Intel Briefing 1900hrs 28Feb1999

Anastasia holds up a hand, "Look at mine," she volunteers, "this is more things than I have ever had."

Jason just let the designation speak for itself, he didn't exactly say he had the training for Arctic Warfare, but he didn't dispute it, either. It was good to know there were others with the training, the patrol would need all the help it could get. Attrition from natural sources was no joke.

Nature was a Mother...

Jason was fairly relaxed until the moment that there was a call to attention. He bolted upright and stiff, arms square at the side, and he swung he legs equally straight to a point where his boots clapped with each other and the floor. One arm snapped to position to salute the departing officer in a fluid, practiced, motion.

After he had departed, Jason returned back to the sleds, packing the remainder of his gear, and helping others that needed abd wanted the help to pack the gear according to his optimal formula given his experience with training and field experience.

We all did , but I remember what I remembered from the winter course the Brigade taught ever year. So I knew the tent and stove and some of our gear went into one of the sleds. Just need to know is if we tied everything down in the sled correctly so we can repeat with the other sleds and our gear. If we need to make corrections, now is the time.

Rust didn't say anything he nodded and nipped up from his seat when Simmons looked at him. Moving immediately to the sled, hunkered down and began the methodical process of checking the sheets. Each knot was checked in uniform procedure, first Rooster checked that the quick release worked. Then he tied a bowline knot at each of the anchor points between the sled and the tarp, then ran an Evenk Hitch, a trick he had learned stealing from the Russians. "Staff Sarn't Simmons, this is one o'the tricks the Ruskies are usin'. Thank dey call it Evenk, holds taught when the load bearin' side is pulled, don't ice up or slip neither. But pull heeya." Rust had tied it so a tab stuck out of the hitch, he pulled it lightly. The hitch gave away instantly. "N' it breaks away in'a jiffy, 'specially good if you wearin' mittens." It was essentially just two figure 8 nooses with a twist in the center to tuck away the quick release. "Din't teach us this n'basic." Rust pulled it apart again, then demonstrated tying it again.

Lance Corporal McCain responded with his trademark dumb grin. McBride had actually picked his brain. Rust was quite used to being ignored for anything but grunt work - he didn't mind that, the less thinking the better he had always conjured. Big dumb grin, but bright cunning eyes

Rooster raised his right hand, a meathook, Rust's inordinately massive muscles made his hand resemble a shovel's head. The marine was light on his feet, strong as an ox, but anyone could see he was "all thumbs.""Don'know bout'chu. But I'canna easily tie a half hitch without my gloves on. Evenk hitch is easier, even I can't fat finger it with gloves on. N' it dont turn into a cylinder of ice when it freezes. Nor do it go slack when the fibers o'the rope tighten in the cold. It pulls against isself n'til we grip the tag n'pull." Rooster picked the entire sled off the ground by the Evenk Hitch he tied. With the one hand he was able to lift all but the rear of the sled to emphasize the point.

"*Could* secure it wit'a round turn n'two half hitch. But that's more work, n'requires both hands. N'I definitely can't do it with no gloves on."

He lowered the sled back to the floor as smoothly as he had lifted it.

"Believe you, me. You don'wanna hafta take an extra few seconds slashin' through a frozen sheet n'these frigid winds." Rust used the nautical parlance "sheet" interchangeably with cordage. They meant the same thing. He pulled the tag loosing the quick release once more demonstrating how to tie the Evenk Hitch. Loop, twist, loop, twist, lash, pull.

SSG Simmons applies the repacking of the gear while the large Lance Corporal helps him with the repack and tie downSimmons thinks for a moment and resorts items that make sense to him and then with LCPL McCain's help with the tie downs the sled is packed with the squad's gear (tent, stove, water can) where it should be and the personal lighter waterproof bags (from everyone) forward in the sled.

Anastasia smiles and takes the sergeant's advice moving things about on her sled.

"Will we have the opportunity to pick up some extra ammunition or weapons before we leave?" Anastasia asks.

Cristea glances down at the battered hunting rifle propped against his chair. After a moment he retrieves a small tobacco tin from his bag and tips a handful of carefully hoarded .30-06 cartridges into his palm before counting them back again. Finally he clears his throat. 'While I have no illusions about becoming a marksman...' he says mildly, '...might somebody with more military experience care to advise whether this remains a sensible choice?' He rests a hand on the old rifle, 'Since I have struggled to hit a deer I suspect it will be of even less use against the Spetsnaz.'

"Surely we can get you equipped with an M-16, at the least; a better rifle like it might be easier to shoot for you," Jason replied, hopeful that he could get better equipment requisitioned for Cristea. "You could save that rifle as a...contingency option." His gaze turned to McBride, as to query if he could make the proper arrangements to unconvert the civilian attachments in the team to proper military weaponry.

His gaze next turnt to Anastasia, whom he feared would resist such an approach, wanting to stick with what was comfortable, given her earlier stance on military apparel. He looked back to Octavian, hoping perhaps he could perhaps be a voice of reason.

"We should all share similar equipment where it makes sense so we can share when necessary while out on patrol," Jason added hoping this hint would get his point across.

"Knowin'issa big ask. But a few belts o'7.62 dreams'll make a big difference if we get in a firefight. Either a 16 or M14 would help too I reckon." Rust looked over to Simmons for his say-so. Being the low man on the totem pole he had no seniority or rank to add weight. And it was a *big* ask.

Simmons hearing what LCPL McCain said about ammunition for his M60.
"I think I did put in for some ammo for the sixty "
he pauses
"to be sure let me talk to SSG McBride about it."

SSG Simmons goes over to SSG McBride - (tag GM)
"You said the class One was coming tomorrow before the training, does that include the class five? Because we need seven six two for the sixty and the Doc could use a common weapon...like an M16."

"You got a sniper rifle?" Anastasia asks, "I left my SVD in Sevastopol."