Звездный десант
Chapter 13
ImightbecommissionedinthePamperedPets,growoldandretireinit
andneverevenseemyregimentalcommander.TheRoughneckshadacompanycommanderbuthealsocommandedthefirstplatoon("Hornets")inanothercorvette;Ididn’tknowhisnameuntilIsawitonmyorderstoO.C.S.Thereisalegendabouta"lostplatoon"thatwentonR&Rasitscorvettewasdecommissioned.Itscompanycommanderhadjustbeenpromotedandtheotherplatoonshadbeenattachedtacticallyelsewhere.I’veforgottenwhathappenedtotheplatoon’slieutenantbutR&Risaroutinetimetodetachanofficer—theoreticallyafterareliefhasbeensenttounderstudyhim,butreliefsarealwaysscarce.
TheysaythisplatoonenjoyedalocalyearofthefleshpotsalongChurchillRoadbeforeanybodymissedthem.
Idon’tbelieveit.Butitcouldhappen.
ThechronicscarcityofofficersstronglyaffectedmydutiesinBlackie’sBlackguards.TheM.I.hasthelowestpercentageofofficersinanyarmyofrecordandthisfactorisjustpartoftheM.I.’sunique"divisionalwedge."
"D.W."ismilitaryjargonbuttheideaissimple:Ifyouhavel0,000soldiers,howmanyfight?Andhowmanyjustpeelpotatoes,drivelorries,countgraves,andshufflepapers?
IntheM.I.,10,000menfight.
InthemasswarsoftheXXthcenturyitsometimestook70,000men(fact!)toenable10,000tofight.
