Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

First Impressions

Charlie Company Area
15th Forward Support Battalion
Fort Hood, Texas
CONUS
13 September, 1991
0800 Hours

I stood under the stairs, next to the soda machines, watching Charlie Company form up into their small formations. Nobody who saw me paid much attention to me, and why should they? I was just some female soldier in her early 20's, fat and shapeless in woodland Battle Dress Uniform, standing in the shadows smoking a cigarette and watching everyone form up.

They gaggled around, milling about, but five minutes before zero-eight-hundred they all quickly gathered up under the cover of the building, staying out of the warm Texas rain. I rolled the cherry and remaining tobacco out of my smoke, toed it out, and shoved the stripped butt into my pocket. I sighed, adjusted my soft-cap, and put on my sunglasses.

Nobody noticed as I walked up to the rear of the formation and went to attention. To the right of me were three lieutenants, two of them Second Lieutenants, derogatorily referred to as "Butterbars", one in charge of Treatment Platoon, the other in charge of Ambulance Platoon, and then the 1st Lieutenant, who was the Company XO.

The First Sergeant, in both rank and position, took his place in front of the unit, facing all of us. Behind him stood Captain Jane, an earnest looking woman who had taken over the unit two months prior. Rumor control said she either a lesbian or was just an ice queen. The same rumors went around about me, but unlike Captain Jane, I didn't care one way or another.

I was beyond such petty bullshit.

"Company, attention!" The First Sergeant called out, right on time. The enlisted snapped to attention. "Report."

"Ambulance Platoon, all present and accounted for," A Staff Sergeant called out.

"Treatment Platoon, all present and accounted for," A Sergeant First Class snapped.

The First Sergeant executed an about face, saluted Captain Jane. "Charlie Company, present and accounted for, Ma'am."

Captain Jane stepped up, moving in front of First Sergeant Ramirez. "At ease," She called out. We all dutifully slid our feet to shoulder length apart and put our hands behind our backs, our knuckles touching where our belt was under our BDU tops.

"First of all, let's all give a Charlie Company welcome to Chief Warrant Officer Cromwell," She said, smiling and waving at the rear of the formation.

Everyone turned, clapping, and looked at me. I just stared back, my face expressionless where it wasn't hidden by the sunglasses. The clapping petered out sadly, and everyone looked back at Captain Jane.

"Chief Cromwell has recently joined us from Europe, having been sent here after her unit was disbanded as part of the European draw down. She'll be replacing Lieutenant Trace as Training OIC," Captain Jane said. She opened her mouth, then frowned as she realized she didn't know anything else about me. She immediately brightened up and waved to me to join her at the front of the formation. "Come on up, Chief, say a few words to the company."

I sighed inside, reaching inside my BDU pocket and digging out my cigarettes. I saw a few of the NCO's and enlisted frown as I shook out a Camel and held it between my lips, lighting it just as I reached the front of the unit. I put the lighter away, exhaled smoke, and stared at them all.

Two platoons. Eight squads total. Fifty two soldiers at maximum strength. Ten NCO's, counting the First Sergeant, four officers, counting me, thirty eight enlisted divided among the squads. First squad of Ambulance Platoon was the largest, with ten members, but dedicated to running the office and phones of the Company, as well as acting as a driver whenever an officer needed someone to drive them somewhere. Seven squads divided up the last of them, with four men each.