Into the Suck

Livin' easy, Lovin' free. Season ticket on a one-way ride. Askin' Nothin', Leave me be. Takin' everythin' in my stride__"

Swifty adjusted his kevlar helmet as the Huey was getting close to Camp Altariq 'Iilaa Al'amam, a forward operating base roughly 5 klicks east of the Camel city of Shareen. From what he heard from the other grunts who were stationed at the camp, the name translated to "way forward" .

12 whole weeks of Marine boot camp had prepared me for this, of course, my parents opposed sending their only son to a foreign country. Into a war no less. But, nevertheless, I went anyway and was shipped from Fort Condor to this Celestia-forsaken desert.

"Don't need reason, Don't need rhyme, Ain't nothin' that I'd rather do. Goin' down, Party time! My friends are gonna be there too...yeah__"

"I'm on a Highway to Hell..." I muttered under my breath as I went deep into my thoughts of home, family, and especially a special somepony who was waiting for my return...

"Alright, ladies! Make sure you don't leave anything on my bird! Once we land, I want your flanks out of here!" Sergeant Major Accurate Shot said as he stood up in front of us "Understand?"

"Yes Sergeant Major!" we all shouted, I went over my gear to make sure I wasn't forgetting everything before looking over my standard-issued M16A2. Before I joined the Corps, I had never held or shot a gun. I didn't like the idea of taking someponies life, and I hope I'll never have to...

"Hey, Swift! You ready to see your new home?" my buddy Tack asked as he pointed his hoof, following the direction of his hoof, I could already see the FOB coming into view.

"Buck no." I simply responded, Thumbtack had been my friend since boot camp. We were brothers, if I wanted somepony to watch my back it would be him.

"We have arrived! Enjoy your vacation here in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere!" The pilot said as we flew over the camp, heading towards the LZ which was on the northeastern part of the camp. Looking down, I could see a pony signaling us where to land. And as we began to descend, Sgt. Maj Shot looked at us like he had a stick up his flank.

"MARINES!" Shot shouted.

"YES SERGEANT MAJOR!" we shouted back.

"GRAB YOUR SHIT AND GET OFF MY BIRD NOW!"

"YES SERGEANT MAJOR!"

Once the skids of the helicopter touched down, me and Tack grabbed our rifles and pack and got off the chopper as quickly as possible while other personnel was offloading some supplies that were transporting with us. The sun was high in the sky and the heat of it was beaming down on us, my desert field cap doing little to provide some shade.

After getting some directions from a grunt, we took our packs and headed over toward the barracks, on our way we saw stallions in boots and utes running while Humvees and cargo trucks drive by. It didn't take long to find the barracks we were assigned to, it was empty and there were already gear and other personal things on several of the bunks beside one which was at the very end. Thumbtack sat his stuff down on the bottom bunk as I claimed the top as my own, I then took out a picture of both my family and my marefriend back in Equestria.

"Yo Swift, whatever you do, don't give your picture of your marefriend to anypony here" Tack said as he started sorting out his stuff.

"Huh? Why?" I asked, curious as to why he would ask.

"With a mare like her, there's a chance somepony would take it and have a private moment with her" He responded with a chuckle, taking his word I took the only picture I have of her and hid it in a place only I would know.

A while later a couple of stallions came into the barracks looking all sweaty and tired, their clothes were wet from the sweat, and parts of them were covered in sand. They didn't notice us as they went over to their respective bunks and dropped down on them, it didn't take long for them to notice us as one of them, a Lance Corporal judging by the rank insignia on his right collar, looked up and spotted us immediately.

"Hey, guys! We got some fresh meat!" He said with an odd enthusiasm, the others followed suit and looked at our direction.

"You guys fresh out of basic training?" a pegasus holding the rank of a Sergeant asked me and Tack. We both replied with a silent nod, he then pulled out two water bottles from a cooler beside him and tossed them to us "Welcome to the suck!"

I took mines and gave him another silent nod while Tack on the other hoof chugged his down before crushing the bottle against his head and throwing it in a trash bin near the entrance.

"Heh, I like them!" the Lance Corporal said as he sat up and pulled out a Playpony magazine "How are you guys liking your new home?"

I shrugged as I put the water bottle away "It's definitely a bit hotter than my home back in Marephis"

There was a chuckle in the back as a unicorn, a Corporal, took off his coyote brown T-shirt which was drenched in sweat "Brah, compared to right now? This ain't even the worse in this shit hole of a country!"

Letting out a yawn I laid down on my bed, making myself as comfortable as possible. Thumbtack meanwhile went out to explore the camp with the others being his guide, leaving me to my thoughts...

...I hope I get home safe...

The first thing I did when I woke up was put on all my gear and run about 2 laps around the entirety of the camp, by the time I was finished the sun was already rising in the sky. My body felt sore and I was sweating like a dog, after I took off my kit I decided to make my way to the mess hall for breakfast where I met Thumbtack along with the other ponies from yesterday.

After breakfast, I went over to the field showers to rid myself of sweat. It felt good feeling the cold water against my chitin since black colors love to attract sunlight and make me feel like hot shit.

Finishing up that small moment of bliss, I changed over into my spare tri-color cargo shirt and coyote brown T-shirt and went back into my assigned barracks where I saw Thumbtack spare with the Lance Corporal who I later found out was named Almond Rock.

"Yeah, Rocky! beat the fucking shit out of him!" I heard Sergeant Ivory say as we watch Almond Rock give out a few hits at Thumbtack, he hissed before retaliating with his own punches. After the fight__which Thumbtack lost but won't admit it__ we all parted ways with the rest going out while me and Tack stayed behind, mostly to help him recover and lick his wounds.

"I can't believe I just got my ass kicked...my old man won't be too happy about this..." Thumbtack said as he rested on his bunk, listening to music and reading one of the comics he managed to sneak with him. I meanwhile disassemble my rifle to see if there is anything that needs to be done to it to make sure it doesn't fuck me up during combat.

"Combat..." I muttered as the word echoed in my head, the music that was playing in the background fading as I drove deep into the thought of me encountering my first taste of combat here. The chance of me taking somepony's life...

"Yo Swift, Tack, come on! Battalion Commander is calling for everypony, asap!"

Snapping from my thoughts, I looked over to see Ivory standing in his full kit with his rifle. Nodding, I quickly assembled my rifle and went over to don my gear. Picking up my rifle, Thumbtack and I soon joined Ivory who was waiting for us and we double-timed over to where everypony was. We passed a couple of LAVs along with other ponies making their way over to where everypony was being gathered, whats going on?

The three of us arrived at a gathering of ponies standing at parade rest, all in combat gear. Apparently, a big shot Lieutenant Colonel was assembling everypony here for some mission briefing. Hushed rumors were passed along about possible combat in one of the neighboring cities, they were rumors of course but there was still a chance of us kicking some camel's flank.

"Hey Tack, what's going on...?" I asked.

"I don't know dude, everypony is being gathered with their guns and kits...something big is going on..."

We both got into the formation at parade rest with the rest of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. It didn't take long for a stallion wearing his digital desert cammies with a silver oak leaf pinned on his right collar, he then got on top of a nearby Humvee and looked at all of us before giving the command of 'Attention.'

"ATTEN__TION!"

As soon as he uttered those words the whole battalion got into the position of attention, standing silently and unmoving. I silently took note of our Lt Col, he was an earth pony with coffee-colored fur and greying mane. He had an aurora of somepony with high authority and looked like he had been through the shits since I was but a nymph.

"Now, with the rest of the enemy combatants in disarray, it is our duty to continue to liberate this country and establish order and a democratic government for the camels here. And that starts with taking the city of Baghsire..." he pauses, looking at all the young faces of every Marine presents there "It's going to be a long road ahead, and we are going to face the worst we've ever faced on our way towards the capital. Now I know some of y'all may be scared, and some of you may be uncertain about what lies ahead. Hell, it scares me that some of you guys might not ever come back...but at times like this, you must not show fear. You, as a Marine, should strike fear in the enemy! You are the tip of the spear of the Equestrian military! Have confidence in your battle buddy, have confidence in your squad leaders, have confidence in your platoon and company commanders!"

At that moment, everypony now had gained a sudden confidence in themselves and believed that they could, and will, defeat the enemy. No matter the cost.

"As commander of this mighty fine battalion, I reassure you all that we will kick the enemy right in the balls and I will do my very best to bring you all home!"

Spirits were high, the entire battalion was hyped up and ready for war. Shit, I was feeling the same way as every pony else!

"YOU ARE EQUESTRIAN MARINES! WE WILL STEAMROLL INTO BAGHSIRE AND WE WILL SHOW THEM NOT TO MESS WITH US! CAN I GET AN OORAH!?"

"OORAH!"

"BULLSHIT! I CANT HEAR YOU, LADIES!"

"OORAH!"

"MARINES! SADDLE UP!"

Every pony dispersed and got into a Humvee or in the back of one of the IFVs, Tack and I got into one of the Humvees with him manning the mounted 50. Cal on top. Once everything was aligned into a convoy, we got the green light to roll out. Our destination: the city of Al Rafeef.

I stared out the window at the sea of sand dunes that surrounded the highway, we were to soon join the 7th Tank Battalion mid-way. I was still anxious about how we might get ambushed by a bunch of RPG and AK welding Camels, but I quickly remembered what LtCol said back at camp. I just need to push through, it can't be that hard...Right...?

...Right...?