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。 A soldier in the field is most often a happy soldier。
〃Colonel Masterman； the answer to your question is； Yes。 Back to my original question。 How's readiness？〃
〃We're at about eighty…five percent；〃 2nd Brigade estimated。 〃Probably ninety or so for the artillery…〃
〃Thank you； Colonel； and I agree；〃 the colonel manding divisional artillery interjected。
〃But we all know how easy life is for the cannoncockers；〃 2nd Brigade added as a barb。
〃Aviation？〃 Diggs asked next。
〃Sir； my people are within three weeks of being at a hundred percent。 Fortunately； we don't squash anybody's corn when we're up practicing。 My only plaint is that it's too easy for my people to track tanks on the ground if they're road…bound； and a little more realistic practice wouldn't hurt； but； sir； I'll put my aviators up against anyone in this man's army； especially my Apache drivers。〃 The 〃snake〃 drivers enjoyed a diet of raw meat and human babies。 The problems they'd had in Yugoslavia a few years earlier had alarmed a lot of people； and the aviation munity had cleaned up its act with alacrity。
〃Okay； so you're all in pretty good shape； but you won't mind sharpening the edge up a little； eh？〃 Diggs asked； and got the nods he expected。 He'd read up on all his senior officers on the flight across the pond。 There was little in the way of dead wood here。 The Army had less trouble than the other services in holding on to good people。 The airlines didn't try to hire tank manders away from 1st Armored； though they were always trying to steal fighter and other pilots from the Air Force； and while police forces loved to hire experienced infantrymen； his division had only about fifteen hundred of them； which was the one structural weakness in an armored division： not enough people with rifles and bayonets。 An American tank division was superbly organized to take ground…to immolate everyone who happened to be on real estate they wanted…but not so well equipped to hold the ground they overran。 The United States Army had never been an army of conquest。 Indeed； its ethos has always been liberation； and part and parcel of that was the expectation that the people who lived there would be of assistance； or at least show gratitude for their deliverance； rather than hostility。 It was so much a part of the American military's history that its senior members rarely； if ever； thought about other possibilities。 Vietnam was too far in the past now。 Even Diggs had been too young for that conflict； and though he'd been told how lucky he was to have missed it； it was something he almost never thought about。 Vietnam had not been his war； and he didn't really want to know about light infantry in the jungle。 He was a cavalryman； and his idea of bat was tanks and Bradleys on open ground。
〃Okay； gentlemen。 I'll want to meet with all of you individually in the next few days。 Then I need to e out and see your outfits。 You will find that I'm a fairly easy guy to work for〃…by which he meant that he wasn't a screamer； as some general officers were； he demanded excellence as much as anyone else； but he didn't think ripping a man's head off in public was a good way to achieve it…〃and I know you're all pretty good。 In six months or less； I want this division ready to deal with anything that might e down the road。 I mean anything at all。〃
Who might that be； Colonel Masterman mused to himself； the Germans？ It might be a little harder to motivate the troops； given the total absence of a credible threat； but the sheer joy of soldiering was not all that much different from the kick associated with football。 For the right guy； it was just plain fun to play in the mud with the big toys； and after a while； they started wondering what the real thing might be like。 There was a leavening of troops in First Tanks from the 10th and 11th Cavalry Regiments who'd fought the previous year in Saudi Arabia； and like all soldiers； they told their stories。 But few of the stories were unhappy ones。 Mainly they expounded on how much like training it had been； and referred to their then…enemies as 〃poor； dumb raghead sunsabitches〃 who'd been； in the final analysis； unworthy of their steel。 But that just made them swagger a little more。 A winning war leaves only good memories for the most part； especially a short winning war。 Drinks would be hoisted； and the names of the lost would be invoked with sadness and respect； but the overall experience had not been a bad one for the soldiers involved。
It wasn't so much that soldiers lusted for bat； just that they often felt like football players who practiced hard but never actually got to play for points。 Intellectually； they knew that bat was the game of death； not football； but that was too theoretical for most of them。 The tankers fired their practice rounds； and if the pop…up targets were steel； there was the satisfaction of seeing sparks from the impact； but it wasn't quite the same as seeing the turret pop off the target atop a column of flame and smoke。。； and knowing that the lives of three or four people had been extinguished like a birthday…cake candle in front of a five…year…old。 The veterans of the Second Persian Gulf War did occasionally talk about what it was like to see the results of their handiwork； usually with a 〃Jesus； it was really something awful to see； bro；〃 but that was as far as it went。 For soldiers； killing wasn't really murder once you stepped back from it； they'd been the enemy； and both had played the game of death on the same playing field； and one side had won； and the other side had lost； and if you weren't willing to run that risk； well； don't put the uniform on； y'know？ Or； 〃Train better； asshole； cuz we be serious out here。〃 And that was the other reason soldiers liked to train。 It wasn't just interesting and fairly enjoyable hard work。 It was life insurance if the game ever started for real； and soldiers； like gamblers； like to hold good cards。
Diggs adjourned the meeting； waving for Colonel Masterman to stay behind。
〃Well； Duke？〃
〃I've been nosing around。 What I've seen is pretty good； sir。 Giusti is especially good； and he's always bitching about training time。 I like that。〃
〃So do I；〃 Diggs agreed at once。 〃What else？〃
〃Like the man said； artillery is in very good shape； and your maneuver brigades are doing okay； considering the lack of field time。 They might not like using the sims all that much； but they are making good use of them。 They're about twenty percent off where we were in the Tenth Cay down in the Negev playing with the Israelis； and that isn't bad at all。 Sir； you give me three or four months in the field； and they'll be ready to take on the world。〃
〃Well； Duke； I'll write you the check next week。 Got your plans ready？〃
〃Day after tomorrow。 I'm taking some helicopter rides to scout out the ground we can use and what we can't。 There's a German brigade says they're eager to play aggressor for us。〃
〃They any good？〃
〃They claim to be。 I guess we'll just have to see。 I remend we send Second Brigade out first。 They're a little sharper than the other two。 Colonel Lisle is our kind of colonel。〃
〃His package looks pretty good。 He'll get his star next go…round。〃
〃About right；〃 M