Easy Company's training gradually evolved to meet airborne standards, indicating that it was no longer solely focused on physical fitness and running.
However, everyone in Easy Company was still able to grit their teeth and persevere.
The obstacle course alone made the brothers of Easy Company groan.
Battalion Commander Major Horton was also an enthusiast; he wanted to build Easy Company into the best company, and his ideas aligned perfectly with Sobel's.
The first cross-country training involved traversing obstacles.
The obstacles were set up within the military camp area and included many items: wading, crossing a fire field, crawling through tunnels, and scaling walls.
This kind of training was not much different from the new recruit training Parks experienced in his previous life's military camp, and given Parks' current physical condition, it was entirely effortless.
"Parks, are you a beast? A lion or a tiger?" Buck Compton, panting, followed behind Parks, currently crossing a ditch.
"Perhaps you should be an eagle; how can you even shoot darts so accurately?"
Parks ran and looked back at Buck, laughing, "Lieutenant, if you keep talking so much, I guarantee you'll fall even further behind me later."
He was right.
Parks had already quickly waded through the ditch.
"Damn it, why is this ditch dug higher than my waist?" Heffron grumbled.
"Don't complain, you're lucky they didn't let the water go over your head," Luz said with a grin next to him, though he also looked quite exhausted.
When Parks crossed the ditch, most of the Easy Company soldiers were still in the water.
Even Buck, who was following behind him, hadn't climbed out of the ditch yet.
"Who is that man?" Major Horton, watching Parks sprint and agilely move through the oil-soaked fire field, asked Captain Sobel, "His quality is excellent! If our battalion were all soldiers like him, then in the 506th Regiment, who would be our opponent, Captain Sobel?"
Horton was the Battalion Commander, commanding three companies, and also the direct leader of Easy Company.
Sobel hesitated before saying, "Major, that is Sergeant Reese Parks.
As you said, he is an excellent non-commissioned officer, and precisely because of that, I made an exception to promote him from a soldier to a Sergeant.
I have high hopes for his potential."
Horton nodded, then smiled, "I have always believed you are an excellent leader, and now it seems my thinking is not bad.
I hope Easy Company is the best company, under your leadership!"
"Please believe me, Major Sir!" Sobel puffed out his chest.
Parks' performance was indeed outstanding, to the point of standing out like a crane among chickens.
Even a wall nearly four meters high, after Parks swiftly climbed through the tunnel, with a few accelerated runs and a stride, his left foot pushed off the side of the wall, and his right hand reached the top of the wall.
Using the momentum, his right foot was already on the top of the wall, and he easily flipped over the low wall.
"Wow!" There was a gasp behind him; clearly, the soldiers who were still far behind him were stunned by Parks' cool and effortless wall-climbing move.
"Six minutes and thirty-one seconds!" Horton, holding a stopwatch, walked towards Parks.
Captain Sobel followed closely behind him, expressionless.
"Sir!" Parks stood rigidly at attention, saluting both of them.
"Congratulations, Sergeant Parks, you've broken the record.
You know, even at West Point Military Academy, such a result is impossible.
I think you should be one of the best soldiers in America now." Horton seemed very happy.
Horton's statement was not an exaggeration; even the West Point record was nearly forty seconds slower than this, which was an extraordinary achievement.
Of course, if this achievement were reported to the battalion headquarters, it would be a record set by Horton's Second Battalion soldiers.
In any case, this was a gratifying matter.
Even Sobel, who harbored some resentment towards Parks, couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you, Sir!" Parks remained very calm; of course, he knew that if he could gain Horton's appreciation, then what thoughts Sobel might have about him would be difficult to predict.
"I heard your hand-to-hand combat is also very good!" Horton said.
Sobel had told him this.
Sobel had originally wanted to tell Horton that Parks was merely someone who didn't strictly follow military discipline and liked to stir up trouble, but Horton clearly didn't share his view; he only focused on Parks' heroic feat of fighting one against four in the altercation.
"I think so!" Parks didn't want to be modest; this could also become his asset for future promotions.
"Keep up the good work, Sergeant!" Major Horton patted his shoulder, then smiled and said to Sobel, "Your decision was correct.
We should give more opportunities to such excellent soldiers and allow them to take on leadership roles."
"Hmm… I suppose so!" Sobel hesitated for a moment but still nodded.
When Horton and Sobel left, the Easy Company soldiers had also completed the cross-country event.
They all walked towards Parks.
"It seems we should call you Staff Sergeant Parks later, shouldn't we?" White said with a grin, and despite being covered in mud, he gave Parks a strong hug.
"Hehe, Parks, what are you made of?" Guarnere walked over and squeezed Parks' arm, "Don't tell me it's beef on you."
Immediately, the Easy Company brothers burst into laughter.
Pat Christenson shouted, "That's right, aren't we looking at a cow right now?
Brothers, take out your daggers; we're having roasted beef tonight!"
"Get lost, Christenson, I'm a lion.
Do you little sheep still want to mess with a lion?
Who's eating whom, anyway?" Parks also joined in the joking.
That's how the Easy Company brothers were; even when they were exhausted, the jokes among them could quickly dispel the pain and fatigue brought by training.
"Tell us, how did you do it!
I think I just heard Major Horton talking about some 'record' thing.
What record did you break?" Buck Compton walked over, "Let's hear what our lion tells us.
Tell us about Major Horton's record, you lion!"
"It's like this!" Parks cleared his throat, then said with a smile, "Major Horton just said that my obstacle course time is forty seconds faster than the West Point Military Academy record.
He said it's a remarkable achievement."
"Oh—" A chorus of exclamations and cheers immediately arose.
"Parks, why don't you teach me?" Hubler, still out of breath, squeezed through, "If Sobel knows I'm the last one to arrive, he'll surely torment me to death."
"Why not?" Parks looked at Hubler and smiled, "Very gladly!"
"Ah, oh!" Another round of envy and cheers followed.
At this moment, a sharp whistle sounded.
"Let's gather, brothers," Buck Compton said.
Everyone also saw Lieutenant Winterss walking over.
Immediately, the gathered crowd dispersed and assembled in their respective platoons.
"Well done, Parks!" Winters smiled at Parks as he walked over to assemble, "You are the best soldier I have ever seen! No one else." This was the second time Winters had said such a thing to Parks.
Parks knew that Winters saying this meant he highly approved of him.
"Thank you, Lieutenant!"
Easy Company's three platoons stood side by side, with only a small gap in between.
Lieutenant Sobel stood in front, accompanying Major Horton, as they reviewed Easy Company's three platoons.
"Your performance today was excellent!" Although Major Horton was strict, it did not prevent him from praising the Easy Company brothers, "You are the best company I have ever seen!"
The Easy Company brothers involuntarily straightened their chests.
"Especially Sergeant Parks, he has truly impressed me!" Horton rarely singled out an individual for praise in a company address, but considering Parks' performance, it was understandable.
When your company produces an All-American champion, why would you be stingy with words of praise?
Major Horton's praise somewhat lifted the spirits of the Easy Company brothers.
However, after Horton left, Sobel's words again made the brothers a bit displeased.
"Although our company has performed well enough, I still have to warn you, to be the best, you must put in double the effort.
We need to increase our training!"
Here it comes again, Parks secretly glanced at the Easy Company brothers, who all looked dispirited.
"soldier Donald Hubler." Sobel suddenly shouted loudly, "Front and center!"
"Yes, Sir." Hubler walked forward and stood in front of the formation.
"Get your gear and do it all over again!" Sobel yelled at him, "We don't want cowards here!"