Lan Nav II

Like finding a needle in a hay stack

Or more like a metal can in a forest.


I held my compass to my chest. The dial swung back and forth until it settled. I turned my body slightly to the left and let the compass adjust to 54 degrees. I looked up quickly into the brush. Wet limbs of trees and thick thorn brushes were in abundance. Rain pattered down from the leaves onto the ground littered with dead wet shurb. I picked a tree that was in line with my direction and began to walk as strait as I could, counting my steps in my head.

100 meters

I took out my map one more time to look at my point's. I had another 500 meters to go to find the small little red box with a letter on it. Finding such a small box in such thick woods seemed near impossible with just a pace count and a compass.

200 meters

Branches took swings at my head and occasionally knocked off my cover. Thorns grabbed hold of my uniform and entangled themselves in my rifle as I walked, as if trying to pull me off course. I stepped over a downed tree in front of me and lost my footing. I stumbled forward, loosing count temporarily.

400 meters

The road was getting further way from my view. That was good. I was supposed to be getting further way from it. But the foliage was becoming thicker, and it looked less traveled. God, I hope I'm going the right way, I thought. I pressed on.

500 meters

My compass was fogging up. Putting my hand up to swat away those branches gave me a surprise when I gripped all the thorns. My fingers were bleeding as a result. I could barely take more than 4 paces ahead without having to stop an move around more brush. That forced me to look at my compass and redirect more often that I should have been. This was taking too long.

600 meters

My uniform was soaked. The combination of rain, moisture from the forest, and my own sweat weighed me down as I stopped and took out my map again. The tree's were more spaced out around here now. Several broken branches were everywhere, showing signs that people had walked this area before. Looking to the map, it appeared that my point was around here... somewhere. I began to think

Lets see, 600 meters. The map shows 750 to my box. I should start to see it soon. But the terrain kind of looks like where I'm supposed to be now. Am I to far in? Maybe i should start to look around...

Then, just off to my right barely 10 meters away was a little red box hiding behind a tree. I had walked right up next to it.

But according to my map and my calculations, I still had 150 meters to go.

Did i make a mistake? Is this the right box?

There had been a rumor going around the company before the exam. This enchanted forest had a knack of hiding boxes. Most officers would search the woods for four hours and not find a single box. If you found a box it was a result of two things;

One, you actually knew what you were doing.
Two, you were just lucky and happened to run into one.

I had been paying a lot of attention to making sure that I stayed on the correct azimuth. I had the scratches and bruises to prove that I had plowed through the thorns to stay on course. However, my count for my distance was way off.

I took out my notebook and scribbled down the letter, then turned to the south. I ran through the woods as quickly as possible to get back to the road. I was going to trust myself that I had plotted correctly. It took me an hour to travel 600 meters. I had three hours to go. I needed to save as much time as possible

As I ran, I hoped that I had been correct and that the rumors were told in my favor.



3 hours later, I walked along the road soaked from head to toe. The same situation had happened every time for the other three boxes I sought out, coming up on them within 10 to 20 meters but under the distance I had estimated. It was a gamble to write down the first box that I came across. However, I was lucky to have even come across 4 boxes at all. I had two more boxes to find, but I only had 40 minutes left, just enough time to get back to the command post.

The 1st Lt. at the command post sat in the Humvee. I walked up and gave him my paper. He took out his chart and looked it over. I held my breath.

"Didn't try for the last two points eh?" He said
"No sir, they were too far out in the woods. I took my time to make sure I got at least 4." I said
He was Silent for a moment.
"Well, the four boxes you got were right." He said
"Really?" I said
"Ha ha... yah, you sound surprised." He said writing down my score.
"Yes sir... my pace count was off, i wasn't sure if i was right."
"Make sure you correct that in the future. Land Nav III will kill you if your pace count is off. Some of the distances are over 1000 meters."
"Yes sir." I said.


I walked off, relieved and exited that I had finally got the knack at finding a needle in a hay stack.



P.S. I feel like i should just give in and jump in the shower with my clothes on and stay wet. My clothes are soaked all the time either by rain or by my own perspiration.