Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch [167]
“Things seemed a little quiet around here this afternoon,” Santos offers in the course of the conversation.
“It’s our custom here in Pineland,” replies Chissom, “to observe Rahaa between eleven a.m. and three p.m. During that time, the men are free to sleep, tend to their own needs, or meditate. It is a private time for us.”
Later, Tom Olin will ask his team leader, “How the hell are we going to train these guys if they all take four-hour naps in the middle of the day?”
“I don’t know,” Santos tells his team sergeant, “we’ll just have to figure out a way.”
During the course of that first afternoon and evening, Captain Santos works to engage Colonel Chissom, and Staff Sergeant Olin tries to go one-on-one with Sergeant Major Johnson. Sergeant Olin and Sergeant Major Johnson are able to work out some shared camp-duty and camp-security issues between the Gs and 915. Things seem to be moving forward as more of the Americans are invited to join the fire. Then there is a dustup between Olin and Johnson. One of the Americans began asking about how the guerrillas train. That prompted Johnson to ask Santos, Olin, and the others in 915 to leave the fire. It seems they had begun talking about training without first observing the Pineland custom of engaging in small talk before turning to business. This is considered bad form in Pineland.
“If you and your men are so anxious to work and train,” Colonel Chissom tells Santos, “then your men can take the camp security duty tonight and my men will sleep.”
It’s another tough night for 915. Half of them sleep while the other half man the three security outposts that guard the camp. Captain Santos and Sergeant Olin are constantly on the move, checking on sleepy soldiers in their security positions. As they go about their duties, they talk about the importance of building rapport and understanding these foreign fighters they are there to train.
The following morning, things are better as 915 and Gs take up camp chores. The guerrillas have been briefed to be a little standoffish and make the Special Forces candidates draw them out. Captain Santos does a quick inventory of the limited food stocks in the G base and proposes to Colonel Chissom that the Americans and his Gs pool their chow resources, and share-and-share alike. Colonel Chissom warms to this. On the advice of the ODA weapons sergeants, the camp security positions are repositioned to better protect the camp. Doc Kohl moves about, checking on the health of each of the guerrillas. He asks Sergeant Major Johnson if he can hold sick call for the Gs and, if there are any of his men who serve as medics, he would like to meet them. Andrew Kohl is proving to be a quick study in the by, with, and through art. Soon he has two Gs assigned to him. He doesn’t talk medicine, but asks them a lot of questions about Pineland and themselves. Later that morning, two Pineland fighters arrive at the G base and ask to see Colonel Chissom. Colonel Chissom greets them warmly, but later expresses his displeasure with Captain Santos. “Your security should have told me they were here before I had to meet with them.”
The two visitors, who will turn up periodically throughout the Robin Sage exercise, are a Colonel Merced and one of his lieutenants. They are, for want of a better