Holiday A Soldier Is Never Off Duty Novels & Stories

“And you’re also a good dad, like mine.” Boyle smiled, easing the tension from moments before. “Thanks, buddy!” He said. “Do you know who I am?” Joseph nodded. “You are the President”, he replied. “You make people happy at home.” “Really?” Boyle asked, intrigued. “And have you seen the happy people in their houses?” Joseph nodded again. “Yes”, he said. “When the soldiers arrived they made their families happy in their homes, because they weren’t going to shoot more, nor were they going to shoot more.”

The knock on the door came just after sunrise—three sharp raps that split the quiet morning in half. Ava Hartley had been pouring cereal, still in her sleep shirt, when she saw two uniformed soldiers through the glass pane. For a moment, she didn’t understand. Her father was supposed to video-call that night. He had promised. “Just one more week, sweetheart,” he had said from the base in Iraq, smiling through grainy pixels. “Then I’m home.”

Despite this, they knew that it required a very radical strategy to nullify this main invasion attempt like the ones over the past decades. According to A.I processed estimates, the invasion attempt will likely to kick-off at the beginning of the coming year. During normal Christmas holidays, the military division offers its knights the choice to choose between home to spend their Christmas with family and friends or continue doing their duty in the military base. Despite the joy of spending time with family and friends on such memorable celebrations, some knights still choose to stay as the salary for that month is 5 times that of any other normal months. The knights going back home are exe

You'll never get that divorce as long as I'm alive, Hope! I looked at her flushed, frantic expression and suddenly smiled. "I won't get a divorce, then." Dakota froze for a moment, assuming I had backed down. "You should—" I interrupted her with a steady voice, keeping my voice low, though it carried clearly to everyone nearby. "I've applied for a transfer to an overseas peacekeeping unit. It is by law that a civilian can't divorce a soldier on active duty.

‘Hunter Briggs, you're not fit for full duty until January. Go home, get some rest.’ That's what my commanding officer told me, giving me an R&R leave after the medic inspected and patched up my shoulder injury. After everything that happened on deployment. I'm very happy, though. I'm happy I will be seeing my family again after a year and three months. I believe what happened, happened for a good reason. Not everyone gets to spend the holidays with their family.

Crying children sat next to the only homes they had ever known while their dazed parents tried to console them. “You!” someone snapped behind me. “Move along.” I leisurely turned around to look at the human soldier. “Move along where? The last time I checked this was still a free country.” “This is a classified military site now.” “I didn’t see any signs,” I calmly informed him. The soldier faltered. He leaned in closer. “Are you one of them?” he whispered. I laughed. “One of what?” “You know? A commander. One of those super soldiers.”

“HOLD YOUR FIRE! STAND DOWN! He’s with us!” The shooting ceased. The hall fell into a tense, ringing silence. Northstar lowered his hand. The barrier faded. He looked around at the assembled soldiers, their weapons still trained on him, and let out a dry chuckle. “Guess that’s how you welcome someone to your abode. Charming.” Amy rushed to Elliot’s side. “Are you alright, sir?” “I’m alright,” Elliot said, waving her off, his eyes fixed on Northstar. Arnold lowered his weapon, his face a mask of professional apology. “Sorry for the misunderstanding, Mr. Harvard. We were following breach protocol.”

“Stand down.” Several men looked at him in surprise. He glanced around the road, then gave them a tired smile. “For ten minutes.” One soldier blinked. “Sir?” “We’ve earned ten minutes.” The reaction was immediate. Not wild celebration. Not careless joy. These were soldiers who had lived too long with discipline carved into their bones, but relief moved through them all the same. Some sat on the asphalt. Some removed their helmets. Someone passed around water. Another man knelt and touched the road with his bare palm, as if he needed to feel it to believe it.

Miguel was cleaning his caliber 45 in his hut at their camp. That’s where he would live with the other soldiers. He felt like the gun is already a part of him. It was with him like forever. It was his partner way before he was still starting in the army up until now that he became an officer designated in this province. At the age of 28, he’s already successful with what he has achieved in the army. But he admits that it was not an easy road going to where he is now.

I need to keep my distance, as they are engaged after all. When we reach the military territory, I finally have a gist of what wartime is like. There were tents set up everywhere, all of the soldiers are stern-looking and are dressed in armor. Weapon stands, there is an abundance of. The smell of fire powder, earth, and sweat dance around the area. The commander of this territory, General Yu Hao, greets us, "Welcome to the base. Everyone, please, this way." He has a lax appearance, seemingly negligent in the performance of his duties.