Are you or have you ever been in the Armed Forces?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I know that feeling, in the US Army today the people who work there asses off dont get promotions but the people who sit around and are lazy from there job get promoted quickly because they get the necessary paper work and classes and points required to get promoted.

 

[BombTaxi]

I enjoyed the challenge, my section was compulsory service and that meant a lot of kids who didnt want to be there. As well as them, there were the natural troublemakers and the general jerks, but somehow I managed to get all of them through recruit training. After that, they were someone elses problem and I got a platoon of normal kids. That, as you might imagine, was a relief!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I bet it was. Its the same way in my unit. When I was in the mechanic unit it seemed like I was surrounded by thiefs, idiot, and violant people and then I progressed into the flight companys and it seems like I am surrounded by bright and normal people. When I go and look at the mechanic company I see the same idiot people still.

 

[Napier Sabre]

Spose I was quite lucky, you get the obvious couple of pains up the ass, but a few weeks scrubbing floors does the world of good I found. In general though, the lot I had were pretty decent. We got 'em to the point where they could take apart and put an L98 back together blindfolded. Did work 'em pretty hard but I hope it paid off because we spend a lot of time organising and working with them.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I remember when I was in Basic Training most the people were pretty good and wanted to be there but there was a couple of people that were complete idiots and they would cause trouble all the time even though in Basic Training there is mass punishment. When one screws up everyone pays the price. So we would give them some blanket parties and stuff and atleast then they would feel some pain too.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

blanket party??

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah a blanket party is where a whole group of guys take a blanket and go the bunk of the guy who is pissing you off and you throw the blanket over him and hold him down with it. Then the rest of you take socks that have a bar of soap in it and beat him with it. It doesn't do a permanent damage to him but it leaves a nasty reminder of what happens when you screw up everything for everybody. It is only done in the worst of cases. I dont condone it anymore, that was just back when I was young. And at some point you just get tired of being punished because someone doesn't care.

Back to where we were talking about L98's, here is some pictures of me when I was back in ROTC and we went to the Bristol Army Cadet Force camp in England for a few weeks.
I was a Cadet Leautenant at the time in the position of Platoon Leader. We trained with the British cadets and went out on exersices with them, used there weapons such as the L98 pictured here, it was quite fun.
The first picture is of me taking a break while out on exersice (I am the one on the left).
The second is of me with a British Cadet.
The Third is a few members of my platoon that I was in charge of. I am the one in the back row second from right.

 

[Nonskimmer]

Cool!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Nice pics. 8)

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Thank you. I am so glad I have my scanner back now so that I can put all the pictures on my computer that I took before I had a digital camera.

Here is one of me getting my wings pinned on after the US Army UH-60 Blackhawk school almost 5 years ago.

 

[Wildcat]

I've served in the Australian Army for the last 4 and a bit years. Done some cool stuff, para course, deployed to Iraq etc but decided it was time to move on. Gotta spend more time with the wife and kid.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

sounds like you've earnt it.........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I've served in the Australian Army for the last 4 and a bit years. Done some cool stuff, para course, deployed to Iraq etc but decided it was time to move on. Gotta spend more time with the wife and kid.

Where in Iraq were you? I flew Blackhawks out of Tikrit for a year. Just got back in February.

 

[Wildcat]

Well I actually wasn't on the land, I had the misfortune of being attached to one of our Naval ships in the NAG to provide air defence. Our powers to be obviously decided our ships needed more coverage than the guys doing it tough on the ground did. Still it was a good experiance and one that I won't forget in a hurry. A year is a long time, the Australian Army standard deployment is only for 6 months ,I was there for 7 from Jan 2003 to July 2003. I bet you have some interesting stories! 8)

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That I do. I would be interested in hearing some of yours also.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

By the way here is how I spent part of my Christmas Eve in Iraq. WAR IS HELL AINT IT!

 

[Wildcat]

Jeez that's alright!! Wish we got hot chicks sent out to us! I'm jealous now In all truth I can't complain, I had a bed to sleep in and hot meals to eat, what more could you want?

 

[evangilder]

What I find interesting about that picture is that all of the soldiers are wearing their helmets, instead of their soft caps while there are scantily clad women out in the open.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

They would not allow us to wear our soft caps. All civilians contractors on our camp were allowed to though. Our camp was mortored and hit by rockets on a daily basis and the top brass was afraid that a rocket would hit right in the middle of the show and kill us all, so they made us wear helmets and have our body armor with us. The show was a WWE wrestling match sponsored by the MWR and the USO. Vince McMahon brought with him The Undertaker, Booker T and about 6 other big name wrestlers along with the WWE Diva's (the hot women, which is all I cared about) and put on a wrestling show for us. That whole week we had some pretty good shows including the rock band Puddle of Mudd which put on a great show. The best part was that I got to fly them all around inluding the hot chicks you see up there.

 

[Wildcat]

Imagine flying hot chicks like that around! you lucky bastard!! Was it hard to concentrate on your flying?