Rolling Thunder [Brennan]

[MAJ Patterson]

It was a slightly cold night as the prideful Alpha Company of the 3ID suited up for a late night stroll through the countryside for some low visibility tactics training. Patterson slowly walked back up the line of the convoy to ensure everything was in working order. The tanks came roaring to life and the armored transports with their guns in tow hummed right along with the rest of the behemoths. Patterson smiled in his head as he recalled back when he and his former XO were worried about half of the entire unit making it to bas...back when that was all of two squads. They had indeed come a long way, but they had paid their price for the banner they carried. This was indeed a glorious fighting force. Patterson stopped by the motor-pool office to check their roll out time and their destination.

A loud clang followed by an abrupt POP pulled the Captains eyes open, away from the papers in front of him, that imaginary smile vanished as he wondered what it could have been. When he pushed the door open and stepped into the enormous garage area he could see the veterans helping the new recruits to their feet, having a little laugh about it. The oldest of the armor pieces had a small trail of smoke lifting from it toward the ceiling. "Lovely." he mumbled under his breath as he sighed before walking over to the crew that was climbing out. "Dunno what happened sir. One second we were running a check on the hydraulics, the next, well your guess is as good as mine sir." the crewman shakingly reported to his leader, pointing to the all to obvious tank. Patterson just shook his head and clamped his thumb and index finger around the bridge of his nose. You have got to be kidding me, now? Really?" and with that he turned toward the front of the convoy as the remainder of the vehicles drew silent, knowing good and well that they wouldn't be moving just yet.

With a loud "BRENNAN!!" Patterson's face turned a bit red from the intensity, but although he did know the guy much, his recently promoted Master Sergeant had also just returned from a bit of advanced engineering school. He was who Alpha Company turned to when it hit the fan and had nothing to do with combat, he fixed it when it broke and he kept it running when it was near death. The handyman of the big boy toys if you would. A figure appeared from the rear of the forward transport, and what seemed to be a couple lackeys followed him. Patterson smiled as best he could knowing that there would be a large number of restless men if this took too long.

[Daniel Brennan]

The cold night air, which would usually be still and quiet at this time in the evening was alive with the sounds of chatter and the engines of vehicles. A convoy of tanks, Bren carriers and artillery filled the huge garage and they were preparing to move out for some coordinated exercises in low light. Daniel felt somewhat nervous about this. A lot of the men in the Division were barely out of their teens and it was a bad idea to trust them around tanks. Unfortunately, some of them were actually in the tanks and that was bad . Hopefully there wouldn’t be many accidents…

Daniel himself was casually sitting in the open topped turret of Aquila, the M10 that he was proud to have under his command. Blake, the commander was perched beside him, a bit nervous about the exercise. Daniel’s Johnson was mounted on the side of the turret for the exercise and Daniel was actually worried that it would get damaged. It really was a fine piece of equipment. ”Start ‘er up!” Daniel called down to Hammond the driver. The engine came to life with a loud roar and Daniel smiled.

The smile was wiped off his a few seconds later as a loud bang echoed through the building. It appeared that the Sherman was having a few technical problems. I few seconds later a roar was heard from Patterson – almost as loud as the explosion – for Brennan to come. Brennan nodded to himself and awkwardly hopped off the tank. He had just passed an Engineering course, so it was obvious what Patterson wanted him for. Daniel wasn’t so sure if he could fix a tank, but he could try. The sapper, Burns, who had been sitting on the side of the M10 hopped off too at a gesture from Daniel.

Daniel jogged through the small throng of people who were curious to see what the fuss was, with Burns in tow. He quickly came to the source of the problem; a Sherman with a cloud of smoking coming out of it and an angry looking Patterson standing in front of it. He got right into business and strode up to the tank. He caught one of the crewmen on the shoulder: ”What happened?” He questioned. A shrug was his answer and Daniel sighed to himself. ”Right, Burns. We might as well open up the engine…” He said, trying to bluff himself in.

[MAJ Patterson]

His top Engineer arrived in seconds and hoped straight to work. Henry was proud to have men that knew their stuff, proud to have Brennan. He wasn't just a work horse either, Brennan had earned his stripes more often than anyone else in the unit. He was the stuff that stories were made of. But he'd never hear that from his Captain.

"Carry on then." Patterson half way shouted as he turned to the crowd of on-lookers that had gathered. "You know how to fix a tank?!" he spat at one stubborn soul that seemed hard of hearing.

"N-No sir!" and with that the boy spun around and head back down the line to prepare. Patterson hoped it was something small, he wanted to get this stuff down for when they would need to use it, that and from the way things were looking, they might just need to fix something else when they got out into the darkness. He had an all too vivid image of some young idiot getting cocky and running into a ditch with some really expensive equipment at his fingertips. There was a reason it had been overly stressed in the briefing to go slow, it wasn't to suck the fun out of it, it was keep what they had and gain some knowledge of the tactics, this wasn't a combat exercise, it was just to get used to the low light situation should it ever come up.

Everything they had that wasn't currently mobilized to the front was lined up here tonight. It would be a grand exersize...if it ever got out the door.

[Daniel Brennan]

OOC: Sorry if there is a few faults in my writing, since I honestly don’t know what to do – I’m not just pretending to bluff it IC.

Patterson cleared away the small crown that had gathered, leaving just a few people crowded around. Great! Less people to see me get killed by Patterson for not knowing how to fix a tank! Daniel thought to himself glumly. He turned back to the Sherman. Where the fuck was the engine? He was pretty sure there was a hatch on the back that let you look into the engine compartment... and he thought there might be something inside the tank as well. ”Lemme just climb inside for a sec, see if I can see anything from there” he said, trying to sound confident.

He hopped up onto the side of the tank and peered into the hatch. There seemed to be a bit of smoke coming out of the hatch, so there had to be something down there. He clambered down into the cramped metal beast. The smell of sweat was almost over powering, forcing him to wrinkle his nose. He looked around. There were a few panels set into the walls and they looked somewhat promising. He groped at his belt and grabbed a large screwdriver. He worked quickly opening a random panel and he grinned as it came off with a clang. An acrid smell seeped into the air, making him cough loudly. There seemed to be something in here, anyway. He peered into the darkness and grunted as he realised the smell was coming from below him. It seemed to be around the tracks... or something.

He clambered back out of the tank again, having been down there nearly five minutes. ”Looks like a problem with the tracks...” he said to Patterson, somewhat nervously. ”sir.” he added in as an afterthought. He jumped down from the hatch onto the ground. ”Hands and knees” he muttered to himself. He got down on his hands and knees and peered under the tank carefully. It had made a rather loud sound, so whatever happened was probably very noticeable.


"Ah." he blurted out as he sighted what seemed to be the source of the problem. "Burns, get over here" he called out.

[MAJ Patterson]

OOC: No worries Dan, I actually don't know very much about tanks myself when it comes to mechanics...shhhh...don't tell anyone

IC: Patterson stepped back and just looked over the tank as a whole, he had no clue as to what was needed to be done or what caused the issue. He just knew he had a tank currently out of commission and that never sat well with him, probably didn't sit well with any commander for that matter. He turned away and looked down the line for a drawn out second to see that the men were keeping busy preparing to move when the time came. "Smoke 'em if ya got 'em!" he called out, even if it was a quick fix they would have to inspect the beast again before they could do anything else, more than ample time to handle a cigarette or a latrine break. The Captain re-entered the office and picked the papers back up flipping the op page quickly to read over the parameters on the second page.

Really! This will be the first time out with most of these guys and they are redirecting us to Maneuvers Range 4?! Needless to say this didn't sit Well with Henry, and there was good cause for his alarmed thoughts, originally they would execute the training exercise on MR2, the easiest of the group, which was just fine given the fact that most of the men going out would be green at heart to this sort of thing. But sticking what was left of the Company on MR4 was all in all a horrid idea. MR4 had a notorious reputation of taking equipment away, either by an unforeseen obstacle that landed a vehicle upside down or a swamp that seemingly formed overnight that could swallow up an entire half-track with the crew in it if they weren't fast enough getting out. The signs were already beginning to weigh heavily on Patterson, but none the less this was valuable training that he wanted to see his men master before they really needed it.

Several quick steps later and the Captain was poised beside the flat-lined tank. He watched as Burns was called and scurried getting to Brennan and Henry waited until he was well under the tank before he himself knelt down as well. "Gimme a no BS assessment Master Sergeant..." with a short sigh Patterson finished with "...how bad is it?"

[Daniel Brennan]

OOC: The plot thickens! D:

Burns speedily squeezed himself under the behemoth beside Daniel, gagging at the fumes. Surely a person could get brain damage from spending too long under one of these things? Maybe that was why Engineers were renowned for not being the brightest? Daniel was pondering this as he inched over to the side to let Burns squeeze in beside him. Jesus, it really was a tight squeeze under the tank. Daniel could barely move and it took him about 20 seconds to crawl out of the way enough to let Burns in. He was unable to raise his head, the roof was so low. Instead, he had to awkwardly turn his head sideways to look straight ahead.

He pointed out the fault to Burns, who let out a little “Ah” in response. A plate from the bottom of the tank had partly fallen down, for whatever reason; the last person to repair the tank had forgotten to fix it in place properly, or something. One side of the plate was still in place, but the other side had buckled and had gotten mangled against the tracks of the tank. When the tracks started turning, they had scraped against the steel plating, causing the acrid smoke to appear. As for the banging noise, Daniel didn’t have a clue. It was probably the plate banging against the concrete floor, or the bottom of the tank.

Daniel heard Patterson’s booming voice beside the tank and he twisted around to peer at him. He let the men take a smoke break, a wise decision, and then asked Daniel what was the problem. Daniel detached himself from Burn’s side, to better converse with the Captain. ”It doesn’t look too serious.” He said - which would surely bring a smile to Patterson’s face. ”Some Engineer didn’t tighten one of the bottom plates correctly, and it fell and hit the track.” he said, pointing at the plate, which was just about visible around Burns’ body.

But the question was, was the tank available for the manoeuvres? This part Daniel was less sure of. He was fairly certain himself and Burns could do something about the plate in a matter of minutes, but he honestly didn’t have a clue about if it would hold or not. ”Myself and Burns should be able to pin it up temporarily. I could have it done in less than fifteen minutes and it’ll hopefully hold for the whole exercise. Hopefully...” He added in somewhat worriedly. ”It wouldn’t be a permanent fix, but as long as the exercise doesn’t involve any mines and as long as the guys don’t drive it into a swamp, or anything, it should be alright". He said the last bit with a smile. ”Will I get started?”

[MAJ Patterson]

OOC: Sorry this has taken so long Dan

IC: Patterson listened on as the Master Sergeant explained the issues with the tank, it didn't sound too bad at first but that all changed by the time he was finished. The Captain pinched his lips together and closed his eyes, his head dropped as he shook it, an emotion he would never allow to be seen by the men, but He considered Brennan as one of the top assets of the 3ID, he had proven himself time and time again, he was a good soldier and didn't seem the type to pass on the Stress of their leader. "Don't worry with it, I'd rather have you out there with us, leaving a piece of armor here makes it easily accessible, we might need you out there in case there are any other problems and we need to get something back here on a crutch. Just flat line it, the motor-pool crew can keep an eye on it until we return." he paused to look behind him at the scurry of feet out from under the tank, they didn't have the time and the men didn't have the patience for the wait, not to mention the vehicle would most likely not be able to survive the exercise. "Think about what you will need to get her back in top shape and any extra parts you feel we need to stockpile on the side, you write it up after we get back and have some chow and I'll make sure it goes through as quickly as possible, understood Master Sergeant?" Patterson in no way was coming across as bossy or trying to be intimidating, but it was inevitable that at least a few of the troops were listening in, he had to keep it professional.

Patterson crawled out from under the huge now roadblock and climbed atop it to more easily address the men. "Listen up! At ease, at ease! Listen!!" he shouted through the gargantuan garage to get the attention of the Company, his voice echoing off of the thin tin walls. "This one's flat lined! Sergeants make room in your transports to get these men a ride out to MR4, I want everyone I can get out there to take part in this! Also, like I said, we are heading to MR4, no longer are we training on MR2! Seems the last unit on two had unforeseen problems so the range is currently unavailable! It's the same route but once you come up on two, just keep going and extra 3 miles, the access road will be to the right! Just follow the vehicles in front of you, I'll be in the lead transport to make sure we all get there! Platoon Leaders check your men and your equipment, get back to me within ten minutes with any issues! WE ROLL OUT IN TWENTY GENTLEMEN!!" Patterson climbed down and cleared his throat. "Brennan, your riding with me. Get your gear in order." he finished up before he returned to the small office to collect up his pack and maps. This should be a blast. he thought as he rolled his eyes and tried his best to clear his mind, the following hours would very intensely tax his ability to remain calm and level headed.

[Daniel Brennan]

OOC: My writing skills are a bit rusty, but hopefully it’s readable.

A look of extreme frustration crossed the Captains face, only visible from Daniel’s position and this didn’t reassure Daniel about the training exercise. To Daniels surprise Patterson told Daniel that he wasn’t to fix it yet, and wait until after the exercise. This was worrying. It would only take a few minutes to temporarily fix the tank and although Patterson liked to keep a tight schedule, Daniel doubted punctuality was that important to him. So that meant that there would probably be extremely rough terrain out there. It wasn’t that he was worried about himself; he was sure Aquila was in good condition and the crew would be able to get her through anything.

What he wasn’t so sure was the rest of the Division. Most of them were little more than children, with a sprinkling of battle hardened veterans through the ranks keeping them under control. Putting expensive equipment into their hands was a bad idea on a flat road, but in rough terrain it could be fatal. The recruits ranged from timid 18 year olds who were hardly able to fire their rifle’s and who looked like they would break down in combat, to boisterous 20 year olds who thought they had seen it all and were prone to showing off to their friends by randomly firing their rifles at any poor animal or tree that happened to be standing near them. And just to top it all off, it was dark. Daniel hated to think it, but he thought the Medics were going to be busy over the next few days.

He nodded an affirmative to the rest of Patterson’s orders. He already knew most of what he would need to properly fix the problem and he would be able to grab a few engineers from the main Tank Repairs Garage to help him. Daniel and Burns struggled out from under the tank and were treated to the amusing sight of Patterson leaping up on top of the tank and roaring orders to the large crowd of men gathered. He quickly wiped the smile off his face. He was standing behind Patterson, but laughing at Patterson was not a bright thing to do. Patterson turned around to Brennan and informed him to ride in the same transport as Patterson, before stalking off to the small office.

Daniel shrugged to Burns and sprinted back to Aquila to get his stuff. He grabbed his pack from the Halftrack behind the M10 and then hopped up to speak with Blake. ”I’m in front with Patterson, so you’re in charge here. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” he said somewhat cautiously. He did trust Blake, but a little warning couldn’t go astray. He left Burns behind and made his way back to Patterson’s office. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure what Patterson was using as transportation, so he hovered around outside the office, meaning the follow the man once he had finished whatever he was doing in the office.