Chapter 6

After finishing PT, we were ordered to get cleaned up and to set out our gear on our racks, after which, they came in and inspected everyone. After the inspection, they came in and dropped MRE cases in the squad bay. We were instructed to load up our packs and grab four MREs.

I had to bump a couple of guys out of the way to get control of an unopened box. I was able to clean house - chicken stew, beef stew, spaghetti, and chicken with rice.

I was so glad that I was able to get what I wanted. It allowed me to avoid the Four Fingers of Death aka the Frankfurter MRE. PFC Acevedo was cussing about having to get it. Better him than me.

Once we got the latest addition inserted in our packs, we were called out into formation. Each section of the platoon began moving out in a different direction.

It was about 1400 when our section finally came to a stop. We were then instructed to build shelters for ourselves.

I started cutting branches to size so I could build an off-ground platform. The platform I created was about four inches off the ground. I thought about using banana leaves to soften the sleeping platform, however everything was wet, so that went out the window. If the temperature stayed halfway decent, it wouldn’t be a problem later.

Then my poncho went up as shelter over the top. I had made sure that my sleeping platform had enough room to store all my equipment and wood I had collected off the ground and out of the elements.

There was enough daylight that I could prepare to start and maintain a fire.

I took a little time to help guys with setting up their shelters. Once everyone was finally done, we were told to gather round. Sgt Lawson then explained that we were going to set up a defensive perimeter around our camp with six fighting positions and four listening posts out at a hundred yards.

We started on the fighting positions first. Once they were about three quarters complete, some of us were sent out to prepare the listening posts. I was one of the ones sent out to build a listening post. It wasn’t that bad, camouflaging a location where we had a good view of anyone approaching.

It took us the rest of the available light to finish everything and then we were told to light our fires. I had done something a bit different when I set up my fire. I had dug a pit that was rectangular in shape, a foot wide by about eighteen inches long and about 6 inches deep. I put in a second smaller circular hole about the diameter of a coffee can in the center with a channel on one side. It went about as deep as the fire pit.

As I was lighting it, Cpl Morris came over.

“What the hell is this Badzinski?”

“Well, if what I think is going to happen, happens, then my fire won’t be the thing that is seen first.”

“Where the hell did you learn to do that?”

“Boy Scouts.”

He then brought both Sergeants over. Sgt Lawson knew that it was a Dakota fire pit, though I had to explain it to Sgt Le Pesant. Once I ignited the fire, I started preparing my dinner. Tonight, would be chicken and rice.

Opening it up everything looked good until I got to the Jalapeno Cheese Spread. I just wasn’t a fan of jalapenos; I didn’t like the taste. I offered it up for trade.

I was surprised when almost everyone wanted it. I traded it with a PFC from the First Squad and ended up with all the ingredients for Ranger pudding and an oatmeal cookie bar. It was a good thing as my MRE didn’t have Cocoa for Ranger Pudding.

Lt Wallace and Gunny Owens stopped by as we were eating. They were brought around to see the fire pit I’d dug. They went outside our perimeter to see if they could see it. I just ignored the whole thing.

They were still talking when I climbed up onto my sleeping platform and wrapped myself up in my woobie (poncho liner).

Waking up, I walked over to the slit trench head that had been dug the day before. I changed out of my dry BDUs as they were going to be my camp clothes.

The only good thing about being in the field, no PT.

We formed up and started patrolling through what we were told was a double canopy jungle. We had our body armor on, and it was fucking miserable. My BDU blouse was drenched from the rain and humidity. It was driving me mad that there had to be something to alleviate it, and I couldn’t think of it.

An idea was percolating in my mind but I still couldn’t form it though.

The day was spent doing all kinds of things including having us assemble several rope bridges. There was one that was a V-bridge, two parallel ropes along the top with one on the bottom. The other was two ropes, one top and one bottom. You shuffled sideways to get across. We spent the whole day on the move, wet and irritable.

As we were changing after returning to our camp, everyone was bitching about being wet all day. I was heating up my spaghetti when it finally hit me. The idea had finally percolated its way to the front of my brain.

Thinking about it, this could have the possibility to make me money. I needed to sit down and figure out how to go about it. The one thing I needed to do is no matter what I came up with had to be protected.

That’s where I needed to consult with Carrigan and Roth law firm.

I spent the night off in my shelter trying to remember everything I could. One thought that I had was, if I was actually able to get this thing off the ground, I knew one way to boost the secondary market.

I sat there with all this going through my head, and had to try and clear it as I prepared to have my shift in the fighting position later that night.

We spent the day very similar to the prior day, although today had much more movement and lots of rappelling.

We patrolled for about ten miles with every two miles being a rappelling event with each event getting progressively steeper as the day went by. I could see what they were doing. Building experience and confidence. When we got to the third rappel, Sgt Lawson called us to gather around.

“Gents, we’re going to introduce you to a little something that was created in the magical land of Australia.”

“Australia isn’t real. It’s a fabrication of Hollywood.”

“You are an idiot, Badzinski.”

“Any place where everything is trying to kill you has to be made up.”

Both he and Cpl Morris were standing there laughing.

“Seeing as you want to stand back there acting like a cunt, you can be our guinea pig. So, get your ass up here.”

Everyone was looking shocked at what was just said.

I made my way to the front, to take my punishment for being the court jester. We were then instructed on the history and how to perform the Australian rappel.

I set up my Swiss seat and began the rappel. Things were going well, then about halfway everything went sideways. I was making good progress when my foot slipped. This caused me to go face first into the cliffside which was covered in mud. I was barely able to turn my head sideways and avoid smashing my nose. Which was good as my nose was still a bit tender. I was probably going to have some bruising on the side of my face.

Sgt Lawson was sitting at the top laughing and yelling at me to stop wallowing around in the mud like a pig. It took me a few tries to finally get myself back up right. I finally made it down to Cpl Morris who was at the bottom.