From the Soldier side: Do me a favor. Go ask the average citizen tomorrow what holiday it is. I'm working (my cop job) so I'll ask a few folks while I'm at it. (I hope to get at least one DUI arrest!)
The problem I have is: I have a few friends who are no longer able to have a beer on Vet's day. Both died in Baghdad, Iraq. Mike died in Nov 2004- just before we got there and Roberto died in Jun 2005 while I was there. I made my goal in life to find every asshole insurgent who had anything to do with IEDs and have them killed or captured. When one or two didn't want to surrender and died in the battle...I was just as happy as if they had been caught.
Cold? You bet your ass.
The USMC is having a birthday today.
When my team and I got to Baghdad in Dec 2004, we were sent out a few days later to Fallujah, Iraq. We were attached to the 1st Marine Division and I worked with a Marine Gunny Sergeant and a Gunner. They got us ammo....something the Army was not able to do. The Gunny also showed me how to get a team out into a war zone and get back alive. He also taught us how to have fun where there was none. I wear the 1st Mar Div patch as my combat patch...totally un-authorized, but so far nobody has had the balls to tell me that.
For trivia, what is the oldest US Military service still in use today?
Since I'm in a trivia mood, I ran the 9mm pistol range again last weekend for my National Guard battalion. We had the M9 and the M11 pistol. Can anybody tell me what the M-10 pistol is?
We also have M-4 carbines. Most know what the M-1 carbine is. Can you tell me what the M-2 and the M-3 carbine are?
...and what about the terrorist attack at Fort Hood last week? I've been waiting to see what all the Army and FBI have for info...but one thought I had since Iraq:
Why doesn't the army do psychological screening for all higher ranks....like anybody above E-6 and above O3. I ran into some regular Army leaders in Iraq that if I had run into them while working my civilian cop job in Calif, I'd have taken them to the county mental health unit for a 72 hour hold. (5150 W&I code).
7 comments:
I would guess that the oldest military service today would be the Citizen Soldier - National Guard. I don't know firearms as I was a lover (both hands equally) in the Navy, not a fighter so I don’t know weapons like you Army types do.
At least, tomorrow when you can, hoist a beer to Mike and Roberto. I’ll do the same for them.
Happy Veterans Day to all you special people - and peace to those no longer with us...........
sargesmom
1. Thinking of you and all serving military today. My contingent, not so much.
2. Am not hoisting much of anything, today. Another side effect of the aging process.
3. Don't know if psychological screening will help. Things change, people especially, in a war zone.
4. Warned my brother about that prior to his deployment to Iraq.
5. His boss (who had requested his assignment to his staff) turned into a screaming flake.
6. Brother had known this guy most of his career. Had never seen anything like it.
7. Since they were almost never out of the green zone (biggest threat the odd mortar round), wasn't much of a fear factor.
8. Same thing with coming under fire. Some of the most unlikely people turn out to be ballsy and calm.
9. Screening would be something else for the shrinks to screw up.
10. Your comment on starch and glocoat: the sign of a good unit.
11. After Basic, was pretty unlucky in my assignments.
12. Most of them, if I showed up in washed fatigues with polish on my boots, was a standout.
13. In those days, they tended to leave the real bad actors alone (drug dealers, people 'suspected' of assault, robbery and even murder). They messed with people like myself, whose crimes were more normal (drinking and fighting and mouthing off to whoever).
14. The Army did two things between the time I left and the next time I worked with them as a Marine.
15. They got rid of the dirt bags and riffed all the good former NCO's back into the ranks.
16. Made a big difference -and one I felt really good about.
17. Thanks for your life of service and your good writings about it.
V/R JWest
Hi D! Happy Veteran's Day. I expect you are out in your cruiser or on the gun range doing what you do best. I don't have to tell you how proud I am of you, but I'm gonna and you can be self conscious about it later. <3 Hope
went to Applebees resturant for the free vet's dinner.
I guess they were trying to get us in the mood...there was a long line to get in with all the vets coming for their free dinner.
I hate lines, so I went to another place and paid for my meal...
The oldest U.S. military service still in use today is the Army. Formally established in 1784; there was no break in service from the Continental Army, so the Army can honestly claim heritage (as a Federal force) from 14 June 1775.
Second oldest is the U.S. Coast Guard, formed in 1790 as the Revenue Cutter Service.
The Marines were formally established 11 July 1798, when President John Adams approved "An Act for Establishing and Organizing a Marine Corps." The original birthday of 10 November 1775 is the celebrated birthday, though there was a gap in the service's existence between 1785 when the last Navy ship was sold and 1798.
The Navy is next; authorized on 13 October 1798, more than a decade after selling off all its original ships.
And finally, 18 September 1947, only 99 years after the previous youngest service, came the U.S. Air Force.
I think (without trying to look it up) the M-10 is the Sig-Sauer. Though there was an M-10 Smith& Wesson revolver.
M-2 and M-3 were full auto variants of the m-1 carbine
The "National Guard" is actaully the oldest service...but they were part of the 13 colonies.
The M3 Carbine has a infared scope.
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