Chapter 5: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

My twenty-third day of employment at the Military Academy of the Duchy of Danubia started and ended differently for me. When the Apprentice Aquatics Instructor arrived alone today as I finally felt confident in making all of the transfers on the trolley system the gate guard asked me to report not to the pool but to the Vice Commandant’s office.

Lt. Dracovv was sitting outside the Vice Commandant’s office when I was at the door he instructed me, “When we go inside, be sure to maintain a position of attention and look the Vice Commandant directly in the eyes,” Drakov directed.

Upon entering the office, the voice from inside directed them to do so. The platoon sergeant of the cadre of cadets and Dracovv were waiting for me. “Were you training the cadet before that cadet needed to be recovered from the water?”

The Vice Commandant of Cadets was female, mid-forties, and attractive in a way not usually associated with a uniform, and offered formal greetings. “Shevat, we would like to reward you for saving this cadet’s life. She has explained to us what she did, and she knows it was not behavior acceptable to students at the national military academy. She is to be switched, twenty-five on her naked posterior, at the end of this class session. What we need to know from you is what you mean by, ‘play along?”

When she spoke, it was carefully phrased, “Ma’am. Noticing one of the female cadets struggling in the deep end of the pool, I dove down, provided a rescue breath, and undid her trousers. Her legs broke the surface and the rest of her cadre filed into the pool area. Since this was a rescue, to use the effort as a rescue demonstration.

“I said ‘play along,’ hoping the cadet would stay in the rescued victim position and allow me to show the swimmers cross-chest carry to the rest of her class. Admittedly, I also hoped the cadet would face less severe consequences for her actions. Poorly chosen words as they were, based on the fact she had nearly drowned and needed to be recovered from the water,” I concluded.

“Your heroic use of your training to rescue this cadet has earned you a commendation, Instructor. Offsetting this is your compassionate attempt to avoid being punished for her actions. That recklessly endangered her own life. Instructor, this normally would carry a fifty-switch penalty. However, I have offset forty strokes due to your heroic action. Instructor Shevat, please make yourself available at the end of the class day for necessary discipline – dismissed.”

“Well, that went better for you,” Lt. Drakov said softly to me outside the office building.

“Why do I still get ten lashes?” I asked.

“Could have been fifty and then dismissed from the academy. The Vice Commandant saw the truth and compassion in your story and decided to take it easy on both of you.

“The cadet will remain with her cadre and graduate on time with her class and will wear what all of us would consider a badge of honor on your rump for the next few days. You tried to save the girl twice, succeeded once and partially the second time, you have our admiration,” Dracovv concluded.

“Well, let me go get my work in before this happens,” I smiled at Drakov and headed toward the pool. When I arrived poolside, I found the same class of cadets waiting there as had been at the pool when the female cadet almost drowned herself. “Please, Instructor Shevat,” said the platoon sergeant, a male in his late twenties, “demonstrate how you rescued Cadet Kara.”

Marcia smiled and thought, ’Well, why not? After all, I am here to instruct and train, not just to get my work in.’ I said, “Sergeant, please point out your weakest swimmers.”

“Now, do the same with your strongest swimmers,” I ordered. The sergeant looked confused. Sent another seven cadets to the left, leaving thirteen cadets and the sergeant standing in the center.

“Sergeant, your strongest and weakest cadets will undress to proper swimming attire,” Drew laughs from the class, “while the remainder of the class and yourself will report here in full combat gear and boots in five minutes – dismissed.”

Calling the twelve cadets to her side, Marcia outlined how the training would proceed, then individually showed the twelve cadets how to carry out the rescue drill. “One of you will have to go twice, and I will work with the sergeant myself,” I concluded.

Cadet Kara, the girl who was disciplined that afternoon and one of those designated a ’weak swimmer,’ volunteered to do double duty. “I know I can do this,” Kara declared. I scanned the eyes of the other eleven rescue swimmers in training; none offered a hint that anyone else should take Kara’s place.

“Okay, I’ll be there if you need me.” I drew on the confidence of the class in her decision. Five minutes later, the fourteen ’victims’ appeared back in the pool area. “Sergeant, please climb the ladder on the one and one-half meter diving board, turn and face away from the pool, and walk backward until you fall off,” I instructed.

As the sergeant struggled up the ladder too narrow for a field pack, Marcia explained to the rest of the class that they would each follow. The cadet falling off the diving board had only one thing to do. Sink to the bottom of the pool. The rescuer was to call ‘Victim in the water’ to alert others to be ready to assist.

Would then dive into the deep end and provide the victim with one rescue breath. Then using the cross-chest carry method I had taught the twelve cadets, the rescuer would bring the victim to the surface and the side of the pool. The others would help drag the victim out. “Sergeant, when you’re ready, begin,” Marcia called and watched the sergeant step off the board and plunge into the deepest portion of the pool.

A deep breath, a smooth dive, a nose pinch on her victim followed by a breath of air into his mouth, a cross-chest carry position followed by strong scissor kicks brought the sergeant and me to the surface. Using my legs and right arm, I brought the sergeant to the poolside; the cadets grabbed his arms and hauled him out of the water.

A male cadet was next off the board, the exercise continued, and Kara was the rescuer. The procedure went smoothly. The class rotation was Kara’s second turn at a rescue, this victim being a female not much bigger than Kara herself. The female cadet went off the diving board and hit the water awkwardly. I was immediately at the poolside in case there was trouble.