Private Benjamin

It at first seemed like a ridiculous idea, but he spoke so reassuringly, so confidently. She called back to at least agree to speak to him at the recruiting office the following day and, once she was there, she was convinced. He was right!

She had thought that being in the army would be difficult, demanding, even dangerous. But, apparently it wasn't. He showed her a picture of the Fort Ord army base in Monterey, California. It was gorgeous! There were beautiful sailboats, yachts, condos, and he indicated that every soldier gets his, or her, own private room.

"But, I don't have any skills. Really, nothing at all."

He smiled reassuringly. "That's why the army is the place for you." He handed her a list of staff positions. "There are over three hundred possible jobs in the army, three hundred possible careers, and there's only a few not offered to the ladies: trained killers, assassins, stuff like that."

'Well,' she thought, 'that was hardly a limitation.' She certainly wouldn't be interested in anything as gross as that. She didn't think that she could actually kill somebody. If the army wanted her to do that, well they would have to think twice about it.

He continued. "Now, I'm prepared to offer you 458 dollars a month, and that's tax free." It really wasn't. It's just that the salary wouldn't amount to enough for which taxes would have to be paid. "Plus, we will train you in the job of your choice, give you free meals, housing, health care, with dental, and laundry."

"Laundry?"

"Absolutely."

She hated doing the laundry. Her father had always provided her with a dry cleaning allowance. She also couldn't cook. Daddy also provided a restaurant allowance, along with the stylist, spa, and other allowances. The army sounded pretty darned good.

And, it kept getting better. "Plus, a thirty day paid vacation every year. There is no other job close to it. Certainly none with all of these benefits, and no skills are necessary. Imagine all of that and a private room, boating, sailing. A lady with your college education and background could even land an assignment in Europe."

"Europe? I've never been to Europe. I do need to get away for awhile. I would love to go to Paris."

"No problem, and we promise to get you into the best physical shape you've ever been."

She had put on a couple of pounds since the wedding, and the funeral. She kept saying that she would get back on her diet, once she had gotten over everything, but she hadn't. She really did need to lose some weight. She felt that she did not look at all good in her evening wear. It would be like three years at La Costa. That was a resort and spa in Carlsbad that she and her mother always stayed at for a week or two each year. La Costa was really, really nice.

This was really a no-brainer, and for a girl who was often accused of having no brain, that was saying a lot. "I'll do it!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, not surprisingly, it turned out to be a bit more difficult than she had expected. In fact, she got off to a really bad start.

It didn't help that she had fallen asleep on the bus taking the new recruits to the base. But, what should they expect? The bus had left at 5AM! Judy rarely got up before 10AM. She had been so tired that she just had to sleep.

Well, the drill sergeant, Sergeant L.C. Ross, was not at all amused. On the contrary, he woke her up by screaming into her face, chasing her so rapidly off the bus that she fell onto the pavement, her heels flying off.

And, he didn't stop there. As she started to get back to her feet he pushed her back down and told her, "Assume the position, girl, on your dick skinners and beat your face!"

She had no idea what he meant. Yale had at times told her to assume the position, but she was certain that this sergeant guy couldn't mean on her elbows and knees, bottom up in the air. Could he? She began to raise up her bottom to him.

He though pointed to the pavement. "Ten push ups, girl, start knocking them out."

Ten push ups? Was he serious? She doubted that she could do one. But, she knew she should at least give it a try. This was probably how they help you lose weight in the army. It was rather taxing, to say the last, if not down right rude. La Costa would not treat you this way. Wait until daddy hears about this!

She brought her bottom back down and tried to do a push-up but instantly found that her loose skirt rose up her legs. There was quite a breeze on the Biloxi base, seated on the Gulf of Mexico, and her skirt was in the perfect position to capture the wind. "Oh my goodness!" she squealed, pulling the skirt back down. She started to get up to assume a position facing the wind, but Sergeant Ross put a boot on her back and yelled, "Did I tell you to get up, soldier?!"

"Well, no sir, but my skirt."

"Are you in proper uniform, soldier?"

"No sir."

"Well, I believe you will now learn the purpose of an army uniform. Give me those ten, soldier!"

She strained to do one, but a breeze again quickly ran up her thighs and lifted her skirt over her bottom, exposing to view her lovely pink t-back. She liked wearing t-backs when she wore lose skirts, as there would be no panty line.

"My panties! Sir, my panties!"

"Do you call these things skivvies, soldier?"

He reached down and hooked a finger in the strap that went up her butt, and then proceeded to pull her bottom up and down, up and down, counting off her push-ups. "Up, down, up, down, up down, that's three soldier. Up, down, up down."

Judy squealed at the incivility, the irreverence, the embarrassment at being picked up by the t-back strap of her panties, having her naked bottom so vividly exposed to the male sergeant, and to the other recruits, male and female. But, at least he was helping her with the push ups. Perhaps she should be grateful for that.

She soon discovered that there were no yachts at this army base, not even any sailboats, and certainly no private rooms. She tried to explain that they must have sent her to the wrong place, but they wouldn't listen. She was cleaning the latrine with her electric tooth brush the very first night.

But, she struggled through, surprisingly so. The deciding factor was when her parents came to get her. They were ashamed of her. They had not told any of their friends that she had actually joined the army. They told them instead that she was in a sanitarium: Bloomingdale's Asylum in White Plains, NY.

Her father attempted to be understanding about her ill-advised decision to join the army."You were never a smart girl."

Judy was shocked. Her father had never said anything like that before. Well, actually, he had, but only indirectly so by assuming so much control over her life.

"You are obviously incapable of making your own decisions. Starting tomorrow I will not let you out of my sight."

She decided to stay. The army did seem like the worst possible thing for her. Her recruiter had grossly misled her. But, the army was in fact the best thing for her. She did need to grow up, to become strong and independent, to become her own self, to carve out her own life.

It wasn't easy, but she did it. In fact, during the Biloxi war games, the crowning moment of basic training, she impressed the base commander, Colonel Clay Thornbush. He could see that this grunt had unusual potential for special operations. He invited her to volunteer to join the Thornbirds, a crack unit, an elite airborne corp, that specialized in paratroop assaults behind enemy lines and the infiltration of enemy units.

He didn't have to ask twice. Judy absolutely loved their uniforms. They had red barrets and matching red silk ascots. Well, at least they looked like silk. It really wasn't much, but it was a lot flashier than the drab army green. The blouse was a sharp grey with grey buttons and epaulets. The slacks were a light brown. It wasn't a lot of color, but just the fact that it had three different colors went a long way. "I volunteer!" Judy squealed, with considerable enthusiasm.

The Thornbird uniform was also much more suitable to and complimentary of Judy's figure, although she did have a tailor make a couple of minor modifications. She had him take in the blouse a bit in the chest. The extra tightness made her breasts look bigger, or at least more noticeable. The blouses of her fellow female cadets did little to compliment their figures. Plus, she also had the inseam of the slacks taken in so that they were more form fitting. Now her thighs and, most importantly, her bottom, were snugly wrapped. She thought her slacks in fact did wonders for her fanny which, besides the prettiness of her face, was probably her best feature.

She gave a final check to the appearance of her titties and bottom in the mirror, and then headed off to her appointment with the colonel. She hoped that he liked her alterations, although she also knew that she probably shouldn't tell him. You really weren't supposed to alter the uniforms. But, goodness, what's wrong with trying to be presentable?

Private Benjamin stood at attention before Captain Thornbush. Judy was very good at standing at attention. She in fact liked doing it. It was an opportunity to jut our her perky breasts. They weren't very large. She knew that, and any opportunity to pronounce their presence proudly was always very much appreciated.

Colonel Thornbush inspected his new recruit for the elite corp. He slowly circled her body, carefully evaluating every inch or, more accurately, every curve of Judy's lovely little figure. "Yes," he said, "I believe you will do nicely, very nicely, soldier."

"Yes sir! Thank you, sir!"

"So, Private Benjamin, you think you have the right stuff for the Thornbirds?" Captain Thornbush asked. He always spoke with considerable force, commanding the attention of anyone and everyone beneath his rank. Judy still didn't understand why army officers always had to sound so mean and angry when they spoke. It wasn't particularly friendly, or polite.

"Yes sir!" she responded, with as much toughness her high, feminine squeak could muster.

"Yes, well, we'll just see, we'll just see."

"Yes sir," she responded, this time a bit more apprehensively. She pursed her lips in typical Judy fashion, revealing her uncertainty, her nervousness.

The colonel stood immediately in front of her, about two feet away. "You know a Thornbird has to be in the best of shape."

"Yes sir, absolutely, sir." She was confident about that. Her recruiter had been correct at least about one thing. Basic training had put her in the best shape of her life.

"Excellent, soldier, now strip off those dress greys and stand for PCI" (that's pre-combat inspection).

"Sir?" Judy's eyes were naturally big and round. It was one of her more distinctive features, giving her this childlike, innocent look. They got even bigger now.

"I need to see for myself. I can't have a recruit who can't cut it."

"But, sir, I'm a girl. I mean, a woman, and you're well, you know, a man, an older man. I mean, not an old man. I didn't mean that." She was stumbling over her words, making her feel even more awkward. "You're not really old at all. In fact, sir, if I say so myself, sir, you look no more than...."

Colonel Thornbush cut her off. "Stow it, private!" He did though understand her concern. He had been a grunt once himself, and was now known for being quite empathic with the concerns of the lowly private. "Soldier, there is no man or woman in the Thornbirds. There is only the soldier, and a soldier of the most elite corp."

She wasn't too sure she bought that.

"Recruit, at some point in combat we may have to transverse a channel, we may have to share a foxhole, we may be trapped together in the closest of company for days, weeks, at a time. There is no room for petty modesty in war."

That was a very valid point. She considered suggesting that he take off his uniform as well. If there was no room for modesty then perhaps he could just as well strip down to his BVDs. However, it really wasn't the place of a private to suggest to a colonel that he take off his clothes. And, besides, she wasn't too sure that him being undressed would make her feel less uncomfortable. On the contrary, it would probably make her feel more self-conscious, particularly if he got a stiffie. Most men did get erections when she stripped. Actually, every man she ever knew got hard when she got undressed.

"You're not freeballing, are you soldier?"

"No sir!" Judy was, fortunately, not doing that, although she had done so a few times. Freeballing was not wearing underwear in the field or on a long march to prevent monkey butt chafing. Judy though had not been worried about that. She just didn't like pantie lines.

Colonel Thornbush wasn't sure how he felt about that. It would be a uniform violation not to be wearing skivvies, but it might have been a nice wrinkle.

"Alright then, sir," Judy said, quite softly, removing her ascot and beginning to unbutton her blouse. This felt really weird. She was at least alone with him, in his office. Imagine having to do this in front of an entire unit! Most of them probably men, their rifles all coming to attention. Still, her recruiter did say that the army would expose her to new and exciting experiences, and she was indeed about to be exposed.

She stopped after she undid a few buttons. "Must you watch, sir?"

He didn't have to watch her undress. That wasn't really necessary, although it was important to see this recruit perform under pressure. Well, he would at least give her this consideration. He turned away.

"Thank you, sir." Judy though instantly felt silly at having made him turn away. She imagined that must not have been very Thornbird of her. She felt more like a silly girl than an elite paratrooper.

One advantage for Colonel Thornbush in turning his back to Judy was that he could now smile without detection. The sound of the private undressing was actually itself rather erotic. He could hear her arms being slid out of the sleeves. He could hear her carefully folding her blouse, and then he heard the tell-tale sound of the zipper of her slacks. That was a very, very pleasing sound, and then he heard her working the slacks down off her hips. He had seen that they were rather tight. Frankly, surprisingly tight for army slacks, and they were apparently not easy to get down. He did wish he could see that: the pretty Private Benjamin wiggling her hips as she worked her slacks down off her thighs. Well, he could at least imagine the pretty picture it made.

Private Benjamin also carefully folded the slacks, and laid them on his desk, along with her blouse.

"Alright sir, ready, sir," she said quietly, apprehensively.

The colonel turned around, his cock swelling at the delightful sight that greeted him. Private Benjamin was standing before him, bent forward just a bit, trying to protect her modesty, her right arm across her breasts, her left hand hiding her cunnie. It was such an adorably endearing pose, so very modest yet so very sexy. It made her look all the more enticing to see how uncomfortable she was with exposing herself, revealing not only her undies but also how she felt being so undressed before him, so very personal, so intimate, so helplessly exposed.

"Soldier, I will need you to stand erect for inspection," a command presaging his own developing condition.

Judy sigh deeply. She was afraid he'd say that. "Yes, sir," she whispered, and slowly moved her hands, her arms, to her side. And, not only did she have to keep them straight down at her side, she had to stand as straight as possible, her chest thrust out. It was like she was thrusting her chest out from her body, her breasts, to be inspected, which was precisely what she was doing.

Now she wasn't so happy about how standing at attention made her push her chest out, as if she wanted the colonel to notice, to consider them in particular, when in fact she was only doing this so he could inspect her muscle tone and fitness, her biceps and triceps, so she assumed. Was that not in fact the case? It couldn't be anything more than that, could it? Officers often saw their soldiers, their recruits, in their skivvies, and didn't think anything of it. She sure hoped that she wasn't giving him the wrong impression, by poking her titties out like that.

The colonel was noticing a problem: Private Benjamin was again failing to wear regulation skivvies. She was wearing instead a very colorful butterfly mesh thong with little blue forget_me_nots scattered on a honey textured background, with a matching pick-me-up, deep cup brassiere. Yes, these were far from regulation skivvies. "Where is your uniform, soldier?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Judy softly apologized, her face reddening at being caught out of uniform, in more ways than one. "I just really like butterflies. They're my favorite."

"That's alright, soldier," Colonial Thornbush replied. "I like a soldier who is innovative, who thinks in the field." Private Benjamin's taste in uniform would in fact be an asset for the mission he had in mind.

"Really sir?" An inadvertent smile graced her lips. She was so, so relieved. She proudly thrust her chest out once again. "I have many other panties and brassieres, sir. I just think a little color is good, sir, once in awhile. I would be most happy to model them for you, if you wish to consider them, for the unit, I mean." As soon as she said that she realized that it might have been a bit presumptive of her. Still, no officer should be disappointed in a soldier volunteering for additional duty.

"Outstanding suggestion, soldier. Yes, outstanding." Yes, this private really did have what it takes: Ingenuity, initiative, and very, very cute titties. "I believe I would like to inspect some of your additional ideas, your proposals."

His mind though right now was on the state of this private's fitness. That was the matter at hand, and Judy did have a very sexy figure. Yes, her breasts were quite small. They in fact barely filled out her brassiere, which was already on the little girlish size. But, her waist was even proportionately much smaller, and her hips curved out so very well. This was the hour glass figure that defined a woman's body. And, her bottom was as perky as her titties were petite, the v-shaped strip of thong in front just covering only the precise amount that was necessary to keep what little modesty she had. She looked so adorably sexy, standing at attention, her butterfly and forget-me-not titties thrusting out as far as they could, as if they were desperately trying to look so very much bigger, perhaps even masculine, like a soldier should look. Yet, this was one lusciously adorable soldier. He considered having her salute him, but that might be a bit much.

Colonel Thornbush again circled around Private Benjamin, even more slowly this time.

Judy's panties were very sexy from behind, although precisely because there was so very little of them: just the thin strap that circled her waist and virtually disappeared down into the crack of her taut, white bottom. "Touch your toes, private," the colonel commanded.

"Yes sir," Judy responded. It was a direct order, and he did want to see how fit she was. She even hoped that he might have her do some push-ups. She had gotten pretty good at them.

The colonel smiled broadly. The private's bottom rose up so nicely as she bent all the way over, her little derriere becoming rounder and rounder, tighter and tighter, as she assumed her new parade dress position. And, then, coming into view between her thighs, in such an exquisitely appetizing manner, was her colorful little cunnie mound, speckled with little gay butterflies apparently enjoying her sweet feminine nectar.

"Yes, soldier, you are indeed very, very fit and trim."