按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
to load up their equipment and move out。 All that force … and it was a whole shitload of force； Diggs reflected … had been part of NATO's mitment to defend Western Europe from a country called the Soviet Union and its mirror…image Warsaw Pact； huge formations whose objective was the Bay of Biscay； or so the operations and intelligence officers in Mons； Belgium； had always thought。 And quite a clash it would have been。 Who would have won？ Probably NATO； Diggs thought； depending on political interference； and mand skills on both sides of the equation。
But； now； the Soviet Union was no more。 And with it was also gone the need for the presence of V and VII Corps in Western Germany； and so； 1st Armored was about the only vestige left of what had once been a vast and powerful force。 Even the cavalry regiments were gone； the 11th to be the OpFor … 〃opposing force；〃 or Bad Guys … at the National Training Center and the 2nd 〃Dragoon〃 Regiment essentially disarmed at Fort Polk； Louisiana； trying to make up new doctrine for weaponless troopers。 That left Old Ironsides； somewhat reduced in size from its halcyon days； but still a formidable force。 Exactly whom Diggs might fight in the event hostilities sprang unexpectedly from the ground； he had no idea at the moment。
That； of course； was the job of his G…2 Intelligence Officer； Lieutenant Colonel Tom Richmond； and training for it was the problem assigned to his G…3 Operations Officer； Colonel Duke Masterman； whom Diggs had dragged kicking and screaming from the Pentagon。 It was not exactly unknown in the United States Army for a senior officer to collect about him younger men whom he'd gotten to know on the way up。 It was his job to look after their careers； and their jobs to take care of their mentor … called a 〃rabbi〃 in the NYPD or a 〃Sea Daddy〃 in the United States Navy … in a relationship that was more father/son than anything else。 Neither Diggs nor Richmond nor Masterman expected much more than interesting professional time in the 1st Armored Division； and that was more than enough。 They'd seen the elephant … a phrase that went back in the United States Army to the Civil War to denote active participation in bat operations … and killing people with modern weapons wasn't exactly a trip to Disney World。 A quiet term of training and sand…table exercises would be plenty； they all thought。 Besides； the beer was pretty good in Germany。
〃Well； Mary； it's all yours；〃 outgoing Major General （promotable） Sam Goodnight said after his formal salute。 〃Mary〃 was a nickname for Diggs that went back to West Point； and he was long since past getting mad about it。 But only officers senior to him could use that moniker； and there weren't all that many of them anymore； were there？
〃Sam； looks like you have the kids trained up pretty well；〃 Diggs told the man he'd just relieved。
〃I'm especially pleased with my helicopter troops。 After the hoo…rah with the Apaches down in Yugoslavia； we decided to get those people up to speed。 It took three months； but they're ready to eat raw lion now … after they kill the fuckers with their pocket knives。〃
〃Who's the boss rotor…head？〃
〃Colonel Dick Boyle。 You'll meet him in a few minutes。 He's been there and done that； and he knows how to run his mand。〃
〃Nice to know；〃 Diggs allowed； as they boarded the World War II mand car to troop the line； a goodbye ride for Sam Goodnight and wele for Mary Diggs； whose service reputation was as one tough little black son of a bitch。 His doctorate in management from the University of Minnesota didn't seem to count； except to promotion boards； and whatever private pany might want to hire him after retirement； a possibility he had to consider from time to time now； though he figured two stars were only about half of what he had ing。 Diggs had fought in two wars and ported himself well in both cases。 There were many ways to make a career in the armed services； but none so effective as successful mand on the field of battle； because when you got down to it； the Army was about killing people and breaking things as efficiently as possible。 It wasn't fun； but it was occasionally necessary。 You couldn't allow yourself to lose sight of that。 You trained your soldiers so that if they woke up the next morning in a war； they'd know what to do and how to go about it； whether their officers were around to tell them or not。
〃How about artillery？〃 Diggs asked； as they drove past the assembled self…propelled 155…mm howitzers。
〃Not a problem there； Mary。 In fact； no problems anywhere。 Your brigade manders all were there in 1991； mainly as pany manders or battalion S…3s。 Your battalion manders were almost all platoon leaders or pany XOs。 They're pretty well trained up。 You'll see；〃 Goodnight promised。
Diggs knew it would all be true。 Sam Goodnight was a Major General （promotable）； which meant he was going to get star number three as soon as the United States Senate got around to approving the next bill with all the flag officers on it； and that couldn't be rushed。 Even the President couldn't do that。 Diggs had screened for his second star six months earlier； just before leaving Fort Irwin； to spend a few months parked in the Pentagon … an abbreviated 〃jointness〃 tour； as it was called…before moving back to Germany。 The division was slated to run a major exercise against the Bundeswehr in three weeks。 First AD vs。 four German brigades； two tanks； two mechanized infantry； and that promised to be major test of the division。 Well； that was something for Colonel Masterman to worry about。 It was his neck on the line。 Duke had e to Germany a week early to meet with his also…outgoing predecessor as divisional operations officer and go over the exercise's rules and assumptions。 The German mander in the exercise was Generalmajor Siegfried Model。 Siggy； as he was known to his colleagues； was descended from a pretty good Wehrmacht mander from the old…old days； and it was also said of him that he regretted the fall of the USSR； because part of him wanted to take the Russian Army on and rape it。 Well； such things had been said about a lot of German； and a few American senior officers as well； and in nearly every case it was just that … talk； because nobody who'd seen one battlefield ever yearned to see another。
Of course； Diggs thought； there weren't many Germans left who had ever seen a battlefield。
〃They look good； Sam；〃 Diggs said； as they passed the last static display。
〃It's a hell of a tough job to leave； Marion。 Damn。〃 The man was starting to fight back tears； which was one way of telling who the really tough ones were in this line of work； Diggs knew。 Walking away from the mand of soldiers was like leaving your kid in the hospital； or maybe even harder。 They'd all been Sam's kids； and now they would be his kids； Diggs thought。 On first inspection； they looked healthy and smart enough。
Yeah； Arnie；〃 President Ryan said。 His voice betrayed his emotions more than a growl or a shout could have。
〃Nobody ever said the job was fun； Jack。 Hell； I don't know why you're plaining。 You don't have to schmooze people to raise money for your reelection campaign； do you？ You don't have to kiss ass。 All you have to do is