#Truck Platooning

[kirancmi]

Truck Platooning Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Fuel Efficiency

Truck platooning involves linking two or more trucks together electronically using wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and automated driving support systems to safely coordinate acceleration and braking without driver intervention. Platooning can assist the driver by following the lead vehicle to maintain distance and speed without manually having to accelerate or brake. The technology uses radar, GPS, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication to coordinate the flows of traffic to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel efficiency. Truck platooning allows closely following truck in the platoon to operate its engine at reduced revolutions per minute, or at reduced levels of resistance since it is drafting behind the lead truck. The global Truck Platooning Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 2.52 Bn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.0% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Market Dynamics: One of the key drivers for the growth of the truck platooning market is fuel efficiency. Truck platooning assists in reducing fuel consumption and improving fuel economy by lowering aerodynamic drag. The trailing trucks experience a reduction in drag of approximately 10-20% as compared to trucks traveling individually. Studies have shown that platooning trucks could reduce fuel consumption by 4-10% while maintaining cruising speed at highway conditions. This is a viable solution to cut down fuel and operational costs for fleet owners and trucking companies. Additionally, truck platooning also helps reduce traffic congestion and improves road safety as multiple vehicles drive closer together in coordinated motion. However, lack of infrastructure and standardized regulations regarding platooning operations are some challenges restraining the market growth. SWOT Analysis Strength: Truck platooning offers significant fuel savings and reduced emissions. Linking trucks electronically allows them to draft much closer than unaided drivers safely can, reducing wind resistance and saving fuel. This is an eco-friendly option which can help fleet operators reduce their operating costs. Weakness: Successful implementation of truck platooning requires high-level of coordination between multiple trucks simultaneously. Even a small error or miscommunication can potentially lead to accidents. Additionally, many older trucks may not be equipped with the advanced automation and connectivity capabilities required for platooning. Opportunity: With growing focus on sustainability and cost reductions, many countries are promoting use of fuel-efficient transportation options. Favorable government regulations and incentives for truck platooning can boost its adoption. Also, the technology is well-suited for long-haul freight transport on highways, which presents a large addressable market. Threats: Legacy operators may be hesitant to invest in new automation systems due to high upfront costs. Further, connectivity and cybersecurity challenges need to be addressed to ensure safe operations. Any high-profile platooning accidents early on can undermine users' confidence in the new technology. Lack of standardized guidelines across regions also poses a threat. Key Takeaways The global Truck Platooning market growth is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period of 2023 to 2030.

Regional analysis shows that North America currently dominates the market and is expected to maintain its lead through 2030. Growing highway freight transport activities and supportive regulatory environment for connected vehicles have made USA and Canada frontrunners for truck platooning adoption. Europe is continuously working towards standardized regulations for advanced driver-assistance technologies and collaborative driving. Countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands offer lucrative opportunities due to focus on connected mobility. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is touted to be the fastest growing regional market. China, India, and Japan are proactively testing truck platooning with an aim to realize efficiency gains in logistics. Key players operating in the Truck Platooning market are Imerys S.A., Sibelco, RHI Magnesita, Omya Group, JFE minerals, Varbar dolomite, Lhoist Group, Arij Global Trading, Nordkalk Corporation, Beihei Group, Arihant Minchem, and Carmeuse. These leading automotive manufacturers and technology providers are launching innovative solutions for motorway-based truck platooning. They have also formed strategic partnerships with logistics companies to demonstrate platoon operations and identify integration challenges.

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Explore more information on this topic, Please visit: https://wotpost.com/plastic-to-fuel-a-viable-solution-to-tackling-plastic-waste/

[automotiveera]

Driving the Future: Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Revolution

The autonomous commercial vehicle market is experiencing growth and is projected to reach USD 1,302.1 billion by 2030. This development can be ascribed to the continuing development in commercial vehicle technologies, growing government aid for autonomous commercial cars, and rising requirement for effective advantages and well-organized and safer driving options.

In recent years, the semi-autonomous category, on the basis of vehicle autonomy, contributed a higher revenue share. Vehicles must be fortified with electronic stability control or at least one of the progressive driver-assistance system ADAS features (either for steering or acceleration) to attain level 1 automation. Most of the European nations and the U.S. have forced the acceptance of basic ADAS features in all new commercial vehicles, which essentially makes all of them semi-autonomous.

In recent years, the truck category held the larger market share, and the category is projected to remain dominant in the vehicle type segment of the industry during the projection period. This can be credited to the growing utilization of autonomous trucks for logistical processes, like domestic logistics transportation, automated material handling, logistics digitalization, and yard management.

In the coming few years, on the basis of the application segment, the public transportation category is projected to advance at the fastest rate. This can be credited to the rising acceptance of autonomous shuttle facilities for public mobility reasons. Numerous start-ups and recognized businesses are coming up with strategies to grow level 5 autonomous shuttles for public transport. Such shuttles will not need human drivers for the process, which will aid transportation agencies save on working prices.

In the past few years, the North American region dominated the industry with the highest revenue for the autonomous commercial vehicle market, and the region is also projected to remain in the top spot during the projection period. This can be mainly credited to the increasing research and development activities on autonomous automobiles and growing aid from the federal and state governments for advancing autonomous driving technologies.

The APAC region is projected to witness the fastest development because of the booming vehicle industry here. APAC is the globe's largest vehicle maker, responsible for almost half of the annual production.

Hence, the continuing development in commercial vehicle technologies, growing government aid for autonomous commercial cars, and rising requirement for effective advantages are the major factors propelling the market.

[univdatosmarket]

Global Truck Platooning Market is expected to exceed the market valuation of more than US$ 500 million in 2027 and is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of ~45% during the forecast period (2021-2027)

[rhk111sblog]

The A-29B Super Tucano Aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) seems to be operating on a Buddy System, sharing one Electro-Optical/Forward Looking Infra-Red (EO/FLIR) “Ball” for every two Aircraft while the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) used their newest Assets like the Super Tucanos, Autonomous Truck Mounted-howitzer System (ATMOS) and Hermes Drones to make a devastating strike against the New People's Army (NPA) even under the cover of Darkness

[mi-researchreports]

Truck Platooning Market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 32 % by 2027. Factors driving the Truck Platooning Market are number of road accidents and focus on reducing transportation operating costs.

[rizkyworkz]

"We've learnt that a reputation for stability and control in a testing ground doesn't constitute to stability in the field. Too bad it took our platoon to learn it the hard way.

"Our commanding officer, Liddl, was some rich kid from one of the Core Worlds. Brought himself a custom-made SSC Monarch -- you should've seen that thing, all shiny and painted around our dingy trucks and chassis. Boasted it had a fridge inside where he kept his drinks.

"Since it had a rather... inconspicuous appearance, we expected it to be blown to bits in the first sortie. But no, it survived for a whole two months, each time coming back to battle fixed-up and repainted -- Liddl did it himself, not trusting any of us, that prick.

"Don't matter much now.

"His last sortie... I was in the back line, keeping supplies safe while he cleared out the valley. But then some sniper landed a lucky hit on that thing's COMP//CON servos, and for some reason it sent Bliss -- the TLALOC-class NHP, nice lady, loves her inventory -- to a frenzy.

"Shot out so many rockets the sky got cloudy. Kept flying til the fuel ran out, then it started raining explosives.

"Liddl, as it turns out, wasn't exactly the best of partner to Bliss. So when the prick decided to eject, all active missiles just changed course and struck him. Got nothing for his coffin; neither me nor Bliss attended it.

"Well, that's how I got my Monarch and, uh, wife. Love can bloom in the battlefield, kid. Just gotta fertilise it with blood."

[badjokesbyjeff]

An Australian Army Recruit sends home a letter...

Dear Ma & Pa,

I am well. Hope youse are too. Tell me big brothers Doug and Phil that the Army is better than workin’ on the farm - tell them to get in quick smart before the jobs are all gone! I wuz a bit slow in settling down at first, because ya don’t hafta get outta bed until 6 am. But I like sleeping in now, cuz all ya gotta do before brekky is make ya bed and shine ya boots and clean ya uniform. No cows to milk, no calves to feed, no feed to stack - nothin’!! Ya haz gotta shower though, but its not so bad, coz there’s lotsa hot water and even a light to see what ya doing!

At brekky ya get cereal, fruit and eggs but there’s no kangaroo steaks or possum stew like wot Mum makes. You don’t get fed again until noon and by that time all the city boys are dead because we’ve been on a ’route march’ - geez its only just like walking to the windmill in the back paddock!!

This one will kill me brothers Doug and Phil with laughter. I keep getting medals for shootin’ - dunno why. The bullseye is as big as a possum’s bum and it don’t move and it’s not firing back at ya like the Johnsons did when our big scrubber bull got into their prize cows before the Ekka last year! All ya gotta do is make yourself comfortable and hit the target! You don’t even load your own cartridges, they comes in lil' boxes, and ya don’t have to steady yourself against the rollbar of the roo shooting truck when you reload!

Sometimes ya gotta wrestle with the city boys and I gotta be real careful coz they break easy - it’s not like fighting with Doug and Phil and Jack and Boori and Steve and Muzza all at once like we do at home after the muster.

Turns out I’m not a bad boxer either and it looks like I’m the best the platoon’s got, and I’ve only been beaten by this one bloke from the Engineers - he’s 6 foot 5 and 15 stone and three pick handles across the shoulders and as ya know I’m only 5 foot 7 and eight stone wringin’ wet, but I fought him till the other blokes carried me off to the boozer.

I can’t complain about the Army - tell the boys to get in quick before word gets around how good it is.

Your loving daughter,

Patricia

[segretecose]

murder? what murder? it was an act of mercy. you didn’t kill lestat. you spared him out of some fucked-up idea you had about love. where does the trash go, louis? you take the trash down to the street and some guys show up in a truck and they throw it in the back and then they drive it out to the middle of nowhere, right? no. they take the trash to the dump. and having lived two blocks away from the dump just outside of fishkill, new york, with my first wife, i can state with authority what else you’ll find there. rats. big fucking rats, the size of kevin durant’s sneakers. enough blood in them to bring back the dead. especially one in a trunk with locks on the inside. you knew it, louis. you had to. the biggest rat-eater of them all. [you couldn’t burn him] but claudia could. she stuck a pen in his neck, she recorded his last words in his own blood. the girl did not have a fucking problem tossing him on the grill, okay? was it raining, louis? you cursed her into the darkness. you chose lestat over her, time and time again. you don’t need a memoir, louis. you need a hundred sessions of emdr, you know the shit they put soldiers through when they see one of their platoon buddies get blown up in front of them? 144 years of life, and you’re still louis the pimp, paying a whore to sit in a room and talk with you

[balladofthe101st]

nothing just grant chilling, bobbing his head, and tapping his foot against the truck, waiting for the rest of his platoon to board the truck

[shelyue99]

An incomplete list of Lewis Nixon’s roles during the war. ( it’s incomplete because certainly there are more, the following are just what I get from reading Beyond Band of Brothers, the Biggest Brother and Parachute Infantry):

Nix's job titles during the war: Assistant platoon leader of Easy Company - 2d Battalion S-2 (Intelligence Officer)- 506th Regiment S-2 - 2d Battalion S-3 (Operation Officer)

• Briefed the men before the jump

• In Normandy, helped with bringing the TNT to Brécourt Manor to destroy the battery guns, brought the maps Dick found at Brécourt Manor to Utah Beach

• Brought back two Sherman tanks from Utah Beach to help Dick clear the areas and secure the causeway

• Brought up the 81mm mortars from battalion headquarters company to reinforce Easy in Holland

• Made way back to battalion and brought trucks to help with the withdrawal when Easy was pulling back from Nuenen

Though tightly squeezed and under heavy fire, Easy held its ground. The Germans did not enter Nuenen. As the sky drew dark, Winters, badly outnumbered, finally ordered his men to withdraw. A short distance west of the village, a line of American deuce-and-a-half trucks waited for them, as did Lewis Nixon. He had been with Easy when it ran into the Germans. Knowing Winters would need help, he made his way back to battalion and ordered up the trucks.

"Thought maybe you could use a ride," Nixon said to Winters as his friend approached.

• Checked roadblocks with Dick, when Dick checked one direction Nixon checked the other

• Made rounds and checked on men during the night while Dick did the same during the day

One main difference between the two was the hours they kept. Winters was an early riser. He loved getting up early and getting a start on the day. Nixon was a night owl. He did his best work in the afternoon and at night. When they were out on the line, this proved an ideal arrangement. Winters kept tabs on the men during the day; Nixon made the rounds at night. This kept company commanders on their toes because they never knew when one or the other would show up and expect a status report.

•Accompanied Dick on a battalion inspection tour, but because of the urine incident instead they drove to Nijmegen to look for hot showers

Updated: in Holland, Nixon briefed the men and assigned them reconnaissance patrol to confirm the Dutch Underground’s intelligence report, to see whether German troops had moved into the village of Volkel.

• In Bastogne, Nixon acted as a liaison between battalion and regiment to clear confusion and kept the 2d Battalion out of a lot of trouble.

It is difficult to comprehend the confusion that characterized our first night at Bastogne. No one seemed to know where our boundaries lay, nor did anyone understand our precise mission. Since Colonel Strayer remained at regimental headquarters, I ordered Captain Nixon to locate Colonel Sink's command post and to coordinate with Major Hester, the regimental operations officer, to ensure we had our orders correct. Over the next few weeks, Nixon made many trips back to regiment to keep us informed and to ensure we understood our orders and our boundaries with adjacent units. This system worked well and kept 2d Battalion out of a lot of trouble.

Nix's greatest contribution to the successful defense of Bastogne was serving as a liaison between battalion and regimental headquarters. No man contributed more to keeping the regiment together during the ensuing battle. Nixon performed exceeding well in interpreting regimental orders and coordinating operational support while I positioned myself close to the forward edge of the battle area.

To give you an idea how dedicated Nixon was to the 506th PIR, at Bastogne he had his name drawn from a hat in a lottery that would have given him a thirty-day leave to the United States. Nix refused the offer, saying he wanted to stay with the outfit on the line. How do you explain that kind of dedication? Such devotion is never discussed by the men, but it is never forgotten. At the time, the 506th PIR was very short of men and officers, especially good, proven officers.

The young German Winters captured wasn't the only one confused. Officers on the line were often uncertain about their responsibilities and instructions. Not the least of these befuddled men was Strayer himself.

After attending briefings at regimental or division HQ, Strayer would gather his battalion staff around him and fill them in. Unfortunately, Winters often found Strayer's information vague and confusing. He cast questioning glances at Nixon, who would respond by rolling his eyes. After these briefings, Nixon would walk back to regiment to meet with Major Hester for clarification.

"Strayer had no goddamn idea what he was supposed to do," Winters said sixty years later. "But there's more than one way of skinning a cat, and the system Nixon and I had worked. Nixon did a good job. He kept 2nd Battalion out of a lot of trouble."

• Bitching with Dick about the brass and the army

"You know what this is, don't you," Winters told Nixon after receiving the orders. "Taylor's finally back and now he has to show off for Eisenhower." "Yeah," Nixon replied. "He probably figures we've just been sitting on our asses back there in Bastogne, and now he expects us to go out and kick German butt."

Winters' awareness of Taylor's return was based on firsthand experience. Shortly after the commanding general's arrival, after the siege of Bastogne had been broken, Taylor had visited his men in the field.

While inspecting 2nd Battalion's front, he strode briskly along the line with Winters and the other officers trailing along behind. Finishing, he turned to Winters and said, "Watch those woods in front of you." Then he left. Winters' jaw dropped, then he turned to Nixon.

"'Watch those woods in front of you'? " he said. "What the hell did he think we've been doing while he was back in Washington?"

Now that the men were no longer living outside in the ice and snow, the army saw fit to ship them sixty-one hundred pairs of winter shoepacs, arctic socks, felt insoles and six thousand yards of white cloth, enough to make two thousand snowsuits.

"Oh my, how we could have used them six weeks ago at Bastogne," Winters said to Nixon as he looked at the stacks of cold-weather gear his men no longer needed.

"Guess we should be glad we got them at all," Nixon said wryly. "They could have shipped them to the Pacific."

• Accompanied and drove around with Dick on various occasions in Germany/Austria, including inspecting German surrendered troops, the weapons, the mess hall, etc.

• Being Dick’s close friend, confidant, companion,emotional support person, the one Dick could talk to and unburden himself

As different in temperament as Nixon and I were, he was the one man to whom I could talk. He provided an outlet that allowed me to unburden myself as a combat leader.

[bmhcdnsms]

yandere best friend is your one and only.

x male reader

-> meant to be romantic (one-sided) but i think it can be read platoonically !

-> read my dni/byf before interacting with this post!!! FEM-ALLIGNED, MINORS, AGELESS/BLANK BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED IF YOU INTERACT WITH THIS.

yan ! best friend . . . who has known you since chilldhood and would rather die than be anywhere without you. he insisted on following your footsteps, going to the same middle and high school, even the same university. you met in elementary and to this day, in your young adulthood, he holds a special place in his heart for that place since it brought the two of you together.

yan ! best friend . . . who got hit by the puberty truck especially hard and had grown to be taller than everyone around him, but most importantly you. who also starts seeing the value in going to the gym daily, citing it as a direct source in making him stronger and getting him to be more competent in protecting you. he sees himself as your protector, must always be alert and in tune with what's going around the two of you so he can protect you.

"[name], you're going to get hurt doing that," he lightly scolds you, easily pulling you away from whatever it was that you were going. his inhumane strength makes it easy for him to drag you away.

"bailee, are you serious? the vending machine just ate my money! the drink had to get out of there somehow!" you complained, looking at the drink that was caught at an angle that stopped it from falling down to the latch. you were smacking the plastic glass to make it budge, to no avail.

bailee, however, saw it as you bringing bodily harm onto yourself and refused to stand by and watch any longer. hence why he took action in physically pulling you away.

"do you need ointment?" he asks, ignoring your annoyed scolding.

"i don't need ointment, i need my drink, you asshole!"

yan ! best friend . . . who makes it very obviously known that he's been the closest person in your life and knows the most about you. it's his way of establishing dominance on those nobodies that think they're your "friends" they don't know anything about you. they don't know you like he does. to think that they're under the impression that they do, though, makes him go absolutely crazy.

"[name] doesn't like that sauce on his food," bailee snarls, grabbing your order from the person's hands, "what do you think you're doing? are you trying to ruin his meal? do you not want him to eat? fucking bitch, i knew you were up to no good,"

your "friend" stands there, sputtering as they try to find the right words.

"what? you didn't know that he doesn't like that?" bailee taunts, rolling his eyes at the end as his arms bulge underneath the rolled up sleeves in anger, "of fucking course you wouldn't! you'd never be able to understand him the way i do."

what was supposed to be a relaxed day at the mall with you, bailee, and a handful of other friends turned into bailee scaring away all the other nobodies away and ending the day with you and him together.

another time bailee asserted his dominance as your best, one and only. friend was whenever he talks about you to other people. one time, there was someone that had tried slithering their way into your life and he was not having it.

bailee had entered your home with a spare key that you had given him, eager to just lay down in your bed and sleep away his stresses. balancing work and school has been stressful lately and the only proper way bailee can relax is by resting in your bed.

but why the fuck was the first thing he hears when he walks in your beautiful, melodic laughter, paired with the annoying sound of someone else's. he grits his teeth, kicking off his shoes in respect of your home, and clenches his fist by his side.

when he turns the corner into the kitchen/dining room area, he sees you sitting at the table with some random stranger sitting beside you. his eye visibly twitches at the sight.

"oh!" he breathes out, taking in the scene and forcing himself to count to 10 to calm down. "who's this, [name]?"

"oh, this is my group mate from uni. we just passed our final with the highest grade in the entire class, so i invited him over to celebrate. we got some good takeout and a cheap cake from the store to eat later!" you say with a lighthearted smile, not at all sensing the panic, dread, and rage coursing through your best friend's veins, "oh, you know all three of us were actually in the same middle school class! turns out ryan here was one of the 70 other kids in our grade!"

bailee forces a smile as he can barely keep his composure. this guy was someone you two had connections to since middle school...

'well, he hasn't known you since elementary like i have so that makes his value absolutely fucking worthless,' he thinks to himself, a bitter grin on his face.

"wow, that's really crazy how the world works," bailee laughs, looking in between you and shitface ryan with a blank look on his face. the two of you were sitting awfully close. that couldn't have been how the seats were set up to begin with..."uhm, [name] can i talk to you really quick?"

you nod immediately, telling ryan you'lll be back in a couple of minutes and bailee almost barfs at the sound of it. almost as if you're nuturing him like some father - as if you cared about him, that piece of shit ryan.

"i was kind of hoping we'd have the house to ourselves today. work and school have been really hard lately and i wanted to relax, y'know?" bailee says, resting his hands on his hips as he puts in the bare minimum in acting fatigued so that you could agree to kick ryan out.

"oh, we can stay in my room then, that way you can properly rest in yours! we will be quiet, i promise and we won't get in your way,"

bailee almost punches the wall in anger. let that absolute stranger be in a room alone with you? no fucking chance. his breathing got heavier as he repeatedly clenched and unclenched the fist at his side.

"no, that's not what i meant. i mean, i want us to spend my off day together. i need you, [name], please. i'm so tired i just need to recharge with you," bailee grabs your hand in his, mustering up a smile, "just me and my favorite boy. what do you say?"

you seem hesitant so he drives the point home with: "i just feel like we've been drifting recently. i never see you anymore..." that was completely untrue, bailee makes sure to be stuck onto you with every passing second. unless he's at work or school. so he used that as his excuse, knowing it was at least somewhat beleviable.

"but lee, i really did promise ryan-"

"promises with ryan are more important than our bond?" he asks, a hollow look in his eyes as he tries understanding what it was exactly that you were saying. "is that how you feel, [name]?"

immediately, you deny the accusation and he goes on to guilt trip you from there. he never feels good doing that to you, but there's no other way for you to see it from his perpsective.

needless to say, ryan was kicked out when you returned to the kitchen and you and bailee spent the rest of the day sitting on the couch, centimeters apart from each other, and laughing your asses off until the sun set. and when it was time to sleep, he selfishly brought you on top of him to feel your body against his.

reminder that you chose him and he told himself that you would always choose him. he was your best friend, after all. you two know each other the best.

yan ! best friend . . . who is your personal guard dog. he's actually a really sweet, kind, and considerate person!!!!...only for you. everyone else he could give less of a shit about. he slams the door behind him for every room he walks into because he knows you're not walking behind him. he doesn't give a shit about how he treats the general population of people because they're not you.

"watch where you're going you fucker," he sneers at someone as they had accidentally bumped into him, vs. "[name], c'mon, hold my hand. the place is really crowded we might get seperated from each other. and you know how i get whenever we get seperated."

"i'm not paying for my meal? this shit tasted so bad, i don't even wanna give them my money for how terrible it was! blegh!" after an outing with friends suggest that he pay his portion of the bill (as one normally should...) vs, "[name]! don't even think about paying! look, i can pay for our meal and then some dessert after. it's my treat so just put your wallet away!!"

"*has a resting bitch face*" vs, how smiley and carefree he is when he's with you. he's all smiles, giggles, and blushing cheeks whenever he's near you. but if someone were to interrput that time you have together, his rbf gets amped up at lesat 20 times than normal and he's glaring at whoever intruded on your time together as if they were a speck of dirt. he does this until they eventually get scared off by the tall, muscular man hovering centimeters behind you.

[halfadoginatank]

Simon, or Ghost, would be the first to tell you he is not good with emotions. He knows it himself, he's not good at recognizing what he feels, he's not good at expressing them. He is good at regulating them though, because he's had too. Joining the military and getting a little too comfortable ment showing the cards he held to his chest, it meant that something he said could slip and the whole of any platoon he was in would know.

It's like that when he joins 141, does the same, keeps himself closed off. And then, John "soap" MacTavish arrived, he shamelessly flirt with everyone. The nurses, his fellow soldiers. Hell Simon is pretty sure he's heard a joke or two thrown Price's way. The rest of the group joke back. At least he thinks they're jokes. There's nothing gayer than a room full of straight men after all. But soap makes him comfortable, tells everyone in the task force a horrendous dating story, a story with another man. It's not phrased as a cautionary tale either, just a mishap and an awkward time.

So when all is said and done in Las Almas and they're all going back to base to settle in. Simon hops out of the truck they're in and says "c'mon, let's get out of here."

And when soap laughs and says "Woah LT buy me a drink first." Simon nods, and invites him out for a pint.

It goes well, one pint becomes two and then they're talking. Simon doesn't have many dating stories with any gender, he's had hook-ups in Barracks. Short term boyfriends (before he was Ghost.) a girlfriend back when he was young. But Soap doesn't mind, he's got horrible stories. Some not his own, and when he deems the topic boring he effortlessly changes it. Simon doesn't feel pressured to talk, he smiles behind his mask- pausing a few times to pull it up and gulp his drink. Is happy to hear about Soap's dating life, finds it comforting that the other man knows what he's doing, when for all intents and purposes, Simon's flying blind. Chimes in when he feels like it.

Soap doesn't stop talking even when they get inside the base, it's smiles and laughs. Simon doesn't even realize that he's not worried if the others recognize this as a date, he's had fun and no one has ever said anything bad about Soap, it's okay here. To be just a little bit of himself. A little less Ghost.

When they arrive at Soap's door he smiles, looks up at him and goes "this was fun, we should do this again sometime." Simon diligently nods, and presses a masked kiss to the other man's forehead before wishing him goodnight.

It really was a good date.

Problem was, that wasn't a date. Hell at least not that Johnny realized, for all he knew Ghost was straight as an arrow. Now he knows he's aptly very fucking not. Not only that but they went on a date, at least. To Ghost. So Johnny sat at his tiny desk in his room and put his head in his hands.

Okay so it was a date, he'd just been on a date with Ghost. No problem, hell he can admit to himself that he's thought about it a few times. Sure it wasn't wholesome and he wasn't exactly thinking too much about romance but damn. He was a charming man, that forehead kiss? If that's what dating Ghost is like then Johnny doesn't mind.

No, the real issue was that- if this night was a date. Then Johnny had spent a significant portion of the date, talking about other dates. No, that was just… no, people don't do that. And by god, if John MacTavish was going to date someone, he was going to do it right.

[hooked-on-elvis]

Official publicity photos during the army. Friday, October 3, 1958, Elvis at Ray Barracks in Friedberg, Germany. Elvis had arrived in Germany on the morning of October 1st.

The newspapers had been reporting that Presley was initially assigned to join the crew of a medium Patton tank. However, before Elvis arrived in Germany, he said his last assignment had been driving a truck for four weeks in Fort Hood. The army announced the new assignment was made after reviewing Presley’s military tests and records, and an interview with his company commander. This is the reason why on October 3 Elvis first posed with the Company D sign for publicity photos, but just a few days later was photographed with the Headquarters sign.

“The assignment of scout jeep driver is given to soldiers of above normal capability,” an army official explained. “The soldier must be able to work on his own, map-read and draw sketches, know tactics and recognize the enemy and enemy weapons.” A rumor started circulating that Elvis was transferred due to a perforated eardrum which meant he had to avoid loud noises of artillery fire. “That rumor didn’t make much sense to me,” Lt. Taylor commented. “It’s implausible that the army medical exam system had failed to detect such an ear problem long before Elvis was assigned to a tank company.” During the day, Elvis was driving jeep “HQ31” for the Master Sergeant of a scout platoon, Ira Jones from Arkansas, who had served in World War II and the Korean War and was a Purple Heart recipient. However, Presley was not just a jeep driver. According to Jones, each scout “was trained to operate in enemy territory with or without vehicles.” The scout platoons were the first ones who would see the enemy in combat. As a result, Jones was quite impressed that Elvis did not try to get out of his assigned position to serve in the field with his Reconnaissance Platoon. “As time passed, Elvis became our friend and we hoped that he would stay with us,” recalled Sgt. Jones. “We could count on him to be a member of the team… By the time Elvis had been with us six or seven weeks, we were confident that he was going to succeed in the U.S. Army.”

Excerpt from "Elvis: The Army Years Uncovered · Behind The Scenes Of The Two Years That Changed The King Of Rock 'n' Roll's Life" by Trina Young (2021)

Official publicity photos during the army. Friday, October 3, 1958, Elvis at Ray Barracks in Friedberg, Germany.

[zvaigzdelasas]

In a year of hard fighting since taking delivery of its first 71 German-made Leopard 2 tanks, the Ukrainian army has lost—according to Oryx—at least 12 of the tanks.

But the losses aren’t the reason the army is struggling to generate combat-ready Leopard 2s. Many more Leopard 2s have been damaged than have been destroyed—and the Ukrainians are having real problems getting the damaged tanks fixed and returned to service.[...]

As many as 59 Leopard 2s in theory remain in Ukrainian service. But in reality, potentially dozens of the intact tanks are out of service for want of repairs. When German T.V. network NTV visited a Leopard 2A6 platoon this month, just one of the unit’s four tanks was combat-ready.

German Green Party politician Sebastian Schäfer went looking for answers, and found them in Lithuania, where German firms Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann run a workshop that fixes Leopard 2A6s and Strv 122s. Leopard 2A4s go to Poland for repairs. “Only a very small number of the main battle tanks delivered can still be used by Ukraine,” Schäfer reported.

There’s a shortage of spares at the front line and at the repair center. This should come as no surprise to close observers of Germany’s long military decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Desperate for parts and eager to fix their tanks themselves, the Ukrainians tend to remove parts from the most badly-damaged Leopard 2s before loading them onto trucks and trains for transport to Poland or Lithuania, Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding explained. [...]

But this cannibalization means the workers at the repairs centers have to fix battlefield damage and replace stripped parts. The repair centers aren’t just fixing tanks, they’re “rebuilding” them, Freuding said.[...]

Ukrainian defense planners meanwhile have chopped the 47th Brigade’s surviving Leopard 2A6s to the 21st Brigade, consolidating those tanks with the remaining Strv 122s in order to simplify their logistics.

And The Netherlands and Germany are beginning to deliver, presumably to the 33rd Brigade, 14 fresh Leopard 2A4s.

But the longer-term fix requires German industry to produce tank parts. Lots of them. And consistently.

Maybe there's a lesson to be learned here about the efficacy of flashy expensive military hardware in actual combat against a peer/near-peer competitor. Maybe not tho! [22 Jan 24]

[joannaliceevans-fanficblog]

Evermore: Part. 2: Chapter. Three

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with everyone and that everyone is having a good week so far. Work is work, and I love it!

2 Months Later

Andy pulled up to the base, flashed his ID to the guard, drove right through, and was still driving his best friend's truck. As he drove, he looked down and smiled.

When he came home from his morning run, he saw a note on the table indicating that you had made him coffee and packed lunch so he wouldn't have to grab food. Since living alone, he has been used to not cooking for himself and just eating out. He only knows how to cook instant noodles, Rice, and Eggs. Now that he’s back home, just having something like this made him happy, especially since it came from you.

Once Andy parked at his designated spot, he got out, grabbed his things, and headed into the law offices. Saluting some people on his way, he walked into the building and was greeted by his secretary. She stood up quickly, and before she could say anything, Andy opened the door and was greeted by a man sitting on the opposite side of his desk.

The man turned around, and Andy immediately recognized him. He turned back to his secretary and signaled that it was okay, and she closed the door.

“Major Navon, what brings you here?” Andy asked, taking a seat at his desk.

“Well, General Barber. I’m not quite sure.” Sam said, placing the thick concealed file in front of Andy. He frowned and glanced back at Sam.

“What’s this?” Andy asked. Sam sighed and wiped his face.

“Look, I know it’s been five years since your friend's death, but something came up, and I didn’t have a choice but to dig up his files.”

“What do you mean? Ari died in a Humvee accident.” Andy asked, knowing for sure that’s what happened.

“Just recently, more like a month ago, there’s been talk about that incident. So I asked one of the lawyers and the MPs.” Sam paused and leaned forward.

“Someone has been messing with the reports. Ari Levinson and part of the platoon in the car were murdered.” Sam said. 

Andy stared at Sam for a moment, almost wanting to laugh. But Sam was serious, and he quickly dismissed that thought.

“Sam, I don’t. This can’t be true, Sam.” Andy said, trying to process the information.

“Okay, but we both know the explosion that happened, right?” Andy added.

“Yes, that is correct. The Humvee exploded, and the driver lost control. That’s what his files say.” Sam said as Andy opened the confidential documents. 

Andy read through the files, and seeing Ari for the first time tore his heart away. Seeing the gruesome way he passed hurt him. Andy closed the file and looked over to Sam.

“I have to look this over with my team. I assume you want me to take this case?” Andy asked. 

Sam sighed and crossed his legs over, “Yes, nobody wants to take it. They all assume it’s a complete accident, and there is concrete evidence. And knowing you and your reputation? You can get this done.” 

Andy thought for a moment and leaned back into his chair. “Only on one condition.”

“Anything,” Sam responded. 

Andy sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “Y/N cannot l know about this until I get enough evidence.”

Sam sat up, and the same with Andy. Sam then held out his hand, and Andy took it.

“A deal. If you have any questions-“

“I got it, Sam. I'll have my team come as soon as possible,” Andy said. 

And with that, Sam left. The moment the door closed, Andy sat down and leaned back into his chair. He sat there for a moment and then reached for his office phone.

Yes sir?

Hi Margie, I need you to gather the team and get them to Bedford as soon as possible.

Was there a reason, sir?

I have a high-profile case that is a high priority.

Okay, and was there anything else, sir?

Yes, give any case that I have to the Jr’s. I need my full attention on this one.

And with that, Andy hung up and went to work.

**

After a long day, Andy found himself driving home. You had called him earlier to say there was dinner at the house, and Jake was home, too. That put a sour taste in his mouth. He shouldn’t be jealous or upset. You deserve to be happy, but there is something about the man that he doesn’t like. By the time Andy had arrived, Jake’s car was in the driveway. Andy parked Ari’s truck next to Jake’s.

As he entered, he could hear conversation and soft responses from Chloe, and Andy sighed.

“Hey, Bug!” Andy called out, putting his bag down. The sound of the chair moving and little feet were heard.

“Uncle DeeDee!” Chloe yelled as she ran towards him, and he picked her up.

“Hi, Chloe. Did you have a good day?” Andy asked. 

Chloe wiped her hair away from her face and smiled. 

“We played in the park, and I did many pictures!” Chloe said with excitement.

“She indeed had a good day.” Andy heard that beautiful voice. He looked to the kitchen entranceway, only to see you and that bastard. Andy smiled and headed over to you.

Jake was about to shake his hand when he noticed the pin on his jacket. Jake raised his hand and gave him a salute.

“General,” Jake said. Andy gave a half smile and saluted him back. You rolled your eyes, and Chloe laughed.

“Anyway, Andy, you must be hungry. Have a seat, and I’ll make you a plate. It’s linguine and fettuccine Sauce, with a salad and bread.” You said, turning around and towards the kitchen. Andy placed Chloe down, and she ran to her seat, taking him with her. Once he was down at his seat, Jake sat before Andy. It was quiet for a moment.

“I hear that you and Y/N have been friends since she was five,” Jake said. Andy nodded. That is true, along with my best friend.”

Before Jake could respond, Chloe was by Andy’s side, tapping him on his arm. He looked to his side and saw she had a cold brown bottle.

“Uncle DeeDee, here’s your drink!” Chloe said. 

Andy smiled and took the cold beverage from her. “Thank you!”

**

After dinner, Chloe was sitting on the couch watching TV, and your phone rang while you were cleaning the kitchen. Andy was in the bathroom, washing his hands. You looked all over the kitchen for it until you realized that it was in your bag.

“Jake, can you get my phone? It’s in my bag in the living room.” You said. 

Jake nodded and headed to the living room. As he got to the table, Jake opened the bag, and a thick folder came out. Jake frowned and opened the file.

Ari Steven Levinson

Deceased

US ARMY CAPTAIN, 501st AIRBORNE DIVISION

Jake’s whole body drained of blood, and his body started shaking.

KILLED IN ACTION. A CAR EXPLODED IN FRONT OF HIS JEEP, CAUSING HIS DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND SLAM INTO A BUILDING.

“That’s my bag.” 

Jake heard and turned around to see Andy standing behind him. Andy showed no expression as he snatched the file from him and placed it back into his bag. Then Andy grabbed Y/N’s bag and shoved it against Jake’s chest. He looked at Andy and quickly went back to the kitchen. Andy placed the file into his bag and closed the clasp on it. Before he headed back into the kitchen, Jake walked past him, and you followed behind.

“Is there something wrong?” Andy heard Y/N, and Jake sighed.

“I got a random important call from my major. I don’t know what it is, but it seems urgent,” Jake said, and Andy turned slightly. He knew listening was rude, but he couldn’t help it. The way Jake acted, and his body language told him he was lying.

For as long as he’s been a lawyer and the fact he’s damn good at it, he knows when someone is lying. And Jake is one of them.

The front door opened and closed. Andy then turned around to see you stumped.

“What happened?” Andy asked, placing his hands into his pockets. You sighed and shrugged your shoulders.

“I don’t know. He went to get my bag, and when he returned, Jake looked like he had seen a ghost,” you said. 

Andy looked at you for a moment. “Are you worried? You look concerned.”

You sighed again and shook your head. Before Andy responded, Chloe came in and hugged her mom’s leg. The two of you knew that it was her bedtime. You then picked her up and placed her on your hip.

“Sleepy bug?” You asked. 

Holding onto her Pua, she nodded and laid her head on your shoulder.

“Okay, say good night to Uncle DeeDee.” You said. Chloe lifted her head and held out her arms towards him. Andy then scooped her up and placed her onto his hip.

“Good night, Bug! Sleep tight and-“ Andy started.

“And no, let the scarwy monsters eat me!” Chloe said, giggling. Andy kissed her cheek and placed her down. Chloe ran to her mom and brought her upstairs.

“I’ll finish cleaning up here,” Andy said as he returned to the kitchen.

“I’ll meet you downstairs in a bit.” You said.

**

30 Minutes Later

Andy sat in the family room with two glasses of Sweet Pinot Grigio. He looked behind him to see you taking a seat next to him. You smiled while picking up the glass.

“Before we start the movie, tomorrow is Saturday, Andy. Do you have any plans?” You asked. 

Andy knew why Saturdays were important. Even when he was deployed in Germany, you would video call him and spend a few moments with his best friend.

“I’m free. What time do you want to leave? I’ll drive. I was also thinking of spending the day there, too.” Andy said.

You smiled once more. “Oh, that’s a good idea. Let’s have a picnic at the beach, and Chloe wants me to teach her how to skate.”

Andy laughed as a memory came to him. “You remember when Ari tried to teach you?”

Your face started to blush, which made Andy laugh even more.

“Yeah, and that ended up being our first kiss.” You said.

[lostinthewiind]

Hi! Hope you're having a good day! You are so right, the Generation Kill fics are very rare, it's a shame.

Could you please write something for Nate Fick where the reader is oblivious and doesn't realize that he loves them?

Thaaanks!

Atypical

Nathaniel "Nate" Fick - Generation Kill

Rating: All ages

It had been a long tour. Iraq was brutal from start to finish, and even now, when you knew you would be heading back to the States in a couple of days, it still didn't feel real.

Staring out at the vast Iraqi desert that surrounded the base camp, you exhaled long and deep—a last-ditch attempt to expel the weeks of dust that accumulated in your lungs.

"Ready to head back home?" A familiar voice came from behind you.

You smiled to yourself as you scooted over, making room for your visitor in the back of the truck you had found refuge in. "And here I was thinking I had finally found a moment of peace and quiet in this damn war."

Nate smirked as he sat down next to you, his bright blue eyes practically sparkling in the sun. You had seen a lot of things you wouldn't ever forget while in Iraq, most of them bad—but Nate's eyes were one of the few good things that lingered in your mind.

"Sorry to disturb your personal oasis in the back of this Motor T rust bucket." The truck made a worrying sound as he shifted his weight and he quirked a brow. "Point made."

"Well maybe if you had whipped your men into shape more, I wouldn't have to feel as though Motor T is the only place I can go for some quality alone time," you told him as you tilted your head toward the sunset.

"Manimal trying to buy your underwear off of you again?"

You choked on your next breath. "How the hell do you know about that?"

Nate laughed. "I know about everything that goes on in my platoon."

"Either way, no, that wasn't happening ... not again, at least." You shook your head. "I was just trying to take some time to reflect. I thought going home would be a happy feeling."

"You're not happy?"

"I am. But I'm also not." You tried to explain your complex feelings. "I don't know, the possibility of never seeing any of you guys again isn't as much of a relief as I thought it might be. Don't tell anyone I said that."

"I won't," Nate assured you with a chuckle. "For someone coming into a group of guys who have been together since Afghanistan, you really held your own. It'll be weird if we ship out again and you're not there."

You watched as the night sky shifted from a brilliant shade of orange into a dark purple. "Give it some time and I'll be as ready as you are to be done with this war and go home."

"How do you know I'm ready to go home?" Nate asked.

"You're not the only observant one," you answered, earning a dubious look from Nate. "... and I overheard you and Brad talking."

Nate nodded when you confirmed his suspicions. "That sounds more like it."

"Hey, I am plenty observant!" You smacked him on the shoulder. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. It's a pretty important quality for a marine."

"True. But still."

"But still?"

Nate turned away from the sunset to look at you. His mouth opened to respond, but before he could get a word out, he decided against it and averted his gaze. "Nothing."

"No, no, no." You grabbed his face with your hand and forced him to look at you once more. In that moment, you didn't think about the fact that you were technically laying hands on your superior. "But still what?"

"I think it's a conversation better had at a later date," he told you as he gently pushed your hand away. "When there's less sand and less gunfire. When we're just normal people, not a Lieutenant and his Corporal."

"You know we could die tomorrow, right?" you reminded him. "Or right now. There could be a sniper lining up the head shot as we speak. What if I died right now and you never got to tell me whatever it is you're being so secretive about?"

Letting out a defeated sigh, Nate reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a ring. It wasn't just some class ring either; no, it was an honest-to-God gold banded ring with a diamond on the top.

"Lieutenant Fick?" Your eyes darted between his face and the ring.

"Please do not call me Lieutenant when I'm holding an engagement ring."

Your mouth fell open. You were at a loss for words. "What ... what the fuck, Nate?"

"I suppose that's better." He clasped his hand firmly around the ring so it was no longer in sight. "When I first met you, I wrote a letter home and mentioned you. Told my folks all about how we had this woman riding with us and how I didn't think she'd last a week."

You were too impatient to wait for the follow-up. "And?" you prompted.

"And my mother sent me back the family ring and told me to let her know when the wedding was."

You laughed. You were aware how incredibly insensitive it was but in that moment, it was the only outlet you could think of for your overwhelming emotions. "What the fuck, Nate?" you whispered.

"You already said that."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm a little shocked in a moment like this. Can you blame me for not exactly expecting a proposal when I didn't even know you had feelings for me?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "I never actually asked you to marry me, now did I?"

"Then what's the ring for?"

"Well obviously it's for engagement!"

"What is happening right now?" You couldn't believe what was going on. Surely, you must have been dreaming. "Did you hit your head when I wasn't looking? Do I need to call Doc Bryan?"

"Oh, my God. I've really fucked this." Nate stuffed the ring back into his pocket. "This is not how I meant to approach this topic."

"What topic?"

"That I'm in love with you!" Nate proclaimed before burying his face in his hands.

A beat of silence passed and you were suddenly very grateful that you had chosen an abandoned corner of the camp to watch the sunset from.

"Nate?" you whispered once more.

"Yes?" he whispered back, his voice even more muffled from his hands.

"Did you just tell me you're in love with me?"

"Yes."

"And that engagement ring in your pocket is for me?"

"Yes." He finally lifted his head to look at you. "Not right now, of course. But yes, theoretically, at some point."

You couldn't help but laugh again. "This is so weird."

Nate made a strangled, embarrassed sound. "You're killing me here." He stood up to leave. "I should just go. This was clearly a mistake."

"Oh, settle down." You grabbed him by his uniform and pulled him back down. "Yes, I had a bit of a strong reaction at first, but considering the circumstances, I think I'm allowed that much. I never said I didn't love you back."

Nate's blue eyes lit up. "Do you?"

"Well, I don't know. I hadn't thought about it until now," you answered. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" That same sound slipped past his lips. "That's romantic."

"Okay, it's not that I've never thought about. You're obviously very attractive and all that," you rephrased. "I've just never thought about it seriously. In case you haven't noticed, we are in the middle of a war."

"I noticed. Which is why the ring's been burning a hole in my pocket until now." He drew in a deep breath, and when you didn't share another thought, he spoke again. "Now what?"

Reaching into his pocket, you fished out the engagement ring and handed it to him. "Now you ask me to marry you."

"Really?" His fingers trembled slightly as they plucked the ring out of your grasp. "Here?"

"Right here." You nodded.

"Okay. Right. Yes." He cleared his throat and jumped down from the back of the truck. Then he offered you a hand down, and once you were both standing on solid ground, he dropped down onto one knee. "Y/N, I know we haven't known each other very long. I know the typical thing is to date for a while before asking this question; hell, the typical thing is to actually have feelings for one another before asking this question. However, as a fellow marine, you know that typical is merely a suggestion. Either way, meeting you has been the highlight of this war, which I know isn't saying much but still ... I'd like for you to be the highlight of the rest of my life as well. Will you marry me?"

Your heart swelled at the gentle words falling from the mouth of one of the toughest men you had ever met. The way Nate looked up at you, as if you had the answer to every question in the world, was beyond endearing. You could truly picture a long, happy life with him.

"No," you answered.

Nate's hopeful smile fell. "No?"

"That's what you get for springing a goddamn engagement ring on me like this." You plucked the ring from his hand before inspecting it. "It is a rather beautiful ring though. Ask me again in a couple months and I'll gladly take it off your hands."

Nate shook his head as he stood back up and dusted off his knee. "And until then?"

"We date," you said matter-of-factly. "As typical as it is, I've had enough atypical for one lifetime."

Nate smiled wide. "I can't wait to marry you."