choose. Or they can be discharged from here—whichever is in their best interest. Get with your officer after formation and let him know your travel preference. Troop dismissed!”
Adrian smiled. He knew where he was going to go: his uncle’s riverbank home, a hundred and fifty mile walk from here. Roman had insisted that should such an event ever come to pass, Adrian’s first duty was to get home. Once there he was released from any further duty to family and to do as he saw fit, but he was to come home first.
Adrian’s platoon was comprised of single men. Given their unusual missions, there was no place for married men in the group. Some of them would be heading south; leaving from Fort Hood would give them a better start. Some would go back to settle personal affairs or maybe pick up personally owned items. A few were like Adrian, foot loose enough that leaving from here would be best, not needing to go back.
As the troops were dismissed, they broke up into the usual groups to cuss and discuss their new orders. Most were hit with shock; they had never thought of the future before. Others still were deeply disappointed to be cut loose. They had stayed in the army because they didn’t care for civilian life; they wanted to be soldiers. It was their first encounter with being downsized, an unpleasant experience under any circumstances. Doubly so under these.
Adrian gathered his squad mates. There was the normal belly-aching to start the conversation off, but it quickly got down to brass tacks—what each of them was going to do. Adrian told his men to meet with him in half an hour as he had an idea he wanted to present to them.
Once he was done, he walked over to the lieutenant.
“LT,” Adrian said, “my weapon of choice is the shotgun, and I want to lay first claim to it since there is only one here that I know of, and I don’t need to go back to Hood. That OK?”
“Not a problem, it’s yours. I don’t think we have five hundred rounds of twelve gauge ammo with us though; maybe two hundred assorted. I really wish we could keep you and your men with us. I argued strongly for it, but was over-ruled. I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t sweat it, LT. I have other plans anyway, but I do appreciate the thought. Two hundred rounds are plenty to carry and should last me a day
or two. Would you sell me a set of your civvies? I don’t cotton to walking around out there in a uniform. I think it would make me stand out a bit too much.”
“Hell, Adrian,” the lieutenant laughed, “I wasn’t thinking of you when I argued to keep you; I was thinking of me. You can have some of the civvies that I brought. I’m one of the new farmers and fatigues are fine for farming. Meet me at my tent at 1900 hours and you can take your pick.”
Adrian saluted, said, “See you then,” spun on his heel in a perfect about-face and marched to the bivouac area to where his team waited for him. “OK, guys, here’s what I’m going to do. I have an uncle that lives about a hundred-fifty miles from here. He’s a crazy old coot that halfway raised me. He has been a doomsdayer his whole life and made some pretty good preparations for a disaster like this. I promised him that in the event, and should I be able to, I would come straight home at the first opportunity. I’m heading there in as straight a line as I can.
“When I get there, I’ll hang around awhile and then decide whether I’m staying there or moving on. Uncle Roman always insisted that I bring along anyone I wanted to. He’s put back quite a bit of food, and the hunting is good. The river is full of fish and turtles and ducks. It’s the best place I can imagine to go right now.
“So, here’s the deal. Each of you is hereby cordially invited by Uncle Roman to come home with me. Once there, you and he can get to know each other and you can decide if you want to stay or not. Knowing my uncle and knowing you guys, I have no doubt in my military mind that
Adrian smiled. He knew where he was going to go: his uncle’s riverbank home, a hundred and fifty mile walk from here. Roman had insisted that should such an event ever come to pass, Adrian’s first duty was to get home. Once there he was released from any further duty to family and to do as he saw fit, but he was to come home first.
Adrian’s platoon was comprised of single men. Given their unusual missions, there was no place for married men in the group. Some of them would be heading south; leaving from Fort Hood would give them a better start. Some would go back to settle personal affairs or maybe pick up personally owned items. A few were like Adrian, foot loose enough that leaving from here would be best, not needing to go back.
As the troops were dismissed, they broke up into the usual groups to cuss and discuss their new orders. Most were hit with shock; they had never thought of the future before. Others still were deeply disappointed to be cut loose. They had stayed in the army because they didn’t care for civilian life; they wanted to be soldiers. It was their first encounter with being downsized, an unpleasant experience under any circumstances. Doubly so under these.
Adrian gathered his squad mates. There was the normal belly-aching to start the conversation off, but it quickly got down to brass tacks—what each of them was going to do. Adrian told his men to meet with him in half an hour as he had an idea he wanted to present to them.
Once he was done, he walked over to the lieutenant.
“LT,” Adrian said, “my weapon of choice is the shotgun, and I want to lay first claim to it since there is only one here that I know of, and I don’t need to go back to Hood. That OK?”
“Not a problem, it’s yours. I don’t think we have five hundred rounds of twelve gauge ammo with us though; maybe two hundred assorted. I really wish we could keep you and your men with us. I argued strongly for it, but was over-ruled. I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t sweat it, LT. I have other plans anyway, but I do appreciate the thought. Two hundred rounds are plenty to carry and should last me a day
or two. Would you sell me a set of your civvies? I don’t cotton to walking around out there in a uniform. I think it would make me stand out a bit too much.”
“Hell, Adrian,” the lieutenant laughed, “I wasn’t thinking of you when I argued to keep you; I was thinking of me. You can have some of the civvies that I brought. I’m one of the new farmers and fatigues are fine for farming. Meet me at my tent at 1900 hours and you can take your pick.”
Adrian saluted, said, “See you then,” spun on his heel in a perfect about-face and marched to the bivouac area to where his team waited for him. “OK, guys, here’s what I’m going to do. I have an uncle that lives about a hundred-fifty miles from here. He’s a crazy old coot that halfway raised me. He has been a doomsdayer his whole life and made some pretty good preparations for a disaster like this. I promised him that in the event, and should I be able to, I would come straight home at the first opportunity. I’m heading there in as straight a line as I can.
“When I get there, I’ll hang around awhile and then decide whether I’m staying there or moving on. Uncle Roman always insisted that I bring along anyone I wanted to. He’s put back quite a bit of food, and the hunting is good. The river is full of fish and turtles and ducks. It’s the best place I can imagine to go right now.
“So, here’s the deal. Each of you is hereby cordially invited by Uncle Roman to come home with me. Once there, you and he can get to know each other and you can decide if you want to stay or not. Knowing my uncle and knowing you guys, I have no doubt in my military mind that
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