The Guardian

by NYChris824

Basic Part 2

AN: I've written some more pieces and they would disappear, even if I saved it. So I'm posting early.

Two weeks later

"Welcome to The Intimidator. Even though it has been redone over the years, the name has never changed, for good reason." Drill Instructor Sentry asked. "Don't worry if you don't finish on your first go because you'll just get back in line. Once you finish this you can have a seat on the side after which we'll all go somewhere together. You will have this course done in under four and a half minutes come graduation week."

"Yes, Drill Instructor."

The course was completely blocked by the first obstacle, an eight foot high wall. The only other obstacle that could be seen was a twenty five foot tall wood frame with ropes dangling to the ground below and a massive cargo net that was the the shape an inverted 'V'. Probably a climb up and roll down thing.

"Who is the first to volunteer?" I knew what he meant, even if no one volunteers someone is going.

"Congrats, Match Box you're up." He said to a gray earth pony. Box walked to the start line and was shouted at the whole time until he was told to go. I was already close to the front.

"The rest of you, sing and jog in place!" He shouted at us.

"Oh mama mama cant you see." Someone sang

"What this army has done to me
Thrown in a barber's chair
Snip snap and I had no hair
And if i die in a combat zone
Box me up and ship me home." We all sang. I would've kept going but found myself on the start line. The next cadence was the quality of army food.

I took off and climbed over the wall, it wasn't that hard. The one in San Diego was a little taller. I could hear yelling further up the course. Standing off to the side was another Drill Instructor and in front of me was a telephone pole a few feet off the ground.

"Get over it!" The DI yelled and I wrapped on arms around it and jumped over. The next part was two bars, one eight feet off the ground and the other one a foot higher, the good old double bar. I jumped up and grabbed the first one, I pulled myself up for grabbed the next bar. I threw my left foot on the bottom rung and flung myself over the next rung. I landed on my back in the mud.

"Get off you ass! Keep going!" Another DI yelled, I didn't even see him. As I scrambled to my feet, I saw James jumping the log and a pony slide down the wall.

"Use your wings again and I'll cut one off so you fly like my great-grandmother!" Someone yelled further up. I jumped another low log and wound up at the rope climb. I watched someone slide down, only to let go from rope burn and slam into the ground. The Drill Instructor walked over, dragged him off the course and started looking him over. I climbed up and touched the knot on the top and slowly climbed my way back down.

Another low log. "Who made this thing?" I said "Why did they add so many low logs?" I swung my way through the monkey bars with ease and did went over another log.

"Quit your bitching and climb that net!" A Drill Instructor yelled at me.

I never did a net before so I had no clue what I was doing. I remember something from Band of Brothers. Hands on vertical ropes and feet on horizontal ropes. I started off moving quickly, except it backfired and made the net bounce me around. I slowed down and the net calmed down.

"Hurry it up!" James said as he climbed next to me.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" I said as I swiped his arm, putting his face into the net.

"You bitch!" He said.

"See you at the end." I reached the top of the net and looked down. Now I had to figure out how to go down, probably the same way I climbed. I put my hands around and head and neck and leaned over until gravity took over. I rolled my way down the rope, opening my eyes on occasion.

I finally rolled off the net and stood up. The world was spinning and I stumbled the last few yards before going down.

"I've never seen anypony roll down the net. How do you feel?" The Drill Instructor asked.

"Stop running in circles please." I moaned, "Youre making it worse."

"I'm not moving."

"Ah. What's my time?"

"We don't take time the first go-around. Also helps us see how long we need to spend on helping recruits in building their body."

I turned my head, puked and moaned again.

***

I recovered from my motion sickness enough to be in the next part; hand to hand combat.

"Welcome to hand to hand combat. We'll be working on this for the next few days. I need a volunteer for this one. How about you Kroger?" Drill Instructor Sentry said

"Of course." I replied as I walked over to him, knowing he'd order me if I said no. "You should know that I have a gray belt in the Marine Corp Martial Art Program."

"Oh shit."

"Yea. I don't mean to brag but it's the second lowest one I can get. Even then the first is something everyone gets in basic."

He blinked and laughed. "You had me for a moment Kroger."

"Just be glad I don't have a black belt. They use their rifles against other rifles and sometimes just their hands. But that's only to show off for civilians. I never had to use it. Yet."

"Lucky me. The rules are no groin hits, nothing to the face and no weapons."

"Fine with me." I said as I took a stance.

He charged at me and took a shot at my ribs. I jumped to the side, resulting in only his fist barely hitting me. I delivered a quick hit hammer fist into his left shoulder, hoping to aim for a quick knock out. He charged me and tackled me to the ground. I rolled away and stood back up, only for me to leap towards me and knock me down again.

"Did you play linebacker in school or something?" I grunted

"Maybe." This time we spent some time on the ground wrestling before he grabbed my arm and pushed my body away while keeping my arm locked.

I tapped his leg twice and he released. "That was a damn good hit you give me on the shoulder. I'll feel that tomorrow. I was hoping you'd last a little longer."

"Taking away face hits kinda sucks. That took away all the boxing stuff and chokes. I could've used some martial arts stuff; knee strikes or knife hands.

"Fair enough. Now partner up!" He shouted at us. I ended up with Match Box. "The first thing we'll talk about is defending yourself. Take a stance!"

Match held his hands in front of him, left in front, while I cupped my hands over my forehead and put my fore arms over my chest, leading down to my ribs.

We stood that way for a few minutes while Drill Instructor Sentey looked at everyone else.

"Good. Now I'll show you how to throw some punches." He said.

***
Canterlot

"Amazing." Luna stated. "I still can't believe that stupid custom is still around." Luna said, looking at the TV in her office. "A thousand years and they still don't have a better way of choosing a new leader."

"I remember a griffon lawmaker made a suggestion on how to change it. He had boiling tar poured over his head. I guess I'm not too surprised that King Pulmer is dead, after all he was only one hundred and twenty." Celestia said. "We'll just have to watch the, umm I'm not sure how many of these civil wars they've had."

"More than history cares to remember? Hopefully they tear themselves apart so hard it'll be decades before they look out." Luna said.

***
One week later

"The sun rises in the east, so that way is north." I said looking at the sunrise and folding the map. "We have a couple of clicks to go."

"A what?" Someone asked

"Clicks. You know kilometers?" I received no answers. "Miles?" While a Earth mile is more like an Equestrian mile and a half, it stilled work.

We finished our hand to hand training and were immediately sent into the woods for navigation training. I was put in charge of a small platoon. We were sent on a overnight hike to collect some 'important' materials.

"You got it, Oldie." Flash cracked, using the nickname he gave me.

"We've have this talk before, Flash. I'll bury you in this fucking forest. Let's go, we have some marching to do. Oorah ?" I said, I should have stopped saying oorah since I'm no longer in the Corps. But old habits die hard.

"Yep." Was the general response. Thankfully no one else picked up on using oorah.

"Let's do this and head back for a hot shower."

We marched for an hour before hitting a checkpoint, marked by a blue flag. Somewhere else in the forest was another platoon trying to stop us, even though we haven't touched guns or were given any. I held a fist up for everyone to stop, something else that I am the only one to use.

"Eyes open everyone." I whispered "This is a good place to hit us."

"Snap." I said, calling a unicorn in the platoon.

"Yea?" I pointed at him, then held up two finger and wiggles a finger in a circle. Take two and recon the area.

"What?" He asked, completely thrown off

"Take two other and look for anyone else. Go out a hundred yards or so. Everyone else grab some cover."

"Roger." Snap grabbed two guys and they slowly walked off. They barely left my sight before they returned.

"That was quick." I noted.

"There's three guys behind those rocks. I saw a leg behind some trees. I wouldn't be surprised if half the other platoon is nearby."

I was concerned that I was already in the middle of the kill zone. Although since no one from their side came out to us, we technically won the battle.

"Let's get that flag and head to the next WP. This one is to the northwest, putting near the river, so eyes open on the banks when we arrive." I ordered. We headed off for the Foal River and the edge of the camp.

We reached the edge of the forest, still in cover, after an uneventful ruck.

"Eyes open and spread out. There's bound to to be several on this side and maybe some of the other side." I ordered. Thankfully, we were on the hills over looking the river. "Thank God we have the high ground."

"There's a flag down there sir." Thunderclap, a pegasus pointed out.

"Good. Our final objective and we can go home. Snap, I want you and your little fireteam to go down there. Start from the left and work to the right. Come back here when you're done."

"Roger." I liked Snap, he was smart and had good leadership skills. I can see him easily becoming an officer after basic.

"Bell, Flash and Shot." I called "You three head left and head to the right. Come back here when reach them."

"You got it, Oldie."

I kept my eyes on both teams as they slowly advanced to each other. They ran into each other near the flag and started their return here.

"There should be another group here." I thought aloud "There's no way there right on the bank so they must be between the two of us." My mind immediately thought again that we were surrounded and being watched, about to be grabbed.

They spent several minutes searching between the river and the rest of us.

"There is no pony out there." Flash reported

"Agreed." Snap added "Unless they're on the other river bed, which is stupid, they're gone."

"Where the fuck can they be? Broadcast, bring that radio here." I ordered, as I questioned, not for the first time, how ponies were named. "Sandman actual to base, over

"Base to Sandman go ahead, over."

"Be advised. We are at waypoint three and there is no sign of enemy platoon, over."

"Roger that. Stand by as we make contact with them, out."

"Acknowledged, out." I replied and leaned against a tree.

"I'm not imagining all this, right?" I asked my platoon "Like we found no one here."

"Unless we're on the same stuff, we found nothing." One of the scouts said.

"Base to Sandman actual, over." Base called

"Sandman actual, go ahead base. Over."

"Be advised, platoon three was forced to leave the area due to a severe injury. Head back to base, out."

"Copy base, out." I said "Alrighty boys, we're getting that flag and heading home. Flash, grab that flag."

"Okay." He said as he left.

"Everyone else get ready to go back to base. I also believe this means we won." I added as everyone cheered for our win.

Two days later

After finishing our navigation training, we spent the next day on the range, using wood mock ups of guns to get used to them. We didn't have our guns due to some sort of a screw up in delivering our guns, even though the guns should never leave the camp. We were still at the range getting used to firing positions, something I never forgot. Today the guns finally arrived, kept in boxes marked with SIR.

"Welcome back to the range. The guns finally arrived." Drill Instructor Sentry said, as he leaned over and popped the lid off a box. "These things look weird." I was expecting for him to pull out some sort of sci-fi gun, instead he pulled out a bolt action rifle.

Author's Note:

The plot thickens and slowly goes forward.

Obvious Metallica reference is semi hidden

Comments

[Russian Bank Teller]

8469390
This question is not just directed at you but the whole "military in equestria" theme in all.

WHY THE FUCK WOULD US ARMED FORCES SOLDIERS JOIN EQUESTRIAN ARMED FORCES?! They are still US citizens, they would basically be betraying their country for talking horses. Not like Equestria actually fights wars anyway.

[Corn]

8521161
This is a good question; people who join the armed forces are nationalist, why would they join a foreign military?

[Devildogg20]

8521282
They were supposed to be advisors if I remember... now they are soldiers..

[NYChris824]

8521161

They were all given citizenship to live in Equestria, although Dan and Mike would have to wait for their 4 year enlistments to end.

[Russian Bank Teller]

8521657
Then they would also be renouncing their US citizenship a well. You can't have double citizenship in the USA. Basically, they are giving up any hope of seeing their families and going home. It would be better if they act like US ambassadors or something. They could claim some territory for the USA, or pretty much anything else. Quite sure someone would not renounce their citizenship for what is, in all intensive purposes, temporary.

[NYChris824]

8521725

I also wrote this story planning the whole time that they would join the military. Also, being on another planet with no clue who they arrived and no known way to return makes it impossible to go home. Most military man in Equestria has them joining the military. I have asked in one of the first chapters about what people wanted to see and of the choices, many said in the military.

[Russian Bank Teller]

8521984
So they have absolutely zero allegiance to the US? They are giving US tech and military secrets to a foreign power. Wouldn’t they assume that if they got there, others will as well? They are traitors, plain and simple. They swore allegiance to the US and at the simple idea that they MIGHT not go home, they betray their country and their families? This is a problem with most military in Equestria stories. Don’t follow the crowd and actually make a semi-realistic story.

[NYChris824]

8522107

What fucking tech or secrets? The most help they did was some basic advice.

[Russian Bank Teller]

8522448
The tank and their weapons

[The Redneck]

8522492
The tanks and weapons are wwii era tech so they're not giving away much in terms of military secrets.

[Russian Bank Teller]

8522658
That is still giving a foreign power (WHICH NEVER HAD GUNS BEFORE) guns. It makes Equestria into a threat. Not a big one, but still a threat.

[NYChris824]

8522680

Actually, they already had muskets and they developed the rifles with no help, that's why I didn't mention it

[Russian Bank Teller]

8522703
What about tanks?

[NYChris824]

8522720

Yes, that's the main point of the story. If you suddenly hate this story then I suggest you stop reading because it'll keep going

[Russian Bank Teller]

8522775
I was interested in the story until they joined Equestria.

[Starlight Nova]

Will this story have any sex scenes, implied or otherwise, where the woman does most or all of the work?

[NYChris824]

8565456

It's possible, I've been debating on having romance or not and I have the sex tag for only a few moments so I may use it some more

[Xenamare]

"Oh mama mama cant you see." Someone sang

"What this army has done to me Thrown in a barber's chair Snip snap and I had no hair And if i die in a combat zone Box me up and ship me home." We all sang. I would've kept going but found myself on the start line. The next cadence was the quality of army food.

I have never heard of this cadence song ?

[starship55]

MESS CORPS.....DEATH FROM WITHIN !!!