I have just finished reading Entering the Rhineland, and as someone with varied editorial and writing experience over almost 50 years, I wish to say that this is the first thread I've read that could, with virtually no editing, be guaranteed of acceptance by one or more of the top 10 science fiction & fantasy magazines today. Indeed, I'd send if off after only an hour of light copy editing. I'm not sure if it classifies as a long short story or a short novelette, but it is truly professional writing. If the author has never considered publishing it, he should consider it now.
Please note that this is not meant to demean the many excellent threads here of much longer length. Some of them could be published, either in whole or in part, but they would require substantial rewriting, tighter plotting and more character development. My judgment about Entering the Rhineland is that it's "good to go," in part because the author understood how to keep it tight.