to never leave your fellow man behind! But we’re gonna change that before this week is over! So you’re gonna do planks until every one else meets up and you’re gonna finish with them! Once that is done, they are going to do planks while you run the obstacle course again, because I’m gonna make sure everyone knows to never leave a man behind! Do you get me!”
“Yes, Lieutenant!” Joseph responded.
With that, Joseph laid on the ground and held himself up with his forearms until the other nine met up with him. He then stood up and ran with everyone else, staying in the back of the pack so as to not leave anyone behind. Then, as ordered by Austin, The other nine recruits began holding themselves up in the plank position while Joseph ran the entire half mile obstacle course again.
The recruits were off to a rough start, with running again, eating their meals quick, returning back to the tent for more conduct training, more running and then bedding down. The second day was the same up to after lunch, where the recruits then performed some teamwork exercises, such as moving a five hundred pound log a mile on the jogging track, and then carrying ammo, medical kits, and two of the recruits an extra mile.
On day three of training, the recruits worked trained around teamwork again. During the obstacle course, Joseph fully applied what was taught over the first two days. He kept up his pace with the rest of the recruits and helped those that were slacking behind.
“Number Seven!” Austin shouted. “Fall in!”
Joseph stood in attention in front of his drill instructor.
“What happened to the fast running I saw?! You should be speeding through this obstacle course! Save the slow pace for the morning and evening run!”
“Lieutenant, with all due respect,” Joseph replied. “I know I am supposed to be speeding through this course, but I never leave a fellow man behind!”
“Are you telling me that you are willingly going against my orders that I have given you, which was to speed through this obstacle course?!”
Joseph stood silently, save for the lump in his throat he attempted to swallow.
“Answer me, Number Seven!” Austin ordered.
“Yes, Lieutenant!” Joseph complied. “I am willingly going against your orders!”
Jake and Brandon stood on the side, witnessing the entire commotion, smirking.
“Everyone fall in!” Austin ordered.
Every one of the recruits formed a line in front of their drill instructor.
“Seems like we have one of you that wants to commit anarchy within harmony!” Austin shouted. “Number Seven is that anarchist that chose to go against my orders.”
Austin then turned his head to Joseph.
“However,” Austin continued. “He went against my orders in order to follow our Z-Corps’s top principle, which is to never leave a fellow man behind. For that, Number Seven is now your squad leader.”
Joseph slightly tilted his lips, revealing a small smile.
“With that being said,” Austin added. “Because he went