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YOUR military experiences

Discussion in 'Free Fire Zone' started by Doc Raider, Sep 27, 2002.

  1. Andreas Seidel

    Andreas Seidel Member

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    I never weighed my regular backpack, but when full and if you're carrying all your other stuff, a rifle or even better a Panzerfaust (AND a rifle) and all then you'll probably touch 50-60 kilos.
     
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  2. sommecourt

    sommecourt Member

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    My advice - never volunteer for anything, mate.

    You're just asking for a world of trouble!

    eg:

    S'nt Major; "Any of you musical?"

    Recruit: "Well, I've played the bugle in the boys brigade s'nt major!"

    S'nt Major: "Okay son, well go and shift that f@@king piano into the officer's mess then..."
     
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  3. Stefan

    Stefan Cavalry Rupert

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    My military experience so far is 5 years in the Combined Cadet Force, army wing, I am a Cadet CSM now and hope to join the Terratorial Army next year. I must say i agree with sommecourt, never volunteer. The best example I can think of was back when i was a L/Cpl leading a 'special detail', we were asked 'who here wants to make sergeant by the end of the year?' 3 of us put our hands off, the corporal said 'well, sergents give people lots of punishments, one of the most common is fatigues, here are brushes and cleaner, clean the abloutions and think about promotion'

    Dont you just love cadet training teams... ;)
     
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  4. Sniper

    Sniper Member

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    Panzerknacker, bank on your standard infantry gear weighing around 50/60 kgs, then add the weight of the SMG etc. If you're strong and very fit, shouldn't be a problem. But don't limit yourself by just concentrating on one goal.

    There are a lot of other nice "toys" out there to play with in todays army. Besides, as the others have said...never volunteer, you don't know what you might be in for. If your NCO knows his business he'll slot you in to where you're best suited in the unit. Remember it's all a team effort.

    Remember this too. After the sniper has taken out your officer, the next target is the machinegunner..... :D :D :D

    Just go out there with an open mind and enjoy it.
     
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  5. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Listen to this stupid little pathetic brat! Jeez... :rolleyes:
     
  6. Ironcross

    Ironcross Dishonorably Discharged

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    Trust me, the Germans won't teach anyone lessons any time soon. I am afriad most of them lost their guts after WWII. If you want to kick some @$$, join the U.S. army.
     
  7. T. A. Gardner

    T. A. Gardner Genuine Chief

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    US Navy active and reserve about 27 years. Retired now. I started out in the US Naval nuclear power program. Trained on S5G, A1W and S5W plants. Served most of my active duty on the USS Enterprise due to the A1W experiance.
    As a reservist served with Ship's Intermediate Maintenance Acitvity (SIMA) San Diego in shops 51A, 51B, 10A, 10B, 51G, 51H, 10C, etc. Mostly either as an electrician or in the ship's superintendant's offices supervising repairs. Also served in Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare unit 106 (sort of hi-tech coast watchers) and also as a manufacturer of some of their gear (I'm really good at making stuff....or, more close to reality making other people make stuff). Also served in Afloat Training Group 22 San Diego (train the ships crews to do their stuff). Last command was Naval Support Activity Bahrain where I served mostly with Public Works condeming local contractors and cursing the stupidity of junior sailors (like a Chief would do anything else!!)..... Yea, I look like my avatar and act far worse. For example, my lead machinist in a shop I ran never felt the day was right until I came in and screamed at him about his non-productivity, lack of effort, inability to supervise his subordinates, and poor personal hygene. "Yea, yea Chief, I'll get right on it...." The guy was a reservist who works for Raytheon as their lead quality control tooling machinist. What really surprised him was that more than once I taught him something!
    I served with other commands along the line at some point, ship and shore. The USS George Philip tried hard to get me to stay around right after 9/11 when I went aboard for about a month to fix their electrical problems. The ship's electrician's were thrilled they had a voice finally that would take no crap from any officer. The electrical problems were cured in short order taking pressure off the shop to get things fixed. But, I did have bigger fish to fry and couldn't take that offer going elsewhere to stir up crap with the big sharks.
    Believe me, my noterariaty as a get things done maintenance guy were widely known; as were my back door dealings to get work into shops. Just before I retired NavSea e-mailed me for a active duty request for a year to go to Iraq (I'd been to the Middle East five times already to fix stuff the active duty people were too stupid or lazy to fix themselves) and supervise installation of Raptor ECM systems in vehicles. No details.....I think that is best here.
    Anyway, been there. Done that. Think Regimental Sergant Major on a bad day with a really sarcastic and evil attitude.
     
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  8. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Aquila non capit muscas

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    He's being modest, you know :D
     
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  9. chocapic

    chocapic Member

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    I made my 10 months military service in France (it was compulsory at the time).

    I had the standard 2 months "individual soldier formation" mostly walking, runing, some target shooting, group exercices, not really worth it. It was in a huge former NATO base, about 5.000 – 8.000 new guys like me arrived each 2 months.

    After this, I ended as a barman, and I tell you this means heavy load of work in the army lol !

    I've got 2 fun memories, which illustrate perfectly the overall surrealistic stupidity I met there :

    During the first few days, we passed all sorts of medical tests etc... and all of us who needed glasses had glasses made there.

    The glasses where handed to one of our officers and this idiot started distributing them to us like if they were biscuits : each guy a pair ! One guy had to remind him that glasses were made for a given person and he had to check to names inside the box to give each pair of glasses to the guy they were made for !

    The other memory :

    Our company was spending the night outside as part of an exercice, and one of our officers, an enlisted guy, told my smal group (section) that we (non enlisted) were so bad soldiers, that in the case of a war, he would shoot us first because it was too dangerous to make war along with such incompetent people.

    Then I said to him : "No problem, same here : in case of a war my first bullet is for you ", the other guys in the section (all non-enlisted) all agreed, and the officer felt lonely and shut the up before we all jump on him and go from theory to practice :D
     
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  10. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Aquila non capit muscas

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    I was called up for my medical exams (we had general conscrition at the time) and was deemed fit for service. However when induction time came in a letter delivered to my home in hand by a police officer (when my mother answered the door and saw a cop asking for my name she nearly fainted!) stating that instead of regular army I was inducted in territorial reserve.

    What happened was that at the time the armed forces were heavily demobilising from our colonial wars so their need for smart alecs was rather diminished. So to reserve I went, till I finally reached age limit in 2001. I never spent a minute in service since those chilly 8 hours in that 18th.century barracks where I went for my med.
     
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  11. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

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    A lot has happened in 5 yrs. Welcome back my friend.
     
  12. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    I wonder if T A Gardner looks a little like ....

    [​IMG]

    :(
     
  13. Sloniksp

    Sloniksp Ставка

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    Im not sure that I would go as far as to say that the Germans lost their guts. Restrictions put on their millitary resulting in the loss of most of their army due to 2 world wars yes, but not their guts. ;)

    As for me, I signed up for the navy several years back but then a bad car wreck left me with plates in my arm making me ineligible as I could not pass the physical :(
     
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  14. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Yes, they remain as megalomaniac as ever! :p (and I was born and raised as one, so I know). :rolleyes: :D
     
  15. Sloniksp

    Sloniksp Ставка

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    Ah ha, I knew it!!! :D
     
  16. Hawkerace

    Hawkerace Member

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    I am too young.. and I don't plan as having the Military first on my list of occupations in the future.

    My uncle apparently took part in the French's Foreign Legion! Never talks about it though :( must be un-happy thoughts.
     
  17. Stefan

    Stefan Cavalry Rupert

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    Well, I've been in the TA for 3 years now, still enjoy it, I've got a place on the Sandhurst course in September for the final stage of training before they give me a troop, should be fun.

    Who knows, today Sheffield, tomorrow, the world!
     
  18. Owen

    Owen O

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    I did 3 & 1/2 years in the SF Platoon, 1 Wessex (TA) from 1986 to 1989.
    Went to Germany on Ex Bold Guard in '86 and Denmark on Ex Bold Grouse in '88.
    Made it to L/Cpl.
    Lots of fun firing thousands of rounds through the GPMG on a tripod, not so much fun carrying the bloody thing.
     
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  19. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Some of those photos from SFOR I promised:

    Bosnia1.jpg

    The usual sight. Houses burnt, the oven and fridge thrown out, and the house mined so the original owners would not return.

    Bosnia1.jpg
    Bosnia 2.jpg

    Co-operation with the US forces.

    Bosnia 3.jpg

    Finnish unit in a shooting camp getting ready in the morning.

    Bosnia 4.jpg

    Our unit "showing force" patrolling the Bosnia valleys.

    Bosnia 5.jpg

    Our shooting camp in western Bosnia.
     
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  20. Thumpalumpacus

    Thumpalumpacus Active Member

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    I served four years as a firefighter in the USAF, stationed at Ft Worth with SAC's 7th BW.

    Two deployments for a total of eleven months supporting Operations Desert Shield/Storm/Calm (801st BW(P) in Spain during the war, 4409th CSG in Riyadh after).

    Worked one Class-A loss (F-16B, total loss, two dead) at Carswell AFB, one PC-9 crash at Riyadh AB, numerous auto accidents, and several fires both structural and wildland. Lost one brotha firefighter to a training fire in Jan 1990.

    My Basic Training portrait:

    [​IMG]
     
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