Republic Reborn: Against the Stars and Stripes-Chapter 96: First Week

I got déjà vu from all the activity and noise happening around me. The actual training in the constructed fields had the same busyness as its construction—but instead of suffocating and overwhelming me, I thrived in all of it. I was thrilled at the sight of the same recruits I had trained on day one, now finally nearing the end of their instruction and well on their way to becoming full-fledged soldiers. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

The soldiers retained their original platoons along with their officer cadets. Those who had been deployed with Capitan Roque to Mogpog were still under Cadet Roque’s command. Those sent to Santa Cruz with Pedro remained under the leadership of Lorenzo Madrigal. The platoons left in Boac were still led by Mario Nepomuceno and so was the younger Madrigal. These four platoons would train side by side, cycling through the seven stations during the two-week exercise, with four stations operating simultaneously each day.

Each training group had its set time and schedule. A posted chart by the bahay-na-bato laid out every platoon’s rotation and location to minimize confusion. Their instructors included all senior officers and lieutenants. They had been thoroughly briefed Monday evening. I had given them copies of my handwritten training manual before I left for Santa Cruz, so most of them already had a good grasp of the lessons.

Of course, I provided extensive supervision, going from station to station on horseback, checking both the instructors’ approach and the recruits’ progress. I mentally noted what methods worked best, what needed changing, and who among the instructors showed natural aptitude for teaching.

The recruits had already seen enough of basic drills and formations in their first two weeks to grow sick of it. But here in Landi, in the drill and discipline fields, they were pushed far beyond simple marching. They were trained to quickly react—to form into a skirmish line, shift into a column, then break into a wedge formation in seconds. Commands were barked, and movements were expected to follow instantly, their boots stamping against dirt and gravel.

They also learned how to rapidly set up a defensive perimeter—assigning sectors of fire, spacing themselves to avoid overlapping fields of fire, and responding to simulated ambushes. Their NCOs were drilled to think on their feet and reposition squads in real-time.

Bayonet training wasn’t new to them, but the station on weapon handling and close combat expanded their understanding. Here, they learned how to switch quickly between rifle combat and sidearms, how to fall back and regroup if disarmed, and how to react if their bayonet got stuck in mud or flesh. They practiced jabbing, parrying, and even how to deliver a proper kick.

What was completely unfamiliar to them was the medical and casualty simulation zone. The recruits learned to extract the wounded while staying low, moving quickly but carefully. Using canvas stretchers and makeshift litters, they practiced dragging and carrying their fallen comrades out of danger. They received lessons on triage, identifying wound severity, and improvising treatments—bandaging, using clean cloth to apply pressure, and splinting limbs with wood and cord.

In the tent and camp life station, the recruits were taught how to organize functional campsites. They laid out designated areas for sleeping, latrines, mess, and command posts using pegs and flagged rope lines. Emphasis was placed on hygiene—washing hands, digging waste pits properly, and keeping food preparation areas away from latrines. Disease prevention was drilled into them, and Isabela’s presence gave an unexpected boost to morale. I had her lead a quick lesson on basic cooking using foraged ingredients: boiled cassava, roasted bananas, and stews made with wild greens. Alicia, volunteered to assist her, stirring pots over open fires as smoke filled the air.

Perhaps the most critical and modern concept introduced was the fire team doctrine introduced in the fire team maneuver zone. Each fire team was composed of four members: a team leader, two riflemen, and one runner or messenger. They were drilled in how to move as a unit—flanking, bounding, covering each other with suppressive fire while advancing or retreating. The idea was simple: don’t fight as a rigid line, but as a flexible chain. It was a challenge for them to unlearn the instinct to clump together or advance in a straight row, but progress was visible by the third day.

The doctrine carried into the obstacle and assault course, where fire teams were required to move together through a brutal gauntlet. They crawled under low logs, scrambled up walls, jumped ditches, and ducked through thick hedges. They carried unloaded rifles the entire way and weren’t allowed to fall out of formation. Each team was timed—the best given praise, the slowest assigned extra duties. The course was as entertaining as it was exhausting. Spectators, including curious villagers, watched recruits slip in the mud, cry out from exertion, or get scolded by hoarse-voiced NCOs.

Dimalanta, who oversaw the station, had asked me if we should send the villagers away due to the distraction. I told him that in a real battle, the distractions would be worse—teasing was a small price to pay for learning under pressure.

The trench warfare zone was the hardest to build but quickly became the favorite among the recruits. Dug with real effort over several days, it mimicked the trench systems we used back in Korea and Vietnam during the later years of the 20th century. It had dugouts, shallow firing steps, rudimentary duckboards, and even latrine trenches. The soldiers learned how to move crouched, avoid skylining themselves, post sentries, and create simple firing positions with sandbags and wooden planks. They practiced loading and firing from the parapets using dummy rounds, learning how to keep their heads low and their eyes sharp.

Construction lessons were also included: how to dig drainage, where to reinforce the trench wall, and how to hide an ammo cache.

The whole affair was rough and far from perfect. Just like when we were building the stations, mistakes were made—ropes broke, structures leaned awkwardly, lessons were occasionally out of order. But I was fortunate to have cooperative officers and eager recruits. Most of the lessons had been pulled straight from memory and hastily turned into written guides, but the men were forgiving, willing to learn, and most importantly, willing to try.

Before I knew it, we had finished the first week, exhausted but in a way, satisfied.

The second week would be significantly more exciting.