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[Doom Juscus]

Oh no, not again. Staff Sergeant Juscus looked down at the data pad as he stepped out of the shower. "We just get back from an op not a month ago and they already got us another FTX," he said to himself. Sergeant Capello, the new 1st squad leader, entered the NCO locker room. "What's all the fuss?" Doom replied, "If you read your data pad you would realize we got [stuff that comes out when you poo] this weekend." "Oh," Capello quietly said. Doom could obviously see that he had hurt Capello's feelings. He thought to himself, how can an NCO be such a sissy. Instead of trying to help him with his new position he decided to just leave.

Doom walked to the CQ desk to chat with SSG Kelly, Fox, and Cardinal. Even though he had not known them before his promotion, they knew about him. They always viewed themselves in such high regards and took their job seriously, but in a chill way. They showed authority on duty, but off duty they showed an "I don't give a crap" attitude. This he would never understand. He still was waiting for his only best friend, Sergeant Banks but couldn't find him.

The clock ticked and he awaited the brief that he and the other platoon sergeants were about to receive from Sergeant Major King and Captain Alford. This was one big difference that came with the promotion. Doom was now attending some of the meetings with Lieutenant Hands and was able to know more about important information.

Until then, he stood idly listening to the others talk.

Edited by Doom Juscus, 31 January 2009 - 10:31 PM.

[Doom Juscus]

Captain Alford walked in, no command was given to show respect. The way the CO operated was one that Doom would never understand. If he was an officer everyone would either love him or hate him, no way to know. Behind him walked Sergeant Major and the Platoon Leaders. It was like follow the leader as all the Platoon Sergeants took lead behind their Lieutenants. Doom tried not to laugh as all these men walked down the hallway, single file, to the meeting room.

Doom stood behind his chair to wait for the command to take seats but he noticed everyone just sitting down so he followed suit. The Captain went through a lot of boring information that Doom could not even remember, let alone hear even as he paid attention. His mind kept retracing different scenes of his life, some he enjoyed, others he did not. His illusions halted as the Captain asked Lieutenant Hands what he thought about the updated tech in their helmets. He laughed on the inside as he saw his platoon leader stumble around for the correct wording, all the legitimately popped out was "it worked well." Doom decided that he would help his Lieutenant out and add that the communication links worked well, but he would like to see chatter from squad members halted. He explained he did not want them to stop talking, but to make it so that the squad members could only talk to their squad leaders, making it so there was not disarray. He told them that he could not just hear his own squad members, but those of other squads, and even though they all were in four different areas it became confusing. The Captain was very impressed, Doom knew that he did not even expect a organized response to his question. Captain Alford smiled and said "that is very good information to have, I will pass it on up to HQ, taking credit for the idea of course." Everyone in the room laughed at the joke, Doom chuckled with everyone even though he knew that what the Captain said would most likely be true.

Then came the meat and potatoes of what was on the main agenda, the brief for the Field Training Exercise. The Captain told everyone that he would be treating it like a real operation and that he would brief the Platoon Leaders only, and asked for the Platoon Sergeants to excuse themselves. They all left in an organized fashion to head back to the CQ desk to wait for the meeting to end. Again he sat by not even listening to the conversation being spoke around him. He drifted off into another idle past experience.

[Doom Juscus]

Sergeant Juscus heard the door to the meeting room open. He looked down the hallway to see all the platoon leaders walking out and heading towards them. The CO and Sergeant Major headed the opposite direction to the Captain's office. Lieutenant Hands yelled for Doom to meet him in his office. He headed down the hallway and knocked on the Lieutenant's door. "Come in," 2LT Hands yelled. Doom walked into his office in the official style and before he could post in front of the Lieutenant, he told Doom to just sit down. Doom still did not like all the professionalism that he thought came off from this style of SOP. Lieutenant Hands said "I'm gonna tell you everything that the Captain told me that regards you. You will be supervising the squad leaders as per your responsibility, help with training of all soldiers, help with honeing the squad leaders' skills, and provide assistance with any other tasks given you. You will be instructing up until the last day. Before we leave the camp we will conduct a companywide mission with another company. Their goal is to defend their own camp, ours is to take it. This will give us experience in taking fortifications in wooded terrain and give a little more "combat" experience to the younger soldiers and NCOs. Do you understand?" "Yes Sir," Doom replied. "Good, because this is the first time that you will be leading with me four squads. This isn't a few soldiers under your command, this is a few squads you are providing leadership over. You have been given the training, information, and conversations about what is expected of you; now it is time to carry them out." "Yes Sir," Doom said again. "Good, continue with whatever is on the agenda. Your dismissed." With that Doom stood up, saluted, and said "Yes Sir," one final time and walked out the office.

[Doom Juscus]

At 0745 Sergeant Juscus had a meeting with 2nd Platoon Squad Leaders; Sergeant Capello, Banks, Brock, and Holley. He told them that they would be supervising their squads during his instruction, and he would be looking for them to gain some amount of experience leading a squad. He singled out Capello as being the only one without combat experience as an NCO. Doom again saw the same look that Capello had when he had dismissed him in the locker room. Doom knew that some time or another he would have to have a talk with the young man. He told them about the same old same old besides the information he briefed them regarding the FTX. At 0800 starting formation began with SSG Kelly out in front of 1st Platoon, Doom out in front of 2nd Platoon, SSG Fox out in front of 3rd Platoon, and SSG Cardinal out in front of 4th Platoon. 1LT Jones was standing to the left of Kelly, 2LT Hands was standing to the left of Doom, 2LT Walker was standing to the left of Fox, and 2LT Kenard was standing to the left of Cardinal. Out in front SGM King and CPT Alford were talking to each other few a brief moment before beginning the boring beginning of the day. The formalities began, something that Doom knew only lasted in front of the lower enlisted men.

After CPT Alford dismissed the company to the Platoon Sergeants, Doom talked about the upcoming exercise and how we would be training on some STX lanes today in preperation. Doom said he knew that they sucked, but better us make mistakes now without any officers looking at us then out on the base with Battalion HQ and the "orderlies" watching us. Most of his men laughed while others tried not to. Doom forgot to get a transport set up to take the platoon the 9k distance to the training grounds. He did not mention that to anyone and decided to just tell everyone that they would be hiking it. The groans started and the only person who knew his mistake was Sergeant Banks, laughing behind Sergeant Capello.

"You have 20 mike to get in full battle and back down here, FALL OUT!"

Edited by Doom Juscus, 31 January 2009 - 10:32 PM.

[Doom Juscus]

Sergeant Juscus walked inside the barracks and down the hallway to his room. His promotion came with one of the four rooms on the first floor that was for the Platoon Sergeants. It was a quarter of the size of the normal rooms on the upstairs levels, but it was just him inside it instead of an entire squad. He had previously packed up his gear, if he even called it packing. He lived out of his backpack and carried everything he needed to go into combat in it. It was always nearby. If Doom was going to a traning ground or exercise, he brought it; if he was going to a range, he brought it; if he was going home, he brought it. He picked up his armor and started to put it on. He could hear that some of the more high speed soldiers were already returning down the stairs. He picked up the pace, just realizing that he had taken up most of the twenty minutes daydreaming. He grabbed his gear and weapon and moved out of his room with the flow of his platoon.

He stood in front of the semi congregated formation waiting for them to get themselves in order. "Are you ready to go kill some trees?" Doom yelled. There were a few cheers and whistles, but many of the soldiers just did not care about this exercise, much like Doom. The only difference is that now he had to lead by example, as a squad leader he already had the hearts of this privates due to his experience and their comraderie. As a platoon sergeant it was a different view of him everyday, depending on what happened that day. Hopefully, he will be able to change that. He yelled for a tactical formation and the squad leaders repeated, squad leaders moving into the inside of a two line formation. Doom told everyone that once they left the battalion area it would be a walk in the park, besides all the hills and valleys they would be going through, *chuckles. But for real Doom knew that this was easy and so did most all the men, 9km is nothing. Now a 20k is where the fun begins, and a 25k is worth the sweat and tears to do.

Doom said it would be informal from here on out and he told everyone to move. He was in between the two lines at the front of it while the 4 squad leaders were spread out behind him. And off they went, heading to the training grounds.