by Bobby Akart
“I think it’s a matter of why aren’t they producing more food,” he replied.
“We discussed this in the editorial meeting today. Listen to this. The drought conditions in California are beyond severe, especially around Sacramento. Governor Brown ordered the national guard to raid a family farming operation in the San Joaquin Valley.”
“Why?” asked Sarge.
“The farmer was accused of using well water for his crops in violation of the governor’s mandated water restrictions,” replied Julia. “According to the governor’s directive, farmers are prohibited from over-pumping the wells for irrigation purposes. Based upon an EPA study, the value of the crops produced is insignificant to the damage caused to the environment by over-pumping. Before the EPA could issue its own regulations, California acted quickly to create its own mandated restrictions.”
“What happened?”
“These reports are being suppressed by the media, but the man stood his ground and refused the National Guard access to his land. He was holding a flag and stated he was a patriot. His family stood behind him, shouting at the guardsmen. According to reports, a guardsman ordered the farmer to get on the ground because he was under arrest. When the farmer began waving his flag instead, they shot him.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No. It gets worse. The National Guard, with the assistance of the Bureau of Land Management, confiscated the crops, arrested the remaining family members, and seized the land under federal forfeiture provisions.”
As Julia fixed them a small salad, Sarge made his way to the windows overlooking the Charles River. This story was troubling on many levels. The government was halting food production in favor of saving the environment? Moreover, the full force of the military was used to arrest a farmer, confiscate his crops and seize his land because he used the water under his land to irrigate his crops. If this isn’t tyranny, what is?
“Sarge?”
“Okay,” replied Sarge. “Let’s not talk about the rest of the world. I like ours right here, right now, just fine.”
Julia used her best French hostess voice. “Monsieur, this will be an enchanting evening featuring a refreshing salad, braised beef and a dessert that will be, shall I say, breathtaking.”
“I like anniversaries.”
PART TWO
Chapter 21
June 2, 2016
100 Beacon
Boston, Massachusetts
“What are they building in the fire escape?” asked Steven as he exited the elevator.
Sarge was intently watching the television monitors as Steven spoke. “I have them reinforcing the access doors to our floors and putting bars on the inside of the fire escape windows,” replied Sarge as he studied the various news reports. Sarge felt Steven staring at him.
“Are you expecting zombies, bro?” asked Steven.
“No, but have you noticed the way people are acting?”
“Yeah, they’re going bat-shit crazy,” replied Steven. “I guess it makes sense. What about the windows on the street level?”
“The Boston Historical Society wouldn’t approve it,” replied Sarge. “It wasn’t consistent with the period. They’re sheep.”
“What’s the latest?” asked Steven. Sarge wished his brother would pay more attention to the news, but then Steven’s job was more executioner than planner.
“It’s hard to find any good news,” replied Sarge. “The economy’s tanking. The recession numbers are far worse than the sugarcoated version Washington feeds us. Farmers can’t afford to produce crops and grocers can’t stock their shelves. Food distribution channels are totally disrupted due to the cost of fuel. Our economy is built on consumption. Americans have lost their consumer confidence and retail is suffering for it.”
“I saw some of the same in Europe last month,” said Steven. “It’s more than confidence. People are angry, on edge.”
“World governments have lost the ability to control their economies. After the Eurozone collapsed, the bond market sank with it. Believe it or not, the Greek default is exactly what they wanted. What they did not want is Spain and Italy to default at the same time. Now there is a void in southern Europe and Russia is ready to fill in the financial gaps. They have already bailed out Greece by reaching a natural gas distribution agreement, which further destroys Ukraine’s economy.”
“What does all of this mean for the United States?”
“The world’s economies are interrelated,” replied Sarge. “It’s sort of like a codependent relationship. The world has tolerated our deficit spending while we tolerate bad actors getting away with agendas contrary to our national security. Every nation is circling the wagons around their own self-interests and the global house of cards could collapse at any time.”
“When does it hit the fan?” asked Steven.
“I don’t know. We’re one catastrophic event away from a collapse,” said Sarge.
“What do you mean?”
“Have you seen the huge increases in cyber attacks?” asked Sarge.
“Yeah. They’re increasing in frequency and magnitude.”
“They’re testing the fences, like the velociraptors in the first Jurassic Park movie,” said Sarge. “State-sponsored hackers are rifling through our government files. They are manipulating financial transactions. There have been rolling blackouts of the power grid. They have successfully hijacked airplanes. There is no limit. So far there has not been a coordinated attack, but it could come without warning.”
“I agree,” said Steven. “So what are we doing about it?”
“Other nations are preparing, but I don’t know if our politicians are ready. Look at the price of gold, for example.”
“It’s skyrocketing,” said Steven.
“Exactly. China is moving towards a gold-backed yuan. They are repatriating record amounts of gold—three hundred twenty tonnes in the last month. If the Chinese successfully adopt a traditional gold standard, the price of gold would increase exponentially. Their currency would be deemed more reliable as a reserve currency than the dollar. Honestly, at this point, there is very little we can do to deter Russia and China from their economic machinations other than a hot war.”
“Great,” said Steven. “I used to think these power-broker games between politicians and the super wealthy was above my pay grade, but I think I’m wrong about that.”
“How so?”
“My last three missions for Aegis have been questionable,” replied Steven. “You know I’m a good soldier, and if the boss wants something done, I won’t refuse him.”
“I know the feeling,” interrupted Sarge.
“When I look at the results of Ukraine, Switzerland, and now Frankfurt, I begin to wonder if there is a national interest at stake or am I just a well-paid hit man. You follow this stuff more than I do. What’s the boss up to?”
“I’m sure he has a plan,” replied Sarge. “He’s always had a plan. But I agree with you. Financial and geopolitical motivations are at play here, more than the protection of America from her enemies.”
“This Bilderberg Conference plays into it as well,” said Steven. “One of the targets in Frankfurt was the head of some committee of the Bilderbergs.”
“The Steering Committee,” said Sarge.
“Right. Our instructions were to force him to resign. He resigned all right.”
“Are you talking about the Deutsche Bank guy?”
“One and the same,” replied Steven.
“News reports stated he had a heart attack in a park getting a blow job from a hooker,” said Sarge.
“Nope, he died after we waterboarded him.”
“Fuckin’ fabulous,” said Sarge.
“Bro, you know I’m not supposed to spill these details to you. But the shit’s gettin’ weird and you understand how all of this plays together.”
Sarge stared at the television screens as one talking head after another analyzed the upcoming northeast presidential primaries. He wondered if Abbi
e would be in town. Let it go!
“Hey, bro, you with me still?” asked Steven, interrupting Sarge’s wandering mind.
“Yeah, yeah,” replied Sarge. “Do you have any specific instructions for the Bilderberg Conference?”
“Nope,” replied Steven. “They have their own security team and we will supplement their program. It’s unprecedented that their annual conference would be held in a city like this. Normally, they find some secluded backwoods fortress to hide behind.”
“I thought the same thing. It is part of the Bilderberg’s goal of raising the veil of secrecy although I think it’s just a facade.”
“In any event, they are bringing their COBRA unit—elite Special Forces made up primarily of German and Austrians. I’m sure they are charming.”
“Quite,” said Sarge. “You know Julia is traveling this weekend to interview the candidates. You wanna go out to eat, or order in.”
“Let’s pop some brewskis and order pizza through GrubHub. I have last year’s Strike Back to catch up on. Plus, we’ll need the inspiration for Brad’s war games at Camp Edwards this weekend.” The brothers fist-bumped as they started their boys’ weekend with a couple of Samuel Adams lagers.
Chapter 22
June 3, 2016
Camp Edwards
Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts
This was the first trip for Brad to Joint Base Cape Cod since the installation of Sgt. Major Carlos Rivera as the new commander of JBCC. Rivera, a longtime member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, also maintained a stellar career as an investigative specialist for the Drug Enforcement Administration. From first impressions, Rivera ran a tight ship, immediately gaining the respect of his counterpart from Fort Devens.
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Crowninshield Bradlee, Brad to his friends, was the consummate military man. In the early, pre-Revolutionary War days, the Crowninshields were known for their seafaring adventures. But as the War for Independence came to full fruition, the prominent family, close friends of Thomas Jefferson, became the backbone of the United States military for years to come. A member of the Crowninshield family held the positions of Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of War under several presidential administrations.
Like so many of the Founding Fathers, the Crowninshield lineage included the surnames Adams, Endicott, Hawthorne, DuPont and Bradlee. Brad’s father was the editor of The Washington Post before his death and his mother was a highly respected, influential journalist. While the Bradlee branch of the Crowninshield family tree generally abhorred the military, Brad lived for it. He attended the Naval Academy and during his second-class year he chose Leatherneck for his summer training. He received praise from his mentors and surpassed all of the academic and physical standards required to graduate as one of a few dozen Marine Selects.
Brad’s career was stellar, and after three years as a major, he earned the rank of lieutenant colonel. Under his command were 750 infantry designated service members comprising the 25th Marine Regiment of 1st Battalion. At age forty, he had fast-tracked his career to battalion commander.
Brad met Steven at the Naval Academy and the two became good friends despite their age difference of several years. He encouraged Steven to become a Marine. But he was hell-bent on becoming a SEAL via the Navy rather than through the BUDS training option offered by the Marines. Either way, Brad admired Steven for becoming one heck of a soldier and the two stayed close friends over the years. They also realized they had common interests, which they immediately pursued. When Steven called Brad about getting together with Sarge for a little rest and relaxation, Brad thought this particular weekend would be perfect. Of course, his definition of R & R was different from most.
Fort Devens was part of a three-installation military training program along with Fort Dix in New Jersey and Fort Drum in New York. Fort Dix and Fort Drum had extensive combat-training facilities while Fort Devens did not. Fort Devens considered Camp Edwards as its home field. While each base had its own unique training attributes, Camp Edwards was known as the only installation in the northeast with a training center meant to simulate a Middle Eastern town. Built in 2008, Camp Edwards was dedicated to Theater Immersion Training. The theater immersion training technique placed units into an environment comparable to the one they would encounter in combat in order to rapidly build combat-readiness. Tactical Training Bases like Camp Edwards were developed to prepare troops for missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans.
This weekend, the teams from Devens, Dix and Drum would receive a thorough briefing on urban warfare operations on Saturday morning. The weekend schedule included specific field training in urban warfare followed by a friendly competition between teams of two. Brad wasn’t participating; he was there to train his men and those who participated from the other installations. The Sargent brothers were the only civilians, but Brad knew they could hold their own.
Chapter 23
June 4, 2016
Camp Edwards
Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts
“Let’s get started, everyone. Grab a seat, as we have a long day ahead of us,” said Brad. “I’m glad that all of you have gotten to know each other a little bit.” Brad observed the faces of the soldiers in the room as well as his ringers—Sarge and Steven. He also caught a glimpse of eye contact and smiles between Steven and Second Lieutenant Michaela Dodge from Fort Drum. Does the boy never rest? Dodge may have a sweet smile, but Brad had seen her in action. She was a third-degree ball breaker who took no prisoners. He’ll see.
Dodge was part of a four-soldier team from the 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Drum, New York. Each of the two soldier teams was the winner in the Best Ranger competition within their squads. Dodge and her teammate, 2LT John Rose, represented the 1st Brigade Combat Team. First Lieutenant Michael Bergman and 2LT Duane Rosenberg, son of the garrison commander, represented the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Dodge and Rose had trained at Camp Edwards before and Brad was extremely impressed. But it was Bergman and Rosenberg who won the title of Best Rangers at the nationwide competition held at Fort Benning, Georgia, last fall.
Attending from Fort Dix were two new teams. The first team was part of the 174th Infantry Brigade. This brigade was a training unit responsible for preparing other soldiers to train the trainers. As soldiers prepare for deployment throughout the military, they were briefed and trained on maneuvers, equipment and other details pertinent to their theater of operation. These members of the 174th trained the trainers, who in turn trained the military personnel before deployment.
The other two-man team was from the United States Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team. This was a new group to the Camp Edwards program, and Brad knew very little about their function. When their CO contacted Brad about participating, he was a little puzzled. The Coast Guard operated primarily as a maritime law enforcement branch of Homeland Security. Their primary responsibilities had been responding to environmental disasters off the United States coast. Why does the Coast Guard need their personnel trained in urban tactics?
Finally, Brad was very pleased with his team from Fort Devens. Master Gunny Sergeant Frank Falcone was an old-school master gunnery sergeant under Brad’s command for years. He would trust this man with his life. His partner, Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Shore, had become known as an expert in one form of long-range fire support—sniping. In Afghanistan, Shore had recorded kill shots on two Taliban machine gunners at roughly 2,500 yards, just short of the longest confirmed kill of slightly over 2,700 yards.
The other two members of the Fort Devens contingent were members of the 366th Military Police Detachment. First Lieutenant Craig Russo and Captain Pedro Torrez were specifically trained in urban tactics although they had never served in combat. Part of the Army Military Police Corps, the 366th and their counterparts, the Military Intelligence Detachments based at Fort Devens, did not fall under the direct command of Brad. He suspected their deployment would be on United States soil at some point—not something he wanted to
contemplate often.
“Before you is a packet of materials, which is the latest intelligence and summation provided us by the Pentagon on the subject of UO—urban operations—which has replaced the previous acronym, MOUT—Military Operations on Urban Terrain,” said Brad. “I know that most of what we will cover is familiar to you, but a refresher course prior to this afternoon’s LFX will be beneficial.” Brad did not bother to explain the military’s many lexicons for Sarge’s benefit. He knew Sarge, as a civilian, was well versed in military jargon and did not need an explanation of what a live fire exercise entailed.
“The Army has not updated the field manuals on urban operations since June 2003, yet a lot of information has been gathered from our operations abroad since then,” said Brad. “FM 3-06 spends a lot of time on theoretical and historical perspectives on urban operations. The most recent information at our disposal provides a more accurate picture of what our soldiers faced in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today’s urban warfare puts a heavy emphasis on distinguishing between civilians and enemy combatants—such as armed militias, insurgents and even gangs. As you know, the rules of engagement and use of combat power are more restrictive than in other conditions of battle.”
Brad did not verbally express his biggest fear concerning the United States military’s new emphasis on urban warfare. Falcone and the Sargents recognized our soldiers were being trained for ground operations—in America.
“Urban environments are highly advantageous to the defender. Buildings in an urban setting provide high levels of cover and concealment for enemy combatants. Multistoried buildings with basements allow the defenders of urban territory the ability to maneuver in what we call the third dimension. Your unit may have a group of insurgents pinned down in front of you only to be surprised when they reappear behind you by making use of underground passageways through basements. Modern cities have elaborate sewer systems and often have underground tunnels for transit systems. Defenders may move laterally or vertically, completely out of sight of the attacker.” Brad walked around his desk and wandered the room as he continued.
