In The Line Of Sight

Basic Training

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. - Winston Churchill

The beds were hard and the food tasted like dirty water but nevertheless I had arrived at basic training in a room filled with cots and soldiers. I had stared restlessly at the bottom of the cot above me that night and let my mind wander. What had my life been composed of until that day? Could I really expect to believe that my little brother, Bertie is dead?

The youth to my left began to snore like a fat buffalo filling the void of silence like water. My trail of thought vanished and I embraced the slumber engulfing my being. The last few days of training had been rough on camp but I had managed to get a wrap on things. I heard that there was a new commander in town recruiting for the fighter pilot squadron, I thought nothing of it. Only the fittest and finest soldiers are put forward to flying planes and I had many imperfections that would handicap me from the role.

The next morning I was awoken by the sound of a trumpet and the brash discipline of our drill sergeant. He had fought in the First World War and had half his face melted by an exploding tank. However, this explosion to only broke his features on his outside but also broke any hint of a sense of homer left in him. He had lived life the hard way, and he was willing to remind us daily.

“Get up you lazy piece of work before I have you wiping everyone’s boots with saliva and a toothbrush!” He had screamed in my dazed face.  I didn’t like the sound of that. I followed orders and made up my cot before getting change. We had to have intense physical training to mould us into the roles of soldiers.

As I have said before, I was very fit for an everyday man and the training only helped to develop my muscled stature, I was very proud at the way in which the contours of muscle etched my body. On one eerie day there was a thunderstorm that drenched the training fields with a layer of grimy mud. Our sergeant thought it would be a perfect time to dig trenched and simulate a real battle. We fired blanks and threw dummy grenades. Throughout the battle I was in charge of a small squad that managed to rig up the enemy trench and win the battle. At the end of the day I was approached by a man in a tidy green uniform. He had a bird badge attached to his chest and a smile stretching his features.

 

“Hi there, my name is Captain Finch and I am the leader of the fighter airborne division. After having carefully assessed your progress lately through basic training we were willing to give you the option of joining us as a fighter pilot or becoming a mere foot soldier.” It was an irresistible offer, one that I gladly accepted wholeheartedly. “You will be taken up to our airstrip at the end of your training; we look forward to seeing you there.” I shook his hand and turned to leave “Hey Red! You made the right decision!”