"...if you think this is getting you guys out of the tactical drills tomorrow-" Smith waves him off before returning to his table. Okay. Not kissing up. just- genuinely invested. He's hit hard by the memories of his old unit- of all the shit and help they gave each other between deployments. How they became family to him.

One week here and he's already gone for these kids. He'll just have to double down on the training, do whatever he can to make sure they make it out alive.

"This is. Wow. Really. I did not ask them to do this I swear."