Shipping Out

Day 569, 00:49 • Published in USA USA • by Heather Fuchs


The bold orange heading on the Orders thread popped to life. I knew that meant General Bastion had posted new directions for MI. "War in Northern Cape, Indonesian-occupied South Africa will begin at approximately 15:00 eRep today." Reading deployment orders sends bolts of excitement through me every time even though I've fought all over the globe. Each trip out brings its own thrill, its own unique risk.

As quickly as I could I followed the drill every MI soldier knows. PM your boss at work and ask him to fire you so you can leave the country. Temporally resign from your political party. Grab a couple extra meals just in case. And dash over to the Quartermaster to get your issued gear.



The jostle as hundreds of infantrymen pack into the distribution center is always an exhilarating part of deployment. You see friends you haven't run into for months, and even if you would prefer to gripe about the wait to get your guns and moving tickets, you quietly admit awe at the efficiency of the whole process QMG Loftedraptor has set up.

"Devlin you still slacking in that sorry Alpha Company?" you teasingly yell across the room at your old buddy. You went through Basic together at Camp Currie and became best friends. "Bite me Kron!" he yells back with a grin. Then he adds "The line where Charlie Company grunts get to polish Alpha boots is over here by the wall."

Quicker than I imagined possible my kit is loaded and I'm heading out to the flight apron. There sits the monstrously large StratoLifter, the evolution of the old C-141 Starlifter that was designed especially for the Mobile Infantry. Yes it rattles every bone in your body as it whisks you to your drop, but with a talented MI pilot at the helm, it's the safest troop transport out there.



I hurry up into the gaping maw of the vessel and see I'm one of the first to enter. "Chalk another one up for Charlie Company" I say to myself as I proudly take my seat in the front row. Within minutes every row is packed with combat ready soldiers as the rush to be in the first departure continues. Everyone in MI loves the motto "First In, Last Out", but there is a certain satisfaction to be the FIRST First In.

Taking a moment I scan up and down the rows to see who from Command has made this boarding. That's one of the things that makes MI soldiers brave - everyone in the org fights.. everyone. Our highest ranking officers love the fight every bit as much as we do. Sure enough, there is Colonel SteveInTacoma, Commanding Officer of Bravo Company. That guy is an ANIMAL! I bet he hasn't missed a first drop in years!

Hearing the four jumbo engines begin to spin, the intercom crackles to life as our pilot "welcomes" us onboard. "Get your pansy rears strapped in soldiers. No one is going to make me late for the rendezvous point. I have a perfect record and I don't care if you crack your ribs against the sidewall because you aren't in place for take-off, we're outta-here!" I smiled when I recognized Isabella Carmichael is our pilot. She really does have a perfect record of hitting her drops, and when you are about to deploy directly into a combat zone, that makes a world of difference.

Part Two…Moving into Positon

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Respectfully submitted
Major Dania
Mobile Infantry Press Officer

Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have. ~Harry Emerson Fostick

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