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Craig Garrett grimaced as his knees briefly protested against the effort of squatting on his haunches at the top of the ramp. He used to be able to do that with ease and sustain it for prolonged periods. However, long foot-patrols over rough, rocky, desert terrain, carrying heavy combat packs, almost on a daily basis, will eventually take a physical toll on the body. In recent times he often found himself wondering how well his body would hold up as he approached the latter part of his life. The persistent, dull ache behind his knees was a possible indication of how that was going to pan out. He shuffled awkwardly to one side of the ramp and leaned his shoulder against the wall, only slightly easing the pain.
He looked above the leading edge of the ramp at the colours blending togethe
