Have you served in your Nation's military?

[pigeonmeister]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

I forget, how does one defend oneself against assailants armed with kiwis and guavas? Drop a 16-ton weight on them or release the tiger?

Hit them with a hard 'shock and awe' campaign of whipped cream, a little squeeze of lime juice and some mint. If that fails bring in the smoothy makers!

[pigeonmeister]

Originally Posted by Phrogger

I like a variation on this idea. For example, two years of free tuition at a state university in exchange for two years of service (Peace Corps, Military, or other public service). I think something compulsory would run up against too much opposition.

The Marines paid for my cousin to do his medicine degree. Pretty strong competition but all 3 services offer this to potential officer material in the UK.
I think that some petty juvenile/youngish criminals should be offered National Service instead of jail. But compulsory service is ill advised in my opinion- and there is certainly no need in the UK.

[jBirch]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

As opposed to what? National Guard- and Reserve-type soldiers? ( Not sure we have the same sorts of distinct forces as you do up there. ) Or do you mean career vs. few-term volunteers vs. draftees?

Yeah, career guys that are also not National Guard/Reserves. Draftees are a hard category, but I'd say that they are not "Regular Force" types either. I'm talking the 30 year, 24/7/365 type of soldiers.

I was in the Army ( which was known as Regular Army in some circles, so maybe you understand my confusion ). Infantry, first Rangers, then overseas service guarding nuclear missile bases, and later mechanized anti-tank-missile platoons of a couple of different infantry battalions. Never saw combat, though.

Then I think you'd check Combat Arms and Regular Force.

James.

[jBirch]

Originally Posted by D.O.A.R.

Okay, for you Navy guys......Hatch, deck, head, starboard, fouled, lay, bulkhead. Whats wrong with good ol' fashion english terms? Why the need to make a whole new vocabulary?

Hatch: Because doors can be busted down.
Deck: because floors don't move.
Head: because the toilet refers to the bucket, not the place where the bucket rests.
Starboard: because "Right" is confusing for marines.
Fouled: Because "stuck" is what happens when the anchor is buried, not hung up.
BulkHead: Because walls aren't supposed to be self-sealing coffins.

Don't even get me started on your ranks.

The ranks actually used to refer to specific jobs on specific ships. When you changed jobs, you changed "rank".

James.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by D.O.A.R.

Don't even get me started on your ranks.

Third
Second
First
Chief

What could be simpler? Now, the army!

[jBirch]

Originally Posted by civiltech

ARe you sure about this. I knew a MARS Officer in univeristy who was a sub-lieutenant in the Navy and his education was subsidized by the DoD. He was there endentured slave for a couple years after he graduated though...funny.....though in the Navy, was stationed at HMCS Griffin during the school year....in Thunder Bay.

Pretty sure. If I remember correctly, you had to join up first, then apply for career enhancement training after basic. It wasn't like the US where you "sign up" and then just continue going to school. The only exception to this is admission to RMC (which the CF calls ROTP) and for students in highly valued other programs (like doctors, dentists and nurses) that generally don't want to be serving members. It's a reimbursment plan too, so you have to pay up front for your tuition, then claim it back through DND.

James.

[Phrogger]

Originally Posted by fencerbill

Third
Second
First
Chief

What could be simpler? Now, the army!

Yeah, but what about all the "rates?" HM1 and whatnot...

[gojujay]

Originally Posted by D.O.A.R.

Okay, for you Navy guys......Hatch, deck, head, starboard, fouled, lay, bulkhead. Whats wrong with good ol' fashion english terms? Why the need to make a whole new vocabulary?

Don't even get me started on your ranks.

Those are English terms.

[gojujay]

Originally Posted by Phrogger

Yeah, but what about all the "rates?" HM1 and whatnot...

Rates are for the enlisted. They are the same as MOS. HM1 is a Hull Maintenance Tech First Class (E6). The First, Second, Third has more to do with technical expertise and pay scale, than Leadership roles until you get to Chief Petty Officer (E7) and above. I was an AT3 (E4), Aviation Electronics Technician, Third Class. Once you hit Petty Officer, you were eligible to do general military duties like Shore Patrol, Master-At-Arms (Security Detail) and other things like that.

[Purple Fencer]

US Air Force, 1984-1987 (485th EIG (Engineering Installation Group), Griffiss AFB, Rome, NY)
CA Air Natl Guard 1987-1989 (147th CCSQ (Combat Communications Squadron), San Diego, CA)

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by D.O.A.R.

Okay, for you Navy guys......Hatch, deck, head, starboard, fouled, lay, bulkhead. Whats wrong with good ol' fashion english terms? Why the need to make a whole new vocabulary?

What ELSE do you do but make up new terms when the ocean is 4 days in any direction???

Whjat's confused me recently is the changes in AF insignia. When I served, the "US" on the lapel of the dress jacket was inside a circle for enlisted....no circle for officers...now no one has the circle.

Also, I know they finally combined the Sr. Airman (my final rank) and buck Sgt insignia, since the posotions were basically the same anyway, but they changed the stripe/rocker setup...used to be the single rocker was Sr, Master Sgt, and 2 was Chief Master....now it's one Master, 2 Sr, Master, 3 Chief Master...

Ah well...

[D.O.A.R.]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

What ELSE do you do but make up new terms when the ocean is 4 days in any direction???

On top of that, stick them under water. Those pasty skin guys have some interesting ways to kill time on a 6 hour watch, and the "sea stories" they tell. Very amusing.

I wonder if anyone here would care to share their tales?
My military career was rather bland, but you know, there was this time at band camp.......

[Epee_Pox]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

Whjat's confused me recently is the changes in AF insignia. When I served, the "US" on the lapel of the dress jacket was inside a circle for enlisted....no circle for officers...now no one has the circle.

AF has always been like that. For example back in the day, it used to be only pilots got to wear that nylon pilot jacket, then the MPs wanted it, then others, and you couldn't tell who was a pilot by the jacket any more.

In fact, the USAF isn't the only branch which, for purposes of building morale, decides to make distinctive dress of higher ranks, elite units, or high-profile jobs aspects of general uniform. Army beret, etc.

[D.O.A.R.]

Originally Posted by Epee_Pox

Army beret, etc.

Army beret. This was not a very good directive of General Shinseki.

Amusing history of the beret below.

http://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/20010131.asp

[D.O.A.R.]

They most definitely did not have this around when I was in. Its called a six pack. 6 grenades down-range in 3 seconds. Wow!

sixpack_060309m8112omgl14lr[1].jpg

[La_Fee_Verte]

19 series, Sr rated, Rgr, P-finder '88 to present, 2xSWA. Have and continue to serve.

[gojujay]

Originally Posted by D.O.A.R.

They most definitely did not have this around when I was in. Its called a six pack. 6 grenades down-range in 3 seconds. Wow!

Attachment 1380

Hey that looks like the 40mm launcher that we sometimes use at work. Only when things go really bad tho'

Do you cycle the weapon by pulling the forestock or do you have to wind up the cylinder?

[D.O.A.R.]

Originally Posted by gojujay

Do you cycle the weapon by pulling the forestock or do you have to wind up the cylinder?

Came across it at a milblog. Don't know much other than its an experimental weapon being used by Marines in Iraq. I like the opening line.

http://192.156.19.109/marinelink/mcn...9?opendocument

[Reepicheap]

Originally Posted by jBirch

Yeah, career guys that are also not National Guard/Reserves. Draftees are a hard category, but I'd say that they are not "Regular Force" types either. I'm talking the 30 year, 24/7/365 type of soldiers.



Then I think you'd check Combat Arms and Regular Force.

James.

11 years of regular USAF, flying C-141Bs and T-38As (wheee!). Then left that for the reserves for the past 7 years, 2 of which were called up to active duty flying the C-17A. Visited all sorts of hot and dusty places. The only 'combat' I've seen were sitting in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia during a SCUD attack (put on gas mask, sit in corner, hope all is well; it was) in 1991, and getting a missile warning/flare deployment departing Baghdad in 2003 for a possible SA-7. Didn't see it though. About 50 'combat' missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, but didn't see much besides the one warning.

[Reepicheap]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

What ELSE do you do but make up new terms when the ocean is 4 days in any direction???

Whjat's confused me recently is the changes in AF insignia. When I served, the "US" on the lapel of the dress jacket was inside a circle for enlisted....no circle for officers...now no one has the circle.

Also, I know they finally combined the Sr. Airman (my final rank) and buck Sgt insignia, since the posotions were basically the same anyway, but they changed the stripe/rocker setup...used to be the single rocker was Sr, Master Sgt, and 2 was Chief Master....now it's one Master, 2 Sr, Master, 3 Chief Master...

Ah well...

You left before <shudder>McPeak</shudder> took over as Chief of Staff. His two primary accomplishments were:
1) insult everyone in the air force who wasn't a fighter pilot; and
2) change the uniform to look more like the navy, or RAF, or business suit, depending on how it looked to you. McPeak wanted the Master+ stripes to be more like the Army. I'm not sure why he got rid of the circle for enlisted US insignia. I never understood the Sr Airman vs. buck Sgt thing anyway.

The funniest uniform thing was about two years ago when the USAF decided to get rid of army BDUs in favor of their own, 'cuz that's what the Marines did. So, they invented a blue/grey tiger stripe BDU that would not camouflage anyone anywhere; it looked like it came from a comic book. I think the USAF decided on a more subdued print...