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           Sinceourplatoonwaspartofanambush,weweren’tpackingthelarge-borecannons-massiveweaponsthatwereeachthesizeofasmallcarfullyassembled.Whatwedidhavewere20mmrifles,fuel-airgrenades,piledrivers,androcketlaunchersloadedwiththreeroundsapiece.SinceitwasFerrell’splatoon,wewerealllinkedtohimviacomm.IglancedatmyJacket’sHUD.Itwastwenty-eightdegreesCelsius.Pressurewas1014millibars.Theprimarystrikeforcewouldbeonthemoveanyminute.

           Lastnight,afterthatendlesshourofPT,I’ddecidedtogototheparty.Itwasn’twhatIremembereddoingfromthedream,butIdidn’treallyfeellikerereadingthatbook.ThepartabouthelpingYonabaruuptohisbunkafterhestumbledbacktothebarracksstayedthesame.

           WordaroundtheplatoonwasthatYonabaru’sgirlfriendwasaJacketjockeytoo.WiththeexceptionofSpecialForces,menandwomenfoughtinseparateplatoons,sowewouldn’thaverunintoheronthebattlefieldanyway.

           "If-andI’mjusttalkin’-butifoneofyougotkilled…"Iventured.

           "I’dfeellikeshit."

           "Butyoustillseeeachotheranyway."

           "Heavenain’tsomeSwissbank.Youcan’tsquirrelawaymoneyinsomesecretaccountupthereandexpecttomakeawithdrawal.Yougottadowhatyoucanbeforegoin’intobattle.That’sthefirstruleofsoldierin’."

           "Yeah,Iguess."

           "ButI’mtellin’ya,yougottahookyourselfupwithsomepussy.Carpediem,brother."

           "Carpesomething."