Chapter 4 continuedSince he did not go to university and entered the military straight out of high school, Max's first job was little more than janitor's work. When he was not working on his basic training, he spent his time mopping floors, cleaning out latrines and repairing broken equipment. It was hard work, but in those early days it still afforded him time and energy to catch a movie, go out to dinner or play some catch with Sandi before collapsing into bed.
Working in the latrineAfter only a couple of months of that, there was a problem in the mess with one of the servers consistently failing to complete basic food safety procedures. By this time, Max had a reputation for meticulous attention to detail even in his menial tasks, so he was asked to take over in the mess hall. This led to a great period of time where work wasn't really that hard for him and he could focus on getting through basic training and get in plenty of time with his new daughter.
Serving up waffles in the messBut these early times soon came an end. He completed his basic training and joined the infantry. This was grueling work with even more extensive training. He and his fellow infantrymen has to be pounded into a disciplined unit that lead the charge into the worst of battles. It was unlikely he would ever see a battle, and he certainly prayed that he wouldn't, but he still had to be trained anyway. Every day he came home exhausted and collapsed into bed. He spent his days off catching up with his family, and the only other person he could really call a friend was his fellow soldier, Parker Langerak.
Parker LangerakWhen his infantry group was broken up into squads, he was named squad leader. He was put in charge of nine other soldiers and promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. This didn't make his work any less demanding, but it did earn him a lot of respect and a few perks that were only given to officers.
With no war in sight and nothing they were preparing for, really, even with his duties as an officer, Max soon became bored. He didn't feel like he was living up the hopes and expectations he had set for himself, and even if he got more promotions, being a soldier on the ground wasn't really what he had aimed for when he joined up. He went to speak to his commanding officer, who nodded.
"I suspected that might be the case for you. In fact, I was just planning to speak with you. The local government has been planning to implement programs to make the military establishment here more useful in times of peace. Some of the programs involve surveying by air, so we are setting up a flight crew. You are a qualified candidate for this crew and if you wish to join, you will be trained to pilot small planes and helicopters as well as learning basic repair and maintenance of our flight vehicles."
Max saluted. "Sir, I would be honored to join the flight crew. I would like to start as soon as possible."
Soon, Max was given the rank of flight officer and he set to work learning everything there was to learn about airplanes and helicopters. Everything changed with this new position and he felt that he was finally on the path that represented his life's dream.
When the initial training was complete, they received their first mission. Their initial task was to do a photographic survey of Sunset Valley from the air and compare the resulting aerial photographs with the existing maps of the local area to identify areas that needed to be updated. For this mission, Max served as the wingman. His job was to fly to the side and slightly to the rear of the plane performing the mission and keep the pilot on course as well as apprise him of any weather conditions or other complications that might arise. His friend Parker was the lead pilot and they made a great team. Their first mission was a success and together they accomplished several other missions as well.
View from a flight missionOne day, Max was called in to base and asked to undergo extensive physical testing. They tested his strength, his vision, his cardiovascular health. When it was over, his commanding officer once again called him into his office.
Physical fitness testing"Well, Max, you passed all your tests. You have been accepted to enter into the next level of flight training and train to be a fighter pilot. You will probably never use these skills in combat, but they may come in handy in the future nonetheless, depending on what happens for you. You will learn how to use radar and missile technology as well as combat maneuvers. You will also learn how to deal with g-force. Only our most elite men are going to receive this training, so I must congratulate you on a job well done." Max saluted once more, accepted the offer of training and practically skipped off the base that evening. His friend Parker also received the same offer to join flight training so the two of them went out for a celebratory drink.
Drinks with ParkerWhen their combat training was completed, the flight officers who had participated in the training were divided into two special squadrons. Max was made squadron leader of one and Parker headed the other. Though there was no combat for them to participate in, they led the most difficult missions and they were the ones lent out to partner with other regions on special projects.
Pretty soon, Sunset Valley's elite flight squadrons gained a reputation for themselves throughout the region and eventually throughout the nation. As they became recognized as one of the best of the best, the base received a communication from Sim Nation's top military academy. Their flight branch, the Air Tactics Instructor program, commonly known as "TOP GUN," was extending an invitation to Sunset Valley's elite flight units to receive advanced training at the academy. When they returned, they would be the most skilled fighters within 500 miles and would become flight instructors for all of the local region's military bases.
TOP GUNThis promotion did wonders for Max's stress level. He had been working non-stop for years and between the attention he needed to give to his work and family, he had almost no time to himself. Once he finished the TOP GUN program, his hours as an instructor only required him to work for a half day. He used the new free time he had to pursue hobbies like ice skating. His family was shocked to see how skilled he was!
Max is a brilliant ice skaterBut Max was a go-getter and the relaxed schedule left him antsy. He enjoyed his time but once again found himself wondering if there wasn't something else for him. That something came soon enough. Recent economic prosperity allowed Sim Nation to beef up their space program, and Sunset Valley became the site of a new space center. Max and his fellow elite pilots were the first to enter the astronaut training program and all passed through with flying colors. When Max was qualified as an astronaut, he suddenly knew he had hit the pinnacle. This was his life's wish and what he was working towards all along, and the day had finally come when he had fulfilled his dream and lived up to the Greythorn name.
An astronaut at last
