Digging In

I should have played in the sand box more in pre-school. Or perhaps I should have brought a bigger shovel.

Either way, using the black entrenchment tool to dig my fighting hole was slow progress. The forest ground of Quantico is old. The roots of the tree's run deep. I did what I could by slamming my small shovel hard into the red clay and chopped them in half. I scooped out the scrapes of dirt and shoveled them into the last of my large green sand bags. Even though I wore black leather gloves, the blisters were already eating through my hands. Out of breath, I took time to look around.

The sound of other shovels and pick axes hit the earth down the defense line on the hill. The sun had already set, and the blue glow of the forest started to come. Most officers were encrusted with dirt and sweat all down their boots and cammies. Others walked to the back of our defensive position, laying wire for the raido's. I could barely see the other defensive fighting hole next to me through the brush.

"You gonna dig or stand there with ya thumb up yr' ass?" Said Lt. Memphis jokingly. He laid in the prone behind the machine gun, looking over his sand bags at the tree line. His trench right next to mine was no where near done.
"Dude, easy for you to say." I said
"How 'bout I dig in 15 minutes or so?" He asked.
"yah dude, that sounds good."
"Do you know when Lt. Pittsburgh and Jimmy are going to get back here?" He said.
"They went out on that patrol a while ago. They should have..."

BANG-BANG-BANG

Shots rang out from our east.

"Aww shit! CONTACT RIGHT!" I yelled.

Machine gun fire and rifle fire ensued down the line. I scrambled to get my bullet proof vest and helmet on and attempted to lay in my fighting hole. However, my trench was too deep to lay down in, but just shallow enough not to be able to sit in. I struggled to look over the sand bags and remain comfortable while scanning the tree line.

The rate of fire was short and continued to our right. Both me and Memphis looked out down the hill into the ravine. We had to keep our sectors of fire, which unfortunately kept us out of the action.

But not for long

Suddenly, the rate of fire picked up. There was yelling. Out of the brush, Lt. Kansas, our squad leader for the exercise, ran to our hole.

"Get to the right flank NOW!" He said, "We're being flanked. Hurry up!"

Me and Memphis, along with the rest of the squad on the left flank, picked up our weapons and sprinted through the forest on the crest of the hill. My heart rate rose with the sound of gun fire as we drew close. The brush cleared near the crest, revealing an entire platoon of Lieutenants advancing toward us. I flipped the safety switch to semi and fired the blank rounds.



After the simulated attack, we all returned to our fighting holes and began digging again. Darkness started to descend upon the woods as we descended deeper into the ground. Soon it became too dark to dig.

"Hey Gents." Lt. Kansas whispered as he approached our fighting position. "Gonna have to ask ya'll to stop digging and stand too. Thr's supposed to be another attack comin'. The LP/OP (listening/observation post) called in another Platoon in the area."
"Good to go." I said
Kansas walked to the next hole down the line. He had been running up and down the flank all day organizing his fields of fire, patrols, and ensuring we were getting things done. Chances are that he would not sleep at all. Chances were the same that neither would we.

Both me and Memphis propped our weapons on the sand bags and sat behind the sights. Crickets began to sing. The wind that was once swaying the leaves was still. Slowly visibility came to nothing.

"So Memphis," I whispered, "Where were you stationed when you were enlisted?"
"Okinawa." He said
"Really? Do you speak Japanese?" I asked
"As a matter of fact I do. I also lived there when I was a yongin' for a couple of years when my parents were missionaries. I understood a lot more than I could speak. Ya know what I mean?" He said
"Holy shit I never knew that about you."

We looked out to the tree line in silence for a few moments, listening for any movement.

"Did you meet your wife out there?" I asked
"Nah, we met when I came back to the states." He said
"How long you been married?"
"Ummm.... It will be comin' up on six years this April."
"Nice." I said
"What about you Brian? You got your self a special lady friend out there?"

I turned away and looked over the rifle again.

"Well... no but... there's a good deal of complications on that one. I don't want to put you to sleep." I said
"Hey Brian, what's said in the hole... Stays in the hole."

I chuckled and was put at ease immediately. Our conversation continued into the night as we both kept security.

As an officer, I have been learning how to employ a platoon in the defense. Learning how to build a defense up takes a great deal of work. But as a man, I am learning to lower my defenses for the first time. I am really getting to know who I am as well as knowing others.

And learning about both defenses happen to yield no sleep whatsoever.


Thanks for reading