U.S. Air Force 16th Airlift squadron C-17A Globemaster III
5,000 feet ASL
En route to Semisphere International Airport
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A single C-17 Globemaster was en-route to the Semisphere.
It is part of the American "Home Grown" logistical doctrine, using entirely domestic assets to feed its tankery team with fresh ammo, materiel, and sometimes personnel.
As a superpower with a worldwide presence, the United States military features a robust logistics system, from the perspective of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and F.T.P. Top Brass, using live logistical support would minimize risk of sabotaging ordinance or vehicle parts.
Another useful service is shipping in fresh personnel, which could replace fatigued or injured F.T.P. personnel from the last fight. Wellness checks were issued to each member post-match and their own respective actions were closely monitored. Getting into the F.T.P, itself, let alone into the adult national tankery leagues was an achievement which couldn't be achieved without competence and ample patriotism. So spies or potential traitors were less of a concern than actually having a worse or underperforming member of the team.
Military Airborne Logistics would provide constant readiness to air transport units and decrease security threats, it was a winning formula for the Top Brass.
This particular C-17 was carrying special cargo however, as it was the last to leave from that day's supply shipment.
"This is Globemaster three-six-four inbound to Semisphere we have high value cargo aboard, requesting priority permission to land"
"Globemaster three-six-four cleared to land on runway seven-six. Clear of traffic."
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On the Ground
After landing, the C-17 Navigated off of runway 76, and made for the taxiway.
Runway 76 was one of the runways at the Semisphere's U.S. Airport.
Each country has its own airport around the Semisphere, Russia had an airport, China had an airport, Japan had an airport, Germany had one, they usually be used to land spectators or fans to go visit the Semisphere for tankery matches, or to go see what luxurious attractions this international megastructure had to offer.
The American airport (which was named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower) was the only major outlier, as it was the only airport in the whole vicinity that utilized military assets, such as C-17 and C-5 transport aircraft.
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The C-17 parked after being guided to one of the two hundred heavy airlift lots at the colossal aircraft ramp.
An Oshkosh M1280 JLTV entered through the terminal, meeting the C-17 at its newfound berth.
The JLTV screeched to a halt as the C-17 stopped moving into its covered hangar, firmly inside of the Semisphere's structure.
The Armored door of the JLTV opened, and a figure clad in a Olive-Drab uniform stepped out,
By now, the C-17 had its ramp lowered and was offloading cargo, which would soon feed the American tankery war machine.
Personnel were buzzing everywhere in the hangar, offloading fresh ammunition, running gear wheels, track links, spare barrels, fresh and factory-fresh engine blocks and transmissions as well. Loading them onto large supply trucks, and ferrying the supplies via on 16-lane highway for 20 miles to the Semisphere proper.
The C-17s loadmaster was helping the supply offloading process and trying to streamline the effort.
The Olive Drab clothed figure walked up to the loadmaster.
"Loadmaster? Do you have the exchange cadets?" The figure said, trying to get his attention
This took the Loadmaster by surprise.
"Oh yes... just wait." The loadmaster said.
"HEY! GET THE KIDS DOWN HERE!" The Loadmaster bellowed.
Three cadets in freshly made uniforms walked out of the C-17, with one of the pilots leading them out.
"I presume we are all under your jurisdiction now?" One of the three kids said, in a thick accent.
"Sergeant Leovel from Sweden?" The Olive Drab figure said.
"Yep, that's me. Sweden most recently signed into NATO, so I guess I was donated, heheh."
"Sergeant Chokun from Thailand?"
"Present"
"And Sergeant Susilo from Indonesia."
"Here"
"You two Asian kids are from the Pacific Allies Administration?"
"Yes" both Susilo and Chokun said.
"None of y'all's countries had any tankery teams in the first place, so they dumped you with us.
"Luckily no one fell off the plane in transit. I am Master Sergeant Davis, I was sent to pick your sorry a##es up, so please get in, the baby's unlocked" Davis said, hitting the JLTV on the side with his hand.
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Approximately 30 minutes of driving later
"Sure am glad this AC works, the Humvee was a nightmare" Davis said under his breath.
The three internationals were too busy staring out of the JLTV's bulletproof glass windows at the sheer massive size of the Semisphere, it was traveling across a straight road through the thick shell of the nigh-fictitious sized structure, before being let inside of the Semisphere proper.
Since the Semisphere highway was mostly used for civilians, the second they got in, on the cylindrical glass roof above the highway, they were hit with advertisements for food, drinks, clothes, restaurants, toys, in whatever brand you could possibly name, American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, European. It was like driving through an enormous f-you sized mall.
It was so clean, the smooth-flowing white lines looked like this building was something from a science-fiction movie, and the roads were made of metal rather than pavement, and inclined at a slight angle, sending the convoy of military vehicles further into the megastructure.
Master Sargent Davis had likely passed through this area many times, because he didn't exactly care that much.
Just then there was an exit from the highway, with the words "Tankery Team Vehicle entrance Bay 04"
"That's us" Davis said, taking the exit.
Davis took the exit, the JLTV and a few other U.S. Military vehicles loaded with supplies took the same route.
The exit split off into a tunnel. The flashy and clean lines of the Semisphere dampened into long, imposing industrial grey corridors.
After going through the tunnel, Master Sergeant Davis arrived at ten Tankery team bay 4, and immediately were greeted with the sight of the U.S. flag draped over the entrance road, with a barrier guarded by two men who had the words "Military Police" on plate carriers, both with visible guns.
The place had a heavy feeling to it, this place definitely felt like a full scale military installation.
Upon getting closer, Davis handed a slip of paper to the MPs, and they let him through, granting Davis and the three internationals access to the United States Tankery bay.
The facility opened up
The walls were covered with posters, usually featuring Uncle Sam and patriotic colors.
Cadets were out doing runs while in full gear, maintaining their maximum physical performance.
It was like a miniature military themed city, just complete underground, with a metal roof over everything.
The JLTV was on a place the local cadets called "Boardwalk" which was the main road through the installation, there were restaurants, however, basically every restaurant had patriotic slogans and always said that they were proud sponsors of the F.T.P.
For example; "McDonald's Proud Sponsor of the Future Tanker's Program"
As for shops, there was the PX, which is the Army wing of the Exchange store. It was a general purpose store that sold most of what you'd expect from a Walmart or Target, with a few Semisphere specific souvenirs, for any guests or family members of the cadets present at the campus.
For groceries, there was the local commissary, which was a food only store, although the majority of cadets ate at the mess hall, which served three meals a day from professional cooks. Either there or at the local restaurants if they had some cash to burn.
There were all of the civilian name brand stores up in the civilian section of the Semisphere.
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Mess hall
Dinner Menu:
*Hot Dogs with Mustard and Ketchup
*All-American Beef Cheeseburgers
*Boneless Chicken Wings
*French Fries
*Chocolate Sundae with Brownie Chunks "Victory Snack"
*Freedom Swirl Sno-Cone
Davis parked the JLTV, outside of the mess hall.
"Dismount." Davis said.
All of the students got off.
"Alright boys, this is where you get grub after the day is done. They're serving the Victory Snacks today because we kicked Communist a## today, no thanks to any of you. So go on in, don't stare at anyone, and enjoy getting some victory grub that we worked for."
Leovel, Chokun and Susilo all formed up into a line, and followed Davis in.
Instantly the atmosphere loosened, and was an image of absolute chaos.
Inside, the cadets had practically lost themselves with celebration, Metallica was blasting from the boombox in the corner.
"TO US!" Someone shouted, raising a chocolate sundae into the air, instantly getting smashed in the face with a glass of lemonade for no apparent reason, likely by accident.
Chokun, Leovel, and Susilo all stared at the scene ahead of them.
"Wow. So much for discipline" Leovel said
One guy was doing a handstand on a table, with all the other F.T.P. Personnel cheering him on for how long he can hold the handstand.
The next track came on the boombox
(Censor protocols in effect)
Everyone sang along.
"MERICA! F### YEAH!" Everyone shouted.
"Scuze me guys" a person said from behind Leovel.
"Oh sure. Wait..." Leovel said
That person behind Leovel was none other than Carm himself, the students could tell, he was more searched the Elon musk on Google.
"Gotta quiet down the place real quick. Might wanna leave." Carm said.
"CADETS AT ATTEEEEEEEENTION!!" Carm roared.
Everyone froze
"Were f###ed!" Someone shouted.
And then IMMEDIATELY, everyone quit what they were doing, and stood straight like they were statues.
Someone clicked the radio off.
"Let's go!" Leovel said, quietly,
"Good idea" Chokun said
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