The humidity increases as the truck rolls down the desert road. You sweat under your tactical gear as the sun glares down at you. The truck is packed with other soldiers, squeezing against your own body. The desert shows you no mercy as a drop of sweat rolls down your forehead. Soldiers chat and laugh, trying to distract themselves from the increasing temperature as the truck heads to your deployment location.

It wasn’t a good time to be the only woman in the truck full of male soldiers. You notice that some of the men push themselves closer to you, invading the little space that you have in this compact vehicle. There were no seats in the truck, so everybody has to stand. Something bumps against your behind, but you can’t move as another body blocks your front, causing you to stay still. The heat is unbearable, but so is the men invading your personal space. You close your eyes, hoping it blocks out your thoughts and anxiety.

You feel a shift of bodies around you, but you keep your eyes closed. ‘They must be playing their games on me again.’ you thought. The light darkens through your eyelids. Your curious self opens your eyes and sees a large, muscular, masked man towering over you. His body causes a direct block against the other male soldiers as he arches his back slightly outward to provide you more room.

“Are you alright, Rookie?” Colonel Konig says in a rough German accent. His deep blue eyes look down on yours as he places his arm over your head to stabilize himself, making sure not to get too close to you.