Soldiers in Heat: Training Session Read Online Free PDF Page A

Not that you could get away with really dating
anyone while in training though.
    “ Flick out the light when you’re
done.” Jonathan crawled under his covers. Thoughts of Woodson
danced around his head before he drifted off into a much needed
deep sleep.
    His alarm went off, and moments later shouts
of “Wake up!” rang down the hall. He grabbed his bathroom kit and
shuffled out his room and down the hall to the male latrine. The
room was packed.
    “ Freaking sausage fest,” one of
the males coming in the door behind him said.
    Jonathan couldn’t agree more. He relieved
himself and took a spot in line for a sink. His five o’clock shadow
was thick. Brushing his teeth could be done without the mirror, but
he wasn’t in the mood to miss a spot shaving and have the cadre
call him out on it.
    When a sink became available, he and another
male shared it, both rushing to make it to morning formation on
time. He finished up and, within a few moments, stood outside with
the other half-awake candidates.
    “ Today’s the battalion run for the
senior class. We’re going to march over to the start and line up
with the rest of the battalion. Remember, this counts as our
four-mile run. Anyone who falls behind will be doing a retake. You
don’t pass the retake, then you’ll end up at HHC,” the Student
Sergeant Major said.
    No one wanted to end up at the holding
company. Jonathan and a few others arrived early for OCS and had to
spend a few days there at HHC. The candidates there were either
waiting on the next class to start or on their way home. One could
end up there for a number of reasons: getting hurt, failing a
graded portion of the course, security clearance problems, or
conduct unbecoming of a candidate.
    The bottom line was no one wanted to be there
and the cadre in charge wasn’t happy to see them. After physical
fitness, they did crappy details around the battalion area instead
of going to class. The look on the candidates’ face resembled those
of a chain gang. Jonathan often saw them mowing the lawns and
landscaping the area.
    “ I hate these runs,” he
mumbled.
    “ Anyone who doesn’t needs a hole
in their brain. Everyone knows if you’re not in the front
companies, then you get stuck with the accordion affect. Go fast,
slow down, oh crap there’s someone slowing you down so you have to
sprint around to catch up. Not fun at all,” Woodson
answered.
    “ Company!” the Student Sergeant
Major said.
    “ Platoon!” the Student Platoon
Sergeant repeated.
    “ Attention!” the Student Sergeant
Major said.
    Everyone snapped to attention, and soon they
were making their way to the battalion area. Once there, the
Battalion Commander gave his spiel, said some lame jokes, and had
them do a few pushups to warm up. Afterwards, the run
began.
    Starting off was extremely slow. With five
companies ahead of them, each had to get far enough down the road
to make room for the other. They took off at a snail’s pace before
it turned into a slow jog. Jonathan’s legs burned from taking
choppy steps. Woodson ran in front of him, and he tried his best
not to step on her. Daylight hadn’t arrived yet, making his task
difficult.
    “ Carlson, call cadence!” the
Student Platoon Sergeant said.
    He smiled and gladly stepped out the formation
and into position. “Up in the morning, before day!”
    They repeated it back.
    “ I don’t like it no
way.”
    Calling running cadence allowed him to stretch
out his legs. A mile passed, and he got fully into it.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Jonathan’s voice kept Kimberley in step. Her
heart warmed in hearing him. It was becoming the highlight of her
day and night. After their talk she began have dreams about him.
She felt she could tell him anything. Kimberly wasn’t fond on
opening up to anyone, let alone a white man. Her upbringing led her
to believe they were from two different worlds. There was something
about him. His presence called to her soul.
    The girl next to her