Tag: travel

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But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about…My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

John 4:32 & 34

Scavenge to Survive

There was no centralized issue facility in Ranger School. The students were taken to abandoned structures and vehicles where antique equipment, ammunition, and rations were cached. Once they identified the cache, they had to determine the priority of what to take or leave. Wade’s squad was taken to a landing pad where a dilapidated UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter stood as a silent sentinel on the sun-baked tarmac of Camp Darby. Its faded paint and patches of rust were a stark contrast to the pristine olive drab uniforms of the assembled Ranger students. The once-proud war machine now served as a testament to the enduring legacy of Ranger training, even in this era of advanced technology. First Sergeant Miller’s voice boomed across the area, silencing the nervous chatter of the students.

“Listen up, Rangers! This relic is about to become your home for the next few hours. Welcome to the Darby Phase, where you’ll learn to improvise, adapt, and overcome using methods that have stood the test of time.”

Wade smiled, a mix of anticipation and determination in his eyes. Beside him, Ranger Metropax shifted nervously, his lanky frame dwarfed by the lifeless hulk that used to be a helicopter.

“Think they’ll let us fly it, Smith?” Metropax whispered, joking with his buddy.

Smith chuckled, shaking his head. “Not a chance, Metro. It’d take a miracle to get this baby off the ground again.”

The Rangers were divided into squads and tasked with scavenging gear from the helicopter’s interior. As they clambered into the cabin, the smell of stale fuel and dust filled their nostrils. Smith and Metropax found themselves in the cargo compartment, surrounded by olive drab canvas bags and wooden crates.

As they assembled their rucksacks and load-bearing equipment, Wade felt a connection to the Rangers who had come before him. “These packs were state-of-the-art back then,” Smith explained, showing Metropax how to adjust the straps. “They’ll do the job if you know how to use them.” They stuffed their rucks to the hilt with the necessary blank ammunition, rations, and other gear. They were surprised that the ancient backpack could hold over a hundred pounds if packed correctly.

The Darby Queen

First Sergeant Miller’s voice echoed in their minds as they navigated the challenging terrain. “This phase will test your ability to plan, prepare, and execute reconnaissance patrols. You’ll be evaluated on your leadership skills, your tactical proficiency, and your ability to work as a team. But first, you gotta make it through the Darby Queen.”

The infamous Darby Queen Obstacle Course, a grueling test of physical endurance and mental fortitude, consisted of 20 obstacles spread over a mile of uneven, hilly terrain.

As Wade approached the course, he could feel the eyes of the instructors upon him. He knew that his performance here would be a critical factor in his overall evaluation. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into the first obstacle.

The course was a blur of rope climbs, wall scales, and log carries. Wade’s muscles screamed in protest as he pushed himself to the limit. His prosthetic hand, usually an asset, didn’t seem to present any advantage to the unique challenge as he navigated the obstacles.

Beside him, Metropax struggled with a particularly difficult rope climb. Without hesitation, Smith paused to offer encouragement and advice. “Keep going, Metro,” he called out. “Use your legs, not just your arms. You’ve got this!”

Metropax nodded, gritting his teeth as he redoubled his efforts. Together, they pushed through the pain and fatigue, crossing the finish line with nothing left in the tank.

As they collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, Wade felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see First Sergeant Miller standing over them, a rare smile on his weathered face.

“That’s what I like to see,” Miller said. “Rangers never leave a man behind. You two exemplify the spirit of this course.”

Recon

The next morning, the Rangers set out on their first patrol. The Georgia pines towered above them, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The air was thick with the scent of pine needles and damp earth. They moved in tactical “V” formations, their boots crunching on fallen leaves and twigs.

The Rangers faced a series of graded patrols, each one designed to test a different aspect of their training. They conducted far and near reconnaissance missions and even participated in a simulated dropship operation.

When it was Smith’s turn to lead, he felt the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. He gathered his squad, issuing the warning order and assigning roles. As he spoke, he could see the trust in his teammates’ eyes. They were ready to follow him into the unknown.

As they pushed deeper into the forest, Wade recalled the fast-paced instruction they had received on troop leading procedures and principles of patrolling. Now, it was time to put that knowledge into practice.

The squad came to a halt at the edge of a clearing. Wade, who had been designated as squad leader for this patrol, gathered his fellow Rangers around him. “Alright, listen up,” he said in a low voice. “We’ve got a recon mission. Our objective is to gather intel on an enemy position about two klicks northeast of here.”

He quickly issued the operation order, assigning roles and responsibilities to each team member. Metropax would be the point man, leading the way with his keen eye for detail and natural instinct for navigation.

As they moved out, Wade felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He knew that his performance as a leader would be scrutinized not only by the instructors but also by his peers. The peer evaluation system was a crucial component of Ranger School, ensuring that only those who could earn the respect and trust of their fellow Rangers would advance.

The patrol moved silently through the underbrush, each Ranger hyper-aware of their surroundings. Suddenly, Metropax raised his fist, the signal to freeze. Then he motioned for Ranger Smith to move forward to join him.

“Whatcha got?” Wade whispered.

Metropax pointed to his ear. “Vehicle up ahead,” he murmured. “You can barely hear it. It must be on the dirt road here on the map.”

It was obvious that the Op-FOR (Opposing Forces, a simulated enemy unit) was patrolling the roads, looking for any unsuspecting Ranger students.

Smith nodded, his mind racing as he assessed the situation. This unexpected development could complicate their mission, but it also presented an opportunity to demonstrate their tactical awareness and adaptability.

“Good catch, Metro,” Smith whispered. “We’ll stay on azimuth, but stay alert. They’re probably looking for us but we found them first.”

They moved to their objective rally point, posted security, and performed a leader’s recon to get the lay of the land and confirm the location of the objective. Wade knew that if the Op-FOR were to discover them, he would automatically fail his patrol. Reconnaissance wasn’t something you could shoot your way out of. It took the utmost stealth and cunning, and by no means could they be discovered or compromised. The RI, Sergeant Kilby, looked on, scrutinizing Ranger Smith’s every move.

As Wade scoped out the area, he noticed a tall tree about 300 meters from the objective with a large open area between the two. Wade signaled to Metropax and whispered, “If I could climb the tree with my binos, I could probably get a pretty good look at the objective.”

Metropax looked concerned. “That’s pretty unorthodox, Smith. No one mentioned tree climbing in any of our training. You think the RI will go for it?”

Wade thought for a moment. “Well… if we have security posted, don’t violate any principles, and get all the priority intelligence requirements… I can’t see why not.” 

Metropax grimaced but complied.

They slowly moved to the tree, and Wade had his men cover their three, six, and nine o’clock positions at the base. The RI looked at Wade and asked, “Ranger Smith, what in the world are you doing?”

“I’m going to climb this tree and do my recon from here,” Wade said with very little conviction.

The RI raised one eyebrow and shook his head. “Well Ranger, it’s YOUR patrol.”

Wade and Metropax glanced at each other, displaying their fear that this may have been a stupid idea.

It was an easy climb to get about 20 feet above the ground, but there was little concealment. Wade held his breath, hoping and praying the Op-FOR would never suspect such an unorthodox approach to reconnaissance. If they spotted him, it would be a No Go for sure.

He nervously jotted in his notebook the number of personnel, weapons and their types, structures and vehicles, and drew a simple sketch, remembering to annotate the compass heading and distances. He scrambled back down the tree and whispered to his men, “Let’s get the heck out of here!”

They moved most of the night and finally set up a patrol base eight kilometers from the objective, making double sure they weren’t followed. The RI changed the leadership positions, and Wade and Metropax moved to the perimeter to keep watch and pull security. It was 0330 in the morning, and they would each trade positions to get one hour of sleep before “stand to.”

The hours passed too quickly. It was as though they hadn’t slept at all. The RI called Wade to the center of the perimeter to counsel him on his performance the day before. Wade was almost certain the Sergeant didn’t approve of his harebrained idea.

“Ranger Smith, how do you think you did on your recon?” he asked with a blank face.

Wade was so sleepy, he had to pinch himself to stay alert enough to answer the RI’s question. “Well, Sergeant… I don’t think it was by the book… but I didn’t violate any principles that I know of?”

The RI let Wade stew a moment before he addressed the weary Ranger. “Well, Ranger… This is the first time I have ever seen a recon done like a monkey. Very unorthodox, indeed… But you are correct. You didn’t violate any principles of patrolling, and you retrieved all the priority intel requirements. Not only am I going to give you a Go on your patrol, I want you to sign this major positive spot report for initiative and ingenuity.”

Wade sat there dumbfounded. The RI snapped his fingers in front of Wade’s face. “Well Ranger, are you going to sign this or not?!”

Wade quickly snatched the pen from the RI’s grip. “Oh, uh, yes, Sergeant! Roger that!”

A new set of RIs replaced the old ones, and a new day of relentless trudging through the Georgia terrain continued. But Ranger Smith had the assurance he was going to the next phase, the mountains, if he just didn’t do anything dumb in the next few days.

Hallucinations

As they continued their patrols, the physical and mental strain began to take its toll. The Rangers had been operating on minimal sleep and limited rations, pushing their bodies and minds to the limit. This grueling regimen was designed to assess their physical stamina and mental toughness, key attributes of a Ranger.

By the fifth day of patrols, fatigue had set in hard. Smith found himself battling hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation. As they moved through a particularly dense thicket, he swore he saw leopards leaping across his path. He blinked hard, forcing himself to focus and clear his head.

Beside him, Metropax was faring no better. During a brief rest halt, Smith watched in bemused concern as his friend stumbled toward a nearby tree, fumbling with imaginary coins.

“I could really go for a Snickers,” Metropax mumbled, his voice slurred with exhaustion as he attempted to insert the non-existent currency into what he perceived as a vending machine.

Wade gently pulled Metropax away from the tree. “Come on, buddy,” he said, his voice a mixture of amusement and concern. “Let’s get some shut-eye. We’ll be back on patrol soon enough.”

Despite their exhaustion and hallucinations, Smith and Metropax pressed on. They had learned to rely on each other, to draw strength from their shared determination. This bond, forged in the furnace of Ranger School, was as vital to their success as any tactical skill they had learned.

Driving On

As the days wore on, the challenges intensified.

The mission was a success, with the squad achieving their objectives and exfiltrating without detection. As they regrouped at the designated rally point, Smith could see the exhaustion on his teammates’ faces, but also the glimmer of satisfaction in their eyes. They had faced a challenge and overcome it together.

The final week of the Darby Phase brought a series of increasingly complex reconnaissance missions. But they had finally finished, each having passed their patrols. As the Rangers prepared for their transition to the Mountain Phase, there was a foreboding sense of anticipation in the air.

On their last night at Camp Darby, Smith and Metropax sat by a small pup tent in the dark, reflecting on their journey. The moonlight cast shadows across their faces, highlighting the changes wrought by their experiences.

“You know, Smith,” Metropax said, his voice quiet but steady, “I wasn’t sure I had what it took when we started this. But now…” He trailed off, gesturing at the camp around them.

Smith nodded, understanding the unspoken sentiment. “We’ve come a long way, Metro. But this is just the beginning. The Mountain Phase is going to push us even harder.”

As they sat in companionable silence, Wade pulled out his pocket New Testament and started reading, illuminating the pages with his red lens flashlight. His thoughts drifted to the challenges that lay ahead. The Mountain Phase, conducted in the rugged terrain near Dahlonega, Georgia, would test their skills in a whole new environment. They would face steep ascents, treacherous descents of the Tennessee Valley Divide (the TVD), and the constant battle against the elements.

But as he looked at Metropax, Wade felt a surge of conviction. He had not shared his faith with his Ranger buddy. “Metro, can I pray and ask God to help us make it through the mountain phase?”

Metro looked at Wade matter-of-factly. “Absolutely, Ranger buddy… if you think it will help.”

Wade gave a curious glance over his shoulder. “Have you ever heard the gospel?”

Metro looked skyward, pondering the question. “No… Don’t think I have.”

Wade leaned back on his ruck. “This book tells the story of God’s love for us and how we have all rebelled against Him in spite of that love. But God, our creator, didn’t reject us for our rebellion but actually leaned into it by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. His death satisfied the penalty we should have paid for our own wrongdoing. The Bible calls this wrongdoing sin. And the penalty for sinning against God is death. But like I said, He sent His Son to pay that penalty for us by dying on a cross. But He didn’t stay dead. In three days, He rose from the dead to prove He is the King over everything, including death. And now He sits at the right hand of God pleading our case to God.”

Metro’s face twisted. “And you believe this?!”

“Well, yes… but not at first. But once I opened myself to learning more about Him and His love, God started showing Himself to me in very crazy ways.”

“Well… no offense, but that’s what it’s going to take for me… I mean… I need some proof.” Metro leaned back and looked to the sky again. “You can certainly pray for that and that we will make it through the mountains.”

They both laid back to get some sleep under the stars. Wade looked at the brilliant expanse and prayed for Metro and himself. He prayed for Kristen and remembered to lift up Jay as well. The prayer was simple, short, and sincere. Then before he could say Amen, sleep overwhelmed him.

High Altitude Insertion

The next morning, as they prepared to board the awaiting Thunderhawk dropships that would take them to the Mountain Phase, First Sergeant Miller addressed the Rangers one last time. He gave a briefing about their extreme high altitude insertion into Mosby Army Airfield, at Camp Merrill, the mountain phase.

“You’ve proven yourselves worthy to move to the next phase,” First Sergeant Miller said, his voice carrying across the assembly area. “But your journey is far from over. The mountains will test you in ways you can’t imagine. Remember your training, trust in your Ranger buddies, and never, ever quit.” Miller continued, “This next insertion… nothing new to you, you’ve all been through Dropship Insertion School and you’ve all got a few Extreme High Altitude drops under your belts. Your mission is an airfield seizure and making the insertion from the edge of space into Mosby Army Airfield.” A few Rangers exchanged nervous glances. Miller let the weight of his statement sink in and continued.

“Mosby is a 400-meter-long grass strip, barely enough room to land a bird, let alone 30 drop pods. You will be jumping from 120,000 feet, retro-assisted fall for over three minutes, reaching speeds of over 600 miles per hour. You’ll have to rely on your equipment and your training to guide you safely to the ground.” He paused, his eyes scanning the faces of the Rangers. “This is not a simulated drop. This is the real deal. The Op-FOR will be waiting for you, and you’ll need to be prepared to fight as soon as you hit the ground.”

“Any questions?” Miller asked.

The Rangers shook their heads, their faces grim with confidence. They had come too far to have second thoughts now.

“Good,” Miller said. “Get your gear and board the birds. We launch in 30 mikes.”

The Rangers boarded the dropships that would take them to the edge of the atmosphere and then the Mountain Phase, a mix of excitement and apprehension swirling within them.

As the Thunderhawk ascended and the Rangers entered their drop pods, Smith looked out the viewport and watched as the Earth shrunk beneath him. The curve of the planet was clearly visible, and he could see the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The sky above was a deep, inky black, studded with stars. Wade remembered feeling this small and insignificant on the first drop in DIS. Yet, at the same time, he felt an exhilarating sense of freedom. He was on the edge of space, about to embark on one of the best thrill rides the military had to offer.

The RI acting as the Drop Master came over the comms. “Approaching drop altitude. Get ready!”

Wade took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could feel the dropship slowing as it reached its final altitude. Then, the order came: “Green light! DROP!” The pods exploded to the side and the initial moments of freefall were disorienting. Wade felt weightless, as if he were floating in a dream. The Rangers had entered the void. Suddenly the retros fired to begin their descent.

He could see the Earth rushing towards him, but it seemed to take forever to get closer. He knew he was falling at an incredible speed, but it didn’t feel like it. It felt like he was suspended in time. Then, the atmosphere began to thicken. Wade could feel the air resistance building, slowing his descent. The G-forces pressed up on him, making it difficult to breathe.

Wade fought the blood rushing to his head, focusing on his training. He could see the airstrip and the drop zone rushing up to meet him. This was it… the Mountain Phase.

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