He’d leaned over my shoulder and tapped my rank pin, convinced that a loud voice could cover up his own fear of the battalion assessment coming his way.

Now the soft hum of the jet engines filled the cabin, steady and unbroken.

There were no raised voices, no drumming boot heels and no smug laughter bouncing off vinyl airport chairs, only the low murmur of strangers settling in for the short flight ahead.

I smoothed the page flat with my palm and started reading the middle paragraph.

The printed words stood out sharp against the yellowed paper, untouched by all the noise of the day.

In my mind I could still hear General Vance’s deep command voice in the small liaison office.