Chapter 12

Jake told Melissa that he was joining the National Guard as they lay in bed on Friday night. The date was June 1, 1973; Jake had been in his new body exactly two years that day. Melissa sat up in bed and turned on her bedside lamp.

"You are what?" she asked sharply.

Uh-oh.

"I'm joining the National Guard and going to basic training this summer," he repeated.

Melissa did not look or sound angry. She was just bewildered.

"Why on earth would you do that? You don't need the money, there is no draft to avoid now that Vietnam is over, and you will be away from me."

"Yeah, that last thing will be the hard part; but it's something I need to do. I need to serve my country, every man should. The guard will let me stay in school, live my life, and still serve if I'm needed," Jake answered.

"When did you decide all this? And why are we just now talking about it?" Melissa asked.

Double the uh-oh. She was working herself into a lather.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, but just decided in the last few days. There was nothing to talk about until tonight. Look, Muffy, it's something I strongly feel is the right thing to do. I'll only be gone two months, and, after the first five weeks, you can visit me."

"Jake, I trust your judgment totally. You have proven that I can about a million times, but I don't like for a second us being apart for that long. Can't you find another way of doing this?"

Jake allowed that it was the best he could come up with. Melissa grudgingly accepted the idea, although she liked it not one little bit. All-in-all, the whole conversation went better than he had expected.

It did not go much better with his parents, especially Helen. Jake had to take her aside privately to make his case. He used his former life as a soldier to finally convince her. In the end, she agreed to sign the parental consent form. Jake said he would bring the recruiter to the house Monday evening to get their signatures. Charles was actually proud of Jake's desire to serve his country. That feeling was a rarity in the aftermath of Vietnam. Charles' name would later go up on the Wall of Service at the VFW, the veteran father of a son in the military.

Jake investigated his options and joined what was probably the saddest unit in the military. He took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and his physical examination at the Jacksonville Military Enlistment Processing Station. On June the tenth, with his parents and Muffy at his side he took the oath of enlistment at the Deland National Guard Armory. Jake was now a proud member of the 1^st Battalion, 94^th Infantry (Mechanized). He was a rifleman in the battalion's Scout Platoon. The 1/94 (Mech) was as bad a unit as ever existed. Sergeant Bilko's platoon on television looked like an elite Ranger unit compared to Jake's platoon.

Jake had orders to report to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina on June the eighteenth. His unit provided him a bus ticket and his orders. Jake would have to ride the bus because he had to report to the Military Liaison Desk at the Columbia Greyhound Bus Depot. He would be leaving for Columbia, South Carolina the night of the seventeenth. For the next week, the women in his life seemed to be trying to screw him into bad health so he couldn't go. The Friday night before his departure, Melissa, Louisa and Erika almost succeeded. The three women kept him at it almost the entire night as they had their way with him one after the other. Saturday the sixteenth, Melissa threw a small going away party for him. Saturday night and Sunday, Jake and Melissa spent with each other. Muffy clung to him as if he were shipping out overseas.

At ten Sunday night, Jake boarded a Greyhound at the Palmdale bus depot. Melissa and Louisa made him be the last person on the bus as they kissed and hugged him, crying as if he were never coming back. The bus driver gave him a high eyebrow inquiring look when he finally boarded.

"I'm on my way to basic training," Jake said by way of explanation.

"Son, for a send off like that I'd reenlist myself," the driver said dryly.

Jake arrived in Columbia without incident. A shuttle bus from Fort Jackson was waiting for him and other new soldiers. By ten Monday morning, he was at the Reception Center being in-processed and, of course, getting his hair buzzed. Jake and the rest of the new arrivals were broken down into companies, then into platoons. As new arrivals came in, the platoons grew in size. By noon Wednesday, enough recruits were at the reception station to make a training battalion. Wednesday afternoon they were issued uniforms and meet their drill sergeants for the first time. The drill sergeants supervised the uniform fittings and started to evaluate their new charges. Summers training cycles were made up of mostly recruits to the National Guard and reservists just like Jake.

Jake's platoon was composed of mostly National Guardsmen from West Virginia and Tennessee. They were not the best educated people he had ever been around but they were good guys. They were down to earth, hard working, and some of them were hysterically funny. Jake was awarded the rank of E-2 because he had two years of college; as a result, the guys called him 'Professor'. They consulted him about anything that involved readin', 'ritin', or 'rithmatic. Jake suspected that they might have gotten a little help on the ASVAB from their friendly neighborhood recruiter. However, since there was not a whole lot of academics involved in Basic Training, Jake suspected they were going to do just fine.

Thursday night, Jake's platoon was assembled in front of the Reception Station ready to board the 'cattle cars' that were transporting them to their training company. A cattle car was an enclosed trailer with built in benches that was pulled by a truck. Their drill sergeants harangued them onto the transports then raced to the company area so they could holler at them some more as they unloaded. Jake had briefed his new buds on what he expected to happen and told them to keep their heads down and keep moving. The thing a drill sergeant hates most is a trainee standing still. After a bunch of yelling and push-ups, Jake and company were finally assigned bunks and started to unpack their duffle bags.

Jake's platoon had two drill sergeants, Sergeant Combes and Sergeant First Class Elmore. Combes had just graduated from the Drill Sergeant Course and was conscientious to a fault. He was a big black guy who looked like a recruiting poster for drill sergeants. His uniform was always starched with knife edge creases and his campaign hat was blocked perfectly. SFC Elmore, by contrast, was small, white, and wiry. Carl Blanchard, a West Virginian who quickly became the platoon wit, promptly dubbed them Mutt and Jeff. Elmore was at the twilight of his career, marking time until he retired. Elmore had, however, been a drill sergeant since 1967; he could train a soldier in his sleep.

Jake was unpacking his duffle bag into his foot locker when Combes came out of the drill sergeant's office and stood in the shiny center aisle of the squad bay.

"Private Turner," Combes barked, "Front and center."

Jake snapped the locks shut on his duffle and footlocker, stepped to the yellow line around the center aisle, and stood at attention.

"Here, Drill Sergeant," he said loudly.

"Report to Drill Sergeant Elmore at his office," Combes instructed.

Jake said, "Yes, Drill Sergeant" and hustled to the door of the office. He knocked twice and stepped in when Elmore told him too. He stopped two steps in front of the desk, snapped to attention, and said, "Drill Sergeant, Private Turner reports."

Elmore looked at Jake in amazement.

"Where in the hell did you learn that, boy?" he asked.

Oops! Big OOPS!

"Drill Sergeant, I learned it at my unit," Jake smoothly extemporized. True enough, although he was referring to a future unit and not the one from this life.

"You seem to have learned a lot at your unit; that's why I'm appointing your tired trainee ass as Platoon Guide," Elmore said.

He tossed Jake a brassard with sergeant's chevrons sewn on it and told Jake to put it on. Jake complied as Elmore started listing Jake's duties. Jake whipped out the little notepad he had purchased at the PX and started writing. Elmore briefly wondered to himself what was happening at that unit.

Jake was in the Second Platoon, B Company, 8^th Battalion, 2d Basic Combat Training Brigade. The company was one of four in the battalion, the battalion one of nine in the brigade. Each week a new training cycle began for one of the nine battalions. The battalion was housed in a complex of wooden buildings near Fort Jackson's back gate. Each company area was comprised of five, two-story barracks that could hold a platoon each. In addition, an orderly room, dayroom, supply room, and mess hall rounded out the facilities. The wooden buildings had been built as temporary structures in World War II, yet were still in use thirty years later. Two years later, Staff Sergeant Jay Reynolds would be Drill Sergeant Jay Reynolds in the battalion next door.

Strange as it may seem, Jake enjoyed his second trip through basic training. It was easier for him because he knew the ropes plus he enjoyed the growing camaraderie with his fellow trainees. It was amazing how close you got to the guys who were enduring the same crap you were. Jake tore the record books up during this trip through the process. He shared the high PT score in his battalion and scored highest on basic rifle marksmanship. He even got some respect from First Sergeant Wagner. No easy feat, because Jonas A. Wagner senior was unquestionably the meanest man on Fort Jackson. Hell, he even intimidated his drill sergeants. The First Sergeant is the senior enlisted man in an Army company. The Company Commander commands the company, but the First Sergeant runs it. Wagner could make a trainee cry like a rat eating onions. After Peter Benchley's movie came out in '75, he was thereafter known by his initials: JAWS.

Jake also took care of his troops. He worked with the laggards and teamed each of them up with someone sharp. The end result was his platoon became honor platoon every week from the second week through graduation. Jake earned the respect of his fellow soldiers by always being one of them. He could have avoided KP and fire guard duty because he was an acting NCO, but he chose not to. Nor did he let his temporary rank go to his head. What really made him their hero had nothing to do with soldiering, however. No, his legend was made at mail call.

As soon as Jake had gotten his unit assignment, he wrote Melissa and gave her his address. He tried to write her a couple of times a week after that. Melissa passed around his address and had organized a schedule within a week, Jake was receiving at least one perfumed letter a day. Nearly every one of them had a picture of the sender. Every picture was sexy and provocative without being dirty. It was a set-up on the girls' part, of course, but boy did it make Jake the man. He went from being the 'Professor' to being 'Professor Romeo'. At mail call, Jake was surrounded by his mates, all of them anxious to see the latest photo.

Jake also received a care package at least once a week for the platoon. It was something Jake had asked Helen to organize. Helen, Maria, and Helga took his request to heart. They even sent items for the drill sergeants. During the third week of training, Jake received a special thickish manila envelope from the Ford Modeling Agency. The envelope contained enough autographed glamour photos of Cindy Sorenson for every guy in the platoon. In the envelope was a smaller, more private packet of very sexy pictures of Cindy just for Jake. Everyone's absolute favorite photograph though, was the group bonanza of Erica, Louisa, Tigger, and Melissa in bikinis by the pool.

Jake became First Sergeant Wagner's and Company Commander Captain Levigne's fair haired boy for what he did do on duty. At the end of the second week of basic, each battalion marched to, and formed up on, the street in front of Fort Jackson's headquarters. There, as part of their drill and ceremonies training, the troops participated in a Command Retreat. Retreat is the ceremony of lowering a command's American Flag at the end of the day. The day of the command retreat was so hot all other training had been cancelled. The ambient temperature was 104 degrees; the heat index was 111. The Command Retreat was not cancelled because Senator Strom Thurmond was the reviewing official. Fort Jackson's Commanding General was not going to let a little inclement weather cancel the Senator's dog and pony show.

The individual companies of the 8^th Battalion shambled towards the post headquarters as the General and Senator Thurmond drank iced tea in the General's air-conditioned office. The heat was too intense for the troops to march at quick time so they walked. The battalion was formed on Jackson Boulevard at 15:55. Jake was behind his platoon with extra canteens of water, on the lookout for heat casualties. SFC Elmore was in front of the platoon; SGT Combes was a rifleman flanking the American Flag on the battalion's Color Guard.

By 16:15 the Duty, Honor, Country presentation was over, Macarthur's inspiring words had actually pumped up the hot, tired troops. Standing under an awning on a second floor balcony, the Honorable Senator Thurmond started giving 'a few brief remarks'. By now, Jake had already pulled two trainees out of the formation as they wavered and fell. His counterparts behind the other units were just as busy. The senator's sonorous oration continued unabated. Jake was watching a trainee he figured would be next to fall when a movement in the Color Guard caught his eye.

A Color Guard always stands at attention while at the halt. SGT Combes and the other three drill sergeants had been standing at attention for over thirty minutes by now. The heat was beginning to get to the sergeant holding the national colors. SGT Combes was trying to brace him up but the man was fading fast. Jake stepped around the edge of the formation and sidled next to Combes. Combes handed Jake his rifle and grabbed the flag staff from the other sergeant just before the man fell to his knees. The Battalion Sergeant Major came up and pulled the stricken drill sergeant back behind the formation. Combes wedged the flag staff into his pistol belt and held on grimly. Jake had no choice but execute a right shoulder arms and take Combes' place.

When the Senator finally relented and stopped talking, the drill sergeants quickly moved the battalion off the road onto a cooler side street. The Sergeant Major cased the colors and Jake hurried back to his unit. First Sergeant Wagner grabbed Jake and pulled him aside.

"I never thought I'd say this to a trainee, Private Turner, but I owe you one," Wagner said.

At the end of their fifth week, Jake's platoon had done well enough to earn a weekend pass. From noon Saturday until six in the evening Sunday, they were on their own. Jake called Melissa Wednesday night and gave her the news. The only training event Saturday morning was an inspection in Class A uniform. After the inspection, they were free to leave the company area, in uniform. Jake was busy signing out soldiers going on pass when Sergeant Combes tracked him down.

"Turner, you have visitors at the orderly room," he said.

Jake thanked him and walked up to the company headquarters. There was an unusually large throng of trainees milling around on the company street, he noticed. Inside the orderly room, he saw why. Melissa, Erika, and Louisa were waiting for him. Each had dressed in a short sun dress, one white, one red, and one blue. The attentions they were receiving were appropriately un-flagging. Erika had First Sergeant Wagner practically drooling as she leaned against his desk to admire his ribbons. Melissa saw Jake come through the door and launched herself at him. It was hard for him to maintain his military bearing with Muffy wrapped around him trying to gnaw his lips off. Jake finally disentangled himself and made introductions. The company clerk was unable to speak coherently but did manage a nod or two. The First Sergeant was as gallant as Rhett Butler though, as he stood and made some favorable comments about Jake.

Jake walked the girls back to their rented car. They received a barrage of whistles and cat-calls on the way. The women, of course, were playing it up, hanging all over Jake and taking turns kissing him. Erika drove with Louisa riding shotgun, Jake and Melissa snuggled up in the back seat. Between kisses, Melissa explained that Erika had flown them up in the Skyhawk. Melissa had copiloted and actually done the flying most of the way. She had her license now and Louisa was having her turn taking lessons. Melissa and Erika had Louisa blushing when they ribbed her about the lessons she was giving to Joe Bunnell. Everyone cracked up when Louisa said Joe was hardheaded but trainable. Jake took them on a tour of the base then Erika aimed the Ford sedan towards Columbia. The women were staying at the Sheraton, in deluxe accommodations Mitzi had booked.

Melissa told her friends that she wanted some alone time with Jake so Erika and Louisa went shopping. Quality alone time was on Jake's mind as well. He had been without for six weeks now, he was on the verge of a white-out. Muffy had just the cure for his condition. She sat him down on the bed and did a sexy strip tease down to her bra and panties. Jake watched raptly; his civilian blue veined throbber was trying to burst through the zipper of his Class A, government-issued summer green uniform. Melissa dropped her bra and shimmied over to where Jake was sitting. She pulled him to his feet and started untying his tie as he shed his coat. Melissa pulled his pants down and laughed at his green army issue boxer shorts with his erection sticking through the fly.

"When did you use this weapon last, soldier?" she asked.

"Six weeks ago, ma'am; so you had better be careful. It's loaded and has a hair trigger," he replied.

Melissa gave a throaty laugh before dropping to her knees and engulfing his tool in her mouth. Jake groaned as her ovaled lips plunged up and down on him. It took fewer than two minutes for Melissa to make him cum. He came what felt like buckets. Melissa's eyes flew open in surprise at the volume of semen he hosed her tonsils with. She gagged slightly, unable to keep up with the flow. Ropes of sticky jism escaped the corners of her mouth and dribbled down her chin onto her perky upturned breasts. Melissa squeezed her thighs together as the size of his orgasm triggered a small one in her. When he was finished spewing, Jake fell back on to the bed. Melissa giggled happily as she daintily wiped her mouth and sucked her finger clean.

"Wow, you did save it for me, Baby'" she said.

"Yep -- and there's more where that came from," he replied.

Melissa said that was good because she wanted it all. She went to the bathroom to freshen up as Jake was getting out of his boxers. When she came out he had the covers pulled back and was lying on the bed. Melissa leaped onto the bed and into his arms. They kissed then Jake started to slide down her body to return the oral favor. Melissa clamped her arms around him and locked him in place.

"Later for that," she said. "Right now I want my man's big dick in me where it belongs."

Jake nodded his agreement, so she grabbed his shaft and worked it against her slit. When it was wet enough, a grand total of just three swipes, she released him and grabbed his ass cheeks to pull him in. Jake pushed his hips forward and slowly sank into her slick hot tight tunnel. When his projectile was fully chambered in the breach of her womanhood, Melissa wrapped her arms and legs around him. She was prepared for the staccato machine-gun burst she was about to receive.

"Oh Baby, I've missed you so much, missed this so much. I can't stand being separated from you. I will never allow us to be apart this long again, no matter what I have to do," she said fervently.

Jake nodded and held her until she started moving her hips. It was awkward to stroke into her with her clutching him so tightly but he managed. Melissa climaxed quickly; she was as ready as he had been. He held her and whispered how much he loved her until she started to buck against him again. He disentangled himself and pushed up on his stiffened arms. Looking into her eyes, he started a hard, fast rhythm. Melissa's eyes glazed over as she came again. While she was recovering from her orgasm, Jake pulled out of her and slid down until his face was in her groin. Jake swiped out his tongue and lapped up some of her juices. Melissa's secretions were as addictive as heroin.

Melissa screamed and thrashed her way to two more climaxes under his skillful tongue before Jake remounted her. She gladly let him put her legs over his shoulders for the finale. He was her man; he could do no wrong.

Jake fell asleep in her arms. She was content just to hold him. For the life of her, Melissa could not understand why they were so perfect together. Until she fell for him, he was not even close to being her type. She had always preferred older men. He did not share her passion for business, even though his ideas made her oodles of money. He did things that drove her crazy, joining the Army, for example. Still, she knew she would never again draw a happy breathe without him.

Why, she wondered, did he love her? It was not for her money; Jake did not seem to care a bit about money. It was not because of the sex or her looks. She knew she was more than adequate in both departments, but there were women around him that were prettier and better in bed. Melissa's greatest fear was that someone like the beautiful and determined Cindy Sorenson would steal him away. The mere thought of Cindy made her stomach queasy. Cindy was on the cover of this month's Vogue. The magazine proclaimed her as one of the ten most beautiful women in the world. Cindy never made any bones about her plans for Jake. "Jesus, how do I compete against someone like that?" she thought.

Melissa's bout of worrying was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Erika and Louisa were back from the mall and ready for dinner. Melissa looked at her watch; it was almost six. She looked at Jake; he had been sleeping for almost two hours. She smiled at his peaceful repose. He looked so adorable snoozing beside her, like a little boy. She woke him with a kiss. Jake grabbed her and pulled him against him. Melissa sighed in contentment.

The rest of basic passed uneventfully. Jake competed for and won Trainee of the Cycle. He would be recognized at the awards ceremony at graduation. SGT Combes was selected Drill Sergeant of the Cycle based on the platoon's performance. Normally SFC Elmore would have won the award. Elmore, however, talked the First Sergeant into submitting Combes' name as the platoon sergeant. Elmore had won the award twice before and his career was almost over. "Time to let the new blood garner some glory," he reasoned.

At a company formation on the day before graduation, Jake was promoted to Private First Class. Jake's achievements had caught the attention of the brigade commander who waived the time in service requirement and allowed Jake's CO to promote him. To his delight, Melissa made a surprise appearance to pin on his new rank. He had not been expecting her or the rest of his family until tomorrow. Instead, she, Tigger, and Erika had all flown up a day early to watch him be promoted. Jake was more than a little surprised that Erika was their source of information. It seems she and the forevermore hard-assed Jonas Wagner had hit it off and they were communicating with each other. Wagner was even going to dinner with them after graduation as Erika's date. Jake was looking forward to that immensely.

Graduation went off without a hitch. The parade and awards ceremony was held at ten in the morning before the heat could become overbearing. Back at the company area, Jake bid his platoon mates goodbye. They had all exchanged address and promised to stay in touch; a few of them would. Jake was eager to go home but the plan was for everyone to stay one more night. Dave Larson and Joe Bunnell had flown Jake's parents and sisters up last evening. Claudia and Louisa tagged along. Helen was conspicuously pregnant by now, radiant in her maternity outfit.

Jake got one last surprise that night at dinner. Everyone was staying at the Sheraton again. At seven, Jake escorted Melissa downstairs to the restaurant for what he thought was a meal with his family. Melissa led Jake to a side door telling him that, because there were twelve of them, they had a private dining room. Jake pushed open the door and could only stand there stupefied.

"Surprise!" yelled about fifty people. Melissa had somehow organized a party for his platoon members who had not shipped out yet. A dozen or so of them were there -- most with their families. In addition, Sergeant Combes, SFC Elmore and his wife, and First Sergeant Wagner were also there in civilian clothes. Jake guessed that now that training was over it was not fraternizing for the NCOs to be with the privates in a social situation. He figured if there were even a hint that it might be inappropriate, First Sergeant Wagner would have squashed the idea like a bug. To add credence to that notion, even Captain Levigne and his wife showed up at seven-fifteen.

Dinner was most pleasant and entertaining. Jake met platoon wit Carl Blanchard's family. Carl's dad was a wealthy and politically connected lawyer. It turned out Carl's trip to basic was penitence for some transgression in his hometown. Carl's father might have political aspirations for his son also, thought Jake. Carl's mom was a sweetheart and she and Helen hit it off. They were talking about late-in-life babies. Carl had a four year old sister who was as cute as Anita Diaz. Carl also had an older sister, a twenty-five year old heartbreaker named Nancy. Nancy was married to the scion of a coal mining fortune. He was a pretty boy who arrived drunk, proceeded to get more drunk, and made an ass out of himself. Jake did not catch the jerk's name as everyone else tried to ignore his increasingly boorish existence.

Jake watched the interaction of people with fascination. He was constantly amazed at which people were attracted to each other and why. Erika and First Sergeant Jonas Wagner were a case in point. Jake knew Wagner was as mean as a snake; he had seen him in action. Jake's favorite Wagnerism was when the first sergeant had a run in with a second lieutenant on the rifle range.

"Lieutenant," Wagner said, "when your parents got together to make you, they wasted a good fuck."

Yet, here was old Jonas, hovering around Erika, grinning like a jackass whenever she called him "Pookie". His sister Debbie homed in on Sergeant Ronnie Combes like a heat seeking missile. That one even dense Jake understood. You had to be a stud and a half to interest Debbie. Combes was one of only a few men in the room who might have a chance against her in a fair fight. Sister Angie and Carl Blanchard also seemed to hit it off. Jake figured that Carl would be taking him up on his offer to visit Florida if for no other reason than to see Angie. The rest of the women were strategically spread out around the tables as if they were Red Cross Donut Dollies doing duties in a World War II movie.

Jake pretty much stuck by Melissa, leaving her side only to help Carl carry Nancy's passed out nameless husband to their car. Nancy was equal parts pissed off and embarrassed by asshole's act. Carl hotfooted it back inside to be with Angie. Jake, ever the gentleman, stayed with Nancy as she regained her composure. Jake held her while she cried.

"God, I hate him so much," she sobbed.

Jake patted her back and made comforting noises. He left her parked just outside the door and tracked down Melissa. Melissa took charge of Nancy and headed towards the bathroom. The party was breaking up by now. Most everyone was tired from the long hot day. Erika and Debbie were going with Wagner and Combes to the NCO Club, a first for them. The Blanchard's, except for Nancy, said their goodbyes. They promised a visit sometime during the winter. Carl's mother, Celeste, liked the idea of a vacationing where it was not cold. Nancy stayed with Melissa, she was too upset to have to drive and deal with her drunken husband. Carl got the honor of getting the passed out man back to his family's accommodations.

Melissa talked with Louisa and Louisa gave her room to Nancy. Melissa told Nancy that Louisa could sleep on the pull-out couch in her and Jake's suite. Jake thought the idea of Louisa spending the night with them was swell.

The next morning Celeste Blanchard came over and picked up Nancy. Nancy promised Melissa that she would call her the next week. The two women had bonded.

The core team took off for home at noon on Saturday. Melissa, Jake, Erika, and Louisa fit comfortably in the small plane. Jake even got in a little stick time. Something he needed fifteen more hours of to get his license. They landed at three. The other plane beat them in by a good half hour. Ramon, Carmen, and Anita were waiting for them at the ranch. Ramon pounded Jake on the back and bear-hugged him. Anita climbed into Jake's lap and would not get down until it was time to eat. She had missed her daddy-daddy.

And so went most of the summer of 1973. Jake graduated from basic on the eighteenth of August, school started on the fourth of September. He had two weeks free. He was determined to make the most of them. He reported to his unit on Monday after he returned from Jackson. The full time unit administrative technician updated his personnel records and explained what came next. Jake was going to learn his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) by on the job training. The unit tech gave him a stack of books that listed and explained the tasks he needed to master before he was awarded his MOS of 11B--Light Weapons Infantryman. Jake told the tech that he would be ready to take some of the performance oriented task tests the following weekend. The dubious staff sergeant said he would make the arrangements but Jake had better be ready. If it proved a waste of unit resources Jake was going to be on permanent KP.

Jake spent the rest of the day at the bungalow with Rebecca Doane. Rebecca had written him some incredibly sweet and sexy letters while he was in basic. If her novels affected women the way her letters had gotten to him, Rebecca probably made a lot of husbands happy through the magic of reflected streams of passion. Jake repaid her by doing to her the things she had described in her letters. It had been a while since Jake had taken a woman around the world. He had almost forgotten how much fun it was. He and Rebecca were both all smiles when they left. Rebecca had even agreed to an encore Thursday.

And so it went for the next two weeks. While Melissa worked, Jake mostly stayed at the bungalow. He had his manuals for his weekend tests and a steady stream of willing volunteers to help him study. He practiced first aid with future doctor Beth Owens and vehicle recognition with Tigger. Automatic weapons he did with Debbie at Tiny's Gun Rack. The continually amazing Tiny even had an M60 machinegun, a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), and most astounding of all, a fully operational M2,.50 caliber machine gun. Most of the time, Jake just needed to re-familiarize himself with material he already knew.

By the end of September he had, without wasting any unit resources, passed all the performance and written tests and was awarded his MOS and the crossed rifle insignia of an infantryman. The previously dubious staff sergeant kept a flat face and, although he wondered what was going on, he decided it was none of his concern. The following month he was promoted to Corporal and appointed as a squad leader. Of course, there were only three other guys in his squad, all brand new privates, but at least he was in charge of something. Jake immediately started recruiting more men for the unit. Using a technique he would rely on throughout his military service, he used his own money to provide enlistment incentives. College tuition became his best inducement. It took the rest of the National Guard twenty years to implement the same program.

Jake did not neglect school. On the contrary, he worked harder than ever. In addition to his six academic courses, Jake started being tutored in Arabic, Islamic religion, and Middle Eastern history. Jake hired an Egyptian graduate student named Camille Ibraham for the job. Jake and Camille spent two hours a night twice a week making Jake smarter about his Middle Eastern brothers and sisters. Jake's money allowed Camille to continue graduate school.

Joe J

Chapter 13