Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch [183]
The next morning, it’s camp chores, cleanup, and demobilization of the guerrilla force. The former guerrillas are given a bonus of 3,000 don for their service and an honorable discharge from the Pineland resistance force. Captain Santos thanks and praises them in a short ceremony. Each former G is also given a commendation for his patriotic contribution to the future of Pineland. Real world, Captain Childers will write an official letter of commendation for Sergeant Major Johnson, now once again a sergeant first class. Doc Kohl gives them a quick mustering-out physical, and that afternoon, two big four-by-four trucks collect them for the trip back to Fort Bragg. It’s like the last day of scout camp, and there are some bittersweet farewells between the Americans and their Gs. Several of the former Pineland guerrillas told me that when they get back to their units, they’ll start the process that will get them to SFAS. For the Americans left at the G base, there are civil-affairs projects that amount to trucking around to the various target locations and safe houses to clean up any debris or trash left from the training. Phase IV and Robin Sage are essentially over, and while they get a full night’s sleep, two men on rotation are awake at all times and on watch. Colonel Chissom turns in early. The following day, he is up early, supervising the final cleanup and breakdown of the base.
“Good luck and God Bless,” he says to 915 as he shakes each man’s hand. “When you get to the fight, remember what you learned here and make us proud.”
Nine-one-five rucks up for the final time. The men are loaded, but not quite as heavy as they were when they parachuted into Pineland two weeks ago. Captain Santos leads them up to a clearing above their G base, where a truck will soon collect them and take them back to Camp Mackall. They’re a tired bunch of soldiers, but there is a look of achievement in their eyes. “By God, it’s over, and we did it,” I hear more than once. They dump their rucks and wait for the truck. I find Miguel Santos, who is speaking quietly with First Lieutenant Patrick Kwele.
“So what’s next?” I ask them.
“I will attend an advanced school here at Fort Bragg,” Kwele says with his precise diction, “and then I will return to Botswana and take up my duties. When I return, I will become commander of one of our scout companies.”
“I’ll go directly to 7th Group,” Miguel Santos says. “I attended SERE school before my last deployment, and I think that’ll allow me to validate the Special Forces SERE requirement.” As a Spanish speaker, he has already validated his Special Forces language requirement. “But first, I’ve a couple weeks of leave on the books. That’ll give me a chance to get to know my new daughter.”
“From Robin Sage to two a.m. feedings and changing diapers?”
“You got that right, sir,” he says with a big grin, “and I can’t wait.”
Phase IV Class 2-05 is all but done. Back at the Rowe Training Facility, there’s the now-familiar equipment inventory, equipment overhaul, and equipment turn-in. The radios, night-vision goggles, GPSs, and other sensitive items have to be accounted for and made ready for Class 3-05. Throughout the phase and after every major evolution, these items were inventoried. Now, 915 makes this accounting for the last time. There are course critiques and a final round of peer evaluations. There are general counseling sessions and lengthy individual counseling sessions. Captain Childers and Sergeant Blackman sit with each man for a candid assessment of his strengths and weaknesses; those areas in which he performed well and those areas in which he can improve.
“How’d it go?” I ask Miguel Santos after his meeting with his cadre mentors.
“All right,” he says with a tired smile. “They were more generous then than I thought they might be, but they certainly didn’t hesitate to talk about my shortcomings.