Winters was a very detail-oriented person, especially in military operations.
This was also one of the reasons for his future success.
Parks knew what Winters meant.
And he had the same idea as Winters; what could be more important than maximizing the safety of their brothers?
The failure of this exercise hung over the Easy Company brothers like a dark cloud.
And the brothers' feelings towards Captain Sobel had evolved from dislike and hatred to today's distrust; it could be said that this was a major shift in the brothers' attitude towards Sobel.
So much so that, often, discussions in the barracks revolved around him.
After all, with the continuous escalation of training and some directional talks from the battalion headquarters, the brothers all knew that they would eventually appear on the battlefields of Europe; this was beyond doubt.
"I don't want to go to Europe with a commander like that."
Guarnere was the most agitated, his somewhat unruly nature showing extreme aversion to Sobel, "A commander like this will only make us lose our fighting spirit, or even send us to the German as prisoners, or simply let the krauts kill us directly!"
"I want to pray to the Virgin Mary!"
At this moment, Muke mumbled, "I really hope that when we enter Europe, he gets shot by the German as soon as he jumps out of the plane, which would save us bullets."
"To be honest, I really want to kill this guy! Maybe one day when I'm impulsive, I'll actually do it!"
Even Shifty, who usually didn't talk much, couldn't help but speak up.
There were not a few people in Easy Company who thought like these brothers; even though Parks had talked to them before, their impatience with Sobel had made the brothers' emotions restless and low.
And Winters had obviously noticed this restless and low mood.
Although at this time, some people in Easy Company had been promoted, like Harris and Lanny, who became Sergeants, and Nixon and Hurst, who were transferred to the Battalion HQ as staff officers, the brothers' morale remained low.
At this time, another officer was transferred to Easy Company, Lieutenant Harry Welsh.
"What are you going to do?"
In the barracks, Nixon shook his head at Winters, "I don't even know what to say to the brothers.
Even if I do, and help Sobel, he definitely won't be grateful, and he might even do something that will surprise you."
Winters said helplessly, "What else can I do?
Continue to train them.
At the very least, I need to ensure that the platoon-level officers perform excellently to minimize our losses in the future; we still need to use them to boost morale."
Then he shrugged, "This is the most I can do."
"How's Parks?"
Nixon suddenly asked Winters.
Winters was stunned and said, "What about him?"
Nixon couldn't help but laugh, "You know the answer.
Aren't you going to recommend him to officer candidate school?
Why is there no news?
Or has Sobel not approved it yet?"
"That's a good question!"
Winters smiled, "Although Sobel is a bit uncomfortable, at least he doesn't have the courage to contend with the battalion headquarters.
My report was sent directly to Colonel Sink.
I believe the results will be out soon.
And Colonel Sink hopes that Parks can stay in the 506th Regiment after graduation.
As for whether he will still be in Easy Company, that's not something I can decide."
Nixon looked at Winters seriously: "Dick, it seems I still don't understand you very well; I didn't expect someone like you to come up with such a method."
"That just means you've overlooked me!"
Winters laughed.
This was a report he wrote after the last military exercise, and it was directly submitted to Major Horton, who then handed it over to Colonel Sink.
He knew this was against the rules, but he cherished talent like Parks; an excellent commander was the most valuable asset of Easy Company.
As the two were talking, someone walked in, looked at them, and said, "Am I interrupting you?"
It was Harry Welsh, and his expression was a little hesitant.
Nixon and Winters nodded to him.
Winters quickly said, "No!"
Then he introduced them to each other: "Louis Nixon, this is Lieutenant Harry Welsh, who just transferred from the 82nd Division."
Harry smiled, stepped forward, and shook Nixon's hand: "Congratulations on your promotion!"
Nixon smiled and said, "Thanks, if that counts as a promotion!"
Of course, there was no promotion in rank, but moving from company to Battalion HQ was also a leap.
However, he finally got rid of Captain Sobel, which was something worth celebrating for Nixon; in any case, Nixon was in a relatively good mood.
"You'll soon find out he's a person with no flaws, no quirks, no sense of humor!"
Nixon joked, "He doesn't even drink.
I don't know how I've tolerated him until now.
Fortunately, I'm going to the Battalion HQ, and you've just arrived!"
"Just like your friends at the Battalion HQ!"
Winters suddenly added.
The two couldn't help but smile knowingly.
"Is something wrong, Harry!"
Nixon smiled at Harry.
Harry seemed a little hesitant, but still spoke: "I've heard a lot of gossip."
"About Sobel?"
Nixon laughed, "We were just talking about it!"
Harry cleared his throat, then asked, "Is he a bit neurotic in the field?"
Nixon nodded in agreement, "Yes, when he gets neurotic, you die!"
"That's great!"
Harry got his answer and smiled helplessly.
Winters looked at Nixon, then at Harry, walked over, and nodded to the two: "Yes, that's a problem.
Listen, if we're going to discuss this, it can only be within our circle."
Then he looked at Harry, "Now the brothers' emotions are a bit unstable.
This requires us to stabilize morale, Harry, you know what to do!"
"Yes, no problem!"
Nixon and Harry nodded in unison.
As the three were talking, the barracks door was suddenly pushed open with a loud "bang", and Captain Sobel appeared at the doorway, holding an apple, already bitten, and still chewing.
Then he looked at the three people in front of him, with a strong sense of doubt in his eyes.
His gaze swept across the three standing stiffly.
After chewing and swallowing the apple in his mouth, Sobel finally spoke: "Is the Second Platoon ready?"
"Ready! Sir!"
Winters said calmly.
"Tell them to fall in, we're leaving!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Winters and Harry walked out.
Sobel looked at Nixon, who was standing stiffly with a smile on his face, frowned, then took a big bite of the apple, and then walked away.
At the end of May, Easy Company packed their bags and, along with other companies of the 506th Regiment, took a stop-and-go train to Sturgis, Kentucky.
From early June to mid-July, they would conduct a military exercise in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana.
This was the largest joint airborne exercise of paratroopers and glider-borne troops to date.
Although it wasn't actual combat, it was the closest to real combat that the U.S. Army could arrange.
At the station.
At the station, Red Cross girls brought them coffee and donuts.
"You have to admit, he doesn't stand a chance.
Either he'll be taken out by the German, or by his own men."
Several people were sitting around on the grass next to the station.
"Shut up, Cobb!"
Joe Liebgott said.
"Who are you talking about? Sobel?"
At this moment, a voice came from the side; it was Joe Liebgott, who leaned over, "He messed up an exercise.
You know I often play with grenades; it's easy to accidentally detonate one."
"But they put him in charge, there must be a reason!"
Shifty said unwillingly.
Liebgott chuckled, "Because the U.S. Army never makes mistakes, right, Shifty!"
Parks knew he couldn't intervene in this kind of thing anymore; the resentment towards Sobel wasn't formed in a day or two, and it wasn't a problem that could be solved with a few words from him.
Perhaps he could appease them for a while, but he couldn't convince the brothers for a long time.
If he said too much, he might even be disliked by the brothers.
He could only interrupt, trying to disperse these emotions and prevent them from festering together.
"Hey, you guys, want some donuts?"
Parks called out to them from the side, "The girl giving out donuts over there is really pretty."
It certainly caught their attention.
Cobb was the first to stand up, smiling at Parks, "I knew it was you, Parks.
Why didn't you tell me about something so good earlier?"
He patted the dust off his butt, then walked towards that direction.
"Liebgott, there's another one over there with super big breasts, isn't that your favorite?
Imagine the feeling of having your head sandwiched in between, eating donuts!
It must be great!"
Parks looked at Liebgott and laughed.
"Oh, come on, what I'm thinking about now are donuts, not super big breasts!"
Liebgott laughed loudly, "Alright, I'll leave that girl to you, but I'm keeping the donuts!"
The few people gathered dispersed, leaving only Shifty.
Parks walked over, sat next to him, and looked at him seriously, saying, "Shifty, don't do anything foolish.
Talking about this is fine, but it's not worth doing!"
"You know what?"
Shifty looked at Parks, then suddenly understood, and nodded with a smile, "I know what to do!"
This Red Army versus Blue Army exercise took place in a vast, remote, forest-covered area of hills and mountains. Easy Company conducted three parachute jumps, but mountain jumps were far worse than those on flat terrain.
The last jump, in particular, left the brothers of Easy Company with fresh and painful memories.
The C-47 transport plane bounced violently in the thermals rising from the mountains, making everyone feel terrible.
"Big" Bill Guarnere, sitting in the innermost and most cramped position, was the first to be unable to bear it.
"I can't hold it in!" he said, and then vomited, the sour smell immediately spreading through the stuffy cabin.
The others, after a single glance, also couldn't bear it and vomited.
When the green light came on, everyone eagerly jumped out.
Of course, that wasn't the end of it.
They still had long treks through water, night marches, and seizing enemy camps.
By the end of the exercise, everyone was dirty and smelled like decay.
Just as the exercise concluded, Easy Company received news that Major General William C. Lee, the commander of the Airborne Division, would personally commend them.
This excited many people.
Upon hearing this news, Parks knew that General Lee had already been promoted to Major General.
The Airborne Division's performance had been recognized by higher-ups, which was the main reason for his promotion.
"The brothers of Easy Company, you have shown tenacious and outstanding performance, fully reasonable tactical principles, and clearly well-trained soldiers," General Lee said confidently, looking at this group of soldiers who, though extremely exhausted, were full of fighting spirit.
"Your excellent training and leadership will be further demonstrated in future trials."
The brothers of Easy Company stood tall and straight, their chests puffed out.
They held absolute respect for General Lee, and his words further boosted their morale and courage.
Colonel Sink and Major Horton, who were accompanying him, seemed even happier.
Sink's face even glowed red.
This was absolutely the battalion's glory.
He also saw the fighting spirit of Easy Company's soldiers and was deeply proud of their performance.
When the formation dispersed and the officers left, many people were still excited.
They felt that being recognized made all the hardships they endured worthwhile.
Even the most silent Luo Cooper showed a rare smile.
"He's our supreme commander!" Cobb even sounded a bit smug.
"You don't even know, when he smiled at me, I wasn't sure if I should smile back at him."
Guarnere, standing nearby, laughed sarcastically, "Cobb, he smiled at you? I thought he smiled at me.
Don't be so self-important, General Lee smiled at all of us brothers."
Cobb, unconvinced, was about to retort when a Sergeant from the battalion headquarters walked over and shouted, "Do you know where Staff Sergeant Reese Parks is?"
"Parks!" Cobb shouted loudly into the barracks.
The barracks door opened, and Parks emerged, clearly having been sleeping.
He was still buttoning his collar when the Sergeant saluted Parks: "Staff Sergeant Parks?"
"Yes, how may I help you, Sergeant!" Parks finally finished buttoning his collar and straightened his tie.
He was a bit surprised; this Sergeant didn't seem like a company messenger but rather someone he had seen at the battalion headquarters.
"Colonel Sink's orders, you must report to the battalion headquarters at 2:30 PM," the Sergeant relayed the order truthfully.
"Alright, Sergeant, I'll be on time!" Parks nodded.
"To the battalion headquarters?" A voice came from behind, and Parks turned to see White had emerged from the barracks at some point.
"It shouldn't be anything bad!" White was quite concerned about Parks's affairs.
After all, their relationship was the best in Easy Company, at least White himself thought so.
"Don't worry, Parks, if it's for some medal, remember to treat us to beer!" Da Niu Landao Man shouted loudly from the side, raising his cigar.
"Oh—"Big" Bill Guarnere, I hope you don't throw up the beer you drink, otherwise it would be too wasteful!" Christenson shouted from the side.
It was known that during that vomiting incident on the plane, only Christenson managed to hold it in, while everyone else threw up terribly.
That's why he spoke to Landers so triumphantly.
Parks smiled, watching them joke.
Then he tidied his clothes, appearing as neat as possible at the battalion headquarters.
Parks had no idea why he was being summoned this time, but he figured it shouldn't be anything bad.
"Reporting, Parks reporting as ordered!" Parks entered the battalion headquarters command post with his head held high, saluted the people inside, and reported loudly.
"At ease, Sergeant!" At this moment, Colonel Sink walked over with a smile, turning sideways to introduce, "This is General Lee, I believe you've already met him."
There were several other people sitting in the room.
The only one Parks recognized was Lieutenant Colonel Strayer, along with several unfamiliar Lieutenant Colonels and Majors, and of course, a General whom he recognized, General Lee.
"General!" Parks stepped forward, stood at attention, and saluted General Lee.
"At ease, Sergeant!" General Lee seemed very happy.
He had already stood up, and when Parks saluted, he very solemnly raised his hand and returned the salute.
This was a rare occurrence, and even Colonel Sink showed a slight look of surprise.
"We are old friends!" General Lee shook Parks's hand, then motioned for him to sit down.
"Because I was coming to talk to the brothers, I took the opportunity to see you, young man.
Your performance in New York left a deep impression on me!"
"Thank you, General!" Parks answered his questions cautiously.
General Lee nodded, then said, "How do you feel about returning to this team? I heard you designed an assault rifle?
I didn't expect you to have such talent in that area; you truly are a valuable asset to the U.S. Army!" His words sounded somewhat like a joke.
Parks was not surprised that General Lee knew about his gun design.
He was certain Virginia must have contacted him, perhaps hoping to find a breakthrough with General Lee to properly position her rifle.
"Yes, General." Parks carefully chose his words, "You know, although training in the barracks is intense, I still have enough free time to do things I'm interested in." Parks absolutely did not want to promote his gun or any other designs or ideas in such a setting.
That would be absolutely unwise.
"What do you think of the current situation?" General Lee smiled, "I mean, this training life, and getting along with the brothers."
"Very good, I feel that this training can make us stronger and more agile, or perhaps one day we will use the skills we now possess to eliminate the krauts.
And I also feel very comfortable, being with the brothers feels wonderful, I really enjoy that brotherly camaraderie, General!" Parks replied calmly.
"Good, keep it up, Parks!" General Lee said, standing up.
Parks knew he should take his leave, so he also stood up, took a few steps back, saluted the people in the room, and then walked out.
In fact, it was just a few simple questions, nothing substantial was discussed.
Parks didn't ponder why General Lee wanted to see him.
Was it merely because he left a deep impression on him in New York?
He also didn't dwell on why, after meeting, it was just a few daily conversations without any in-depth discussion.
Parks straightened his uniform and then walked towards the camp.
"He is a good soldier!" After Parks had walked away, General Lee sat down again, smiling and nodding, saying to Colonel Sink, "He is also a soldier who left a deep impression on me!"
Sink also agreed, saying, "Yes, General, he always performs his best in all kinds of training.
And he has affection for our team.
I believe most people in our team are like him."
"This is your credit, Colonel Sink!" General Lee smiled and nodded, "Being able to unite the soldiers and overcome many difficulties is in itself a proud thing, I am proud of you all!"
"Thank you, General!" Sink stood up excitedly.
"Alright, Colonel, my work here is basically finished.
What you need to do now is to maintain your excellent tradition and cultivate more outstanding non-commissioned officers and soldiers like Parks.
In future battlefields, they will be the most valuable assets of our U.S. Army!"
This exercise was very successful, and for the 506th Regiment, their performance was also the most outstanding in the 101st Airborne Division.
Therefore, they received commendation from General Lee.
And after his conversation with General Lee, Sink also placed emphasis on the training of grassroots non-commissioned officers.
Parks, undoubtedly, was one who left a deep impression on Sink.
"I remember, Lieutenant Winters seemed to have written a recommendation report, which was handed over by Major Horton!" Colonel Sink finally said to Lieutenant Colonel Strayer after some thought, and he finally remembered this matter.
"Yes, Colonel!" Colonel Strehl nodded and said, "What do you plan to do?"
"Send it back, hand it to Captain Sobel for review, then to Battalion HQ, and then Major Horton will hand it to the battalion headquarters." Colonel Sink mused, "Even if it's a recommendation, we have to go step by step; these are the rules." Yes, these were the rules, otherwise Winters's report would not have been left ignored by Sink for so long; this was the reason.