Army Strong II- Through Hell & Back

1) Drill Sergeant

-My name's Elisabeth Jones. Just Ellie for friends. For you, I'm Sergeant Jones.-I said, standing tall in front of a group of kids, soon to become my team. I couldn't help but remember when it was me in their shoes.- Today is the first day of your new life.-I walked among them, looking at each and every single one of them, absorbing their energy, their insecurities, their weak spots, everything I could.- From today on, I'm gonna strip you out of everything you thought you knew. I'm gonna break you, bring you to your motherfucking knees.-I stopped in front of this kid. He seemed especially nervous. I looked him in the eyes, but he kept looking straight forward.-I'm gonna destroy you in every way I can.-He swallowed and cleared his voice. I kept on walking.-And then, when there's nothing left of you, I'm gonna build you up.-I went back to the front of the group.-I'm gonna turn you chickens into killing machines. I'm gonna make you invincible. I'm gonna make you great. 

Things were a little bit different than I was expecting. An old back injury saved me from being shipped back to that shithole. Well, it didn't exactly save me. It only made the inevitable take a little longer. My fate was sealed, but for now, fate would have to wait. They made a Sergeant out of me and sent me far away from home, far away from any means I could use to expose the truth. They gave me a whole bunch of kids to train in a base in the middle of nowhere. I received direct orders from the President. This would be my team. These kids I was training were gonna be my new team in that Hell we call war. I had no other chance but to make them the best. 

I had 14 kids in my hands. In the end there would only be 3. I decided this time, instead of a big specialized team, I wanted a small does-it-all team. I wanted to be able to know exactly what to expect from my soon to be team mates in each and every situation. I would probably have enough wolves aiming to bite my neck. I needed lions protecting  me, not more wolves to worry about. 

-Alright, ladies!-I smiled to them.-We've talked the talk. Let's walk the walk!- I walked outside, they followed.- What a beautiful day!-It was raining cats and dogs, the sky was as grey as it gets and the wind was strong, chilling the shit out of my bones.- First to stop is out.-I started running. They followed. 

We ran for hours. The rythm wasn't sprint but it wasn't exactly turtle speed. It was somewhere in between. Those kids were special. You see, their tests were different. They didn't just apply for the army. They applied to my fast intervention team, which meant their tests were way more specific and way harder than just army tests. Those kids were the best you can get, physically. 

After about 3 hours and 115 laps around the base, the ceiling started cracking. Some started staying behind, so I went from the front of the pack to the end.

-What's your name soldier?-I addressed this kid who was falling behind, trying to control my breathing, trying to hide that I myself was starting to get tired.

-Louis, ma'am.-He answered, breathless.-Louis Miller. 

-Alright, Miller. Do you see where your teammates are?-A thick fog had showed up in the last hour and it kept getting worse. You couldn't see more than 5 meters ahead of you. 

-No, ma'am.

-No ma'am, what?!-I screamed at him.

-No, ma'am, I can't see my partners. 

-The power is in the pack, Miller. A lone wolf is a dead wolf. You have...-I looked at my watch.-About 30 seconds to find your team.-He looked at me, as if he was begging me to let it pass this time.-The clock is ticking Miller.-He tried to speed up his pace but exhaustion had consumed him. That kid wasn't going anywhere even if he wanted to. He fell to the ground in pain. One of those muscular cramps got to his right leg and he couldn't move. He was laying on the ground, moaning. I bent down besides him and shook my head.-Time's up, Miller.