Instead of going to the NCOs’ regimental mess to watch the results of the U.S.
presidential elections, Greta had elected to invite two other NCOs she knew well to come and watch with her the election coverage on the television set of her mini-suite, which was part of the quarters building for single NCOs attached to the mess complex.
While small, her suite, similar to over 200 suites in the four-story building, was very efficiently designed, with a small lounge which also contained a work desk and a small kitchenette, a small bedroom, a large kit locker and a small but fully equipped bathroom, the lot covering a floor surface of 24 square meters. Both Sergeant Joshua Stern and Sergeant Ken Nakamura, who had served under her leadership during the fighting in Somalia, were now sitting with Greta in her sofa, which faced the personal television flat screen set that she had bought to replace the small set originally provided with the suite by the Marine Corps. Only six years ago, such accommodations for single NCOs would have been unthinkable but a lot of things had changed under the leadership of General of the Army Ingrid Dows, who had forced all the armed services to better treat their more junior personnel and their families, notably by pushing for a vast construction program for newer and better military accommodations, both on the ground and aboard ships, where new crew facilities standards were now enforced into the design of any new warship built since the new rules had been laid out. Now, in 2000, no serviceperson lived in old style, platoon barrack rooms, except in the case of recruits under training or troops using temporary accommodations during field exercises and deployments. As a result, morale had shot up, while the reenlistment rate for the junior ranks had more than doubled. That last point, by saving undreds of millions of dollars every year in new recruits training, had placated most of those who had criticized General Dows’ policies as being ‘wasteful and extravagant expenditures’, to which she had shot back that those
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criticizing her were all senior officers who had personally been enjoying large salaries and lots of command perks in terms of quarters, chauffeuring and domestic aids.
While Joshua Stern and Ken Nakamura were now sandwiching Greta on her sofa, they knew better than to think that they could play ‘wandering hands’ with her. For one thing, they respected her too much to try doing that with her. They also knew that such conduct would be completely inappropriate and could land them in big disciplinary trouble. Greta, while a very pretty girl who liked her fun as much as any other normal girl, firmly believed in keeping relations between people of different ranks strictly non-sexual, unless of course you were talking about a married service couple. The three of them thus kept to close but clean comradery while in private. At one point, as the reporting was being interrupted by a commercial break, Greta got up from her sofa and smiled to her two friends.
‘’Care for a cold beer, guys?’
‘’Yup!’ replied at once Joshua. ‘’I may be officially Jewish but I am really a very liberal Jew.’
‘’And I have nothing against a cold beer, Greta.’ said in turn Ken Nakamura, who led one of the three rifle squads of the rifle platoon in which Greta served as platoon sergeant. ‘’What brands of beer do you have?’
‘’The good kind: foreign beers. I don’t care for the colored water produced by too many American beermakers, like Budweiser and Schlitz. I usually get German beers but I also buy from time-to-time Canadian beers made by small breweries. I will make you guys taste my latest find: a blond beer made by the Canadian brewer ‘Unibroue’ from Quebec. It is a strong beer but it also has a very smooth taste. I am sure that you will both like it.’
Two minutes later, she was back in her sofa after handing over to Joshua and Ken cold bottles of beer, which they examined with interest.
‘’Don de Dieu? What does that mean, Greta?’ asked Joshua
‘’It means ‘gift from God’ in French.’
‘’Wow!’ said Ken while looking at the label on the bottle. ‘’This thing is 9% in alcohol content?’
‘’It is, but it also has a smooth taste. Try it!’
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Both Joshua and Ken took a swig from their bottles, to then nod their heads in appreciation.
‘’It is smooth and also really good, Greta.’ said Ken. ‘’Where did you buy it? At the base PX2?’
‘’You’re kidding? The PX only stores the cheap brands. To provision myself in beer, wine and spirits, I go to a store in Jacksonville which specializes in the importation of foreign alcohol products. It is a lot more expensive than at the PX here, but the quality is so superior. Since I don’t frequently drink alcohol, I compensate quantity with quality.’
‘’You will have to tell me where is that store, Greta.’ said Joshua after a second swig of his beer. ‘’I really like this ‘Don de Dieu’.’
‘’Good for you! I… Haw shit! Look at those numbers in the bottom info band on the screen! The Reform Party is getting a beating!’
‘’I gather from this that you voted for the Reform Party, Greta?’ asked Ken, making Greta nod.
‘’Yes, although I didn’t approve of their ultimate choice for presidential candidate.
I would have much preferred to see John McCain lead it as their presidential candidate rather than this Buchanan guy. There were some political shenanigans and backroom deals made in choosing him over the advice of President Perot, who was favoring McCain. Now, these backroom idiots are costing the Reform a third shot at the presidency.’
Joshua, who had been looking at the numbers parading on the info band while listening to Greta, then pointed out something else to her and Ken.
‘’Look at how close the portions of the votes to date are between the Republicans and the Democrats. These two will split nearly equally the large majority of the votes, while Ralph Nader and his Greens are further spoiling the chances Reform had to get more votes. This is going to be a close race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. We probably will not be able to know for sure who won until tomorrow.’
‘’Oh well!’ replied Greta, a bit discouraged by those results. ‘’It looks like we will have to live again with one of those old parties and their unending partisanship politicking. I will miss President Perot and his coalition cabinet of ex-Democrats and ex-Republicans.’
2 PX : Short for ‘Post Exchange’. Common name given to military supermarket stores on American bases.
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21:19 (West Coast Time)