15 November 2002

Well, this is it. The Big Push.

Outnumbered and outgunned. Our only allies are halfwits and incompetents who keep changing their plan of attack. Our equipment is half jurry-rigged. Our orders remain unchanged.

At least the commander has the sense to stay mostly out of the way and let us grunts get on with the job.

I've been in tighter spots and uglier situations before.

There was the time some years ago, when I was with another company, that my partner and I were up until the small hours of morning, building a trench and praying the adversary would be blind. The worst part of that was suspicion and hostility of the man who's hired us. No one trusts mercenaries, but that man hated us. (I have his name in my files, though: I'll never work for him again.)

My first year with this company, with a new partner and a new squad, we put in some long, hard hours trying to please a customer who couldn't - or wouldn't - tell us what they wanted. (I hate working for committees.) We conquered mountains. We built fortifications. We had, if not the best security money could buy, then at least the best security their money could buy. We won some decisive battles, but in the end, the money ran out and we walked off the field before the opponent ever showed up.

Early last year, my partner and I nearly broke ourselves, taking the territory we'd been assigned. The damn place was full of mines and pitfalls, bridges that would collapse when we were half across and roads that would wash out in the least drizzle. I was the squad leader then, but it didn't make much difference. In the end, I wound up fighting with the commander about the lack of supply and the shitty communications. He put someone else in charge and sent me on to another assignment. No promotion for me that year.

My partner isn't with me on this assignment. He was on furlough when the orders came. Still, I like this squad, and we're the best at what we do. Chris digs his tunnels a little tight and these fantastically confusing mazes - but they're solid. Ted's a wizard on the wires. If it's communications you want, Ted's your man. I do blinders and strategy, and trust Ted and Chris to get it implemented.

And, as I said, the commander only gets in our way when he has to. Money issues. Occasional inspections and parades, but not so many that they've gotten in the way of the job.

This is the Big Push. Job's got to be done by the time we leave tonight, or our weekend leave will get cancelled.

But I've got a good feeling about it. This one will be all right. I can tell. I've been in these places before. I'm a veteran.

(This month's On Display topic is: veterans.)

--Liz