This story is a sequel to the prior story
An oral reprimand
. I highly recommend you read that story first in order to fully grasp the interactions between the two main characters. As always, feedback is welcome and encouraged as I am considering a final chapter to this saga. Thank you.
*****
The last time I had seen my battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Blackburn, the circumstances were less than ideal. I'd been forced to perform oral sex on her lest I receive an article 15 punishment, reduction in rank and forfeiture of pay. This time, however, I had reason to be happy. I was in Baghdad to receive a promotion in rank this time. As I stood at the position of attention, in line next to two other soldiers, the battalion sergeant major read the official promotion orders for the three of us. I was being promoted to Specialist along with two other soldiers, who were both females assigned to battalion headquarters. After the official orders were read aloud, Lieutenant Colonel Blackburn slowly moved down the line and pinned the new ranks on the collars of each soldier's uniform. When she got to me, she stopped directly in front of me. We made eye contact and she smiled at me.
"Congratulations, Specialist," she said as she pinned my new rank insignia on my collar.
"Thank you, ma'am," I replied.
When she was done pinning on my new rank, we shook hands.
After the ceremony was over, the battalion Sergeant Major and about a dozen other soldiers, who had gathered for the small promotion ceremony, shook my hand. All I wanted to do was return to my team at Camp Lima in Karbala but I still had to spend one more night in Baghdad until my helicopter flight the next day. As I stood around following the end of the ceremony, the battalion administrative sergeant told me to come to the battalion headquarters in Al Faw palace to pick up copies of my DA-4187 official promotion orders to keep for my records. I told her I would come by later that afternoon and headed off to the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) building to relax and watch a movie.
For the next couple of hours, I was fully engrossed in the Nicholas Cage movie
Lord of War
. When the movie was over, I walked over to Al Faw palace to pick up my promotion paperwork at battalion headquarters. I entered the office and the battalion administrative sergeant smiled at me.
"The Colonel would like to see you for a moment," she said.
I gulped as I recalled the last time I been in the Colonel's office.
"You can go right in," she said as she pointed to the Colonel's office. The door was propped open.
I nodded and took a few seconds to compose myself. I then walked the Colonel's her office.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," I said as I entered.
Colonel Blackburn looked up from her computer and smiled at me. Her blue eyes had a more inviting expression this time.
"Come in, Specialist and please close the door if you wouldn't mind." She said.
I nodded and turned to pull her office door closed.
Once the door was closed, I walked to the front of her desk and stood in the position of at ease with my hands behind my back. It felt like déjà vu. I had been in this very position nearly two months earlier. For her part, Colonel Blackburn looked the same. She was still mildly attractive for a woman her age. As usual, she wore her hair in a loose bun and her thick rimmed black reading glasses.
"I'd like you to have dinner with me tonight, Specialist," she said.
Once again, I was caught off guard.
"At the Dining facility, ma'am?" I asked.
"Of course," she said with a laugh.
"Ok, what time should I report?"
"Relax Specialist, it's just an informal dinner. I like to get to know the soldiers I promote." She replied.
"Ok, ma'am."
She looked at her watch.
"What would you think about an early dinner? It's just about five o'clock now." She said as she looked over at me.
"That's fine with me, ma'am," I replied.
"Ok, good. I just have to send one more email then we'll head out. You can wait in the admin office."
I nodded and turned to walk out of the Colonel's office. I then took a seat near the administrative sergeant's desk. She was busy working on her computer and didn't pay much attention to me.
After about fifteen minutes, Colonel Blackburn came out of her office. She was no longer wearing her reading glasses.
She smiled at me.
"Ready, Specialist?" she said.
"Yes ma'am," I said as I stood up.
For the next ten minutes we wended and weaved our way down various roads and paths as we walked towards the Victory main dining facility. Along the way, I lost count of the number of times soldiers saluted Colonel Blackburn. Each time, she returned their salutes.
"You must get a good arm workout whenever you walk to the dining facility, ma'am," I joked.
She laughed.
Finally, we reached the dining facility. After entering, we signed in with the KBR attendant, picked up our food trays and got on line. I was immediately overwhelmed by the abundant amount of different food options though I eventually settled on a hamburger and French fries. After getting my food, I found Colonel Blackburn sitting at long table. I sat down across from her.
We soon became fully engrossed in conversation about each other's home lives and our plans for after the deployment was over. We were both Army reservists and I learned that she was a tax attorney at a prestigious firm back home in Alabama. Her husband was also a senior partner at the firm.
I told the Colonel I planned to return to Boston University to resume college and she was quite impressed.
"That's a great school, Specialist!" she said.
"Thank you, ma'am," I replied.
"My sons are both attending state universities in Alabama and my daughter is at the University of Central Florida," she said.
I nodded.
As we ate and talked, I almost forgot about everything she had put me through months earlier. I began to wonder if she indeed remembered herself.