Page 39 - 100 Hours to Destiny

We drove on for another solid ten minutes when Gunny suddenly
broke over the net and said, “I’m picking up a strobe. It’s our guys. Alright,
you need to adjust three degrees northwest.”
“Solid copy.” Another three minutes and “I see the strobe. Oh man,
that is faint! Gunny I think I need to clean the periscope exterior lens of my
AN/VVS-2. I think I’ve got moisture and sand dust gathering on the lens,
hindering the max output of the sight.”
“Witcher, not to worry, my NVGs are picking it up. Follow my
command. Direct forward, you’re doing great!” Minutes later Gunny, with a
commanding voice, “Solid stop, NOW! I’m in Battalion comms with the FARP.
We are to move up to the left and take the first position intercepting Delta as
they move through the gauntlet.” (The gauntlet was the parallel lines of
massive vehicles that were handing out fuel, ammunition, MREs, and all
things making each vehicle ready for the Invasion.)
Gunny ordered me to pull down with my left hand on the steering
wheel, thus representing a hard-left turn, at the base of the gauntlet next to
the end of the first massive truck, because communication was vital between
Gunny and the vehicle Commanders as they passed through the FARP. It was
imperative to back the logistics vehicle up in a precise manner creating a
platform for Gunny and me to be the first thing Delta Marines encountered
upon entry into the FARP.
The logistics vehicle had unique characteristics in the fact that Gunny
and I were able to stand on top of the vehicle utilizing extra comm ports.
Gunny had split his encrypted radio channels so that he could talk to
Battalion as well as Company. Battalion was otherwise known as Major
Jeffery Powers, later to become Col Jeffery Powers, who went by the
encrypted code name Wolfpack Six (WP6). Be advised that the commanding
officer of Delta Company, Captain Roger “Rock” Pollard, also known as Delta
6, later to become Major Pollard, were communicating in reference to this
FARP…. “Hey Witcher, you wanna hear something interesting? Wear my
helmet. What you are about to hear, you will never hear again in your
lifetime. Put this helmet on and listen to history in the making.” As I took
Gunny’s helmet and put it on my head, he took my helmet and placed it on
his head. Now I was listening to Battalion. And wow! I was actually hearing
the conversation between WP6 and Delta 6… my head spun. I was privy to
something far greater than my rank but felt like I belonged there. The two
Marine Commanders were talking like friends. Maj Powers was instructing
Rock to be involved at the exit end of the fuel, ammo and resupply point.
Sort of keeping an eye on the flow of things, making sure that there were no
incidents that caused regiment to raise an eyebrow about getting all FARP