"Indoor presentation of the colors" is a fancy way of saying "Find your way through a room full of obstacles and put the flags in stands". We had practiced every possible combination of obstacles. I knew they could do this. I knew they needed it. But the pressure on them was intense. And all I could do was stand back and watch.

They formed up smartly and stepped off. Completely out of step. I cringed, every fiber of my being willing them to get it together...soon. I knew within the first two steps they made that this would be the lowest point of the day. And it was. They were unsure and shaken. And it showed.

Nothing I could say to them would make it okay, and I knew that. But I had to make sure they snapped out of it. They couldn't see how disappointed I was, or how worried I was that they wouldn't be able to pull it together. We still had two more events.

They halfheartedly marched back up the viewing area and slumped into the chairs. I parked myself next to Gengler. He was the one I needed to get through to.

"Hey. Eyes on me." He slowly turned. I was firm, but I was shaking inside. This was the pivot point. He needed to understand. "When we win this bitch and go to Region, I can't have you guys falling apart and choking on me."

Nick spit the words out. "We're not going, Ma'am. That's obvious." I snapped right back. "Nope. You're not. Not with that attitude."

He rolled his eyes and fidgeted with his flight cap. He didn't need a rah-rah speech. He was ready for the big guns.

I dropped my voice to a near whisper. "Right now, Custer's team is walking around laughing at you guys, because right now, you're acting like it's over. They've already won if you do that. I taught you better than that. You guys are the best here. You know that. Don't go out like this. Don't go out like a bitch."

He looked down, thinking this over. He turned and glanced at the Custer team, having a great time laughing and joking a few yards away. When he turned back to me, his eyes were determined. "I'm not a bitch, Ma'am." Ehrichs leaned over. He had heard the whole thing. "I'm not either."

Okay. We were getting there. Time to finish it off. I stood up. "Color Guard - on me." They all rose and circled around me. "This is what we're going to do. We're about to do the last drill event. We're going to take that 80-point deduction and shove it right up their ass. We're going to go out there and show them how a flag is SUPPOSED to get run up a fucking pole, and then we're going to show them what a 1-3-5 fold is, and then we're gonna show them how to do a damn BOX STEP! Got it?"

They looked at each other, and then they each nodded solemnly in turn. Time to show them how we do it in Brookings.

We drew the last go for the outdoor presentation, and while we were waiting, Lt. Odle came up to me. "You guys are still in the running." I was surprised, but kept it cool. "How so?" He grinned. "You're in second. Behind Custer." That was all I needed.

I went back to the team and we huddled up. "Okay guys. You want proof that this isn't over? We're in second." They perked up. "Behind WHO?" I paused for effect. "Custer."

Dead silence for a moment. Then Gengler's voice. "Oh, HELL no. We are NOT losing now. Not to THEM of all people." The others murmured their agreement, and I knew that I was about to see the best performance of my guard that they could give me. I quieted them, and finally said, "My faith in you hasn't wavered. I want you to know that. Go have some fun."

They all slapped my hand as they went by to form up, and as they marched over to the judge, I was once again moved to near tears. They were perfection in motion all over again. They had conquered their fear, their anger, and they were about to shine. They received the flag from the judge, and proceeded up to the flagpole. I knew they had their numbers down for the pulls, so I was surprised when the flag only went 3/4 of the way up. What was the problem? Then I realized that it was stuck. Without looking up, they'd never know where the flag was, and their whole routine would be lost.

But I forgot who my team was. I watched as they compensated for it, and performed a perfect halfmast. I should have known. The flag came down slowly, picture perfect as Meyer gathered it up. They unhooked it and folded it tightly, never looking down, their instincts and training keeping their timing tight. I walked around the perimeter to get a better view, and as I passed the chief judge, he spoke to me.

"Your team is shit-hot. Excellent training. Are you their trainer?" I smiled proudly. "Yes, sir." He shook his head. "I'll tell ya...They're VERY sharp." I could have flown on my own power at that moment. I simply nodded and said "thank you, sir", moving around to watch my guys finish the fold and execute a 4-man box step to reposition themselves. They marched back up and presented the flag to the judges, who inspected it carefully for any of the red stripes showing. A perfect flag fold has only the blue and stars showing, with 1, then 3, then 5 stars in a triangle. I watched the flag as they each passed it down and looked at it. The last judge turned it over and shook her head, and I saw it. One, three, five. They had done it.

Lt Odle sidled up to me as they marched off. "It's all coming down to the physical fitness, Kit. You're tied for first."