Firestorm: Red Thunder

Major Churchill had been assigned to “Black Jack”, one of two Liaison teams presently assigned to support the American 1st Cavalry Davison. As the senior member the good Major he thought he would be at Brigade Headquarters, He was shocked when an LTC and Regimental Sergeant Major of the Death and Glory boys showed up late and were assigned to Liaison team “Black Jack”.

At the Brigade Headquarters, he had little time before an American First Sergeant with a heavy Irish accent came to take him and his assigned Sergeant away to the Headquarters of the 1 -5th Cavalry, The Black Knights.

It was four in the afternoon when he meets with the Battalion Commander LTC Niyses,
“Major Churchill, I have just enough field grade to run my headquarters, what I don’t have is enough experience in my Bravo Armor Company and that’s where you come in and can do the best right now!”

LTC Niyses went on to explain that the commander of Bravo Company took over four days before after the former commander was killed by a snapped towing line from an M88 pulling an M-1. The new commander had been promoted just three weeks prior. The good news was the First Sergeant and XO was good. The First Platoon had just returned from the NTC (National Training Center) as a round out to 1-8th Cavalry rotation. That when the medical officer walked in and reported to LTC Niyses that Bravo’s XO was out of action, He broke his back in three places when in feel off his tank a few hours ago.

“Major Churchill, I can’t give you command of Bravo, but don’t hold back if things start going wrong! “

“Sir, I understand is there anything else?”

“Yes, how’s your father?”

That when Major Churchill remembered where he had seen LTC Niyses, As a Captain at West Point when his father was a guest instructor. LTC Niyses had request Churchill when He saw the names of the LNO.

With a smile, Major Churchill replied, “Sir he is doing quite well in retirement, But I ‘d bet on it he would like to take a go at the Russians” with that Major Churchill walked out and look for his Sergeant.

The Majors Sergeant was standing by the First Sergeant that had picked up at the Brigade Headquarters!

“Sir, you’re with Bravo Company, Correct? While it’s time to getting going before it gets Dark”

They Arrived just as the sun was going down to find the First platoon leader, LT Brown, manning the radio watch at the company Headquarters.

First Sergeant asked, “Where the CO?”
Brown replied “With Second platoon and in position for the night, did you hear about the XO?

First Sergeant “Yes and want else don’t I know?”

Brown “A section of Echo Company ITVs made it in before Dark, there off to the north covering the northern valley and village, but they're being led by a Corporal; you may need to spend the night with them until the rest show up.”

First Sergeant then asked “The rest? And were in Alpha 3rd Platoon? We need that infantry to cover the village on the Left flank.”

Brown “My guess is there either still waiting at the link up for the XO and his tank, I sent the maintenance 113 to the link up pick but they reported no contact, I told them to hold fast until to tomorrow. The Captain also called over to alpha, but Alpha said they departed with the log pack and haven’t been seen since”

Brown then told the Major “Sir, I’ll take the radio watch for the night, that should give you a good sleep, from what I hear you can probably use it right around now, If you can take over just before stand too then that would be great! The Commander will catch you up tomorrow.”

The First Sergeant showed Major Churchill where the command radio watch was run from the First Sergeant M113, the First Sergeant then found a quite place for the Major and his sergeant to get some sleep, after this the First Sergeant headed off to join with the Echo section covering the village and northern eastern valley for the night.

It was around four in the morning when LT Brown woke him up. He tried to remember the battlefield as LT Brown began to talk.

“Sir We have moved along the whole front, Echo is reporting tanks in the North Valleys advancing West, My platoon his reporting BMP’s and T-72 to our front (East), there nothing yet from HQ and 2nd Platoon. I need you to take over reporting to battalion, The Captain will fight the company, and I need to move up to my platoon, If you any question the Corporal here can help you out, Any questions sir?”

“No Lt Brown, thanks for the update” With that he looked at his watch! He had been a sleep for seven hours!