Chapter 9: Joining the Cavalry (Sergeant)

I was called to come in the next morning. I did not take chances and had the girls come with me. The whole regiment was called to form up and the Field Marshal arrived. This time he not only awarded me another Queen's Star but they read orders promoting me to sergeant. He gave a short speech and we knew it was about the traitor.

The bastard had already been taken out of the country to stand trail. The enemy colonel we caught had been given a truth drug and told the story again to a half dozen senior officers. The king was not playing, if the major was found guilty he would face a firing squad. The Field Marshal made it plain, those caught selling secrets to the enemy would be executed.

He also had a private talk with me. They could not award me another higher rank in the knights but the king had submitted my name to the nobles for a patent. I snorted and shook my head, "that is a lot of trouble. Tell his majesty that if he wishes to do something, to name a order of the knights after me."

He grinned and then chuckled, "I will tell him."

He patted my shoulder, "you be careful."

He looked at colonel Philips, "we have another award recommendation for a Knight's Cross."

I shook my head, "a waste and I did not act alone. I am still writing the recommendations but I think all three of my privates deserve it more than me. I may have gone further but they ignored the danger from overwhelming enemy forces and attacked into them. If they had not the enemy might have continued their attack and things could have been different."

He blinked and looked at the colonel before looking at me again, "you write it up and sign it as a knight general and I will see that it goes straight to the king and the war department."

I nodded and he turned and smiled at Anh and Cam, "ladies I made a call to Camp June. The base commander's wife is waiting to help you settle into new quarters. I believe I also mentioned one of you was pregnant so she may bring some of the other wives."

Anh bowed and Cam copied her and the Field Marshal gestured and left with his guards and the dozen aids. Colonel Philips chuckled after the Field Marshal left, "write it up. I will have someone go help you load your belongings."

It took me thirty minutes and I tried to make each recommendation sound as crazy and as exaggerated as mine had been. I checked them and then took them to the colonel. He read each one and grinned and shook my hand, "give them hell."

It took two hours to get our things back to the airfield. A bird was waiting and took off after we sat. Anh was relaxed but Cam looked very nervous. I looked forward and then reached between her legs to rub her. She stiffened and then spread her legs and giggled. It took awhile to get her off and after that she was relaxed.

When the bird landed there were two dozen soldiers waiting to help unload and a dozen wives waiting to meet Anh and Cam. Our house was a long half tube shape with lots of windows. It had two bedrooms, a center common area and the front was a kitchen dining area. By the time the last crate was in the wives were suggesting where to put everything.

They exclaimed and examined every statue and jade figurine that was unpacked. They ignored the weapons and military things. When the baby stuff came out they were off again. Especially when they found out Cam was pregnant too. Finally I was dismissed and went to fifth cavalry headquarters.

From there I was assigned to first troop, Adam company. When I reported to the captain he sent me to second platoon. I reported to lieutenant Jones who looked at me carefully and then at staff sergeant McBee. He leaned back, "no one reassigns soldiers unless they are a fuck up."

I sighed and moved to close the door. I told them about everything and why I had been reassigned. The lieutenant's eyes were wide but staff sergeant McBee stood and moved to the window, "and you are not a glory hound?"

I snorted, "I do what I have to, not something to get me noticed. I have been shot at way to many times."

He looked back, "not wounded?"

I nodded, "three times and it hurt like ... it hurt."

He grinned and turned and nodded to the lieutenant, "give him fourth squad."

I had two lance corporals, two private first classes and four privates. The squad was short two men but we had enough to fight. One of the first things I did was move some of my weapons to the squad bay. It was another of the buildings like our house. I also went into the city to shop for new baby furniture and a few things for me.

One was eleven very small radios, one for each of my men plus two extra. They worked off of a different set of frequencies so they would not effect the platoon radio I had to carry. They did have a VOX system so everyone heard everything when someone spoke. I drilled with the men and learned about our ... mounts.

Instead of a vertical lift bird that carried up to a platoon, cavalry used smaller ones they called Chargers. They could carry twelve men not counting the crew of five. The pilot and copilot, the crew chief and two door gunners. Instead of a single ramp at the rear there were doors on each side and on ours they had been removed.

Three weeks and we finally had a mission. It was a company mission searching the jungle north of Nanc doing a search and destroy. That was the city I had helped kick the enemy out of. They were still working to build the base and had two regiments but we got tasked with checking a recon report. According to them the enemy had made a trail and brought in artillery.

So far they were still bringing in supplies and we had not located the exact place they were setting up. I took the twelve millimeter magnum with the under barrel helical magazine. I also took my magnum pistol and the over and under shotgun. We took light packs and I had each team bring a grenade launcher.

Our platoon was going in second and my squad on the fourth bird. The Charger sped over the top of the trees and then dropped down above a river. It tilted and turned and it was a crazy ride like none I had ever been on. From the river it was a stream and then over trees and down above another river.

I heard the men whispering and then I heard the platoon radio, "first platoon is under fire."

I checked my weapon, "lock and load. The landing zone is hot."

The vox on the squad radio let them hear it. It was only moments before the four Chargers dropped towards a sandbar. First platoon was firing into the trees on the right. My bravo team would exit that side, "bravo find cover and return fire. Alpha wait for the bird to lift and move right and bound forward."

I shifted and turned to go out with bravo team. I watched the crew chief and moved before the Charger touched down, "GO!"

Bravo team leaped out and staggered a little as they rushed away and then dropped and aimed into the jungle. I followed and went to my stomach to their right. I had my rifle up as a ripping sound shredded the bushes and rounds cracked over us. The Charger was already lifting off and I heard rounds hitting it.

I shifted, aimed and fired and the machinegun went quiet. I saw another enemy soldier stand with a strange rifle or machinegun and shot him in the chest, "alpha move across!"

I could hear the first platoon yelling and shouting and men were screaming. The lieutenant yelled and I saw the other squads rushing. We kept shifting and firing and alpha team reached the bank and yelled that they were set. I came to my feet, "forward bravo!"

We rushed while the other team covered us. Once we were up and in the jungle it went quiet as the enemy pulled back. I got an ACE report and we linked with the other squads in the platoon. Third platoon was landing and fourth was not far behind them. First platoon lost three men and had six wounded.

Our platoon only had two men wounded and all the dead and wounded were being moved back to the sandbar. They would go out on the Chargers when fourth got off. I searched the dead enemy soldiers and picked up the strange weapon I had seen. It had three barrels and a small electric motor and...

I blinked as I realized this was a tri barrel minigun. I rolled the dead soldier to look at the ammo pack which was a solid container. I checked it and then grinned, "private Harris!"

He moved towards me, "sergeant?"

I pulled the enemy pack off and the shoulder strap on the gun, "drop your pack."

I pulled things out of his pack and made a slit in the bottom and then unhooked the ammo belt and fed it through. I packed everything back in and checked the top cover to make sure he could get at the ammo inside the container. I put the sling over his left shoulder and under his right arm and then connected the ammo belt to the gun, "you are now our gunner."

He was grinning as he lifted it, "sure sergeant."

I found another on a body further back in the jungle and took it and had to hunt for ammo. Luckily it used our seven point five by fifty five. I had private Walis take it and finally the lieutenant had us start moving. We went east in a modified wedge with third and fourth platoon following and first pulling up the rear.

The company commander was right behind my squad with his radioman. He moved up to look at the new weapon Harris was carrying. Ten minutes and the platoon slowed and then firing broke out as the lieutenant yelled, "first and second cover! Third and forth move!"

I yelled as I angled to the right side, "fourth going right! Bravo swing around."