Parks had already considered the design of a rifle. Although the U.S. Army now had the m1 garand, it was heavy, clumsy, and its magazine was like a tin can; it could not be reloaded until the magazine was empty. It was very troublesome and could not provide continuous firepower, so its flaws were more obvious. Paratroopers primarily conducted assaults, and if they were equipped with an automatic rifle that provided continuous firepower, it would provide powerful suppression of enemy fire, which would greatly reduce the casualty rate of the brothers.
The first choice was the AK47 assault rifle, as its advantages were quite clear, and for Parks, he had the most experience with this gun in his previous life, able to disassemble and reassemble it in a very short time with his eyes closed. Using 7mm ammunition with a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute would greatly increase the unit's firepower. The effective range was 300-350 meters; although much shorter than the m1 garand's range, it was sufficient for current assault operations, and the shooting accuracy within 300 meters was also acceptable. Furthermore, it adopted a gas-operated, rotating bolt action and could also be used as a semi-automatic rifle. Most importantly, it had powerful firepower, was sturdy and durable, had a low failure rate, a simple structure, was easy to disassemble, and was long-lasting.
Since the plan was already decided, there shouldn't be any major problems with the design itself. As for whether the final firearm would be adopted by the U.S. Army, Parks was unsure, but if the AK47 appeared earlier than in the Soviet Union, then the fate of this world-renowned gun would be unpredictable.
"Parks?" The next morning, Lieutenant Winters saw Parks while he was exercising.
"Yes, Lieutenant!" Parks stopped. Winters was also in his morning exercise uniform; clearly, he was also a diligent person.
"Together?" Winters jogged, gesturing to Parks.
"Okay, sir!" Parks nodded. The two ran side by side.
At this time, some soldiers and officers who had not yet gone home were gradually coming out of the barracks, either exercising or strolling in twos and threes. Parks enjoyed this scene, just like the military camp in his previous life; although tense, there was also a sense of peace.
"We're going to say goodbye again!" Winters suddenly said, looking at the surrounding scenery.
"Sir?" Parks turned his head to look at him, puzzled.
Winters smiled, looked at the camp area, and then said, "Before long, we will have a new training camp. We will leave here, and perhaps we will be on the move soon."
Parks knew this; they wouldn't stay here much longer, because the training environment here was no longer suitable for their training. The officers and men of the 506th Regiment would receive even more extensive training programs.
"How do you feel?" Winters asked again while running.
Parks paused and said, "What do you mean?"
"Regarding the brothers in the company!" Winters said.
Parks smiled and said, "I feel very good. The brothers are all working hard, and they all know that they can rely on each other as a solid foundation. That's the most important thing: mutual trust and unity."
"Very good!" Winters said nothing more. The two continued to run quietly until it was almost time for breakfast.
Ever since he talked with Winters , Parks clearly felt that Winters was somewhat uneasy, perhaps worried about the brothers in Easy Company, or perhaps worried about Captain Sobel, because more complex training and military exercises were about to begin. But what about Sobel's military talent? Parks knew, and perhaps Lieutenant Winters also knew, but the brothers of Easy Company did not know, and this was what Winters was worried about. If the brothers lost confidence in their First Platoon leader, it would undoubtedly be a disaster on the battlefield in the future.
However, it was still a bit early to worry, and this was not something he could control. If the day really came when Winters and Sobel could not tolerate each other, he might have to participate in that collective resignation.
In the following days, the brothers of Easy Company gradually returned to the camp. On the seventh day, Parks, as usual, immersed himself in the barracks, designing blueprints. Sometimes, when he was extremely tired, he would collapse and sleep, not even bothering to wipe his face. Although some brothers had returned, Parks was still the only one in this barracks.
"Hey, is this Easy Company's barracks? I thought I had gone to the wrong place." At this moment, a voice came, "There's actually a savage living here. Is the paratrooper unit planning to drop a savage in Berlin to capture Hitler and take him to the primeval forest? In that case, brothers, the war is over, let's go home, no need to go to Europe."
Parks knew who it was by the voice and couldn't help but smile, putting away the blueprints. "White, it really is you. But this makes me a little suspicious. Don't you like the beer at your house? Or does the beer in the military community attract you more, luring you from a thousand miles away to the military camp?"
"I was afraid you'd be lonely!" White said with a smile, carrying a very heavy package. "Hey, buddy, come help me. This is all for you. Canned cherries, brandy, wine, and of course, chocolate!"
Parks walked over, picked up the bag, and smiled, "Chocolate? I don't think I'd like that. Maybe if you take it to the Town, the girls would like it. I heard chocolate is a gift for lovers."
"For lovers?" White asked, puzzled. "Why don't I know that?"
"Perhaps it hasn't become popular yet, but that's what it means in my hometown!" Parks was also unsure when chocolate became a popular gift for lovers. But he was still very touched by White's gesture. Ending his vacation early and bringing so many gifts, even though he knew White came from a good family, this gesture was touching.
"Hey, what's this?" White suddenly exclaimed. As Parks was putting down the package, he saw Parks' design blueprints. "It looks like a mechanical design. Is it a gun? Parks, you actually know how to design guns?"
Parks walked over and smiled, "It's just a hobby. All right, since you gave up your vacation to accompany me, I also have to show my generosity. Tonight, I'll treat you to drinks in the city, and you can even pick a girl!"
"That's great, Parks! You're simply a messenger from God." White became excited.
The ten-day vacation quickly ended. Most of the brothers in Easy Company arrived on time, but some were late, including soldier John Doe of First Platoon. Captain Sobel was furious about this because Colonel Sink was very displeased.
"I must humiliate him to make him realize how foolish his actions are." Captain Sobel gritted his teeth, and soon, during a company training session, he thoroughly humiliated Doe.
"Soldier Doe!" Captain Sobel roared furiously, "Front and center!"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Doe. Clearly, although Doe was a bit apprehensive, he stepped forward. Captain Sobel practically rushed to him, tore off the 506th Regiment patch from Doe's shoulder, and roared, "You are not a soldier, Doe."
Then he ripped off the silver wing badge from his chest and the paratrooper badge from his cap, throwing them forcefully to the ground, and shouted with his loud voice, "A soldier who is completely undisciplined is not worthy of the silver wing badge and the paratrooper badge. I want him to understand how serious this is for him."
At this moment, a sergeant picked up a camera, and with a "bang," he took a picture of Doe's miserable appearance. This was absolutely the most hateful humiliation. Doe's eyes turned red. But he still had to desperately hold back.
"From today on, you will throw away your boots and put on U.S. Army shoes!" Captain Sobel finally wounded Doe again. This meant that Doe would only be able to wear ordinary shoes for training these days, unlike other paratroopers who tied their pant legs into their boots.
"Fortunately, I came back early," White later said to Parks with lingering fear, "Heaven knows, if it weren't for worrying about you here, I think I might have lingered at home."
But this incident still had one benefit: from then on, no one ever overstayed their leave. During these days, Parks' design was also basically completed. He went to the Town and sent a telegram to Virginia, and mailed his design blueprints.
Soon, Virginia wrote back. She didn't send a telegram, but a letter.
In the letter, she highly praised Parks' design, saying that after review by some of the most excellent designers, they all believed it would be a very outstanding assault rifle. Then her tone shifted, and she spoke of some current difficulties, especially regarding cooperation with the large arms manufacturers. Clearly, those large arms manufacturers did not easily accept it. They were immersed in the glory and wealth brought by the M1 and had little interest in this completely new assault rifle. This greatly frustrated Virginia.
Of course, she seemed to reassure Parks by saying that perhaps some samples would be made and sent to Parks as a souvenir. This made Parks' mood not very high either.
Although Virginia finally expressed her longing for him, this did not bring any substantial comfort to Parks. He had originally thought that by producing the design of an excellent gun, he would immediately gain great glory and wealth, like a transmigrated protagonist. However, the current situation was clearly not optimistic.
Parks had considered this outcome and was well aware that such a result was normal. Everything was always driven by profit. This disheartened mood continued until the end of January 1943.
On January 28, 1943, Easy Company, along with the other companies of the 506th Regiment, crossed the Chattahoochee River and entered the Fort Benning camp in Alabama. There, they would undergo training that was more closely aligned with actual combat.