Though Cerro was against such "additional training" as a means of motivating the malcontents and lazies, he could see no other solution. He and the other officers in the company were heavily involved in the planning and coordination for the exercise and had little time to deal with minor breaches in discipline. They depended on Duncan and the platoon sergeants to deal with them. Time was pressing, and the men who had failed to respond to other, more positive leadership techniques had to be brought back into line. Though morale was still low, the fights stopped and the men performed. Besides, Duncan knew what he was doing. He had earned his Distinguished Service Cross for leading the remnants of his encircled platoon through 120 miles of enemy territory, fighting all the way and maintaining unit cohesion. That Duncan himself led the additional training sessions each night did much to end all debates and bitching, from both officers and enlisted men, on the matter and techniques he used.
In the shade of the platform where the two presidents would watch the demonstration, Cerro and his officers listened to a critique of the morning's rehearsal. Also present were Egyptian and U.S. officers from the artillery units, the relieving tank company, and other elements participating in the exercise. The two officers doing the critique were an Egyptian and an American lieutenant colonel. When Cerro had met the lieutenant colonel named Dixon, he was struck by the feeling that he had seen or met him before. That, however, seemed highly unlikely, since Dixon was an Armor officer and Cerro made it a point to stay away from treadheads.
As Dixon went through the points that had been missed or messed up that morning, Cerro tried to place the name or face. Suddenly it dawned upon him. Dixon had come out of the last war as one of its most decorated officers. Reaching back into his memory, Cerro recalled an article that recounted Dixon's deeds and awards, which included the Congressional Medal, two Silver Stars, and a Purple Heart. Though pleased that he had finally solved that mystery, Cerro wondered why Dixon was here in Egypt and not in some high-speed job getting ready to be a general. With a reputation like his he had to be a shoo-in.
His thoughts were interrupted as Dixon introduced the two civilians who would be in charge of security at the site. One was a tall, light-haired American who wore sunglasses and an open-collared white shirt. The other was an Egyptian, as short and dark as the American was tall and light. The two looked like a regular Mutt-and-Jeff routine — and as they got into their briefing, that analogy began to apply more and more. The two security agents interrupted each other frequently, holding quick, impromptu discussions in front of the assembled group whenever one said something with which the other disagreed. In no time at all it seemed that neither of them— much less the soldiers they were briefing — really understood how security would be handled. In the midst of a discussion, as if to highlight the confusion, a white van with a World News Network sign taped to the right side of the windshield rolled up to the pair as they bickered. A shapely, good-looking female reporter hopped out, went over to the American security man, and asked if this was where the presidents would view "the tank battle." The American soldiers began to cheer and whistle.
Seeing that the situation was totally out of hand, Dixon stepped forward, yelling "At ease!" Hafez, also taken aback by the confusion, followed suit and called for the Egyptian officers to be silent. With calm restored, Dixon turned to face the two security men. "Gentlemen, you no doubt have an important job to do, and I am ready and willing to assist you in any way possible. First, however, I recommend you figure out what it is you need, then tell Colonel Hafez and me what it is you want. We will, in turn, brief the troops and make it happen."
Turning to Hafez, Dixon asked, "Sir, is that agreeable with you?" Hafez shook his head in agreement, then barked something to the Egyptian security man that could only be an order or a rebuke, or both. The Egyptian security man looked at Dixon and agreed, backing away and pulling his American counterpart with him. The American security man, obviously unhappy with being spoken to in such a manner by a green suiter, turned to Dixon and stared at him eye-to-eye for a moment. Dixon, meeting the silent challenge, put both hands on his hips, jutted his head out slightly, and returned the stare. Seeing that his attempt at intimidation had failed, the American security man joined the Egyptian. Together they went to their vehicle, where they sulked and talked for a few moments before they departed. No doubt, Dixon thought, he'd hear from them through "official channels."
Turning to the female reporter, Dixon folded his arms, forced a smile, and let out a sigh. "Ms. Fields, what a pleasure it is to see you again. Your pursuit of truth and/or a news story has taken you a little off the beaten path. May I ask what you are doing here and how you managed to clear the security checkpoints?"
Imitating the stance Dixon had just used with the security man, Jan put her hands on her hips and stared at Dixon. Rather than being intimidating, however, her posture was provocative. "First off, Colonel Dixon, the news and the truth are one and the same."
Dixon let out a slight "Ha!" making Jan visibly angry.
"Second, Mr. Colonel, I have a right and the permission to be here." She pulled out a pass and a copy of the agenda of the visit listing where journalists were permitted. She flashed both inches away from Dixon's nose. Jan wore a coy smile and spoke sweetly. "I'm the reporter drawn from the media pool to cover this event. Guess you sort of lucked out, Scotty dear."
To her surprise, Dixon grabbed the agenda and examined it. As he read the agenda, an exact duplicate to the one he had that was marked Secret, he began to shake his head. "Where did you get this?"
"At a press conference this morning in Cairo. The American ambassador held a briefing for the press. How lucky for the American people that there are a few government officials who believe the press and the American public have a right to know."
Dixon continued to shake his head. He turned to Hafez, handing him the pass and paper. Hafez looked at them, then up at Dixon. "This will make security very hard. We cannot guarantee the safety of our presidents if everyone knows of their exact schedule."
Dixon was slightly taken aback by the colonel's comment. While the security was far looser than Dixon had wanted, Colonel Hafez's statement seemed to be one of fact, not mere concern. "Colonel Hafez, I too am concerned, but I am sure there are measures being taken to ensure the entire maneuver area is secure and entry is limited."
A concerned look on his face, Hafez tilted his head. "Yes, no doubt you are correct. But still, we must voice our concerns to our commanders. I, after all, am responsible for manning the outer security perimeter. It is not very good to have so many knowing where our presidents will be and when. Perhaps they can make some changes in the schedule and not come here."
Without waiting for a response, Hafez turned, called to several of his officers and stepped off smartly, leaving a slightly flabbergasted Dixon to figure out what he was up to.