Promotion

Promotion

With the smell of wet grass coming in one nostril and out the other Smee stood there and waited in anticipation. Is to day the day she thought? Company! Atten-chun! The whole company snaps to attention. PVT Smee front and center! The 1SG yells. Moving First Sergeant! Smee yelled back. Today must be the day she thought. The excited clap of hard boots stinging the cement could be heard through out the whole formation and several buildings down as Smee ran up to the front of the formation. She snapped into the stiffest position of attention she has ever stood in, and waited. As the 1SG and the Commander walked up she greeted them both with a crisp clean salute and put her hand back down after they put there’s down. The 1SG signals the clerk to read the orders.
Attention to Orders!
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity, and professional excellence of Amy Smee. In view of these qualities and her demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the U.S. Army, she is therefore, promoted from Private third class to Specialist. Effective date 01 October 2001

Company stand at, Ease! The 1SG yells. SPC Smee About Face! She turns around and looks at the proud faces of her peers. Lets everyone give Smee a round of applause for a job well done! The 1SG says. Go ahead and go back to your platoon Smee. With that Smee ran back to her platoon. After formation the platoon marched off to their own area where the platoon sergeant formed them all into the Gauntlet formation. SPC Smee stood at the mouth of the gauntlet. Fresh rank pinned to the collar of her blouse. No dammits covering the posts because this was the real tradition and everyone knew it. Smee was excited, nervous and scared at the same time. This was her first time in the Gauntlet. This was the first time her promotion mattered. She stepped into the mouth watching all of the eager eyes. She counted the numbers quickly and almost unconsciously. Thirty, soldiers thirty, fists. The Gauntlet was fifteen soldiers deep. One soldier on each side of the gauntlet forming the walls. Each one were pumping fists and cracking knuckles. Each one was ready to welcome there new specialist to the platoon. The first two fists land almost at the same time drilling the posts deep into the flesh of her collar. The next two were not quite in sink; one hit the collar bone the other right on point sinking the posts even deeper into her chest. Then another hit, and another. Some only hit her arms; however most of them hit her collar. With every fist she could feel her flesh warm. In between hits she could feel a cool dampness of blood. It was ok though. This felt great. She felt proud and it poured though her veins and filled the blood that was trickling out of her chest. Another two hits. The one that hit her collar bone stung from the last time her collar bone was hit. Its ok, it’s a good pain. Pain is weakness leaving the body she thought as she fought to walk though the gauntlet. Some hits were hard enough to knock her back a step. She kept pushing. She could see the end. Only a few fists left. The hits on her collar didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. The skin must be numbing. A couple more hits and someone stops her. SGT Bowers. He looks at her with his tobacco filled grin. He reaches down and pulls her collar away from her chest pulling the posts out of her flesh and re positioned it. With an open hand he slapped the posts into fresh skin. She instantly felt chills run down her spine and grinned up at him. He wrapped his arms around her picked her up, gave her a hug and put her back down. Two more she thought. The hits sank into both sides and she smiled more. The last two were right upon her now. They were the squad leaders. This was the moment she was waiting for. She looked at SSG Salcedo ignoring the blow from the first Squad leader it stung but it was ok. SSG Salcedo put his hand on her shoulder. He looked at her and said I’m proud of you Specialist Smee no one deserves this more than you. With that He put his thumb on her rank and pushed the posts deep into her skin. They both smiled. She was proud; she felt tightness in the back of her thought but held it in. Soldiers don’t cry after all.
When she got back to her room she pulled the posts out of her skin and removed her blouse. Blood stained her brown tee shirt were her rank had sat. She peeled the blood soaked tee shirt off and looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin still had goose bumps where her rank sat. Two holes on one side four on the other. She looked at her body. Bruises had already started forming. This is why I joined the army she thought as she grinned back at herself through the mirror.


This is just my first draft. It still needs lots of work!!