Herophine - Short Stories

Deployed With Purpose

Song recommendation for this chapter is Jack Savoretti - Soldiers Eyes ❤️

'Staff Sergeant Tiffin, all kit checks have been completed, the troops are ready for disembarkment when you give the order' the young Corpral states as he proudly smiles at me with an eagerness I can remember having myself a few years ago, that will soon change for him to. I'm certain of it. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I have worked hard to rise through the ranks, finally becoming a Staff Sergeant which for now is a great achievement at the tender age of 25. A promotion I'm enjoying throughly but with good comes the bad and there are only so many times you can exude enthusiasm when you are about to be shipped off to fight someone else's war under her majesty's orders.

Today's deployment day, the day that has been looming in the background for weeks, mixed emotions about this tour is an understatement to say the least. I've spent copious amounts of hours preparing my troops for this, waking them during the night with drill calls to give them the skills they will be sure to need and use whilst out there, exhausting PT sessions to get them field fit and on top of their game. Infact I have been extra tough on these guys knowing from experience that our destination is no fucking holiday camp, they will experience one of the toughest times of their lives out there. This is my 4th tour, the thought of returning is unsettling. I've seen torturous scenes unfold in that hell hole, enough to make any grown man sob until his body is dry of any liquid left to leave his eyes. Things you can't forget with time or begin to work through when you are called again to rejoin the battle.

I have that uneasy feeling deep within me as I give him a nod to acknowledge his words, I have the pleasure of watching my guys saying good bye to their loved ones as I stand on the sidelines hoping and silently praying they all make it home to their families. My job is to ensure they do, a responsibility I take very seriously but I can only do so much. I can't shadow every man in my troop during the operation unfortunately. I on the other hand don't dwell on this part of the routine due to having a family meal with my folks and siblings the night before I leave, it's much more affective than them clouding my judgement on the day, emotional goodbyes have never been for me, the vulnerability involved makes me itch especially in front of an audience. I never let them come down here to see me off and I don't have a girl back home to miss so this part of the day is probably the easiest for me.

When all the tears and hugs are completed, I call for my team to assemble in lines before me. Using this opportunity for one last pep talk about our regiment history and our aim when we arrive at our destination. I yell at the top of my lungs and watch as their poker faces hide their apprehensive thoughts as I reel through what to expect out there. I know this is a first time for some of them, my sole aim during my speech is to enlighten them on the facts not what they assume to be the case. I then give the orders to load up the kits and find their designated seats in our mode of transport, this happens to be a truck which will take us to the airfield for our second leg of the journey. They need to rest as best as they can before we arrive so I have a strict rule, no devices are allowed for security reasons as well as their mental state, from this point on distractions need to be minimal in order to keep them alive. They are now soldiers on a mission, they need to forget everything else and focus. I need my men to be alert and ready to spring into action in a millisecond even before we arrive I find this is good practice to get their heads where they need to be. I have no doubt they are ready but as the senior in this group I want to where possible, protect them.

Once the first part of our journey is completed, we get abit of down time to stretch our legs and grab some food before we board the plane awaiting us on the tarmac. I look over my team, taking in their faces as they shovel food into their mouths. These guys have become family, the bind you build with each individual is irreplaceable. They ar your brothers and each and everyone of us know that at some point our lives will be in the others hands. It's a type of trust you don't experience in the civillain world. An unspoken promise to protect and have each others backs at every given moment, it fills me with pride to know I have these men with me during my tour. Before long I get the nod for us to board and I usher my men onto the plane, again watching intently to see where they all are in respect of reality hitting. You can tell lot by looking on silently. If I thought for one moment someone was nervous, I would make a point to sit close by and talk it through before we arrive. Mental stability is key for this job and talking isn't really a guy thing to do but I have learnt along the way to be that guy, open up the conversation and allow a safe space for them to speak freely and unload any burden they may be carrying. I will always do what I can in that respect.