PULLING RANK
The airman puts my suitcase on the bed. Then, she places my hanging bag in the closet of the Visiting Officer’s Quarters before she comes to attention. “Anything else for you, Major?”
I look at the airman, Cotter, according to her name tag. She could have been me 20 years ago. She has been assigned the grunt work of babysitting a visiting major, which probably means she is fresh out of basic training.
“At ease, airman,” I say. Airman Cotter falls into a stiff “parade, rest” position. I sigh. Yep, fresh out of basic. “Airman, what’s your name?” I ask, as I begin to remove my dress coat.
“Theresa. Theresa Cotter, ma’am.”
“Okay. Airman, I only have one standing order. When we’re alone my name is Eliza, not Major. And relax. I can’t have you standing around like you have a stick up your ass all day.”
I can see the panic in Airman Cotter’s eyes. “Uh. Yes, Major,” she finally says.
I grin at her. “May I call you Theresa? Or do you have another name that you go by?”
“My friends call me Teddy, ma’am.”
“Would you mind if I called you Teddy when we’re in private? Airman Cotter is so…formal.”
Again, I can see the panic in Teddy’s eyes. She has probably never had an officer talk to her like this before. I can tell she has no idea what to do. “Um. No, Major.”
“Teddy, this is the Air Force, okay? We’re not the Marines. Things are a little less formal. You’re going to be my guide and right hand man, so to speak, for the next four weeks. This will go much more smoothly for both of us if we are comfortable around each other.” I grin at her. “Captains, majors, and colonels are thick around here. It would be nice to actually hear my name now and then.”
I see Teddy relax. I can’t say she slumps, but that stick up her ass is gone. “I understand, uh, Eliza.”
I smile at her and finish shucking my coat. I catch Teddy’s face out of the corner of my eye and mentally sigh. Even the fucking women! I can’t help what I look like. It pisses me off to no end that the first thing, and sometimes the only thing, men see are my tits. That’s part of the reason I wear my dress blues as much as I do. The dress uniform tends to flatten me out and hide some of my curves. I wear my hair pinned up and glasses when I’m on duty. It helps people see something more than my tits, ass, and legs. I like the fact that men find me appealing, but it would be nice if they would at least acknowledge that I have a brain.
I’m tired and I feel grungy. Flying in the back of a cargo plane from Ohio to Nevada isn’t exactly first-class accommodations. I’m ready to change into my civilian clothes. I find out that Teddy is a Nevada native. We chat, as I unpack. I’ve never been to Nellis Air Force Base; so, Teddy offers to show me around the area. I relieve her briefly, while I shower and get cleaned up. We spend the next three hours prowling Las Vegas. By the time she drops me off at my tiny living quarters, I have made a new friend.
***
I am at Nellis Air Force Base to evaluate some software upgrades to the F-16 Falcon. It’s software that I designed. The F-16 was first introduced in the 1970s. I’m working to help extend its service life, since the upgrades allow the F-16 to perform better, at least in the testing phase. If I can pull this off, I’m almost certain to earn my lieutenant colonel oak leaves.
However, like so many things, what works great in the lab doesn’t always work so well in the field. That’s why I’m here. The Air Force has given me two pilots and two planes to play with. My job is to ensure we will see improvements in real combat scenarios.
***
I’m dressed in my battle dress uniform when Airman Cotter picks me up the next morning and shuttles me to the hanger. It’s a heck of a lot more comfortable than the dress blues I normally wear. If I end up
Similar Books
