I’ve been a professional civilian my entire life. While I do have a strange propensity for veteran mentality, I suck at military … anything.
Do I go places and consider how to kill everyone in the room? Sure. I’m a writer, it’s how I get things done.
Do I consider sniper sightlines in everyday things? See above.
Do I have a dark sense of humor? Is traumatic brain injury just adult shaken baby syndrome by another name?1 My father had his own family trauma, and it came with a dark sense of humor that he passed on.
But actual military … stuff?
When ranks cross branches, I’m lost. I remember that commander is a naval rank, not army, but that’s because I used it as a clue in a Saint Tommy novel that everyone thinks is a mistake on my part. I know that Colonel is higher than Major, because I remember episodes of M*A*S*H.
I recall that Green Beret A-teams are groups of 14, because I read Tom Clancy’s Green Berets (written by a guy with a last name of Gresham. The name I used for an antagonist in my Miller and Williams series). And I know the last thing you want to be is in a crossfire (but don’t turn yourself into a Polish firing squad.)
I know some of the running gags about the E4 Mafia. And that they’re “specialists.” What they’re actually supposed to do? Don’t know. I cannot retain it in my brain.
Don’t even ask me what the difference is between a private and a corporal. Or which way pay grades go. Definitely do not ask me what equivalent ranks are between branches. (Is a Naval Ensign on par with a an army LT (JG ) or a Sgt?)
Yes, I’ve read Ringo and Weber. Ranks just don’t stick in my head.
Like I said in a prior post, I don’t really do military science fiction. I use the common cheat of creating my own SpecOps group and making up my own rules as I go along.
The best I may be able to do is recreate a John Ringo shootout. More likely, a Richard Sharpe shootout.
So what the hell did I do with On Tiber’s Edge?
First of all… I didn’t really have a military. Did I have infantry to work with? Yup. But the first thing I established was that Chicago had one year to come up with a fighting force from scratch, out of the civilian population. That gave me the freedom to make up some of the rules as I went along. Especially since, as noted earlier, the aliens called The Fish are smart. The same trick won’t work twice. From what I understand about military mentalities, there’s “very formal” and then there’s “very flexible” and rarely the twain shall meet in the same person. I get the option of being the latter.
Second…
Since arriving in Texas, I’ve been watching a lot of Gun Tube.
A LOT of GunTube.
What does that have to do with writing On Tiber’s Edge for Blaine Lee Pardoe’s Land & Sea series?
Funny you should mention that.
I’ve been watching guys named Kentucky Ballistics, Brandon Herrera, Fat Electrician, Honest Outlaw, Garand Thumb and PewView.
If you know these people, you may have an idea of where I’m going.
If you don’t, let me explain.
Brandon Herrera builds guns. So I know more about how certain guns operate than will ever be useful.
I now know how to make even .22LR useful. It’s called an AM-180. And it’s cool.
Also, did you know that there are fewer regulations on black powder cannon than on handguns? I can order one and have it delivered to my house. Funny that.
Fat Electrician films videos on war heroes, as well as some of the development of makeshift weapons.
When I’m MacGyvering a defense of an entire city, it helps to steal from proven methods.
While they might be “military,” none of it requires an understanding of procedure or rank or bureaucracy.
Kentucky Ballistics prefers high-caliber guns of even higher-recoil.
So, say, if you’re infantry and you want to take out something like a bipedal tank, it helps to have heavy toys.
Garand Thumb reviews tactical tech, such as optics that will do all of the math for you.
Yes, that’s a thing that exists TODAY.
Honest Outlaw, and PewView review modern guns. So it’s nice to have some more basic toys to hand.
There’s also PSR (Print Shoot Repeat). Guess what he makes videos about.
Funny thing is that I started watching these videos before Blaine said anything about writing for Land & Sea.
But, clearly I need artillery, right?
Yes.
Yes I do.
Heh heh heh.
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| My research box. Box 1. |
I get creative.
For example, during the Cold War, did you know that when the Soviet Union gave the Egyptians a massive radar station, Israel just flew in a bunch of construction helicopters and air lifted the entire building?
How does that have anything to do with On Tiber’s Edge? You’ll have to read to see how I put that together.
I’m told that some of my ideas and concepts are good enough that they’re being inserted into the Land & Sea role-playing game manual. Which is cool.
Anyway, I’ve just dropped over an hour of YouTube videos on you all. So I’ll leave you to that.
I am 100% certain I stole that line from somewhere. I will be damned if I can remember where I stole it FROM.
