren't in her file. When she'd returned from Camp Hoover, the captain had acted like she'd never been gone. Which was fine by her. She'd rather forget that crazy plae anyway. Aloud, though, she only said "On the merits? Sir?"
He grunted. "You are an outstanding individual, Perez. But you need temperance if you're going to be an effective soldier."
His words took on an edge. "I had hoped that the experience of leading a squad and being responsible for others before we see real action would teach you to dial it back a notch. And yet..."
He threw down the stack of papers and his eyes drilled into hers. "And yet I hear you ordering a GODDAM HELOCAST FROM TWENTY FEET!"
Oh, that? Uh oh. Someone must have complained. Probably Snowflake Hernandez. Toni snapped her hands behind her back to parade rest. "I did, Sir. Wanted to make it a more realistic experience like if the squad needed to bail out at sub-optimal level-"
Captain Richardson slammed his fist down on his desk. "My Soldiers are not your GODDAMN PLAYTHINGS, Sergeant. COPY?"
Oh, shit. CO was really mad. She wondered if maybe she'd stepped over the line. "Rodger, sir."
Well, it wasn't like it was all her fault anyway. There was the chief warrant officer who was piloting the thing. But no one could yell at warrant officers. They were immune to getting chewed out.
"You have a bad case of Too Hooah Syndrome, sergeant. I would rather have one average Ranger who can just do what he's told than a whole platoon of outstandingly hardcore Rangers with THS who can't follow the spirit of discipline. Understood?"
That sounded really dumb to Toni but she didn't argue. The captain took a breath. "Any one of my Rangers who gets hurt during training will not be able to fight in the real battle. And we need everyone in top readiness condition. Immediately."
Toni cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"Orders."
He sat back down and motioned at the documents in his hand. "You'll find out in a couple hours anyway, so what the hell. The 75th Ranger Regiment has been issued deployment orders."
What? Oh, hell yeah! They were finally going to ship out and see some real action. Toni hadn't been on a deployment before. Just years of training. "Where are Merrill's Marauders going?"
"Officially, I can't say yet,"
the captain replied. "Unofficially -- Africa. Something about a humanitarian something or other. We're there to assist and advise, officially."
Well, that didn't sound too exciting. But from what she knew of Africa, the most humanitarian thing that could be done would be to put that continent out of its misery. It would most certainly be better than sitting around with Johnson for company. "Yes sir, you can count on my squad to be running at peak op tempo."
She nodded and snapped him a salute.
"I wasn't finished yet,"
he barked. Toni stopped in her tracks. "I know you will do your utmost to follow orders. But I am unconvinced that our conversation will do one bit to temper your...excessive hardcore attitude. And I just got this request from Public Affairs. Vulpesnet has asked for the Rangers to accept a media embed. Public Affairs will think it'll be good for something something. So I'm assigning this reporter to your squad."
"What?"
Aw, fuck no! She was going to have to babysit some puke civilian reporter in a war zone? There was no way they'd let them go anywhere dangerous or involve her squad in any top-secret missions. "Sir. No. Please. Anything but that."
This was totally going to suck, but not in a good way.
The captain shot her a glance. "That's an order, sergeant!"
He cracked a wry grin. Damn officer was grinning inside with his own smugness, she just knew it. This was funny to him. "A true Ranger is able to embrace the suck on many different levels. You're just going to have to learn how. From this moment on, you are responsible for the well-being of every hair on her head. Now, why don't you show her to breakfast."
Fucking CO. But yeah, he was right. She needed to suck this up, too. "Yes, sir,"
she said.
"Dismissed."
Toni saluted and left Captain Richardson's office in search of this reporter. I'll make sure not one hair is hurt on this little special snowflake's head,
she thought, I might as well try to enjoy it.