Brody Marcums was born to a father who dedicated his life to the Army, therefore Brody moved around a lot as a child.
When Brody turned 12 his father was stationed at a military base in Southeastern Texas. The family lived there thru to the end of Brodys high school.
Brody did fair in high school and he liked to play sports. It took some doing but the local kids finally took to Brody sometime in his junior year. This was also the year he was introduced to Amy Lee Wilson.
Now Any Lee, as everyone called her, was already tall and lean and caught every males eye. She was a cheerleader and made straight A's without trying. She was the most popular girl in school. She was also the girl selected to be Brody's tutor in a couple of subjects.
Brody was a fairly confident young man his junior and senior year, thanx to football. But when he was with Any Lee he turned into mush instantly. Needless to say he stuck his foot in his mouth many times during tutoring sessions. Oddly it never appeared to register on Amy Lee's face.
To Brody she was perfect. She NEVER had a frown and always had nice things to say to everyone. She had no enemies it seemed. She was just a likeable sort of girl that people felt at ease around.
Amy Lee was a year ahead of Brody and she graduated ahead of him, thought they were nearly the same age. So Brody spent his senior year ocassionally wondering about Amy Lee. Only a couple times did he see her around the small texas town, usually during school breaks.
After his senior year was over Brody enlisted into the Army. His father was so proud of him. Brody picked airborne infantry on his contract. He was still so psyched up from the awesome year the the school had on the football field that the excitement held over to the contract signing.
Brody's dad did not like this much, but accepted it. 3 Weeks after Brody got out of boot a car accident took his mothers life. Brody was allowed to go home to be at her funeral, he had 1 week. Brodys dad finished his contract that year, the man had done 24 years, and retired in that same Texas town.
Brody went thru his training with ease and gusto. With a year of joining up he saw his first combat. It was in Afghanistan.
"Private Marcums, get the medic!" His Seargant was screaming. There OP had been hit by a very early morning mortar volley. Brody had only been here 2 weeks. Brody scrambled for the medic. He found the man tending to another who looked very bad. Brody told the medic where his next patient was. A wound pouch was pushed into Brody's hands and he was told to stop the bleeding, the medic would be there asap.
Brody ran back the 40 feet to the wounded man. A couple guy had gotten him into a small room, Brody riped open the trauna kit and pressed to the wound. "Hang on buddy, just a leg wound. Let me get this done up and the medic is on his way." The guy was in a lot of pain. Brody had to wrestle the leg a bit to get the wound bound correctly.
By the time Brody was done the medic arrived. "Ok man, I got this." the medic checked the wound and bandage. "Good work, nicked an artery but you got it tied off fine." Brody just looked at the medic with a dumb look. "Go find the Sarge kid, he will be ****ed. If he is have him see me." Brody took off.
The tiffs continued for months at that OP, it got to be a real hotzone for awhile there. Brody learned much that first tour. One of the things he learned was that good men die. Brody received a commendation for saving the corporals life that first fight. It was purely luck Brody thought that he tied the bandage on that tight.
By the end of the first tour in Afghanistan Brody and the guys all have shed blood, sometimes it was there own blood. To Brody there was deep, base natural thing that began to grow in him that first tour. Brody became a man then and there.
His companies rotation had them stateside and in Georgia. Training, training, training.. Always training. Brody was bumped to corporal then. This was fine with him. He told his father so in one of his few letters he wrote him. He received back a pretty standard reply of congratulations and pride.
Six years later Staff Sergeant Brody Marcums was leading a patrol thru some foothills in Afghanistan...again. The point man put up a fist and slowly squatted down. Brody was watching the man carefully. Everyone was still and quiet.
Corporal Perez was on point at the moment. He and Brody got along very well. Brody trusted him 100%. Brody slowly crept up tot he COrporal.
Brody touched the mans shoulder slightly. there was no initial response, which was typical, then the corporal raised 2 fingers then pointed up the ways and to the left. Then he held up 6 fingers. Brody tapped his shoulder 3 times quickly.
Brody turned to the squad and raised 2 fingers then jerked a thumb the same direction the corporal pointed. Brody pointed at 4 guys individually then pointed right. He raised 4 fingers, then 6. Next he tapped his mic then raised 5 fingers twice. This told his guys all they needed to know. Brody made a cutting motion, the 4 guys made there way to the right using cover. The rest stayed put.
Brody's mic came to life 10 minutes later. "Goose is in the pot." Brody smiled, these guys could be clowns sometimes, but he knew what they meant.
"Wait 5, then light the fire." Brody respeonded.
"Affirmative." Was the only reply.
Brody had the Corporal lead em up the trail some more till they were within 300 yards of the area they were interested in.
From the backside of the hill all hell broke loose then. 2 M203 grenade launchers belched out the munitions as 2 other M4's began to put short bursts into the rear area of the enemy emplacement. Brody began yelling orders.
"Perez get Jenkins to that knooll 20 yards up!" Perez just yelled for Jenkins, the guy carrying the M240 and they made way for the small knoll. Brody was getting the rest of the guys spread out and firing the right direction. Half his guys were fairly new, and this would be there first open ground confrontation.
"Short bursts, watch your targets. Pierce and Oneill get your asses left flank and eat dirt. Move up as you can!! Ronalds cover them!!" Men were moving about the rocky terrain as orders were belted out. Brody himself was now scanning the hilltop for any enemies.
Movement caught Brodys eye. It was a man with an AK rising up for a better shot, Brody put a busrt his direction and the man flopped backwards.
3 Minutes later Brody's earbud chirped to life. "Sarge, we are go on site. Clear."
"Roger that, good job." Brody replied. He had the men start up the hill to meet up with the other 4. What they found was astounding.
Brody called it in immediately. It took under 30 minutes for the helicopters to arrive, all 4 of them plus 2 flying cover for the whole valley.
A Major, Brodys Leiutenant and Captain all joined the party here. Brody was called upon to explain things.
"So your telling me, Staff Sergeant, just your squad took this bunker?" The Major was aksing.
"Yes sir." Brody replied. He learned to keep his words to a minimum when dealing with brass.
"Dismissed Staff Sergeant. Take the next chopper back to base. Yoru squad is off duty till further notice." The Major was being serious. Brody did as he was told.
Brody was debriefed that night again. His Captain and Leiutenant did this debriefing together. The Captain was Brody's Leiutenant when Brody first joined up. So they kinda grew up together out here. The L.T. was fresh, his first tour out of O.C.S., But Brody though he was a good guy.
When Brody turned 12 his father was stationed at a military base in Southeastern Texas. The family lived there thru to the end of Brodys high school.
Brody did fair in high school and he liked to play sports. It took some doing but the local kids finally took to Brody sometime in his junior year. This was also the year he was introduced to Amy Lee Wilson.
Now Any Lee, as everyone called her, was already tall and lean and caught every males eye. She was a cheerleader and made straight A's without trying. She was the most popular girl in school. She was also the girl selected to be Brody's tutor in a couple of subjects.
Brody was a fairly confident young man his junior and senior year, thanx to football. But when he was with Any Lee he turned into mush instantly. Needless to say he stuck his foot in his mouth many times during tutoring sessions. Oddly it never appeared to register on Amy Lee's face.
To Brody she was perfect. She NEVER had a frown and always had nice things to say to everyone. She had no enemies it seemed. She was just a likeable sort of girl that people felt at ease around.
Amy Lee was a year ahead of Brody and she graduated ahead of him, thought they were nearly the same age. So Brody spent his senior year ocassionally wondering about Amy Lee. Only a couple times did he see her around the small texas town, usually during school breaks.
After his senior year was over Brody enlisted into the Army. His father was so proud of him. Brody picked airborne infantry on his contract. He was still so psyched up from the awesome year the the school had on the football field that the excitement held over to the contract signing.
Brody's dad did not like this much, but accepted it. 3 Weeks after Brody got out of boot a car accident took his mothers life. Brody was allowed to go home to be at her funeral, he had 1 week. Brodys dad finished his contract that year, the man had done 24 years, and retired in that same Texas town.
Brody went thru his training with ease and gusto. With a year of joining up he saw his first combat. It was in Afghanistan.
"Private Marcums, get the medic!" His Seargant was screaming. There OP had been hit by a very early morning mortar volley. Brody had only been here 2 weeks. Brody scrambled for the medic. He found the man tending to another who looked very bad. Brody told the medic where his next patient was. A wound pouch was pushed into Brody's hands and he was told to stop the bleeding, the medic would be there asap.
Brody ran back the 40 feet to the wounded man. A couple guy had gotten him into a small room, Brody riped open the trauna kit and pressed to the wound. "Hang on buddy, just a leg wound. Let me get this done up and the medic is on his way." The guy was in a lot of pain. Brody had to wrestle the leg a bit to get the wound bound correctly.
By the time Brody was done the medic arrived. "Ok man, I got this." the medic checked the wound and bandage. "Good work, nicked an artery but you got it tied off fine." Brody just looked at the medic with a dumb look. "Go find the Sarge kid, he will be ****ed. If he is have him see me." Brody took off.
The tiffs continued for months at that OP, it got to be a real hotzone for awhile there. Brody learned much that first tour. One of the things he learned was that good men die. Brody received a commendation for saving the corporals life that first fight. It was purely luck Brody thought that he tied the bandage on that tight.
By the end of the first tour in Afghanistan Brody and the guys all have shed blood, sometimes it was there own blood. To Brody there was deep, base natural thing that began to grow in him that first tour. Brody became a man then and there.
His companies rotation had them stateside and in Georgia. Training, training, training.. Always training. Brody was bumped to corporal then. This was fine with him. He told his father so in one of his few letters he wrote him. He received back a pretty standard reply of congratulations and pride.
Six years later Staff Sergeant Brody Marcums was leading a patrol thru some foothills in Afghanistan...again. The point man put up a fist and slowly squatted down. Brody was watching the man carefully. Everyone was still and quiet.
Corporal Perez was on point at the moment. He and Brody got along very well. Brody trusted him 100%. Brody slowly crept up tot he COrporal.
Brody touched the mans shoulder slightly. there was no initial response, which was typical, then the corporal raised 2 fingers then pointed up the ways and to the left. Then he held up 6 fingers. Brody tapped his shoulder 3 times quickly.
Brody turned to the squad and raised 2 fingers then jerked a thumb the same direction the corporal pointed. Brody pointed at 4 guys individually then pointed right. He raised 4 fingers, then 6. Next he tapped his mic then raised 5 fingers twice. This told his guys all they needed to know. Brody made a cutting motion, the 4 guys made there way to the right using cover. The rest stayed put.
Brody's mic came to life 10 minutes later. "Goose is in the pot." Brody smiled, these guys could be clowns sometimes, but he knew what they meant.
"Wait 5, then light the fire." Brody respeonded.
"Affirmative." Was the only reply.
Brody had the Corporal lead em up the trail some more till they were within 300 yards of the area they were interested in.
From the backside of the hill all hell broke loose then. 2 M203 grenade launchers belched out the munitions as 2 other M4's began to put short bursts into the rear area of the enemy emplacement. Brody began yelling orders.
"Perez get Jenkins to that knooll 20 yards up!" Perez just yelled for Jenkins, the guy carrying the M240 and they made way for the small knoll. Brody was getting the rest of the guys spread out and firing the right direction. Half his guys were fairly new, and this would be there first open ground confrontation.
"Short bursts, watch your targets. Pierce and Oneill get your asses left flank and eat dirt. Move up as you can!! Ronalds cover them!!" Men were moving about the rocky terrain as orders were belted out. Brody himself was now scanning the hilltop for any enemies.
Movement caught Brodys eye. It was a man with an AK rising up for a better shot, Brody put a busrt his direction and the man flopped backwards.
3 Minutes later Brody's earbud chirped to life. "Sarge, we are go on site. Clear."
"Roger that, good job." Brody replied. He had the men start up the hill to meet up with the other 4. What they found was astounding.
Brody called it in immediately. It took under 30 minutes for the helicopters to arrive, all 4 of them plus 2 flying cover for the whole valley.
A Major, Brodys Leiutenant and Captain all joined the party here. Brody was called upon to explain things.
"So your telling me, Staff Sergeant, just your squad took this bunker?" The Major was aksing.
"Yes sir." Brody replied. He learned to keep his words to a minimum when dealing with brass.
"Dismissed Staff Sergeant. Take the next chopper back to base. Yoru squad is off duty till further notice." The Major was being serious. Brody did as he was told.
Brody was debriefed that night again. His Captain and Leiutenant did this debriefing together. The Captain was Brody's Leiutenant when Brody first joined up. So they kinda grew up together out here. The L.T. was fresh, his first tour out of O.C.S., But Brody though he was a good guy.
