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Hi /k/, I'm writing a short story and I need your help with a premise. Is there any conceivable reason that three enlisted privates in any branch of the US military would be dicking around in the sand dunes of some Middle Eastern shithole with no backup or base in sight? Would they have been sent out on patrol? Would they be scouting for mines or IEDs, or do robots and shit do that already? The reason itself doesn't really matter, I just need a plausible, non-Hollywood justification for three privates to be out there by themselves.
Much obliged, lads.
>>29987080
No, those three private's would absolutely not be alone out in the desert together.
>>29987080
Maybe they're into gay stuff.
Inb4 all military does gay stuff...
>>29987080
They got drunk and walked off base, but ended up trapped behind their own mine field with no radio and no idea how to get back without getting blowed up.
Change it to 3 fresh LTs and stupidty/ignorance and you have a plausible reason.
>>29987104
Okay, what about a private and a mix of two higher-ranking troops? Would that be doable? Barring that, three soldiers of any rank not senior enough to still be young and goofing off? Would they have a reason for being out there by themselves?
>>29987115
Hey, that sounds great. Is that really a viable premise? Has that happened before?
>>29987080
What about a quest for Saddam's gold? One private is the suave George Clooney type. One is black. The third hates Vietnamese people.
>>29987158
A private would be with someone higher ranking yes, try for a sergeant and maybe a LT.
An LT, Private, and E3.
Sent from point A to point B on MSR (major service road)
IED incident has road closed
Local infantryman responding to IED gives them the "back way" to destination
Get lost, car/hummer/truck breaks down
Fairly plausible
Would be some good conflicts of rank and capabilities, LT could be a well educated cherry but with poor common sense. Private an outdoorsman with lots of camping/hunting experience from the south. The E3 somewhere in between sometimes siding with the LT and sometimes the PVT.
>>29987197
Great, that'd make for a nice power dynamic, too. Any reason they'd be out there by themselves? Got drunk and wandered off base like >>29987115 suggested? Something else?
I'm trying to keep this as true to life as possible while still telling a story, and the last thing I want is to is be a disrespectful jackass who gets things blatantly wrong.
>>29987235
Fantastic, I think I'll go with that!
Thank you so much for the help, lads!
>>29987256
Pretty much refer to >>29987235
There is no reason for 3 people to get drunk and wander off into the desert specially if they're military.
Also for references sake this would essentially be called a fireteam, don't quote me on that i was told at one point a fireteam is 2 people not 3 to 4.
>>29987296
I was thinking the LT had to go, found an E3 to drive him but the E3 had a newbie PVT that he was training, so he got to tag along.
LT worried about how this will appear to his superiors but no real solutions other than frustration. Main goal is getting back as quick as possible even if it increases the risk.
E3 has some local knowledge, knows what not to do base on geography but not much good with solutions. Main goal is to stay alive and near last known path as he believed someone will come and rescue them.
PVT doesn't know geography but has practical survival skills and knows how to move undetected at night and basic nav skills. Main goal is to extract out of the situation safely and quickly.
>>29987360
Spot on sounds stable, at least to someone who hasn't enlisted.
Also another fun tidbit of information, you could be pretty sure all three of them would have basic survival skills, aside from that do you baby.
>>29987400
LTs have had some training but when they deploy they are given tasks and expected to execute them. This pressure can short circuit their training and overwhelm them, thus creating the common incompetent butter bar LT. With additional experience they usually become competent.
E3s know enough to stay out of trouble. Some are motivated to excel, most are content to pass their time and get out.
PVT lack the training of LTs but when they are deployed are told specifically what to do so they only have to worry about doing the task right. Less pressure than a LT who has the pressure of figuring things out without a lot of practical experience. PVTs also are usually more optimistic because they are still excited and are not burned out yet. They have little to no pressure as no one expects a PVT to know anything.
It is a very real scenario that plays out many times. LT says stupid shit, E3 doesn't care, E1 and E2s wonder if it makes any sense at all.
Anyone above E4 would just likely ignore LT or "suggest" a better plan and avoid the confusion.
A fresh LT, E3 and boot PVT is a cluster fuck waiting to happen.
