The next morning,

SGM. Clare:

The barracks were a little uncomfortable but they were better than nothing. I got up at the crack of dawn and quickly walked out to the showers which were just a bunch of shower heads separated by a few boards with a flimsy little wooden door. Most of the stallions didn’t mind but the mares were a little less enthusiastic about public showers. I guess I’d have to get a more private shower system built.

I slipped off my clothes and quickly began to shower, the water wasn’t hot but rather a warm temperature. During the day the heat usually warms up the water tanks and the water is hot and uncomfortable.

I finished showering and dried myself off with a towel as I quickly slipped on some fresh, semi-fresh, clothes and quickly paced over to the command tent. I entered the tent and looked to my desk. I was supposed to have the orders for the base in the morning but I guess by morning they meant near lunch time.

I rolled my eyes and unslung my Thompson. I hadn’t had a lot of time last night and hadn’t gotten around to cleaning away the Cosmoline in the gun. Sure it prevented rust but at the same time it got gritty and could jam a gun. I sat there for a half hour and cleaned away any thick clumps of Cosmoline before putting the gun back together and leaning it against the side of my desk.

I looked at the stack of papers and sighed to myself. I didn’t feel like doing paper work, it was mostly pointless crap like moral rates and temperature ratings. There were some more important things like body count and injury rates but I had already filled out those forms last night.

I stood up and slung my Thompson around my back, figuring I’d take a stroll around the base and get to know some of the soldiers. Even though it was early in the morning I could hear the gunshots from the firing range and assault courses. I smiled to myself as I decided maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to brush up.

Third person:

Alright listen Frosty” Hart said but the private scrunched his nose. “The name’s Frost” he said, irritated by Hart’s nickname he had given him. “Yeah whatever, anyway listen there’s some helmets resting on the posts downrange. See if you can shoot them off with your M16” Hart challenged.

Frost took aim, it was so different holding a gun in both hooves and trying to balance on his hindlegs. It was times like these that he wished he was a unicorn. Frost took aim on a helmet and pulled the trigger. A single shot went downrange but failed to hit anything.

“Hey don’t fret, just try again” Hart told the new soldier. Frost took aim and fired again but once again missed the helmet he was aiming for. Frost tried several times but missed every target.

Hart scrunched his nose. He wasn’t much of an expert in marksmanship so he didn’t really know how to train ponies. “Uhm… try…” Hart trailed off as Frost ejected the semi spent magazine and loaded a fresh one. “You know, there was still some ammo left in that” Hart said but Frost didn’t listen as he set his rifle to burst mode then aimed downrange.

“Hey wait a minute this is marksmanship practice not…” Hart began but Frost began to fire the rifle as fast as it could shoot downrange. The air was filled with the chattering of the M16. The rifle recoiled in Frost’s hooves but he managed to keep the rifle aimed downrange.

In a matter of seconds the M16 had depleted the entire thirty round magazine. “Uhm… nice job but you didn’t hit anything” Hart said as they both looked towards the helmets. Frost sighed depressingly to himself but then a wooden post fell over. “Well, I guess you got one… kind of” Hart said enthusiastically.

Frost was still depressed that he hadn’t managed to hit even a single helmet. “Hey don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it eventually” Hart assured the young soldier. Frost looked at the rifle in his hooves and sighed.

“Well maybe if his teacher was better at teaching” said a voice and the duo turned on their heels to see Sergeant Major Clare, holding a Thompson by his hip with one hand. The both threw a salute as Clare approached. “Get those hooves down, I’m a sergeant not an officer” Clare laughed. He encouraged stallions and mares to respect their superior officers and what not but you weren’t supposed to salute to NCOs.

“Sorry” apologized the new private. “Hey don’t get down on yourself. I’d be missing my targets if Hart was the one training me” Clare joked and gave Hart a friendly punch to the shoulder.

“Alright hotshot, if you’re so good why don’t you show the kid how it’s done” Hart chuckled and Clare nodded then stepped up to the shooting plate. He cocked back the charging bolt on the Thompson and aimed downrange.

The helmets were roughly twenty to twenty five yards away. Clare thought to himself then adjusted his aim slightly. “You’ve got to have the right posture, your legs were close together because you were trying to balance your body not your aim” Clare said as he showed the private the proper shooting stance.

Frost stepped up beside him and mimicked his stance. “Even though it feels weird at first, it’s actually more stable than standing with your hindlegs close together” Clare told him and he nodded.

“Hold the rifle stock tight to your shoulder and keep your hands… hooves steady. Even though it’s only twenty five yards away it makes a difference” Clare told him. “Now steady your breathing to a slow pace, if you were doing long range shooting you’d have to slow your heart rate to but that’s different. Now keep you finger err hoof close to the trigger but don’t touch it until you’ve got your sight on target” Clare ordered him and Frost did exactly as he said.

Clare quickly fired off a round, a helmet pinged and was taken off the post. He quickly snapped his aim to another helmet and shot, then another and then another. Each time he shot the gunshot was echoed by the ping of the helmet being knocked off the post. After six helmets Clare switched the safety on and looked to Frost then nodded.

Frost took careful aim and fired, he still had his rifle set to three round burst but it didn’t matter because the first round struck the helmet and knocked it off the post. “See you’re getting it… hey-hey-hey, what do we have here?” Clare asked as he looked to a locked crate.

“Don’t know, locked tight and we don’t have the key” Hart said. Clare smirked and pulled out his bowie knife. “Well say hello to the master key” Clare announced then quickly went on to mutilate the wooden crate.

Hart and Frost chuckled as Clare cut open the wooden crate, revealing M67 frag grenades and M18 white smoke grenades. “OHHH baby… yeah these will come in handy… oh yeah” Clare said as he grabbed a couple grenades and gave some to Hart and Frost.

They looked downrange and Clare smiled. “Ever used frag grenades kid?” Clare asked and Frost shook his head. “Alright I’ll teach yah” Clare said as he held up his own grenade. “This little hot tamale is called an M67 frag grenade. She can seriously fuck up a zebra if you time it right” Clare said and Frost nodded in attention.

“Alright so make sure to hold the safety lever, or the spoon, and then pull out the pin. Alright she’s almost ready to go, now you release the safety lever and she’s hot, give it a second to cook and…” Clare trailed off as he waited two seconds then tossed the grenade downrange. The explosion shredded the wooden posts.

Frost and Hart both tossed their grenades in similar fashion. The explosive eruptions could probably be heard from the treeline outside the firebase. Overhead a helicopter approached. Clare and Hart looked up to see a Huey fly overhead, Clare looked to Hart and shrugged.

Clare walked away from the duo but not before giving them a wave and a nod. He proceeded to the helipad where the Huey was landing. The General along with a finely dressed stallion stepped out of the helicopter. Clare gave a salute. The General and the other stallion returned it.

“Sergeant major, this is Colonel Houston. He’s the new base commander” The General informed Clare. Clare smiled, he was thankful that they got a replacement so fast. “Well Colonel you have the orders and Sergeant Major Clare here will help you out with the stallions and mares on base. Good luck gentlecolts” The General said then hopped back on the helicopter and it departed.

“Alright sergeant, get every-pony rounded up. I want a head count, ON THE DOUBLE!” Houston yelled. Clare nodded then briskly walked over to the radio tower.

Clare had the radio broadcasting tower transmit the message through the firebase speakers all around camp for every-pony to group up at the center of the firebase. Clare walked back to Houston and nodded but Houston had a serious look about him.

They stood there and waited for a few minutes. After several minutes every-pony was there. “Alright head count. Platoon leaders, count up your platoon. I want every-pony accounted for. NOW!” Houston roared and immediately the platoon commanders went about counting their platoon members.

The whole process took about a half an hour but every-pony was accounted for. Houston curled his lips in anger and clicked his stop watch. “That took thirty five minutes… THAT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!” Houston yelled and several of the ponies cringed.

“Alright mount up, were doing PT for the rest of the day until you all decide that you’ll get your asses in gear” Houston yelled and there was several groans in the crowd. “GET TO IT!”