Ride The Rising Tide (The Maxwell Saga) (4 page)

“
It fought for a morally bankrupt cause, and in some cases committed atrocities and war crimes, but even so, the
Wehrmacht
was one of the most effective military organizations the settled galaxy has ever seen, before or since. There were many reasons for that, but intensive and thorough training, unit cohesion and quality of leadership stand out. We’ve learned from that, because we want to be at least as effective. Yes, Recruit Maxwell?”

Steve had raised his hand. “Sir, Nazi Germany was responsible for genocide and other crimes against humanity. How can it possibly be a good example for the Fleet?”

“Good question, recruit. Many wars have produced outstanding armed forces and leaders who served causes later found wanting, or tolerated — or even carried out — acts later deemed to be atrocities. That doesn’t mean we should ignore their positive aspects. Prepare a report for circulation to the class tomorrow, taking one page each to examine Robert Lee in the American Civil War of the nineteenth century, Georgy Zhukov in the Second Global War I’ve already mentioned, Vo Nguyen Giap in the Vietnam War two decades later, Jerzy Czernicki in Earth’s Asteroid Wars of the late twenty–first century, and Michael Creswell in the twenty–third century’s Marisa Cluster conflict. Look at the nature of the polities they served, as well as the standards and conduct of their armed forces and themselves. A brief summary will suffice.”

Steve gulped. “Sir, aye aye, Sir!” Mentally he cursed. It’d take him at least a couple of hours tonight to do that, but he knew there were probably similar articles in the Boot Camp library upon which he could draw. He wouldn’t be the only one missing sleep. All the instructors were fond of responding to questions by imposing additional homework, to drive home important points. He had to admit, it worked.

PO Robinson continued, “To return to the Fleet, we start by having every single member of our combat services go through Boot Camp. Spacer or Marine, enlisted, NCO or officer, we’ve all been there and done that. No one’s taken any shortcuts, and all our combat officers, without exception, have served in enlisted ranks before being commissioned. That’s a very strong unifying bond, right there. We provide ongoing technical and professional education through service schools and academies, hypno–study assignments while on active duty, and extensive electronic libraries to allow you to study in your own time. Fleet University offers courses and degrees up to Masters level through part–time distance education. They’re very good, by the way; their academic quality is vetted by Commonwealth University on Lancaster, so they’re held to the highest standards.

“
As far as unit cohesion goes, we try to make two–year assignments, give or take a few months to allow for the exigencies of the service. That gives our people stability. They have time to get to know those with whom they work, and build effective teams. It also allows us to structure their career path more effectively, with a period of active service followed by one in a support unit, with more opportunities for training and time with their families. Yes, Recruit Kumar?”

“
Sir, you said ‘opportunities for training’. What about extended training courses like Small Craft School, which lasts nine months, or Staff College for officers, which is a full academic year? Surely that takes a very big chunk out of a normal two–year assignment?”

The instructor nodded. “You’re right. To get around that problem, extended professional training or education is treated as a career assignment in its own right. You’ll be posted to the school concerned, stay there for the duration of the course, then proceed to a normal two–year assignment. If your course includes ongoing part–time study, orders for your next assignment will include that, so your new unit can provide the time and facilities you need to complete it.”

“Sir, thank you, Sir!”

“
Very well. We also follow the
Wehrmacht’s
example in another way, by giving much more responsibility and authority to our NCO’s than do many other armed forces. There were more than a few instances in the Second Global War where German lieutenants or even senior sergeants took command of battalions in combat, after all their other officers had been killed, wounded or put out of action. Sergeants sometimes led companies, corporals sometimes led platoons. The units usually performed as well under their command as they had under their officers — sometimes better. That’s the quality of NCO leadership to which we aspire.

“
On small warships such as light and heavy patrol craft, someone of my rank will usually be a department head. On destroyers, and on even the largest auxiliaries, a Warrant Officer may be a department head, with a Senior NCO as his deputy. At times the Senior NCO may act as temporary department head for extended periods. Also, we ask Senior NCO’s to evaluate every candidate for a regular commission with whom they’ve served. If more than a third of them issue a down–check, that person doesn’t even appear before the selection board, let alone go to OCS. So, it’s clear that to be an NCO in the Fleet is a big responsibility. Since most of you who decide to make a career in the Fleet will end up as at least NCO’s, we want you to take that to heart.

“
Your career will be structured to equip you to be a leader. As Spacers or Marines Third, Second and First Class, you’re given less responsibility and more supervision. In those ranks your training is very intensive, with ongoing hypno–study and simulator work even during active duty assignments. As junior NCO’s — Petty Officers Third and Second Class in the Spacer Corps, or Corporals and Sergeants in the Marine Corps — you’re considered sufficiently trained and experienced to command and teach others, and set an example of leadership to them. Your training continues, but your duties carry progressively greater responsibility and authority.

“
A PO First Class or Staff Sergeant is referred to as a Staff NCO, to designate them as on the cusp of Senior NCO rank. They may fill posts nominally reserved for Senior NCO’s if none are available. By the time you reach Senior NCO rank — Chief, Senior Chief or Master Chief Petty Officer in the Spacer Corps, or Gunnery, Master, or Master Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps — you’re considered a professional leader, able to function as part of a unit’s command team, even take over command if necessary in certain situations. As part of that, the Fleet officially assigns to Senior NCO’s the responsibility to help train and form its junior officers. Also, by that time your cumulative training and military education will usually be sufficient to have earned a Bachelor’s degree in Military Science, over and above your professional qualifications. That’s why we insist on minimum educational standards and aptitudes for our recruits. You’re going to need them! You had a question, Recruit Mendez?”

Alonzo Mendez was a Marine recruit. “Sir, yes, Sir. I’ve met several Marines and Spacers who’ve held Private or Spacer First Class rank for many years, never moving up to NCO rank. How do those standards of leadership apply to them, Sir?”

“Some people just don’t want the responsibilities that go with higher rank. That’s OK — we have plenty of work for them. Provided they work hard and meet our standards, we won’t kick them out. However, we want as many of you as possible to develop your leadership potential.”

“
Sir, understood, Sir!”

Robinson glanced at a clock on the rear wall of the classroom, then looked around. “Some of you probably think that the way we try to break you down in Boot Camp doesn’t bear that out. You’re wrong. Our first priority is to inculcate unit cohesion by getting rid of the self–centered, me–first, ‘I’m special’ attitude held by so many civilians.” A subdued chuckle ran through the recruits. “You’ve already learned you’re not so special after all; that anyone in your platoon is your equal or better, if not in one area, then in another; and that you all have to work together as a team in order to overcome problems and obstacles. That’s the beginning of unit cohesion, right there.

“Thereafter, we give each of you opportunities to lead your platoon in parade maneuvers, or field problems, or instruction. It’s not a big thing at this early stage of your career, but small beginnings lead to larger things later. We reward top performance right away. As you know, the Honor Graduate of each training platoon is promoted immediately to Spacer or Marine Second Class, bypassing Third Class rank. That’s an early start up the ladder. They’ll earn that promotion the hard way, as all of you will be able to attest from your own experience.

“
Boot Camp’s tough — deliberately so. Little, if anything, in your future Fleet career will seem as hard as this, even though some courses — for example, advanced NCO training or OCS — are actually more demanding. That’s because almost all of you came here as civilians, without any military background. You’re learning that here from the ground up. What you take away from Boot Camp will color the rest of your Fleet career. You’ll rise as far as your abilities and drive will take you. If you’ve got the potential, and work hard, and make the most of all the opportunities the Fleet offers, and have a little good luck here and there, and avoid career–killing mistakes, there’s nothing stopping you becoming a Fleet Admiral someday. It’s all up to you.”

~ ~ ~

By the time eight weeks had passed, the recruits’ close–order drill had improved beyond all recognition. They marched in tight formation, moving as one through increasingly complex maneuvers and intricate evolutions. Heels cracked together in unison, heads turned and arms shot out in perfect alignment to dress the ranks, and they reacted swiftly and uniformly to the command of execution.

They learned cadence calls, both for marching and for running. Many were hoary with age, time–honored institutions in their own right. A few seemed incomprehensible until the recruits learned the ancient traditions that had inspired them. Others were invented on the spur of the moment, occasionally to the displeasure of certain instructors who heard themselves rhythmically — and detrimentally — discussed. This led to further trips to collect leaves from distant bushes, among other punishments. By now, however, the grinning offenders were fit enough to regard these excursions as a welcome relief from the drudgery of square–bashing.

Steve returned, puffing, from such an excursion one day, having remembered his earlier vow and decided that the time was ripe. He trotted up to PO Kilrain, came to attention and handed him a leaf. As expected, he heard in reply,
“Wrong leaf!
Go back and bring me the one next to it!”

Steve reached into his pocket and solemnly handed over four more leaves. “Sir, this recruit anticipated your command. Here are the leaves on either side of, and above and below, the wrong one. This recruit respectfully submits that the right leaf must be among them, Sir!”

The platoon looked on with wide–eyed delight, trying desperately to contain their mirth, as Kilrain struggled for words. “You — you — !”

Petty Officer Robinson rescued him. “Recruit, what Petty Officer Kilrain meant to say is that you took the leaf from the wrong
bush
. Go and get one from the correct bush!”

Steve knew he couldn’t push his luck too far. “Sir, aye aye,
Sir!”
He ran off towards the hillside once more, holding back his ear–to–ear grin until he faced away from the instructors.

Behind him he heard PO Kilrain as he regained his voice. “What are you lot laughing about? You think that’s funny? In that case,
all
of you can bring me a leaf! And don’t you
dare
bring back the entire bloody bush!
MOVE!”

His voice carried well, causing several nearby recruit platoons to burst out laughing, which led to their instructors also becoming less than happy. That day saw enough leaves retrieved to denude an entire botanical garden — which meant the recruits had to sweep the parade–ground after drill. They lost count of the number of pushups performed and other punishments inflicted… but nothing could completely stifle their amusement. Even the instructors found it hard to punish them straight–faced.

Their transformation from civilians was almost complete.

~ ~ ~

The day came to shoot for score with carbine and pistol. For once, the instructors didn’t give them a hard time that morning. Their own grades would depend in part on the performance of their recruits.

The final course of fire with the carbine, from the prone position at five hundred meters, was the most difficult. The wind had turned fickle, blowing first from the right of the firing line, then from the left. The indicator flags swung from one side to the other, and sometimes hung motionless. Occasionally the nearer flags would point in one direction while those further downrange would indicate another, making it fiendishly difficult to predict the influence of the wind on the light, ultra–high–speed projectiles. Steve concentrated on his sight picture, keeping the indicator flags in his field of view, trying to squeeze off his shots while they were all pointing in roughly the same direction, so he could allow for the wind’s effect on his projectile. He tried not to let himself be distracted by the periodic hypersonic
crack!
of the weapons on either side of him. Slowly he worked his way through the course of fire, scoring bullseye after bullseye, most of his hits in the X–ring.

He was shocked to hear an announcement over the loudspeakers. “One minute remaining! One minute left in this course of fire!” Chagrined, he realized that by waiting for the wind between each shot, he’d wasted much of the ten minutes allocated to this round. He still had to fire three shots.
Come on, dammit, CONCENTRATE!
, he mentally commanded himself, and bent to his task.