The Person Below Me (TPBM)

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I'm thinking about ice cream now that you mentioned it.

TPBM is smart enough not to try to catch fish with hand grenades... :lol:
 
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Used to be in NZ and Oz.

Re the grenade training: wasn't army but a mate was. He told me how on their first time in the practice area, they threw dummy grenades which had to clear a high protective wall.
It was explained that for live grenade practice only the instructor and trainee would be in the enclosure, and someone asked what happened if one hit the wall and bounced back.
The instructor quickly picked him up and threw him over the wall, and said to the rest "That!" !!!

TPBM is also an ex or current serviceman and will tell us their branch of service...
 
nope the viet nam war was over and the us was trying to get rid of people when i graduaded school.

TPBM wishes they would have gone into the service out of high school...and been able retire at an early age
 
I did go in out of high school. I wish I could have stayed in and retired at an very early age. But the f'n recruiter led me into a rate I couldn;t advance in, and couldn't transfer out of. So i had to leave the service at the end of my hitch. Navy!

TPBM wanted to fly in the service, like I did.
 
I was. RNZAF, straight out of school. Had been applying since I was 13 :)

I would have been retired last year (at 38 ), had defence cuts not put a very premature end to my career much earlier. Still hurts a little to think about, but I've led a MUCH more colourful life because of it, so am more thankful than remorseful.

TPBM has learnt alot from life...
 
I was at boot camp eleven days after grade 12 graduation, 1961. Was due to get out of service 28 June '64 the day before my 21st birthday.

Pres Johnson did a reduction in forces, RIF. Every service man who's discharge date was before July 1 was discharged 90 days early, hence my April Fools Day discharge date. I was assigned a rate in which there were not enough personnel, referred to as a Closed Rate. The day after discharge I went to a recruiter, wanted to join the Navy, as an Airframes Mechanic, "no can do, you are in a closed rate"! Couldn't see joining any of the other services!

So that was that. I truly wanted to stay in service. Sorry for rambling on.

TPBM had a better experience in the service.
 
Me too...last year would have been my 20 year service up. Turned out to be 1.5 years in the event :(

'Thanks' to defence cuts, 1100 personnel were laid off, including alot of trainees (such as myself), and a few Army and Air Force bases were closed down permanently to save costs. As is now well known, the entire Strike wing was disbanded 9 years later too (2001)...no comment on that decision.

But what's done is done.

TPBM is trying to make the future a little better atleast...
 
The way the world is headed, YES.
My own small part in it... remaining optimistic, doing what I can to make things a little brighter for myself and others.

TPBM will tell us an expression or event that has influenced their life...
 
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