25 January 2012

Just National Guard...like to drink and play cards...


From the Soldier side:  I remember way back when I was in the regular Army and the National Guard soldiers we had going through training with us were…uh…uhh…well, what can I say?  They were not the same quality of the regular Army troops we had at the time.  I went through AIT (Advanced Individual Training, or MOS school) with a bunch of National Guard guys…and they were pretty stupid. 

In those days, the standards to get into the Guard were lower than the regular Army.  I got out of the regular Army and stayed away for 13 years…before I decided to join the Guard.  What I found after going through Combat Engineer School was that some of the troops we had were pretty good, and some were oxygen thieves.  Of the two types, there seemed to often be something unique I noticed- the good troops usually had full time jobs or where in college and worked hard.  The dudes were usually un-employed, or alcoholics….or both. 

And then there was the weapons and equipment we had prior to September 11, 2001.  We were issued Viet Nam era weapons and vehicles in the 1990’s.  The heavy dump trucks we had were built in 1968 or there about, the rifles were M-16 A1’s….pistols were still the 1911A1 (which is a good weapon) and the good ol’ M60 machine guns.  We still had Jeeps into the 1990’s!!! 

When I ran a weapons range, I fully expected half the machine guns to break before the day was over and they did. 

Despite the old equipment, when we got called up to go somewhere, we always had a good rock solid group that would step up and volunteer.  In 1989 when the Loma Priata earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay area, by midnight we had an entire company of Combat Engineers ready to go….we moved out the next morning with no place to go because the State couldn’t figure out what to do with us.  4 days later, when the State leaders pulled their brain housing groups out of the back sides, they figured we could help in the Santa Cruz area.  The company commander said he needed 30 volunteers, he got 60. 

We liked to drink and play cards:  Click Here for Drink and play cards ....

5 comments:

Coffeypot said...

The regular Army had it's share of gold bricks, too (people who do nothing). I met some pretty cool guys when I was in the Navy reserve...but there were a few who tried to gold brick. The Chiefs would crawl their ass. If you have a group of dead weight, I blame the leadership.

Old NFO said...

Your comment pretty much matches friends of mine who went through the Guard in those days... Re Loma Prieta, I was stationed at Moffett Field, that afternoon we sent about 80 volunteer sailors up in busses to assist in SF. I ended up helping the firefighters because I'd been a VFD and still had my national cert card on me. Sad days there. Speaking of M60's got to shoot the new M60E4 (nee M43) this weekend, NICE gun! :-)

el chupacabra said...

When I first enlisted it was to the NG unit in my home town. I was 17 years old. Afterwards we watched pron in the office on a reel to reel projector, ate chicken and drank beer left over from a wedding reception held in the drill hall over the weekend.
The first time I drove a gama-goat the trailer part was stuffed with soldiers and gear. We drove 4+ hours to our training area. The motor SGT showed me how to briefly PMCS the vehicle and the gear pattern and I drove it out the motor pool.
I've never been anywhere that regular army guys weren't impressed with the quality of more recent NG soldiers.
M-60 MG what a terrible weapon (it's so bad I don't even know where to start).
The M240 makes it look sick.

Anonymous said...

1. Interesting comment on the M60.
2. Was an improvement on the old A4.
3. Most problems with the M60 could be solved by squirting a large quantity of LSA into the receiver.
4. The down side of that was getting splattered with hot oil while firing.
5. Was chosen to be a M60 gunner because of extensive high quality training on the weapon.
6. Total lie. Was a gunner because of my size. Same reason I sometimes hauled a prick 25 (later 77).
7. Believe me, in a fight, there was no subsitute for a couple '60's banging away. Total difference with or without.
8. Everybody, LT included, carried assault packs for the MG's.
9. The M240 was coming on line as I exited. We all wondered if it was heavy enough to put up with the beating an MG takes in a fight.
10. Don't know enough to comment on that.
11. The big danger on the M60 was letting the thing sit, rounds in, open bolt. Even on safety, saw several of them that were sitting untended, cold, fire off a burst. Really unsettling.
12. As for NG, all the ones I met were college grads or older working stiffs who looked down on those of us on active duty. (For being young punks, with everything that goes with that)
V/R JWest

CI-Roller Dude said...

CP, it wasn't so much gold bricks, but some where actually mentally defective.

Old NFO, I'm going get to that earthquake story pretty soon...it was a good one.

el C, Gammo Goats rocked!

Mr West, the M60 was ok, as long as you rebuilt it every so often.