Page 7 of Bernadette
“Well, he’s an asshole at the highest level. The only good thing I can say about this is at least he’s giving us enough time to grasp what’s going on. Unlike when he recalled our troops from over there. If he had done it properly, those last few soldiers, doing their job for the United States, never would have lost their lives. I wouldn’t have been injured, and neither would the other soldiers I was with. This is going to hurt a lot of people.” She again shook the folder at him. When she saw how crumpled it was, she gently laid it on the desk, and sat back, keeping it out of harm’s way.
“What are you going to do now?” Bernie asked her boss as she pointed to the folder she’d placed on the edge of his desk.
“I’m going to have to find units for these women to go into. To your knowledge, how many EWMs were there at last count?”
“Twenty-five, Sir. There are always twenty-five. Ever since women had been allowed in the marines back in 1918, and the EWMs were developed, we had at most twenty-five soldiers. Never anything more. Less, yes, while we were waiting for others to finish their schooling, or whatnot, but never any more than twenty-five. Again, speaking freely here, Sir. If you’re smart, you will put the women in where they excel the most.”
“Meaning?”
“I’m not speaking down to you, but do you know what a team of EWMs are?”
“No, not really. I knew they existed, but I don’t know the actual make-up of the team. Even though I’m a high-ranking officer in the military, the EWMs were above my pay grade.”
“Let me give you a quick rundown on how they operate. There are five members of any given team, and only five teams. The positions are, commander, communication guru, sniper, medic, mechanic, and sometimes there was a member of the team that would do double duty as the analyst.”
“Which means?”
“Which means that the analyst was given the intel before a mission. She would research everything, and have all the answers before going to the commander of the team to tell them what was what.”
“Was this so they didn’t go in blind?”
“It was, and once the intel was given, the sniper or scout, again acting as double duty, would go ahead of the team to scope out the area. They would know where to position the team, what were the hot spots, what to avoid, and so forth.”
“Not that I don’t know but explain what your position with the EWMs is.” The commander requested as he went to the corner and brought back the pot to refill their cups. Bernie waited until he settled back behind his desk before she spoke.
“I came up through the ranks like everyone else. I was recruited right out of boot camp. By that, I mean that they came to me the day before I graduated boot camp to offer me the position with the EWMs. That was how we did it with all of them and while on my team, I was the analyst, as well as the medic. I was an EWM for ten years. I am now the commander of all of them. I oversee each team, and hand out the assignments. I coordinate which SEAL team they will be paired with, and where in the world they are needed. The women don’t always go on a mission with the SEALs, nine times out of ten, they are on their own missions. Though they are highly trained and considered the best of the best in what they do, they are deadly and can get in and out, mission accomplished, before anyone knows they are even gone.”
The general remained silent for a long time, when he spoke, Bernadette’s heart sank.
“If I was to ask you where you would put each of the active women EWMs, would or could you give me a recommendation?”
“As much as I want to say no, because I don’t believe the EWMs should be decommissioned, I will do it, only because I trust these women with my life, and I can’t see them getting screwed over by a government that seems to hate women in any form of authority.” Bernadette held up her hand to hold off what the general might have said. “It’s just my personal opinion, Sir. The current Commander-in-Chief we have in Washington is nothing but a blow-hole asshole, and that’s my personal opinion. I know I’m not supposed to have one, but I had to get that off my chest. Now that I have, then yes, I can give you a recommendation as to where to transfer each woman currently serving on a EWM team.” They both remained silent for several minutes before Bernadette frowned at the other man.
“What is it?”
“What about the women that are currently going through their training at Parris Island? Will they not be watched any longer to be picked for the teams?”
“I don’t understand.”
Bernadette took the next thirty minutes to explain to the general exactly how a woman was picked to be a member of the EWM teams. By the time she was done, she saw by the expression on the general’s face that he had no clue what those twenty-five women did for their country.
“I know I don’t have a right to ask, but since it will take time to issue you your DD 2656, could you please write up a report, something that I can send to Washington, to explain the importance for the Elite Women Marine unit to continue as it has for the past one hundred plus years.”
“Sir, in my opinion, if the EWMs are disbanded, then you might as well get rid of the other branches of the military also. They work hand-in-hand with one another. If it hadn’t been for the EWMs, I can’t tell you how many times our men wouldn’t have made it out of those other countries alive.”
“Do you have documentation on that?”
“I do.”
“Great, then include that in your report. Let’s have that the last thing you do, save the EWMs from being decommissioned.”
“I can do that, Sir.”
“Thank you, dismissed,” the general said, and Bernadette firmed her jaw when she saw the man wince as she struggled to stand. As she reached for the door handle, he called after her. “Do you know what you’re going to do after you leave us?”
“I have a couple of options I’m looking into. I need to contact them to see what exactly I will be doing with them before I make my final decision as to whom I will be working with.”
“Good to know, and Commander, your DD 2656 should be ready by noon on Friday.”
