Kalistani Major History

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The Statrican Diaries
Day 176

Nearly half a year in country and we still have a month and a half of this accursed rain left.  Guerra is ill all the time, and the mud and landslides in the area prevent even normal muster.  I got Guerra to agree to sending a company on patrol last week.  She reluctantly agreed.  I went out with the company, and talked to the Comrades when we were a few miles out, under the guise of political education.

What I heard from the troops was fairly appalling.  Morale is incredibly low.  Much of it has to do with boredom.  The partisans have picked up a number of vices since we've been in base, and the neglect of the leadership has only amplified the problems.  One partisan said drug withdrawal had been particularly difficult.  Another wanted to know when mail and effects would arrive from home.  At least three of the troop insisted on taking a vote whether or not to return home.

I lectured the Partisans, attempting to appeal to their sense of discipline.  I reminded them that they were all volunteers and they knew what they were getting into when they came here.  Harris responded "Tonya, we chose to come here, and now we are choosing to leave."  I informed her that I would attempt to ascertain from Guerra what the tactical objectives were.

Upon returning to camp, I confronted Guerra with my data. She sympathized, and agreed that when the rainy season ended, we'd move toward Filbert's outpost closer to the capital.  The supply of new Statrican recruits has slowed to virtually none as the rainy season has progressed, and the base itself has more or less become more of a prison than anything.  I prevailed upon Guerra to allow the men regular patrols:  though it is raining and the rivers are flooding, getting out of the camp does wonders for the spirits of the partisans.  Guerra agreed and worked with the XO to develop a regular patrol schedule.  Even though there hasn't been contact with the Louis for months, the men were eager to go on what they quickly began calling nature walks.

Filbert has been set up along to our south west, closer to the capital, and Machado with his 175 man strong force is in the high country near Sekowo.  The courriers are irregular, but they have done their best to provide us news from time to time.  Machado's crypto was drowned in a river crossing, so he ordered his men to smash the radios and throw the pieces in the river.  So his courrier service involves a relay of fireteams in the field 40 miles apart.  During the cycle, one fireteam would move through the bush to the next post, deliver their message, and get any messages coming back the other way.  They make the 80 mile circuit twice a month.  Filbert has had different luck.  His unit of 225 have been under sporadic fire and have lost more than a few Partisans attempting to disrupt Lourenne's forces as they make probes toward the capital.  Filbert is down 35 partisans, and when the rain ends, we will move closer to reinforce him.

That day can't come fast enough.