Shaffer
10-28-02, 03:28 PM
A brotherhood – that was all I could think about as I looked around at the chiseled faces of the men crouched on the runway. Clones of one another in dress yet different in the slightest of mannerisms. Their various differences as apparent as the mountains that stood against the blue skies surrounding us.
I immediately noticed the one lone soldier, his posture more confident than the rest, whittling away at his nails with a six-inch knife. Next to him was the sly problem-solver, looking over a plastic-covered map, his back to the rest of the men as they mingled and discussed the previous day’s activities.
The men huddled, as Marines do, waiting for commands from the drill sergeant. They were alert, yet subdued, considering the circumstances. For the next few weeks, this group of elite Marines would be training in a mountainous environment very similar to Afghanistan. They would experience altitude, cold and exhaustion while learning the meaning of being a team and, more importantly, a Marine in a winter combat environment.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\YTTANYTK\The Vail Trail - Vail's Greatest Newspaper Since 1965.htm
I immediately noticed the one lone soldier, his posture more confident than the rest, whittling away at his nails with a six-inch knife. Next to him was the sly problem-solver, looking over a plastic-covered map, his back to the rest of the men as they mingled and discussed the previous day’s activities.
The men huddled, as Marines do, waiting for commands from the drill sergeant. They were alert, yet subdued, considering the circumstances. For the next few weeks, this group of elite Marines would be training in a mountainous environment very similar to Afghanistan. They would experience altitude, cold and exhaustion while learning the meaning of being a team and, more importantly, a Marine in a winter combat environment.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\YTTANYTK\The Vail Trail - Vail's Greatest Newspaper Since 1965.htm