The Story of Us

I've written the stories of a lot of friendships, mainly for amusement and because they enjoy my writings. They've never been closed stories. Always looking forward to new adventures. I don't know why I've never wrote her full story before. I think maybe it's because they way my mind works, when someone says, or I read something, my mind makes a picture of it. I have a Brother who will say shit like fuzzy purple elephants with an orange trunk just to watch the gears grind. I think maybe I've been avoiding it because I want to keep the memories private, maybe to avoid the ending, but it's been suggested that it may be therapeutic so here it goes.

Chapter 1 The Bus.

No matter what squadron you're in the Monday after graduation nobody sleeps. You get up, have breakfast, then you have a few hours to say goodbye to your family who came out for graduation. By noon, you're back in dorms. Doing one final detail cleaning on what you have called home for the last 6 and a half weeks and preparing it for 60 new kids who will soon fill it. You find your self saying goodbye to your new found brothers. You all will soon be leaving for new squadrons, many to new bases. The 59 other men you've come to rely on and love as brothers will no longer be with you. That day is the longest one of BMT. The last buses to leave for tech school are the buses to Keesler AFB, my new base, and they don't actually leave until 2 am on TUESDAY morning, by then you've been up for at least 20 hrs. It's a cluster fuck at processing, At least 6 to 10 people from each flight, 4 flights per squadron, from 6 different squadrons all in one building. Take all that and add in that new trainees are now arriving and you have a good mess. It's actually about 4 am when I finally board a bus and I'm thankful that there are only still about 50 people to share the three buses left. I'll have a whole row of seats to my self, or so I thought. Suddenly a MTI jumps onto the bus and starts screaming to "Pack it in" meaning fill every seat from front to back.

Oh great, I thought, So much for being able to finally stretch out and get comfortable. A female Airman sits down in the seat next to me. No one says a thing as the MTI keeps barking orders. filling every seat at the front of the bus. About 5 more Airmen file onto to the bus making a total of about twenty people on the bus. Finally he steps off and starts yelling at someone standing on the curb. He then steps back to the door of the bus and says something to the driver, the door closes and every one breaths a sigh of relief, we are finally underway and leaving Lackland behind. A few people start to get up and move back to their original seats.

"Y'all might want to stay where you are for now," the bus driver says over the intercom, "They're gonna check again at the gate and try to give you one last scare." No one decides to move.

Sure enough a MTI jumps on the bus when we get to the gate, it's SSgt, Bozeman, MY MTI.

"YOU ALL WE BE THE EXAMPLE OF THE BEST IDEALS OF AMERICAN AIRMEN DURING THIS TRIP! YOU WILL STAY IN YOUR SEATS! YOU WILL ASK THE DRIVER FOR PERMISSION TO USE THE LATRINE! THE BUS WILL MAKE SEVERAL STOPS, THESE ARE FOR THE DRIVERS TO REST AND GET REFRESHMENTS! YOU WILL STAY ON THE BUS UNLESS THE DRIVER GIVES YOU PERMISSION TO LEAVE!"

I do as I've learned over the last two months, look straight ahead and don't make a sound unless addressed specifically and asked for a response. It's not enough, SSgt. Bozeman zeros in on me from four rows away.

"LYNDS!" He bellows, "YOU WILL BE THE BUS LEADER FROM THIS BUS! YOU WILL TAKE ROLL CALL AT EACH STOP AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON BOARD BEFORE IT LEAVES! THE BUS DRIVER WILL REPORT ANY, AND I MEAN ANY PROBLEMS AND I WILL PERSONALLY COME TO KEESLER AND RECYCLE YOUR UGLY ASS BACK TO PICKUP NIGHT FOR MY NEXT FLIGHT! UNDERSTAND."

"YES SIR!" I yell. He turns around and says something quietly to the driver, steps off and goes to the next bus intend on terrorizing them one last time. The diesel winds up and the bus moves away from the gate, NOW we are finally on our way.

"Y'all can get comfortable now, feel free to move seats if you'd like it won't bother the bus or me for you to move around. I'll start playing a couple movies here soon once we get away from base and on the highway. The first one will be what I'm sure will be a hit with you all "Full Metal Jacket." No cheers greeted this announcement, we were all just too tired.

Slowly I begin to relax after SSgt. Bozeman's final scolding, a few of the Airmen begin talking to each other, for many its the first words they've said freely in weeks. I look at the Airman sitting next to me for the first time. She's still sitting at attention.

"You can relax, it's at least an eight hour trip to Keesler. No need to stay stiff all the way. I won't bite." I tell her and she visibly relaxes. "I'm Lynds," I tell her as if SSgt. Bozeman hasn't already told the whole bus who I am.

"Airman Basic Amber Brown, en route from the 326th Training Squadron Lackland Air Force Base to the 332nd Training Squadron Keesler Air Force Base, Sir." She reports as If I'm her new MTI.

"No need to be so formal, We're all the same here." I reply, Expect for me, I'm from the best Squadron on Lackland, 323 Vipers."

She looks and me and smiles, stands up at attention.

"Please face the back of the bus to do your squadron chants." The bus driver already knows whats coming. There is always a form of sibling rivalry between units of any military. Each one thinks it's the best and tries to prove it at every opportunity.

She turns to face the back of the bus, "THREE TWO SIX! ATTENTION!" Two other Airmen stand up and turn to the back of the bus and Amber leads them through their squadron chant. This seems to give everyone a little energy as representatives from the 324th and 331st stand up and go through their squadron chants.

Finally after the 331st quits their gorilla grunts and sits down, I stand up, "THREE TWO THREE! ATTENTION! ABOUT FACE!" Eight other Airmen jump to attention and face the back of the bus, smiles on all of our faces, the Vipers run this bus. "SAY IT!" I yell.

"STRIKE FIRST STRIKE FAST STRIKE HARD!" Comes the instant reply.

"SAY IT!" I repeat.

"STRIKE FIRST STRIKE FAST STRIKE HARD!"

"SAY IT!"

"STRIKE FIRST STRIKE FAST STRIKE HARD!"

"WHO STRIKES FIRST?" I yell

"WE DO SIR!"

"AND WHO ARE WE?"

"THE THREE TWO THREE AIRMAN SIR!" A couple brave hecklers begin uttering jests at us.

"NOW FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THESE POOR SOULS WHO DON'T HAVE THE HONOR, LET'S TELL THEM WHAT MAKES A THREE TWO THREE AIRMAN SO GREAT!"

"SIR A THREE TWO THREE AIRMAN IS SILENT AND DEADLY, SHROUDED IN STEALTH! TRUE TO HIS COUNTRY TRUE TO HIMSELF! SLIPS THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH A VENOMOUS BITE! WHO? WHAT? WHO? WHAT? WHO WHO WHO? THREE TWO THREE!" A final hiss silences our hecklers as I smile down at Amber and take my seat again.

"See, I told you, the best." I say and she laughs. Finally the movie starts and everyone started to calm down. Eventually, shortly after Gunny Hartman gets shot, everyone starts to doze off.

I start waking up slowly, something has changed. the whine of the diesel has deepened and we are slowing down. I take a look around, many of the Airmen have spread out taking their own rows and stretching out. Amber and I are the only ones still left sharing a row. She has pulled my right arm over her chest and is holding it like a blanket across her. She starts to stir when I move my arm.

"Alright folks," the driver begins over the PA, "This is gonna be our first stop, it'll be about 15 minutes. If you'd like to get something to eat that's okay. Our next stop will be in about two hours and you'll have time for lunch then."

"Vipers," I start, "Grab a wingman and stick together. If Bozeman drags my ass back to pickup night I'm taking whoever got me sent back with me." I recognize three of the other 323rd Airmen with me, they were members of my flight, two more from 464 my brother flight, one from 461 our sister flight and two from 462 our other brother flight. I hand my notepad out

"Write your names down so i can take roll call after the stop. Buddy-up with someone with a different squadron, our two Whooped-pups can stick together."

"Looks like Lynds already picked his wingman." Big Easterling says, one of my flight mates.

"Nope, I picked him." Amber replied before I could speak, "He has brains to go with his muscle you big oaf. You're just brawn and stupidity."

Easterling opens his mouth for a reply but can't come up with anything and just stands there.

"My point exactly," Amber laughs before his gears can get to speed.

We're stopped at a small convenience store as the sun is just beginning to rise and I actually get a good look at her. She's tall, about 5'9" or 10. She has a petite frame but with enough meat and muscle to give her some small curves in all the right places. Her hair is a brick red almost auburn color and she speaks with a southern accent, the kinda voice that makes a country boy like me's dick hard just listening to it. Inside I grab some frosted doughnuts, a small back of chips, the last pack of double stuff Oreo and a bottle of Mtn. Dew. Amber gets some chips, a three dollar bottle of fancy cold coffee, and a muffin. We get up to the counter and I ask for a pack of Camels.

"We're not supposed to be smoking," Amber says to me nervously.

"It's okay," the clerk tells her, clearly he sees this every week. "The TI's say they're on the buses but never are."

"Hers too," I tell the clerk, as she keeps thinking about what he said.

"Well if that's the case," she finally speaks up "I'll have a pack of Salem Lights."

I pay for both our stuff and we walk outside, the smell of cigarette smoke is coming from behind the building and we head to it.

I figured it was a good cover, if they smelled smoke on us we could say that we were investigating but didn't see anyone we recognized. There are in fact at least four I recognize and at least one Amber knows.

"Robin!" She shouts, as a beautiful brunette turns to look her way "So glad you're headed to Keesler too. It'll be good to have another friend there."

"Another?" Robin asks while looking at me.

"Lynds, this is Robin Arp. She was my bunk mate. She's headed to the 338th at Keesler."

"I'm bound for the 338th as well," I say as I hold out my hand and she shakes it.

I listen to the two of them talk as we finish our cigarettes. Then it's time to re board the buses. I do a quick check and make sure the right people are on the bus, although most of us smell like cigarettes everyone's here. The driver restarts the bus and we're off again.

As we ate Amber and I talked. It started as chit chat. Soon, I pulled out my disc man and we shared a pair of earphones. I started by playing some Smash Mouth, some Kid Rock went old school with Waylon Jennings and Billy Joel. She played her Creed CD and then her favorite band, 3 Doors down. She was amazed that I not only liked Creed, but knew enough of their songs that I could sing along.

We stopped for lunch at a large restaurant. I was thankful that our meal voucher covered the buffet although most everyone was ordering plated meals. Not only did this more time to eat, we only had 45 minutes to eat, we could also eat more. It's amazing how you only realize how hungry you really are once you actually have time to eat. I finished to plates of food and was pondering a third with dessert when the announcement came that we had five minutes before boarding.

"If we want another smoke we better get out there." I said and Amber agreed. When went outside and chatted with other airmen while smoking.

Back on the bus, Amber and I decided that our seating arrangement wasn't broken so why fix it. We did agree to switch seats so I could stretch my legs out and be more comfortable. With full stomachs, the drone of the diesel took effect and Amber and I began to cuddle again and dozed off. When we stopped for the third time, we both got another drink and smoked. Amber chatted with Robin while I talked with Easterling. When we boarded the bus for the last leg, we where about an hour away from Keesler, we started talking again.

We decided we should hang out again sometime and agreed to drop off messages for each other that night when we got settled into our new squadrons. Soon the bus pulled up to the gates at Keesler and when the doors opened more Sgt's jumped on and began barking orders. Amber went to the line headed to the 332nd and I to the 338th. We reminded each other of our promise to drop off messages and went our separate ways. That evening would not at all be what we thought it would be.