[439/441] Colonel’s riddle

In preparation to end Mission 441, a Colonel has asked to provide a riddle to my readers.  Your goal, should you choose to accept it, is to follow the Colonel’s riddle and answer his questions at the end of this post.  Please guess at any time, although I will not respond to Guess Comments until I post the solution on a future post (which may or may not be part of Mission 441.)

Attention, sirs!  This is Colonel S. speaking.  You’ve been in Camp Girt for a while now.  And it’s time for your promotions, if you can answer my riddle.

I and your two other Lieutenant Colonels are your senior officers in this First Through Fourth Brigades.  We have had a lot of attrition in these brigades, and I have especially seen people jumping off the cliff in the First Brigade.

In fact, this cliff is the big test for Lt. Col. T. for his promotion. And he happens to share my first name.

We have been secretive about our first names and even our last names, but to curb any more lemming activity in this camp, it’s time to reveal at least three secrets about this camp.

So, you’ve all been here for at least a fortnight. We are not trying to punish you.  Your basic training must be in secrecy–we are all irrational here, but have to deal with the rational folks in this world.  We can win this battle–I’ve got the help of more troops coming.

I must tell a dark secret about me: I recently headed to the attic of the ensigns’ barracks, and I know that you have been confused by the mixing of ranks of different versions of armed forces. It’s not just in your imagination, but this camp runs things strangely.  Yet, it should make perfect sense.  I can prove this to you, at a later time.

Fifteen-hundred hours is when we will mobilize for battle.

And remember soldiers, you are the ninety-second class through this academy. This is important for everyone.

And our lineup? Everyone lines up in an 8-by-8 formation, and then I will lead the charge.

Oh, and one more thing. Our superior, M.P., is ready to stomp on both Lt. Colonel T. and myself if we don’t get this figured out. That would not be pretty, so I ask you: What is my first name?

(Lt. Colonel T. then adds, “And let me help you: the initials of ‘The Ante Next Game’ starts my last name.”)

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Today is the four-hundred and thirty-ninth day of Mission 441. Two days remain.