10: Natalie

Natalie

 

 

          There was a dull roar from within the battalion auditorium which had been filled to capacity with dull brown folding chairs. At the center of the room a projector screen hung down and offset to the left of it was the flag stand. A blue flag with a gold sphinx atop a crossing key and lightning bolt was posted along with the American Colors. Under the sphinx on a scroll read: ALWAYS OUT FRONT. Officers lingered near the doorways and walls, conversing with one another quietly while NCOs floated about, too anxious to sit. Amongst the junior enlisted there was a palpable silence. Many had very recently graduated AIT and didn't expect to be thrown into such a dire situation only weeks after they arrived to their first duty station. Natalie could relate. The initial attack had begun just over twenty-four hours ago and she hadn't slept since. The entire post had become a madhouse of conflicting instructions from officers and NCOs, miscommunication, and general confusion. It had taken a few hours for everyone to somewhat be on a similar page. The higher echelons of command had handled the bulk of the information thus far, but this battalion briefing was about to lift the curtain on many of the questions that were being asked. It was the first time they would receive any type of official reports since the beginning of the foreign assault.

          Natalie sipped from her water bottle, more out of apprehension and anxiety than a thirst. She hated waiting. The longer she sat there waiting to hear what was actually going on, the more the hard metal of the chair seemed to gnaw at her a*s and tailbone. Most of the cell lines were unserviceable and 4G internet was too sluggish to be practical. News stations were inconsistent and offered more speculation than fact. Much of the eastern seaboard remained black as far as information went. She couldn't even get a hold of her mother to let her know that she was okay.

          "Attention!"

          The room silenced at once except for the screech of metal chair legs on tile as every soldier in the room stood for the Battalion Commander. Lieutenant Colonel Sullivan entered the room with Command Sergeant Major DeJesus. The thin, gaunt-faced colonel waved his hand impatiently. "Sit down, soldiers." They obliged. "Formally, this is a very quick briefing on the events that have transpired in the last twenty-four hours. The command and staff have worked tirelessly to acquire all the information we could and obtain a mission objective based upon the situation and the broader mission of Military Intelligence. Informally," his voice lost some of its stern tone, "we're working with the best we've got right now and it ain't much. I'm directing this at every single soldier in this room. From company commanders to brand new privates. What this nation desperately needs now is ingenuity, courage, and the will to face adversity and withstand it. We've been sucker punched and are staggering to regain our balance, but now it's time to wipe the blood from our mouths and show Ivan that he made a mistake not knocking us out with the first blow."

          A loud and thunderous "Hooah" sounded from every soldier in the room, and the thinnest hint of a satisfied grin flashed over the Battalion Commander's face. "Sergeant Major, go ahead and get the briefing slides ready."

          The projector came to life, displaying a blue welcome screen as it booted up. The screen flicked a few times before showing an enlarged desktop screen with a cursor that was clicking on a file within the USB storage device that had been inserted in the computer. A PowerPoint presentation appeared and the sergeant at the computer set it to full screen.

          "On twenty-nine November at twenty-one-thirty-eight, the Russian Federation detonated fourteen non-nuclear ElectroMagnetic Pulse devices above major U.S. regions of population and military presence. The explosions created wide blasts of EMP which eliminated all electronics in those regions, military and civilian. An assault force consisting of the Russian Federation and their allies waited just out of range of the effects, and once the east coast was blind, they executed their invasion. As of current intelligence, the cities of New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Baltimore, Maryland; Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, Florida are considered occupied. We have reason to believe the cities of Miami, Florida; Atlanta Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Washington D.C. are still offering heavy resistance to the invaders. Evacuation of these cities is underway by each State's respective National Guard units while all Reserve units are now active. Army, Air Force, Marine, and Coast Guard non-combat vehicles along with all city buses have all been dispatched with combat escort to major populous centers to assist in the exodus. Cities directly affected by the EMP attacks will take longer to evacuate as their own vehicles are no longer operational. I know many of you have family in these areas, and I assure you that we are doing all we can to get the civilian population to safety, but I urge those of you who are worried to leave your focus on the mission at hand. You won't do your family any good by neglecting your job to worry about things that are beyond your control here. Next slide, please."

          A satellite image of the Northeast appeared. "The assault force in the Northeast has been slowed by snow storms, but not halted. The Russians are equipped and trained for cold, northern combat. Several units operating out of Siberia have been identified in this region, and I hate to say it, but these b******s know what they're doing. Their Naval power off the coasts of Manhattan and Boston are protected by submarines, aircraft, and sophisticated anti-air weaponry. Boston is one of the three major supply junctions being used by the Russian Navy with assistance from the Pakistani Air Force. Baltimore and Savannah are the other two, with others being established in Miami and Charleston. There is naval presence elsewhere along the coast but not nearly to the same scale or with the same protection, and our own Air Force and Navy have been hitting them hard." He nodded to the sergeant at the computer and the slide show progressed.

          "There have been small strike forces, paratroopers and Spetsnaz mainly that have infiltrated ports on the West Coast. Rather than try and seize the whole port, they mainly have been stealing cargo vessels and presumably trying to get them back to Russia's east coast to fill with raw materials or supplies. Reports have also indicated that many of Russia's allies have offered their Navies to assist in the transportation of material to the front. However, there remains a bit of good news. China remains out of the conflict for the time being, neither encouraging nor condemning Russia's actions. I'm sure they don't want to jeopardize their relationship with their biggest costumer. This morning Congress declared war on every nation confirmed to be assisting Russia in this campaign, including Croatia, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia, Serbia, Estonia, and Pakistan. So far Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and France have all declared war on the same."

          "Holy s**t," someone whispered. Rather than be chastised, the anonymous outburst received several murmurs of agreement.

          "Their motive, we speculate," the Colonel paused. "The terror attacks in Moscow are being pinned on the United States. As I'm sure many of you have seen on the news if you've even bothered to look, the President and Secretary of State are making absolutely no progress with negotiations with the Russian Federation. But make no mistake, soldiers, if the U.S. suits couldn't drive them back into the sea, then you best be damn sure the U.S. uniforms will!"

          "Hooah!" the room roared.

          "We are all about to get very busy. That's all I have to give out to you, like I said. It wasn't much. Company Commanders, remain here for further instruction on our new mission objectives and the directives I'll be putting out to you. It's going to be a long night."

          Company first sergeants emerged from the back of the room, calling out for their respective companies to get on their feet. There was a clatter and screech of chairs as soldiers rose to leave the building. First sergeants, platoon sergeants, and squad leaders were all trying to keep accountability as a massive cluster formed at the exits. Commands were barked to form up outside the building, but amidst all the noise many were drowned out. Natalie stood, her chest heaving and moisture perspiring on her palms. It didn't feel like that was all the information they had. It was so basic and vague; she didn't like being in the dark. Especially for something of this unprecedented magnitude. Even amongst the soldiers, she felt very small and helpless. Before, the Army had just been a job, hardly different than a traditional nine-to-five. Maybe other people didn't necessarily have to wake up to be in formation for PT at six in the morning, but other than that it was just a regular job with regular hours. She didn't realize it would become so much more. Now she was a part of something that could change everything.

          No, it already had.

          The weight of it rest upon her shoulders. She looked to her left, her right, and saw dozens of faces, all vastly different, yet each wore the same patch upon their right shoulder. A single small patch that unified her to them in a way few things could. Natalie looked down and lightly touched her fingertips to the American flag velcroed to her arm and felt a breath of comfort. Everyone around her bore the same weight, the same uncertainty, the same responsibility if not more.

          But there was one truth amidst the thick shroud of ambivalence. Whatever may come, she was not alone.