Fitch listened without interrupting.
When Kaylee finished, Fitch was quiet for a moment, with the quiet of someone running an assessment.
“How are your soldiers?” Fitch said. “Watching me,” Kaylee said, “to see what I do with it.” Fitch nodded.
This was the correct answer.
This was the answer of someone who understood that leadership was not just what you did.
It was what you modeled. “I’m forwarding this to the IG and to Colonel Patterson,” Fitch said.
Patterson was Reeves’s battalion commander. “You know that.” “Yes, ma’am,” Kaylee said.
“I also know Captain Reeves has two prior informal complaints in his record,” she said. Fitch looked at her.
“How do you know that?” “I asked the JAG officer this morning,” Kaylee said, “before I filed.”
Fitch was quiet for three seconds. She looked at the timestamp on the report: 07:31, 19 minutes after the incident.
“You filed this 19 minutes later,” Fitch said, “while you were still wet, and you had already consulted JAG.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kaylee said. There was a long pause.
“Most people,” Fitch said carefully, “would have needed a day, maybe more.”
“I know, ma’am,” Kaylee said, “but the documentation window closes. Memories change. The witnesses were there this morning.”
Fitch looked at her with the specific expression of a senior officer who has just confirmed something she was hoping to find: “Those prior informal complaints,” Fitch said, “when I forward this to Patterson, that JAG consultation note goes with it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kaylee said. “It creates a pattern. Captain Torres, the JAG officer, is preparing a memo.” Fitch was quiet.
“Your father,” she said finally, “he arrives in 48 hours.” It was not a question; she already knew.
“Yes, ma’am,” Kaylee said, “the regional logistics review.” “Did you call him?” Fitch said. “No, ma’am,” Kaylee said.
“He’ll see the report. It goes in the pre-arrival package.” “Yes, ma’am,” Kaylee said, “I know.”
“You knew that when you filed it?” Fitch said. “Yes, ma’am,” Kaylee said.
“I filed it correctly, not because of what he’d see, because of what it documented.”
Fitch looked at her for a long moment.
“Your father,” she said, “is going to be very proud of that distinction.”
“He’s going to be proud of the documentation,” Kaylee said, “not of me specifically.” Fitch almost smiled.
It was the smile of someone who has, after 19 years, found exactly the thing they were looking for.
“Yes,” she said, “he is.” She stood. The meeting was over. Kaylee stood, saluted, and went back to work.
She had a 1300 convoy to run. Vehicle Three’s tires had passed inspection. The mission was on schedule…
