tc.thebearandthedragon-第57部分

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ung　boys　wearing　their　country's　uniform　indifferently　because　no　one　had　told　them　exactly　what　they　were　and　how　important　that　thing　was。　But　he'd　fix　that。　They　were　soldiers；　those　boys。　Guardians　of　their　country；　and　they　deserved　to　be　proud　guardians。　With　proper　training；　in　nine　months　they'd　wear　the　uniforms　better；　stand　straighter；　and　swagger　a　bit　on　leave；　as　soldiers　were　supposed　to　do。　He'd　show　them　how　to　do　it；　and　he'd　bee　their　surrogate　father；　pushing　and　cajoling　his　new　crop　of　sons　toward　manhood。　It　was　as　worthy　a　goal　as　any　man　could　wish；　and　as　mander…in…Chief　Far　East；　he　just　might　set　a　standard　for　his　country's　armed　forces　to　emulate。
　〃So；　Gennady　Iosifovich；　what　do　I　tell　Eduard　Petrovich？〃　Golovko　asked；　as　he　leaned　across　the　desk　to　give　his　guest　a　little　more　of　the　fine　Starka　vodka；
　Bondarenko　lifted　the　glass　to　salute　his　host。　〃rade　Minister；　you　will　please　tell　our　president　that　he　has　a　new　CINC…Far　East。〃
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　18
　Evolutions
　
　The　interesting　part　for　Mancuso　in　his　new　job　was　that　he　now　manded　aircraft；　which　he　could　fairly　well　understand；　but　also　ground　troops；　which　he　hardly　understood　at　all。　This　latter　contingent　included　the　3rd　Marine　Division　based　on　Okinawa；　and　the　Army's　25th　Light　Infantry　Division　at　Schofield　Barracks　on　Oahu。　Mancuso　had　never　directly　manded　more　than　one　hundred　fifty　or　so　men；　all　of　whom　had　been　aboard　his　first　and　last　real…as　he　thought　of　it…mand；　USS　Dallas。　That　was　a　good　number；　large　enough　that　it　felt　larger　than　even　an　extended　family；　and　small　enough　that　you　knew　every　face　and　name。　Pacific　mand　wasn't　anything　like　that。　The　square　of　Dallas's　crew　didn't　begin　to　prise　the　manpower　which　he　could　direct　from　his　desk。
　He'd　been　through　the　Capstone　course。　That　was　a　program　designed　to　introduce　new　flag　officers　to　the　other　branches　of　the　service。　He'd　walked　in　the　woods　with　Army　soldiers；　crawled　in　the　mud　with　Marines；　even　watched　an　aerial　refueling　from　the　jump　seat　of　a　C…SB　transport　（the　most　unnatural　act　he　ever　expected　to　see；　two　airplanes　mating　in　midair　at　three　hundred　knots）；　and　played　with　the　Army's　heavy　troops　at　Fort　Irwin；　California；　where　he'd　tried　his　hand　at　driving　and　shooting　tanks　and　Bradleys。　But　seeing　it　all　and　playing　with　the　kids；　and　getting　mud　on　his　clothing；　wasn't　really　the　same　as　knowing　it。　He　had　some　very　rough　ideas　of　what　it　looked　and　sounded　and　smelled　like。　He'd　seen　the　confident　look　on　the　faces　of　men　who　wore　uniforms　of　different　color；　and　told　himself　about　a　hundred　times　that　they　were；　really；　all　the　same。　The　sergeant　manding　an　Abrams　tank　was　little　different　in　spirit　from　a　leading　torpedoman　on　a　fast…attack　boat；　just　not　recently　showered；　and　a　Green　Beret　was　little　different　from　a　fighter　pilot　in　his　godlike　self…confidence。　But　to　mand　such　people　effectively；　he　ought　to　know　more；　CINCPAC　told　himself。　He　ought　to　have　had　more　'joint〃　training。　But　then　he　told　himself　that　he　could　take　the　best　fighter　jock　in　the　Air　Force　or　the　Navy；　and　even　then　it　would　take　months　for　them　to　understand　what　he'd　done　on　Dallas。　Hell；　just　getting　them　to　understand　the　importance　of　reactor　safety　would　take　a　year…about　what　it　had　taken　him　to　learn　all　those　things　once　upon　a　time；　and　Mancuso　wasn't　a　〃nuc〃　by　training。　He'd　always　been　a　front…end　guy。　The　services　were　all　different　in　their　feel　for　the　mission；　and　that　was　because　the　missions　were　all　as　different　in　nature　as　a　sheepdog　was　from　a　pit　bull。
　But　he　had　to　mand　them　all；　and　do　so　effectively；　lest　he　make　a　mistake　that　resulted　in　a　telegram　ing　to　Mrs。　Smith's　home　to　announce　the　untimely　death　of　her　son　or　husband　because　some　senior　officer　had　fucked　up。　Well；　Admiral　Bart　Mancuso　told　himself；　that　was　why　he　had　such　a　wide　collection　of　staff　officers；　including　a　surface　guy　to　explain　what　that　sort　of　target　did　（to　Mancuso　any　sort　of　surface　ship　was　a　target）；　an　Airedale　to　explain　what　naval　aircraft　did；　a　Marine　and　some　soldiers　to　explain　life　in　the　mud；　and　some　Air　Force　wing…wipers　to　tell　him　what　their　birds　were　capable　of。　All　of　them　offered　advice；　which；　as　soon　as　he　took　it；　became　his　idea　alone；　because　he　was　in　mand；　and　mand　meant　being　responsible　for　everything　that　happened　in　or　near　the　Pacific　Ocean；　including　when　some　newly　promoted　B…4　petty　officer　mented　lustily　on　the　tits　of　another　E…4　who　happened　to　have　them…a　recent　development　in　the　Navy；　and　one　which　Mancuso　would　just　as　soon　have　put　off　for　another　decade。　They　were　even　letting　women　on　submarines　now；　and　the　admiral　didn't　regret　having　missed　that　one　little　bit。　What　the　hell　would　Mush　Morton　and　his　crop　of　WWII　submarines　have　made　of　that？
　He　figured　he　knew　how　to　set　up　a　naval　exercise；　one　of　those　grand　training　evolutions　in　which　half　of　7th　Fleet　would　administratively　attack　and　destroy　the　other　half；　followed　by　the　simulated　forced…entry　landing　of　a　Marine　battalion。　Navy　fighters　would　tangle　with　Air　Force　ones；　and　after　it　was　all　over；　puter　records　would　show　who'd　won　and　who'd　lost；　and　bets　of　various　sorts　would　be　paid　off　in　various　bars…and　there'd　be　some　hard　feelings；　because　fitness　reports　（and　with　them；　careers）　could　ride　on　outes　of　simulated　engagements。
　Of　all　his　services；　Mancuso　figured　his　submarine　force　was　in　the　best　shape；　which　made　sense；　since　his　previous　job　had　been　SUBPAC；　and　he'd　ruthlessly　whipped　his　boats　into　shape。　And；　besides；　the　little　shooting　war　they'd　engaged　in　two　years　before　had　given　everyone　the　proper　sense　of　mission；　to　the　point　that　the　crews　of　the　boomers　who'd　laid　on　a　submarine　ambush　worthy　of　Charlie　Lockwood's　best　day　still　swaggered　around　when　on　the　beach。　The　boomers　remained　in　service　as　auxiliary　fast…attacks　because　Mancuso　had　made　his　case　to　the　CNO；　who　was　his　friend；　Dave　Seaton；　and　Seaton　had　made　his　case　to　Congress　to　get　some　additional　funding；　and　Congress　was　nice　and　tame；　what　with　two　recent　conflicts　to　show　them　that　people　in　uniform　did　have　more　purposes　than　opening　and　closing　doors　for　the　people's　elected　representatives。　Besides；　the　Ohio…class　boats　were　just　too　expensive　to　throw　away；　and　they　were　mainly　off　doing　valuable　oceanographic　missions　in　the　North　Pacific；　which　appealed　to　the　tree…　（actually　fish…　and　dolphin…　in　this　case）　huggers；　who　had　far　too　much　political　power　in　the　eyes　of　this　white…suited　warrior。
　With　every　new　day　came　his　official　morning　briefing；　usually　run　by　Brigadier　General　Mike　Lahr；　his　J…2　Intelligence　Officer。　This　was　particularly　good　news。　On　the　morning　of　7　December；　1941；　the　United　States　had　learned　the　advantage　of　providing　senior　area　manders　with　the　intelligence　they　might　need；　and　so　this　CINCPAC；　unlike　Admiral　Husband　E。　Kimmel；　got　to　hear　a　lot。
　〃Morning；　Mike；〃　Mancuso　said　in　greeting；　while　a　chief　steward's　mate　set　up　morning　coffee。
　〃Good　morning；　sir；〃　the　one…star　replied。
　〃What's　new　in　the　Pacific？〃
　〃Well；　top　of　the　news　this　morning；　the　Russians　have　appointed　a　new　guy　to　head　their　Far　Eastern　Military　District。　His　name　is　Gennady　Bondarenko。　His　last　job　was　J…3　operations　officer　for　the　Russian　army。　His　background's　pretty　interesting。　He　started　off　in　signals；　not　a　bat　arm；　but　he　distinguished　himself　in　Afghanistan　toward　the　end　of　that　adventure　on　their　part。　He's　got　the　Order　of　the　Red　Banner　and　he's　a　Hero　of　the　Soviet　Union…got　both　of　those　as　a　colonel。　He　moved　rapidly　up　from　there。　Good　political　connections。　He's　worked　closely　with　a　guy　named　Golovko…he's　a　former　KGB　officer　who's　still　in　the　spook　business　and　is　personally　known　to　the　President…ours；　that　is。　Golovko　is　essentially　the　operational　XO　for　the　Russian　President　Grushavoy…like　a　chief　minister　or　something。　Grushavoy　listens　to　him　on　a　lot　of　issues；　and　he's　a　pipeline　into　the　White　House　on　matters　'of　mutual　interest。'〃
　〃Great。　So　the　Russians　have　Jack　Ryan's　ear　via　this　guy。　What　sort　of　mensch　is　he？〃　CINCPAC　asked。
　〃Very　smart　and　very　capable；　our　friends　at　Langley　say。　Anyway；　back　to　Bondarenko。　The　book　on　the　guy　says　he's　also　very　smart　and　also　very　capable；　a　contender　for　further　advancement。　Brains　and　personal　bravery　can　be　career…enhancing　in　their　military；　just　like　ours。〃
　〃What　sort　of　shape　is　his　new　mand　in？〃
　〃Not　very　good　at　all；　sir。　We　see　eight　division…sized　formations；　six　motor…rifle　divisions；　one　tank；　and　one　artillery　division。　All　appear　to　be　under　strength　on　our　overheads；　and　they　don't　spend　much　time　in　the　field。　Bondarenko　will　change　that；　if　he　goes　according　to　the　form　card。〃
　〃Think　so？〃
　〃As　their　J…3；　he　agitated　for　higher　training　standards…　and　he's　a　bit　of　an　intellectual。　He　published　a　lengthy　essay　last　year　on　the　Roman　legions。　It　was　called　'Soldiers　of　the　Caesars。'　It　had　that　great　quote　from　Josephus；　'Their　drills　are　bloodless　battles　and　their　battles　are　bloody　drills。'　Anyway；　it　was　a　straight　historical　piece；　sources　like　Josephus　and　Vegetius；　but　the　implication　was　clear。　He　was　crying　out　for　better　training　in　the　Russian　army；　and　also　for　career　NCOs。　He　spent　a　lot　of　time　with　Vegetsius's　discussion　of　how　you　build　centurions。　The　Soviet　army　didn't　really　have　sergeants　as　we　understand　the　term；　and　Bondarenko　is　one　of　the　new　crop　of　senior　officers　who's　saying　that　the　new　Russian　army　should　reintroduce　that　institution。　Which　makes　good　sense；〃　Lahr　thought。
　〃So；　you　think　he's　going　to　whip　his　people　into　shape。　What　about　the　Russian　navy？〃
　〃They　don't　belong　to　him。　He's　got　Frontal　Aviation　tactical　aircraft　and　ground　troops；　but　that's　all。〃
　〃Well；　their　navy's　so　far　down　the　shitter　they　can't　see　where　the　paper　roll　is；〃　Mancuso　observed。　〃What　else？〃
　〃A　bunch　of　political　stuff　you　can　read　up　on　at　your　leisure。　The　Chinese　are　still　active　in　the　field。　They're　running　a　four…division　exercise　now　south　of　the　Amur　River。〃
　〃That　big？〃
　〃Admiral；　they've　been　on　an　increased　training　regimen　for　almost　three　years　now。　Nothing　fra