The beginning of 2015 brought with it an air of anticipation. The winter at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) was milder than expected, but for Grant, the weather was the least of his thoughts. Over the past few months, he had dedicated himself intensely to training with his team, honing his skills in urban combat, ambush tactics, night operations, and survival in hostile terrain.
Now, promoted to Specialist (E-4), he was no longer the inexperienced rookie who had arrived at the 3rd Ranger Battalion. His team respected him, his commanders trusted him, and he was ready for his first real mission.
But as ready as he was, breaking the news to his family would be another story.
That morning, Grant and his team were gathered in the battalion's briefing room. Captain Reynolds, a man with a firm posture and an experienced gaze, entered the room, followed by Sergeant First Class Wallace, a veteran of multiple deployments.
"Attention!" Reynolds's voice cut through the silence.
Everyone stood to attention.
"Rest."
The troops relaxed, but the atmosphere was still tense. Something was about to be announced.
The Captain looked at the men in front of him before speaking.
"Gentlemen, we have confirmed orders. Our battalion will be deployed to Afghanistan. Five-month deployment."
The silence that followed was heavy, but not surprising. Everyone knew this day would come.
"For some of you, this will be just another deployment. For others, it will be your first." The Captain's gaze flicked to Grant. "Regardless, the same things are expected of you: discipline, courage, and professionalism."
Sergeant Wallace spoke.
"We will transition to an already established FOB (Forward Operating Base). Our role will be direct operations against high-value targets and support for local forces. The exact date of the deployment will be announced soon." For now, keep training. If you have any questions, talk to me or your squad leaders.
The Captain nodded.
"That's all. Dismissed."
The group disbanded, but the atmosphere had changed. This was no longer just an elite unit training for a possible fight. Now, it was real.
Grant took a deep breath.
"Welcome to the real game, Cine." Rivera, his teammate, clapped him on the shoulder.
"Ready to lose your mind?" Collins, one of the team's snipers, joked.
"Ready since the day I set foot on this base," Grant replied with a half-smile.
On the outside, he seemed confident. Inside, his mind was already elsewhere.
How would he tell his family this?
That night, Grant sat in his quarters, staring at his laptop screen. He had spoken to his family countless times before, but this time was different.
He took a deep breath, clicking the call button.
Mitchell's face appeared first, followed by Cam's, both with excited expressions.
"Son!" Cam exclaimed. "Finally calling! We were about to send a rescue helicopter!"
"Cam, please." Mitchell rolled his eyes, but smiled.
Soon, the rest of the family began to appear on the screen. Claire and Phil, Jay and Gloria, Hailey, Alex, Luke, and even Manny and Joe joined the call.
"Hey, guys."
"My boy, you look tired!" Gloria said, concerned.
"Normal, Gloria."
"Are you overtraining?" Claire asked.
Grant hesitated for a second.
"Actually... that's what I wanted to talk about."
The tone of the conversation changed instantly.
"What is it?" Mitchell asked, frowning.
Grant took a deep breath.
"I'm being deployed to Afghanistan."
The silence was absolute.
Cam clapped his hand over his mouth. Mitchell paled. Claire and Gloria widened their eyes. Jay just nodded, as if he'd expected it.
Phil was the first to break the silence.
"Oh... wow."
"For how long?" Claire asked, her voice controlled but strained.
"Five months."
Hailey, Alex, and Luke seemed to process the information.
"So... does this mean you're going to war for real?" Luke asked hesitantly.
"Not exactly 'war,' but yes, we'll go into combat if necessary."
"That doesn't reassure me!" Cam exclaimed, throwing his hands up.
Mitchell rubbed his face, taking a deep breath.
"When?"
"We don't know the exact date yet. But it's soon."
The silence returned.
Jay was the first to speak.
"You knew this was coming."
"Yes."
"And you're ready?"
Grant looked at the screen and nodded.
"Yes."
"So that's it," Jay said. No panic, no drama. Just an acknowledgment of what Grant had chosen to do.
Claire bit her lip, trying to maintain her composure.
"Grant, I want you to promise me you'll take care of yourself."
"I promise."
"And that you'll keep us updated."
"Whenever you can."
Cam still looked emotionally unstable.
"My baby is going to a war zone..."
"Cam, he's a Ranger" - Jay reminded him.
"He's my son!"
Mitchell put his hand on Cam's shoulder.
"We knew this day would come."
Cam nodded, but it seemed he hadn't fully accepted it yet.
Hailey, who had been silent until now, looked at Grant.
"Are you scared?"
Grant thought for a moment before answering.
"No."
Hailey smiled slightly.
"I knew you were going to say that."
"I know this is scary for you, but... I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I trained for this."
"And we're incredibly proud of you," Mitchell said, his voice breaking.
The conversation lasted a few more minutes, with promises to call whenever possible and insistent pleas for him to take care of himself.
When the call ended, Grant stared at the dark laptop screen for a while.
He knew his family would never truly accept his choice completely.
But they supported him.
And that was all he needed.
In the following days, the routine at the battalion intensified. Grant and his team began the final preparations:
✔ Training with weapons specific to Afghan terrain
✔ Simulated capture and rescue operations
✔ Survival and combat first aid exercises
✔ Detailed study of local culture and region-specific threats
During a break, Rivera sat next to Grant.
"Does the family know yet?"
Grant nodded.
"And how did they react?"
"Like any family would. Concern, shock... but they understood."
Rivera smiled.
"Then they're better than most."
Grant smiled back.
"Yes. They are."
He looked toward the horizon.
The first deployment was coming.
And it was ready.
More than 5 stories there already
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