It may be 60 yrs since I left the army but some of the concepts of service still rule my actions. If I deliver leaflets in a cul-de-sac I walk to the bottom of the cul-de-sac and post the leaflets on the way out, thus avoiding becoming trapped by any objectors. Similarly, I always check the escape routes when entering a large building or meeting room. I am sure therefore that NJ MacCall would still retain his survival instincts, and not do stupid things. When He saw a single figure approaching his farm he was secure in his fortress. With only one figure approaching he would stay in his castle and wait for the intruder to come within range before firing a warning shot over its head. When he was in his castle he held all the cards and a big advantage. Why on earth would he charge across open ground and meet the intruder with a 50/50 advantage.? An old soldier wouldn’t do this, maybe a flyer or sailor may think differently.
For the story, I would suggest that he went out to set the flood sluice and Silky accosted him by surprise. As Silky was an old soldier she would have approached the farm stealthily and been hard to detect.
I am surprised that our ex-military readers have not commented on my comment. I wonder if they have taken your offer to kill them off in style has been taken too literally and they are afraid to make any comments. Please don’t be afraid to join in the discussions to help Tim, who never served in the military, to use your experience to perfect his stories.
I note that on a couple of occasions the book refers to people being UA. I think that he is referring to occasions where people are not there when they should be. When I was in the British army we would refer to going AWOL (absent without leave). Do you use different terminology in the US and Australian military circles?
I think you’re right that AWOL is a more universal term. I wasn’t thinking particularly hard when I wrote UA. I would have gotten that in the aftermath of binge watching NCIS, which uses US Navy and Marine terms (amongst other things).
It may be 60 yrs since I left the army but some of the concepts of service still rule my actions. If I deliver leaflets in a cul-de-sac I walk to the bottom of the cul-de-sac and post the leaflets on the way out, thus avoiding becoming trapped by any objectors. Similarly, I always check the escape routes when entering a large building or meeting room. I am sure therefore that NJ MacCall would still retain his survival instincts, and not do stupid things. When He saw a single figure approaching his farm he was secure in his fortress. With only one figure approaching he would stay in his castle and wait for the intruder to come within range before firing a warning shot over its head. When he was in his castle he held all the cards and a big advantage. Why on earth would he charge across open ground and meet the intruder with a 50/50 advantage.? An old soldier wouldn’t do this, maybe a flyer or sailor may think differently.
For the story, I would suggest that he went out to set the flood sluice and Silky accosted him by surprise. As Silky was an old soldier she would have approached the farm stealthily and been hard to detect.
Thanks for the suggestion, Cpl. Gordon. I’ll have to think on that.
I am surprised that our ex-military readers have not commented on my comment. I wonder if they have taken your offer to kill them off in style has been taken too literally and they are afraid to make any comments. Please don’t be afraid to join in the discussions to help Tim, who never served in the military, to use your experience to perfect his stories.
I note that on a couple of occasions the book refers to people being UA. I think that he is referring to occasions where people are not there when they should be. When I was in the British army we would refer to going AWOL (absent without leave). Do you use different terminology in the US and Australian military circles?
I think you’re right that AWOL is a more universal term. I wasn’t thinking particularly hard when I wrote UA. I would have gotten that in the aftermath of binge watching NCIS, which uses US Navy and Marine terms (amongst other things).