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Chapter 4: Bulgarian Valentine's interviews

After one month accompanying the Polish soldiers, Peyton was now going to accompany a Bulgarian squad led by a Staff Sergeant Peyton would call Harry. As usual, Peyton and Harry's squad took a breakfast before going to the briefing and preparing their equipment for today's patrol. Today was a special day called Valentine's Day. But the Coalition forces were now bound on performing their daily patrols, unlike the UN forces and locals who were more fond of romantic movies.

Peyton didn't like Valentine's Day, just like the other Coalition troops, who worked in the form of shifts all day long. Therefore, Harry, his men and Peyton had no time to enjoy for anything. But this day, Peyton followed Harry and his squad for another routine patrol.

After a while seating in a helicopter being flown to the landing zone, where the US UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters left them. From there on, they began their foot patrol which was to last three days before another heliborne patrol took over.

"Long patrol, isn't it? Just as boring as the others. The guys won't meet any bad guy anymore, cause the UN and police caught them all." Peyton asked.

"Yeah, and it's not the enthusiastic crowds that will force us to change our mind." Harry answered.

Peyton then caught up with one of Harry's machine gunner, whom she interviewed. Not wanting to disclose their names, she called him Petro. The machine gunner answered to Peyton's question, silently blaming the locals for their drawdown.

"Petro, tell me about your tour here." Peyton told him.

"With pleasure. It's my second year in the army. The first one, I was deployed to Afghanistan to help the Afghan National Security Forces. Now I'm a country where almost nothing happens. Sure, there's a mean bad neighbour at the south, but the local troops have M60A3 Patton tanks, Leopard 2A3 tanks, Challenger I tanks, CH-53G helicopters, UH-1D helicopters, F-4F planes, Tornado ADV planes and Land Rover Snatch SUVs. They are now more and more competent, with highly seasoned officers taking the lead. Moreover, the UN guys are more and more able to cope by themselves since we got inceptioned." Petro answered.

"What do you think about the general drawdown?" Peyton asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea." the young soldier told her.

"Thanks for your answers." Peyton replied

"No problem. It's your new job. Like when you served but in the civilian world." Petro reassured Peyton.

The young journalist then interviewed one of the grenadiers, with whom the same conversation as the one with Petro took place. For the rest of the patrol, Peyton and Harry decided to interview locals, who honestly preferred their own soldiers and police taking over with the UN troops supporting them, meaning the locals were very favorable to a drawdown of Coalition forces.

"Hi, Sir. How are you?" Peyton asked an elderly black man.

"Fine, thank you." the man answered.

"Sir, what is your opinion about the Coalition drawdown?" she asked him

"I'm totally in favor of the decision involving the Coalition withdrawing half of its forces throughout the year 2022." the elderly man replied.

"Thank you for your time and sorry for interrupting you." Peyton apologized.

"No need to apologize, my friend. I had plenty of time anyway." the man replied before Peyton and Harry's patrol left.

Encountering a woman in her 40s, Peyton interviewed her, with the woman's authorization. Peyton wanted to know her opinion about the Coalition troops.

"Hi, Madam. What do you think about Coalition troops?" Peyton asked.

"I think Coalition troops should withdrawn. The amount of Coalition guys remaining should be at around half of their current number. Our troops, police and UN forces are enough." the woman replied.