Military Bearing

Captain Harmon Rabb Jr.: Two weeks later, the culling was complete. A lot of the people who were culled to make room, ended up at different bunkers, a few dropped-on-request and rejoined the civilian population to meet their fate should the unthinkable happen. And we were down to seven former civilians including two cadet sergeants who proceeded to make life absolutely H-E- double hockey-sticks for the remainder of the civilians. I'm sure it was done under the auspices of toughening them up for the days to come, but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant. But let's face it, it was certainly a lot easier on them than it was for Animal...who learned his mind-bending craft from the Marine Corps Drill Instructors who practically beat military bearing into ROTC cadets.

Hank Goddard was one particular scuzzy looking human being. With a soul-piece under his lip, he looked like a veritable greaseball. I took the opportunity to channel my Gunnery Sergeant Post alter-ego which I had perfected since that time I went undercover in the Marine Corps and went after him with surgical precision. "What the heck is that dead caterpillar curled up under your lip, Cadet?!!" I looked over at Marty Keaton, who was trying his hardest not to snicker. "You'd better not say a word Cadet Keaton."

"Are you sure that's not a caterpillar because it looks like one of the lethal ones you find in the Amazon. Maybe I need to smack it off with a two by four before it takes out half the plumming platoon?!!!"

"It's a soul-piece, sir." Cadet Hank Goddard explained.

"I don't give a rats smelly behind what it is, it'd better be off and flushed down the head by the next time this platoon forms up or you will be doing pushups till you throw up."

"I'd better see cleanshaven heads and faces in Bravo Platoon or you all will be running the roof. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!!!!" There was a chorus of "Aye, sir!!!" coming from the assembled recruits. Satisfying myself with another glare at Hank Goddard to drive home the fact that I was dead-serious, I about-faced and headed back to line up with the rest of the instructor cadre.

Commander Sturgis Turner became the defacto head of Bravo Platoon, while Lieutenant Commander Harriet Beaumont Sims-Roberts became the head of Alpha Platoon. They were the commanding officers of the platoons, to whom the cadet Sergeants would report.

As a matter of fact, the whole platoons started looking a whole lot more military as time went on. And considering the fact that they had to do so in as short an amount of time as was possible, they were doing very well.

In fact, Cadet Sergeant Jared Frio was looking more and more military with a sharp salute that would have made the Gunny, who I worked with, proud if he was still around. Goodness knows where he is now, but we certainly could have used him to whip these recruits into shape, but Cadet SGT Frio is doing a darned good job at mentally brow-beating his recruits into shape, one of which included his brother.

Equally mean and nasty, was Cadet SGT McIrish. With a tongue that could flay iron and a caustic Irish sense of humor that leaned towards the sadistic, she whipped the six remaining cadets in her platoon into military shape.

All stood at crisp military attention. And Connor Frio finally shaved that mangy beard of his off his face. They were all, rapidly due to the situation, turning into soldiers that we would be able to count on in dire times...and those dire times would be here sooner than we expected.