YOUR military experiences

I have seen this mentioned in other areas but couldn't find an actual topic devoted to it. Lots of people in this group seem to be or have been in the military. We aughta get a list together, may be interesting to see what you've all done. I have none - couldn't get in. I'm basically one big birth defect. I just kinda wondered how broad a spectrum this might cover.

 

US Air Force 9 yrs
Electronic Security Command
Electronic Intelligence Unit 6948th ESS

"Pony Express" Some Cold war stuff
"Just Cause" Panama
"Desert Sheild/Storm" Saudi Arabia
"Cameleon" Advisor support in El Salvador
And I did some temporary duty with the White House Communication Corps.

[ 27 September 2002, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: PzJgr ]

 

Sadly--no military experiance. I tried to get into the US Army for 10 years--I passed all of the tests but, they would not take me because of my Asthema and a messed up ear drum.

I had planned on starting out in the Artillery, then on going through some Journalism and Photography courses and to see where that would have led me.

 

Finnish army 2.1.1996-25.11.1996
SFOR Bosnia ( NATO ) 2.1.1997-15.12.1997
Unpredep Macedonia ( UN ) 16.12.1997-23.04.1998

During the army I became reserve second lieutenant.As I went to the peace keeping forces I was promoted to captain, and one year later to major.Now ( after returning to civilian life in ´98 ) I´m back to reserve second lieutenant but how´s that for promotion on the spot??Almost better than war...

 

I served in the army for 11 months. I had an administrative function.

 

Does paintball counts? No, I don't think so...

Well, I have the age to join the military, perhaps the new German Army. It would be nice to teach the French a lesson (again) in some years! But I think I would have to be an staff officer, some Paulus without the charm because I am a very bad sportist person... Beside, I love my life the way it is and don't like changes much.

 

Paint ball sounds good to me...

After being in the army many a time during service I felt that I did not learn much after being able to assemble and disassemble the assault rifle ( well, that´s my story ). Later on the Finnish army has shortened the service to 6 months for normal conscripts, and NCO´s and would-be officers still the 11 months. Anyway, I had a lot of fun during the practices in the forest, and after being in the guerilla batallion ( the hardest place ) we did have some advantages as we were not drilled as hard as other batallions.I certainly hated the first month as " asphalt soldiers ".Getting to the woods and making progress with the defence or attack was excellent.
I learnt to fear the 12.7 mm Russian "Sergei " machine gun and the mines.It was quite an event to sleep with 15 men in the same room and sharing the bathroom with them as well...And in the wilderness ever heard of drop zone minus 20 cms in the toilet...Just call it loads of crap...
Anyway, learning to live in the forest was great and never mind the high ranked officers, they always want to take the shit out of you. Nothing personal by them! After all the talking I do say it was a great experience, especially after normal civilian life, to see that you don´t need the restaurants, cinemas or pubs to go on with your life.And never wish for war!

The best mine site so far. Check it out, as these babes are true killers:

http://www.angola.npaid.org/minelist_complete_bosnia.htm

 

10 Months in the 4./PiBtl 320 of the 5. Panzerdivision. Ascended to the dizzy height of Hauptgefreiter (probably translates to something like master corporal).

Being an engineer, I can only agree with Kai-Petri on mines. I should say several hundreds of mines (training mines) passed through my hands in those ten months. IMHO being an engineer is the best job in any army. You learn a variety of tasks, in fact there is hardly anything you don't learn, you get the largest food allowance and you get good weapons as well. What else do you want?

Since then I have entered the reserve.

 

No service I'm afraid, my armed forces didn't think I was good enough to defend my country until two years ago!

I suppose the worst nearly military experience was at Jenin this year. I'd gone in with a few other journalists, after being harrassed by the Israeli Army (4-hour checkpoint waits, pointing guns and Merkva's at our vehicle that sort of thing). In the town most of the fronts of the houses had gone. The bodies were still under the rubble, and I'm not going to forget the smell. I've never been under fire yet though, dunno how I'll react to it.

Kai: how did you find Bosnia? I never got there, but the boss was in a bus shot up by the Serbs in '95 and was lucky to get out: but then again he's been everywhere (just back from Baghdad).

Jumbo

 

Jumbo,

I was finishing my army in Finland, and as a thought I asked the Finnish UN training centre if it was possible to go somewhere to work under UN.
They said, no way, the queue is long, forget it. Two days later they phoned back, without knowing my name, just the place, that someone had given up his place ( angry wife...) and needed a replacement and fast.I said that I need a little time to think. This they gave me, as though usually you don´t go anywhere if you did not say "yes" before you dropped the phone. Anyway, I called the next day and said Yes. They sent me the tickets to Budapest and on 2.1.1997 I went to the Helsinki-Vantaa airfield, from which I flew to Budapest and we carried on by bus to Bosnia, our base camp " Jussi". I must admit I was pretty shocked by the quick turn of situation, and I didn´t believe there would be anybody to take me further from Budapest...I would not have been amazed if it was a trick by some friends.


Well, during the trip in Pecs, southern Hungary we got our arms and stuff, and as well I put on my fresh military medical officer, a captain´s uniform on.Everything was fresh and new, and must say, it felt great. As we´re going to somewhere I had no idea whatsoever except for what I had read.I was lucky to get there as the war was over, as the men:women ratio was 1:8-9 locally, so holding peace there during war didn´t sound nice afterwards.
I did not need to go to any special training for this as I had just been to the Finnish army.And they needed me at once.

Later on, during the autumn 1997, I had offered to go to the Lebanon for another year, and get me all the medals they can give, and our Finnish ministry said it was ok.Just one week before going there from Bosnia, they told me I was going to Macedonia..It was a nice place to be, like a picnic compared to Bosnia. But I was so pissed I did not want to stay there for more than one rotation ( 4 months ). I did get my major´s rank for my efforts though for the time in UN service.

I also got a nice gift just before leaving. During easter time in Macedonia a UN finance man, from the US, had a heart attack.Nothing serious, fortunately, but the UN wanted a medical officer to escort him to the US, Washington. The US mediacal officers weren´t let to go and somehow it fell to me... So we flew through Europe to Washington, And I had 24 hrs ( unfortunately ) to spend there. As I had a big rose coloured in black on my collars old Vietnam veterans thought I was a general..."Thanx guys,very much, you´re so polite...".Later on I was also rewarded with a huge sum of money as per diem. Sometimes the sun does shine in mysterious ways...

 

Really interesting experiences, Kai! Glad to read them. Thanks for sharing!

Also, beside from my grandfathers (is the plural right?) and an uncle I thought there were no more members of my family involved in the military, but my mother told me the other day that my cousin is a liuetenant in Israel's armoured forces. She commands a M-1 "Abrahams"! And her sister is on the way to join the Army too...

Family...

 

Only service in the Australian Army Cadet Corps so far. Next year, General Entry into the Australian Army, most probably Corp of infantry, I will volunteer to carry the Squad MG-or be an Artillery Gun Number. Both these positions will be held for a minimum of 2 years, and hopefully then the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police will accept me.
I hope to be accepted as a volunteer into 'Tiger Battalion' for UN Peacekeeping duties in East Timor-serve 6 mths-come home with 2 medals on my chest and the Infantry Combat Badge.
Only problem is, I don't want to have to take out all my piercings, but that is the military for you i guess....

 

Served with the Regular Army here in Oz for quite a few years. Trained as a (surprise) sniper, did some survival and "extras" courses with one of our Commando units, and spent some time with the SAS improving my survival skills.

Unfortunately all this was a long time ago. Most of the skills remain but I'm afraid the body has weakened. Oh, to be young again.

Still it was all good fun, met some terrific people, did some amazing things, and wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Most important of all....received a very healthy respect for peace.

______________________

Youth is a blunder, Manhood a struggle, Old Age a regret - Benjamin Disraeli, 1844

 

This is really true, isn't it? I've noticed that when a group around me discusses the prospect of war in some part of the world, the ones to cry "yeah, let's blow their asses' are the ones who couldn't tell a muzzle break from a tank tread while all the ex-military guys adopt a much more cautious attitude.

I'd like to see some of those hawks in a foxhole with a rifle and sixty rounds of ammo with a tank attack underway and see how "courageous" they are then.

 

Totally agreed on that one Andreas,

once you see what you can do with a weapon, mine or other equipment you don´t really want to face it in reality. Like I mentioned the 12.7 mm Sergei, I had a chance to shoot with it quite often. I just wondered who could ever get past the weapon by attacking without any armor protection.

The most horrible gun against infantry I got to use was the granade machine gun, I think it was 30 mm or so. Just a couple of granades and end of the attack...

AS well the mortar was totally lethal, we tried the 81 mm Finnish version, and up to the distance 1000 meters of the five granades all five hit the same spot within 15 seconds ( as fast as you sent them ). As the distance grew the accuracy fell but if you had the enemy nailed they would eat shit all day long...

The worst thing in Bosnia I heard was five jump mines connected to each other....
I also heard that only two guys got away with hitting the jump mine..the other had it hit his balls, the other his backpack...

If you want to see war in Europe, check the war in Bosnia. They had concentration camps where women were raped systematically, and later on sent home pregnant so the shame on the family would be maximal.This happened on both sides.As well in Shrebrenica, there was a camp of 20 000 ( Croats, Muslims ). They fled, and as the serbs caught them, they shot their knee caps first, and the one in the back of their head. We called it " the 9 mm aspirin ". This raw handling happened on both sides so nobody was that innocent to claim that "the other side started it...".

You want a war, go to Bosnia first...

 

You're right Andreas. It's usually the arm-chair generals and uninitiated that cry for blood.

Anyone whose actually used modern weapons and seen their potential for death and destruction usually has a great respect for NOT using them.

Scariest thing I ever experienced was travelling in an APC with 6 other guys and a 7.62 round going off INSIDE. Talk about brown stains on the upholstery. It's a miracle no one got hit. Certainly boosted out respect for life.

 

Yikes, Sniper

Don´t really want to even think of 7.62 mm round going around...After that no-one of the crew was lucky in lottery having spent all their luck there...

 

I know that there is a great deal of stopping power in a 7.62mm round, so I can only imagine 5.56mm rounds spitting out inside an APC.
Like the tragedy that ocurred a couple of years ago in East Timor when Corporal Stuart Jones was killed by a discharging weapon inside an ASLAV. I hope I never to experience it!!!

 

A question for those that have seen military service-Would it, in all actuality, be wise of me to volunteer to carry the Squad MG, or should I just stick to carrying around the 5.56 AUG STEYR?

 

Panzerknacker,

What I have seen with MG you do get a lot of firepower, but then again carrying the gun+some ammo, it does get quite heavy after a while. If you are strong and enjoy carrying heavy things, then I think it´s ok.Otherwise forget it, in the army you have already without the MG a lot of stuff to carry.In the Finnish army the backpack weighed some 40-45 kgs.And that does not include the gun, helmet, the shovel, and every other man carried an axe as well. Almost forgot the hand granades...

During battle you only wear the attack vest weighing some 15 kgs. During full-pack drills you wear it all!!

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Back to people wanting war. Saw this pic today from eastern front 1942.Look at it for a minute and think it could be YOU.Then ask yourself, do I want war? Not a very happy sight...

http://www.gri.it/gallery/piechi/chiesa16.htm