RANGER ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION PROGRAM (RASP)
The Georgian sun beats down mercilessly as the trainees line up on the muddy parade ground, sweat already soaking through their ACUs. William stands shoulder to shoulder with a diverse group of individuals. He even made a new friend in these past few days, a sharp-witted guy named Robert Gordon who is quite reliable during training, and a quiet but rock-solid soldier called Troy Evans who never seems to break a sweat.
"Listen up, maggots!" Sergeant Major Hayes bellows, pacing in front of them. "Today we run the Darby Queen—31 obstacles, 2.5 miles of pure misery. Fail to complete it in under an hour, and you're packing your bags. Move out!"
The group takes off, and William falls into a steady rhythm. With his enhanced energy reserves keeping him fresh, what worries him more is looking too pristine after the drill. Gordon and Troy stayed close beside him, huffing out a laugh as they tackle the first wall.
"So what's the plan man?" Evans called out, hauling himself over with a grunt. There are seven others in their unit and they all looked to William for his leadership.
"Just keep up with me for now." William just nods at the others behind him, vaulting over the wall with almost effortless grace. He felt his muscles working with perfect efficiency, thanks to the way his body's stored electricity which optimized his movements. He paced himself with the speed of his team and took small breaks whenever the weakest link is about to break.
They pushed through the webbed tunnels, crawled under barbed wires, and navigated the balance beams. When Troy stumbled on the rope climb and nearly falls, William's hand shot out faster than what should be humanly possible to help him.
"Thanks, man," Troy breathes, his eyes wide for a split second before he regains his composure. "You're quick."
'Not in everything I hope...' Will smiled playfully slapping Troy's shoulder. "Just pay attention next time, we're a team helping is basic." William said calmly as he scaled the rope while supporting his teammates from behind.
Later that afternoon, the next phase of training started. Land navigation exercises in the nearby wooded ground. The teams are arranged so that no compasses are provided or allowed, just maps and their wits. Gordon groaned when he saw their assigned grid coordinates.
"Great, we're heading straight into the thickest part of the freaking forest. We'll be lucky if we find our way out by sunrise."
Will studied the map for a moment, then closes his eyes—quietly tapping into faint electromagnetic signals from power lines and radio towers in the distance, using them like a natural GPS.
"Just follow me like always," he says with a wide grin, setting off at a confident pace. "and remember this my friend. I'll always know the way."
Two hours later, they're the first team back to the rally point, with Gordon gaping in disbelief.
"Man, did you grow up out here or something? I swear you could smell those checkpoints! Evans was unfortunate he couldn't hug this golden thigh this time." Gordon laughed with excitement while thinking of teasing Evans later.
"I've just got a good navigation system," William shrugs, making sure to look a little winded even though he feels perfectly fine. He smiles at his group and points to his head. "right here." Gordon rolled his eyes while thinking about where he can show off his skills too.
'I can't say you're bragging. Not yet.' He thought. Unfortunately, he most likely will never be able to.
That evening, while the trainees gathered around the mess tent, the ever friendly Gordon introduced William to a few more guys. There's Brian who's obsessed with cars and mechanics, Hops a friendly giant of a man with a booming laugh, and Tony the team's go-to for fixing broken things. Huddled and busy, they greeted Will with a courteous nod.
"Hey hot shot," Tony says in a teasing tone and smiling face, gesturing to a broken field radio on the table. "Robert here says you're quite the all rounder. You mind helping take a look at this thing? We've got comms check tomorrow morning and I just can't seem to get it to work."
William's fingers itch to touch it, but he played it cool. Using only his regular military training to diagnose the issue would have been enough but his enhanced senses and tech assimilation ability let him spot the problem almost instantly.
"It looks like there's a loose capacitor in the transmitter," he says, carefully adjusting the part with steady hands. "Should be good to go now."
He flipped the switch, and the radio crackled to life perfectly. Tony clapped him on the back, impressed.
"Man, Gordon wasn't bragging this time, you're quite good. I hope we can work together in Fort Benning." Tony smiled with acknowledgement.
As William settled in with his teammates, he kept his abilities hidden. But every so often, when no one's around or looking, he uses his skills to help out. As long as he found it convenient, he didn't mind helping out.
"Top performers from each unit—step forward," Hayes barks. William, Gordon, Troy, Brian, Hops, and Tony move to the front, exchanging curious glances.
"You six, plus a few others from the other platoons, have been selected for a special assessment next week," Hayes continues. "Your performance already qualifies each of you for the position of fireteam leader. This assessment is to see whether you can be groomed as Squad Leaders in the future."
With more or less than two weeks left in their RASP training, it wasn't impossible for the higher ups to be looking out for squad leadership potential in their new recruits. These select individuals have priority for sniper school, pathfinder, HALO, and even special forces (SFAS).
Will thought of the single Chevron on his uniform and felt determined to let it be accompanied by another Chevron as soon as possible. This opportunity that was presented before him might just be his golder road to achieve just that. Realistically, he'd graduate with an eagle instead but aiming a bit higher is not a bad habit.
'Looks like I'll need a few more updates on my personal abilities.' Will already have a plan for what set of gadgets to assimilate next. Since the time is tight, he decided to speed up his upgrades as well.