The Thanksgiving break ended all too soon and training began again. It was quick and difficult, over the next three days she had some non-specified class time. Bekka gave her an assignment for operational planning, dovetailed with Garen’s medical assignment. She had until Saturday morning to plan and equip herself to provide medical support for a six person team able to take care of any medical or trauma emergency for up to twelve hours without more medical support arriving. Bekka had her working it from a logistical angle while Garen had her pulling the actual gear she thought she would need, packing the aid bag and support equipment and so forth.
She could ask advice, but she had to do the primary work and planning. She wasn’t sure what they were planning but they at least gave her three days to play with it. She wondered if this was enough time and what she should really plan for what they had up their sleeves because in the back of her mind she knew something was going to go wrong with these guys, it always did. One of their mantras “the real world doesn’t read the text books, neither do bodies and shit will happen”.
Saturday morning was a long drawn out affair. It started with Angelique spending well over an hour going through the medical supplies loadout she had pulled, piece by piece, item by item, explaining each one and why she had it where she had it. This went from the pouches on her gear to the aid bag on her back to the second pack for a vehicle to the small hard case for her main location.
This all was in accordance with the planning tools she was taught for medical support;
RUCK ‐ the gear carried to the furthest point on a mission, generally carried by medical personnel dismounted.
TRUCK ‐ whatever additional equipment will be carried in mission‐specific transportation, whether that is trucks, boats, ATVs, kayaks, etc.
HOUSE ‐ gear available to the medic, but which is only feasible to be maintained at a team house, firebase, or other mission support site. It represents the highest level of care the operational element has organic to it.
PLANE ‐ planning stage included to allow the medical providers to consider how they will move patients on aircraft, whether MEDEVAC aircraft (those designated and equipped to move casualties as a primary mission) or CASEVAC (pre‐planned non‐medical mission support aircraft, opportunity or “slick”) aircraft.
One of the most frustrating things to Angelique? The whole time she was going through her gear, Garen never said good or bad about any of the choices she had made. It was always, ‘ok, why?’ followed by ‘and this?’ By the end of it, she wanted to strangle him! She had no idea if she did good or bad! What was the point! She needed feedback!
Garen just nodded when she was through. “Good, now it’s Bekka’s turn.” He quickly left, leaving the two of them standing there in the workshop. Angelique turned to Bekka.
“So, how did I do? Good? Bad? Rhinoceros?” She was clearly frustrated and flustered.
“Do you think you have what you would need, Angelique?” Bekka’s tone was soft but direct. Angelique was caught off guard by some different tone to Bekka’s voice. It wasn’t her instructor tone and wasn’t her instructor tone and wasn’t the lighter conversational one of when they were walking.
“Yeah, I think so, but I figured you guys would tell me if I’m right?”
Bekka got a sad look on her face. “The problem is, we don’t know. It’s always a matter of trying to plan for everything and then cutting the mountain of gear needed to the smallest amount that makes sense. You always end up with too much of one thing and not enough of some other thing. From what you described and showed Garen, you took this seriously, thought about all your choices to the best you could and tried to make sense of the fact you can never really know if you have the right stuff.”
Angelique stood there for a moment. Bekka’s reply was …….shocking? Disturbing? Unexpected for sure. If Bekka didn’t know, then did she do good or bad?
Bekka seemed to snap out of her reverie after a moment. “OK, Angelique, let’s go over the rest of your plan. I think the medical nuts and bolts are well developed and covered.”
Another couple hours of plans and projections ensued, covering water resupply, food plan, communications, transportation, fuel, ammo and a thousand more elements Bekka wanted to know. Finally, Bekka had seen enough.
“As far as your planning, your stuff is top notch, especially for a first full scale front to back support plan. Let’s get upstairs and have a good lunch. Then you will have about an hour and a half to repack your gear.” Bekka looked at her watch. “Your mission kicks off at 1400. I’ll be your partner, so let me know what extra you want me to have or to carry. I am not an advanced provider for the most part other than TCCC initial interventions. I will be your primary comms person and your extra pair of hands, but you will be the boss.”
Angelique looked at her like she had purple unicorns growing out of her head. “Mission? Leaving at 1400? Where are we going? What are we doing? It’s just you and me? Wait. Back up. Huh?”
“Here at 1400, you will be putting it all to the test. We wouldn’t have you pull and pack everything and then have you put it all back. Garen, Kara and Allyson have set up a testing scenario for you to put all of this training over the last several weeks together and see how you put it all to use.” Bekka could see the effect her words had on Angelique. She watched her pupils dilate, her skin flush and her pulse quicken.
Bekka reached out and took Angelique’s hands in hers. “Relax, you got this. We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think you could.” Just remember your stuff, do what YOU know needs done, and don’t forget, you won’t be in there alone, I will be your assistant.”
“I don’t know if I can do this!” There was a tremor in Angelique’s voice now.
“You have survived more shit than a lot of highly trained people I used to know. They died, you didn’t. They gave up. You didn’t! Stop selling yourself short, Damnit! You got this!” Bekka was staring intently into Angelique’s eyes now. Angelique was reminded of her grandmother in that moment, the same fierce intensity.
Unbidden, Angelique’s Grandfather’s voice was in her head now just as loud as when he talked to her when she was scared and wishy-washy about fighting to stay here instead of going back to live with her mother and brother this fall.
“Leka, always remember, you may have gotten some of your looks from your mother, but you got your heart, your soul, your strength from my son, your father. You are not some weak little girl. You are a strong, beautiful and proud Russian woman! They would have to kill you to stop you, whatever you set your mind to.”
Angelique remembered that day, so clear and vivid. The next day she told her dad she was staying and not going back, and if he wouldn’t support her in this, she would live at her grandparents place until she could get a place of her own.
“OK, Bekka, what’s for lunch? I have a feeling I’m going to need a lot of energy for whatever crazy shit you guys have dreamed up for me next.”
Bekka saw the change in Angelique, right there in front of her. She wasn’t sure how or why, but she saw it. This woman, she wish she had her as a troop when she was active duty. In some ways she reminded her of Kara those many years ago.
“Open-faced turkey sandwiches with mash potatoes and gravy. We even still have some cranberry sauce left as well.”
The two went upstairs to the kitchen for lunch.