High Mountain Insertion

Posted on Fri Feb 5th, 2010 @ 3:04am by Commodore Edward Fannin

1,280 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mountain Recon
Location: Tiberius V, Grid location 102.99.9
Timeline: Current

ON

Gunny Knight had seen the red light, landing zone in ten minutes. he gave the hand signal to the major and the rest of the team. He was very nervous as the Major was watching his every move. He needed to pas this eval or he would be buying drinks the rest of his life at the senior NCO club. This was Ricks time....

Reynolds was indeed watching, he could see the Gunny was on edge but Rick had know intention of letting him fail this time. He would make it hard but not impossible. The Cadets seemed in good spirits although Erwin was puzzled why one of the Cadets just walked away from the team...

Brad saw the ten minute warning and checked the gear, no one had said if the shuttle would land or if they would rapel down, since they were packing he figured they would be landing. Patrick slept, he had managed to find a comfort zone among his gear and dozed off on the trip. His sleep was troubled as he dreamt of shark creatures with wings chasing him through the forest.

The shuttle craft landed in a small clearing. A large mountain range could be clearly seen in the distance. The team spent Thirty minutes unloading and checking equipment and communications. Reynolds gave the shuttle pilot a glance and the lift off signal. It was gone in a flash. The ground temp was around Fifty degrees with a slight breeze blowing towards the slopes.

"Lets get moving, Gunny set a slow pace. Use a traveling over-watch formation. Remember we are loaded down in this altitude. Corporal White you have the course and will walk point."

Brad and Patrick stayed near Gunny as they had been told. Brad checked Patrick's TR119 and his Tr110 to make sure both were loaded and the safeties were on. He then checked his own weapon a third time just to be sure. By the time the order was given to move out both Cadets were ready to move. Brad was finishing his check on their position to the camp when gunny said to move out.

The pace was slow and steady. Gunny Knight was checking his pace count past every checkpoint. Reynolds gave him a field problem Two hours into the March. he wasn't able to use his rangefinder or GPS. He now had to dead recon by the map, which didn't exist. The team was using a fairly straight heading so landmarks were helpful. They stopped after six hours for a noon break...

Corporal White returned to the team and looked very worn out. He was carrying a large load and was a bit out of wind at this altitude.


When the word was given Patrick stepped off the path and gratefully collapsed. Brad checked on him and handed him a ration bar to chew on. It would calm his heart rate and take his mind of his breathing. Brad was from the high rocky regions of North America this was the kind of place he grew up, hunting and fishing as a child and young adult. He dropped his pack and checked on a few others in the group that looked worn. He handed out a few more of the granola like energy ration bars he had replicated for the trip. Then he sat down on his field jacket and propped his feet on his pack.

Reynolds was going over some facts and ideas with gunny Knight. he walked over to Patrick. "How are you doing Patrick?"

"Dude I feel.." Opening his eyes, "Sorry Sir!" He started to stand but his pack held him down. "I am fine Major really just tired is all. Not all of us are mountain men like Talon over there." He extricated himself from his pack and sat up. Everything is still working Sir, and I am still keeping an eye out for purple or Teal colored flowers." His smile came through as Patrick mentioned flowers.

"Good, I keep an eye out for those too. If you get overly tired let us know."

After a good rest break the team forged on and gained the forward slopes of the range before twilight. They had covered close to 25 miles and stopped for the night. The team was wore out Reynolds dropped his pack with a thud and fell over on his side as he lost his balance. Corporal White had gotten his second wind and was laughing at the Majors fall...

Talon was thriving, He dropped his pack and helped take Patrick's off his back. Brad walked over to Gunny "Have you decided were you want the latrine dug Gunny?" He handed Gunny one of his ration bars as tried to get the Gunny's attention off breathing. Brad saw the Major fall over and heard White laugh. He was unsure how to properly react to that so ignored the byplay. Helping the Major might insult him, and he had no right to admonish White. Not only that considering how tire white had been his recovery was not something to diminish.

So he helped Gunny lay out the nights camp and then grabbed his shovel and went over to dig the latrine. As got his shovel He pulled out his shelter half "Patrick why don't you set up the shelter over there, just take your time and till you get started rub your legs to get the blood flowing in those muscles."

Patrick nodded weakly and rubbed his legs, he ate his ration bar and drank sparingly from his canteen. Patrick looked at the Major and pointed at White, "Don't you hate those kinda guys that seem to get stronger as the days get longer?" He had spoke without menace and shook his head as chuckled. "There is always one in any crowd, and we got at least two." He pointed over toward Talon as he dug the latrine.


A small five to heat some rations and ward of a few chills as the sun set. It was very foggy through the early evening and the party slept and each pulled Two hour watches just to make sure they weren't bothered.

Brad pulled his guard shift early as most of the others were a lot more tired then he was. He listened to the night sounds and sat well away from the fire. Patrick was on with Gunny on the last pre-wake up shift. Brad got up with them and helped make coffee.

Once the coffee was perking, Brad went over and broke down his and Patrick's shelter and packed their gear away for the days travel. When finished he sat on a rock and cleaned one weapon then the other as watched the sunrise. He had always been a morning person.

Reynolds was sore, he hadn't been out in a few months. stretching he recovered quicly and broke down his shelter and packed it away. Today would be a short day focusing on slow recon movements and sentry elimination skills...

As the camp roused from sleep amidst groans and some gripping Patrick went over and got himself some coffee. Taking the pot he walked over to Gunny Knight,"Want some?" Brad was watching the local critters begin their day in the foliage below the camp. He wondered why such an active eco system had no large predators?

After a few minutes it was time to saddle up for a short trek to a good range area that the Gunny had seen from a planet scan map on his Padd.

TBC:
Major Reynolds
Gunny Knight
Marines
two Cadets, Talon and Wayne
OOC: This post is getting long, Could we start another? Recon II....

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