The taller of the two hesitated. “I don’t have ammo. That tank doesn’t either.”

Not waiting, Sours started to dismount the tank that he had been working on. “They don’t know that,” he shouted over his shoulder, pointing up at the paratroopers. “All they’ll know is that we’re bigger then they are and that we can turn them into hamburger.” When his feet hit the ground the old man moved with surprising speed and agility, spinning about and barking as he went. “MOVE!”

From his position behind the XO, Nathan Dixon couldn’t see much, beyond the mound of gear and parachute that hung from Randy Wahler. With static lines hooked up and equipment checks completed Nathan had nothing left to do but sway with the gentle rocking motion of the C-141, stare at Wahler’s parachute, and go over the tasks assigned to his platoon one more time.

As hard as he tried to do so, other, more frivolous thoughts kept intruding. Instead of mentally walking through the entire plan of execution, Nathan could not help but think of how lucky he was. After all, he had been with the unit less than a month and here he was, making a jump that many a trooper who wore the patch of the 17th would never make. Though they were going into a permissive, or non-hostile environment, all the elements were there. The excitement, the anticipation, the knowledge that in mere seconds, he would be stepping off into the vast unknown in the company of some of America’s finest fighting soldiers. His own father, as seasoned a veteran as they came these days, had not participated in his first major operation until he had obtained the rank of major. This, Nathan told himself, was what he had dreamed of, what he had …

Suddenly, Wahler was gone. One second, there was an overstuffed parachute container in Nathan’s face, and the next, nothing. Startled, Nathan looked into the eyes of the jump master. “GO, GO, GO!” the man yelled frantically as he thrust his right index finger forward in a vain attempt to get Nathan’s attention. With as much of a leap as his one hundred and fifty pounds of equipment, weapons, and parachute would permit Nathan lurched forward, swung his body and its heavy load into the open door and bombed out of the aircraft.