In addition, there were a few others who were also outstanding, but their characteristics were not as obvious as Henry Brooks, Brian Carter, and William Brooks. Out of the entire squad of one hundred people, only these three had already been assigned future positions in Instructor Hack's mind.

By the middle of the training, the number of firearms that needed to be mastered had increased. In addition to the energy assault rifle, there was also the high-powered individual light cannon, the fire-suppressing dense semi-energy automatic machine gun, and so on. The ammunition used included not only standard energy cartridges, but also various explosive rounds, stun grenades, flashbangs, smoke grenades, incendiary rounds, and more.

As the variety of firearms increased, the monotonous training became more and more interesting. After enduring the basic and early advanced physical and discipline training, the recruits finally felt that their hardships were paying off and began to get a taste of the military’s outermost layers. Because of the diversity of equipment and the now engaging training content, these young soon-to-be veterans threw themselves into training with great enthusiasm. Instructor Hack no longer needed to follow behind and shout orders; it seemed as if every recruit had started to become self-disciplined.

For easier management, each squad was further divided into ten combat teams, each with ten members. One person served as the team leader, while the others took on roles according to combat configuration, such as fire support, assault vanguard, and demolition specialist.

Different personnel were equipped with different firearms, and everyone was happily getting used to their new positions—everyone except Henry Brooks, who was feeling quite frustrated.

Each combat team had a standard infantry fighting vehicle that served both as fire support and logistics. Inside, there was not only backup ammunition for each combatant, but also corresponding first aid kits and basic surgical instruments. In addition, the vehicle was equipped with a small light cannon and an automatic machine gun for cover and fire support.

Both the light cannon and the automatic machine gun used standard energy cartridges. In fact, to simplify logistics and facilitate resupply, most of the firearms now issued used standard energy cartridges. Only the light cannon, due to its high power, required five cartridges at a time, but these were simply a combination of standard cartridges. The entire combat team’s logistics were highly unified.

As for Henry Brooks, he was assigned as the driver of this vehicle. In reality, a true combat team would be issued a small landing craft, but at the training base, vehicles were used instead, and advanced training did not require mastering flight skills.

Henry Brooks was very dissatisfied with this. In his ideal scenario, even if he wasn’t the assault vanguard, he should at least be fire support. Although the vehicle was equipped with a light cannon and a machine gun, those were operated by the fire support guy and had nothing to do with him. Seeing the other teams’ drivers so excited, Henry Brooks felt even worse. Those guys were already interested in machinery, so they naturally handled it with ease. But what about him?

Argue with Instructor Hack? Henry Brooks wasn’t afraid of simple punishments, but he admitted he didn’t have the guts. Instructor Hack's methods for dealing with people went far beyond just making you run laps or putting you in detention. Henry Brooks could tell that Instructor Hack definitely hadn’t always been a rookie trainer; his current “lenient” attitude was already a sign of mercy. There was no way he’d risk provoking the old man.

Dissatisfied or not, training still had to go on as usual. For some reason, Henry Brooks found driving extremely difficult to master. He could handle simple starts, stops, and turns, but as soon as he encountered complex terrain or high speeds, he would panic and lose control. Instructor Hack had scolded him countless times for this, and although Henry Brooks was trying hard, he just couldn’t meet the instructor’s standards.

In a fit of anger, Instructor Hack, extremely dissatisfied with Henry Brooks's performance, punished him with several weighted cross-country runs. Afterward, Henry Brooks's skills seemed to improve a bit. As Henry Brooks waited, panting and with his heart pounding, Instructor Hack finally nodded slowly, acknowledging his progress. Fortunately, he received a passing evaluation for vehicle driving.

Of course, life for the combat team working with him was much more miserable. Every time, not only did they have to endure the wild jolting of Henry Brooks's vehicle, which was even slower than an old ox, but they also had to put up with the ridicule of other squads during downtime. After a few days, everyone was filled with righteous indignation. If shouting weren’t forbidden in the barracks, they would have started shouting back at those other squads long ago.

Henry Brooks knew he was at fault, so he often practiced alone during breaks. His roommates, Johnson and Brian Carter, were also in his team and kept encouraging him. This brought a bit of warmth to Henry Brooks's otherwise neglected heart.

In a ten-person combat team, Henry Brooks basically didn’t have to move much; his job was to drive the vehicle steadily and as fast as possible, with little physical activity. This made Henry Brooks itch to join his teammates in simulated charges, but the instructor’s orders kept him strictly in check, and he didn’t dare cross the line.

The main purpose of advanced training was still to let soldiers master basic cooperation and survival skills in various situations. Real professional training would only begin after they joined their final units. Although compared to all kinds of specialized training this was child’s play, it was still the reference for selection and assessment in each branch, so this period of advanced training was also very important.