Private Bayanchur Bagha puked for what he hoped to be the last time at the communal toilet in their dormitory. Hailing from the steppes of Xinjiang, the young soldier is more used to galloping on top of ponies than the rolling motion of a warship at sea. While the initial days were horrible, he and the rest of his fellow soldiers had gotten pretty much accustomed to the seas by now. As they should, after all they are the soldiers of the Royal Maratha Marines, aka 7th Marine Division.
It has been an interesting couple of months for Pvt Bagha starting with his signing up for Royal Cochin Army at the recruitment post near Shihezi. The rural pastoral life of the great Xinjiang plains had naturally toughened the lad and the physical tests were only trivialities. As he boarded the train to Qiemo, the first of many train rides in his life Bayanchur was reveling in the excitement of embarking on a career of adventure and excitement.
However the Basic Training Course at the Regional Training Center, Qiemo dispelled any notions that life in Royal Cochin Army would be casual. Six months of tough training saw many weaker recruits dropping out and of the 48 men who started the train journey with Bayanchur from Shihezi only 13 passed the Basic Training Course and were formally given the rank of Private.
It was indeed a proud day for Private Bayanchur Bagha as he marched past the dignitaries and his father in the visitors’ stands on the day when he was recruited into the service. However the journey in his Army career had only started. Assigned for service with the newly raised Royal Maratha Marines, Pvt Bagha spent several months at NTC Bhuj as the various Brigades and Battalions of his regiment were being organized. It was indeed a unique experience starting out in a Regiment whose very history was yet to be written. A Regiment whose future legends would most likely involve the actions of him and his fellow soldiers as the first soldiers of the formation. It was a very heading feeling for all of them as their entire Regiment, as one, deployed to the NTC Jaisalmer.
It was from then on that Pvt Bagha realized what the career in army is all about. Days passed by and in no time he was marching past the King himself during the commissioning ceremony for his Regiment at the Capital city, Cochin City. Then it was while waiting for the final regimental headquarters that the clarion call for on sea deployment.
Seeing the vast Arabian Sea for the first time at the ports of Kandla was an awe inspiring moment, but then the sea sickness started. He lost count of the numerous times he puked by the time his ship passed Crozet Islands. However the lad from Shihezi got himself accustomed to the seas and in fact even started to revel in it as a proper Marine should, assisted by wise advices from his Sergeants, all veteran Marines from the older Marine Divisions.
It was as they reached the island fortress of St Helena that the full extent of their deployment was made aware to them. Brigadier General Prakash Bhosle, the General Officer Commanding himself had addressed the troops in every warship and auxiliary transport. The Regiment, and the Kingdom itself is embarking on a mission of monumental nature about which Bayanchur felt both excited and scared at the same time. He was finally sailing towards a war, a real war. Though he was quite hardened by numerous combat exercises this would be a whole new ballgame altogether. However the sheer passion of his fellow soldiers and the proud expectations with which his officers exhorted them hid the veneer of fear for the time being.
Ever since his Battalion had started deployment from NTC Bhuj all communications were ceased for operational security reasons, however just an hour ago the Platoon Captain had informed him that tomorrow they would all be given chance to call home. Any information about their current position would be given only after the call periods are over. Elation at being able to call family and also apprehension at the full Mission Briefing they are about to receive jostled with one another in the minds of all the soldiers not less for Pvt Bayanchur Bagha.
However he is a soldier of the realm and his King had called him for war, calling him to fulfill an oath he swore that day at Cochin City, so no matter what his trepidations he would brave up and face his challenges whatever they may be.
It has been an interesting couple of months for Pvt Bagha starting with his signing up for Royal Cochin Army at the recruitment post near Shihezi. The rural pastoral life of the great Xinjiang plains had naturally toughened the lad and the physical tests were only trivialities. As he boarded the train to Qiemo, the first of many train rides in his life Bayanchur was reveling in the excitement of embarking on a career of adventure and excitement.
However the Basic Training Course at the Regional Training Center, Qiemo dispelled any notions that life in Royal Cochin Army would be casual. Six months of tough training saw many weaker recruits dropping out and of the 48 men who started the train journey with Bayanchur from Shihezi only 13 passed the Basic Training Course and were formally given the rank of Private.
It was indeed a proud day for Private Bayanchur Bagha as he marched past the dignitaries and his father in the visitors’ stands on the day when he was recruited into the service. However the journey in his Army career had only started. Assigned for service with the newly raised Royal Maratha Marines, Pvt Bagha spent several months at NTC Bhuj as the various Brigades and Battalions of his regiment were being organized. It was indeed a unique experience starting out in a Regiment whose very history was yet to be written. A Regiment whose future legends would most likely involve the actions of him and his fellow soldiers as the first soldiers of the formation. It was a very heading feeling for all of them as their entire Regiment, as one, deployed to the NTC Jaisalmer.
It was from then on that Pvt Bagha realized what the career in army is all about. Days passed by and in no time he was marching past the King himself during the commissioning ceremony for his Regiment at the Capital city, Cochin City. Then it was while waiting for the final regimental headquarters that the clarion call for on sea deployment.
Seeing the vast Arabian Sea for the first time at the ports of Kandla was an awe inspiring moment, but then the sea sickness started. He lost count of the numerous times he puked by the time his ship passed Crozet Islands. However the lad from Shihezi got himself accustomed to the seas and in fact even started to revel in it as a proper Marine should, assisted by wise advices from his Sergeants, all veteran Marines from the older Marine Divisions.
It was as they reached the island fortress of St Helena that the full extent of their deployment was made aware to them. Brigadier General Prakash Bhosle, the General Officer Commanding himself had addressed the troops in every warship and auxiliary transport. The Regiment, and the Kingdom itself is embarking on a mission of monumental nature about which Bayanchur felt both excited and scared at the same time. He was finally sailing towards a war, a real war. Though he was quite hardened by numerous combat exercises this would be a whole new ballgame altogether. However the sheer passion of his fellow soldiers and the proud expectations with which his officers exhorted them hid the veneer of fear for the time being.
Ever since his Battalion had started deployment from NTC Bhuj all communications were ceased for operational security reasons, however just an hour ago the Platoon Captain had informed him that tomorrow they would all be given chance to call home. Any information about their current position would be given only after the call periods are over. Elation at being able to call family and also apprehension at the full Mission Briefing they are about to receive jostled with one another in the minds of all the soldiers not less for Pvt Bayanchur Bagha.
However he is a soldier of the realm and his King had called him for war, calling him to fulfill an oath he swore that day at Cochin City, so no matter what his trepidations he would brave up and face his challenges whatever they may be.
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