Chapter 15

“Tellin’ da little lady what happened?” Dominic Demarco grinned as he read over Don’s shoulder.

“I’m telling her what she needs to know ... for now,” said Don as he tried to block Dom’s view of his letter.

“She’s gonna find out ya know.”

“Yes, and I will tell her in person, she doesn’t need to freak out while I’m seven hundred miles away.” Don sighed as he sealed the letter and put a stamp on it, a hard task to do with his left arm in a sling.

“Lights out in five minutes!” called the CQ.

“At least ya kept your cool and didn’t take a swing at da fucker,” said Dominic as Don put the letter in the outbound mail slot.

“That was my plan all along,” grinned Don. “If you keep your cool, hot heads and drunks always find a way to bury themselves.”

“That fucker is getting’ court martialed,” said Dom. “you don’t git more buried dan dat. He damn near pulled yer arm off yankin’ yuz up off da floor like dat.”

Don shook his head and said, “I will tell her. I know you’re aching to tell her, but I relieve you of that responsibility.” as he started peeling the blanket off his cot. A well-made cot is as tight as a drumhead and it’s tempting to slide into those tightly drawn sheets and just tug it tight in the morning, but a sharp TI will look at night to see if anyone did that and suddenly the entire flight will do drills to get out and back in the bed for fifteen minutes. It only takes once or twice for the lesson to be learned.

Don’s guys have been helping him with making the bed and putting his locker together for inspection after TSgt Blankenship dislocated Don’s shoulder yanking him up off the floor like that. Blankenship was so out of control that Staff Sergeant Romano went and got the Lieutenant to put an end to TSgt Blankenship’s drunken rage. Don ended up at the hospital where he spent the night and TSgt Blankenship was escorted away by security police after calling Second Lieutenant Danielson a “Balless butter bar.”

Don could rest, heal, and graduate with a different flight, and another person might have done that, but Don wanted to ride it out with “his” team. He had a sudden thought and raised his hand and shouted, “Squad leaders! form up in the day room, Đi đi mau!” He got that out just as the CQ called “lights out,” and shut the bay lights off. “Let’s go squad leaders, this will be quick!”

The flight was broken into four squads. Each squad had a leader, and there was one flight leader over them. Grizz and the three other squad leaders followed Don into the dayroom, a classroom that each training flight has. “This is after lights out!” one of the squad leaders complained. Another asked, “What’s a Đi đi mau?”

“It means go fast,” said Don as the four flight leaders gathered in the dayroom, a classroom used for in-house training. “if they have a problem with us meeting after lights out, I’ll take the heat. What are they going to do, rip my other arm off?” he grinned and slightly raised his left arm, now supported in a sling. “Ok, really quick, tomorrow is all academics and open locker inspection, this is an excellent opportunity to see how our boys are doing. Pay attention to your people. Tomorrow night bring a list of everyone that is having problems so we can help them, also, bring a list of your best so we can emulate them. And if you’re having trouble let me know, I’ll give you a hand...”

“What is the meaning of this?” came a demanding female voice from behind them.

The five young men in their underwear snapped to attention and Don turned to SSgt. Romano. “Staff meeting ma’am. Formulating our plan for tomorrow.”

“After light’s out?”

“Yes ma’am, I don’t want the squad leaders to miss any training or any time with their squad because of a meeting, I figure after the troops are bedded down would be the best time for us to get together.”

The ghost of a smile crossed SSgt. Romano’s lips. “One hour at the most, then hit the racks. Carry on.” And she turned on her heel and left. He figured that out quick and held staff meetings before instructed to do so, she thought, then congratulated herself for selecting Airman Campbell as the new flight leader.