It was bitter cold, but so beautiful. Anchorage was in its stage of no sunlight for six months. A constant dusk color, drowning the entire landscape in a dull blue. It was fairly easy to get acclimated to the cold. Just wear layers, don't go out with wet, and you'll be fine.

It wasn't too different from the east coast where you were stationed before, just drastically colder, and the people were a lot nicer.

An E-6, Staff Sargent Sonya Jason. She was your direct superior, being an E-5 yourself. She wasn't mean like the Staff Sargents you knew back in New Jersey. She actually had a heart. Not one locked behind ten layers of stone. She cared for her soldiers and was routinely shipped out along with her soldiers.

She sat next to you, the wind howling past the two of you. She handed you a steaming cup of coffee. The barely boiling liquid felt perfect in your gloved hands.

"So you never did tell me why you wanted to transfer all the way out to Alaska. Why not California or Washington?"