Big News - I'm going to Iraq!
- Thread starter TNT
- Start date
Spunky
Active Member
TnT,
I love you and all servicemen. I am an ex ARMY 25th Infantry soldier who was trained for jungle warfare.
My personal recomendation is to keep your head low and survive.
I love you and all servicemen. I am an ex ARMY 25th Infantry soldier who was trained for jungle warfare.
My personal recomendation is to keep your head low and survive.
Larry
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Hey Spunk, were you in country?? I was attached to the 101st. Where'd you serve? Did you train in LA/Polk?
Spunky
Active Member
Larry,
Basic at Ft Ord, CA and AIT at Ft Polk, LA.
On my way to Nam when the war ended and spent my time on Oahu in the jungles fighting mosquitoes and cane spiders.
We were in the field 3 to 4 weeks a month for 2 years and I never dug a pit as lava rock cannot be dug with an entrenching tool. We just marked out the outline in the dirt.
GSR operator so I slept in the day and at daybreak when I was off duty, I'd take the jeep to my stashed board and surf pipeline, Gas Chambers, Velzyland or Waimea when the swell was there.
I carried a Colt M-16 A1 for a while and changed to weapons platoon and carried a Colt M-203. The M-16 I used in basic and AIT was a General Motors one and was a piece of shyte.
No Combat Infantry Badge for me....just a National Defense Ribbon.
Basic at Ft Ord, CA and AIT at Ft Polk, LA.
On my way to Nam when the war ended and spent my time on Oahu in the jungles fighting mosquitoes and cane spiders.
We were in the field 3 to 4 weeks a month for 2 years and I never dug a pit as lava rock cannot be dug with an entrenching tool. We just marked out the outline in the dirt.
GSR operator so I slept in the day and at daybreak when I was off duty, I'd take the jeep to my stashed board and surf pipeline, Gas Chambers, Velzyland or Waimea when the swell was there.
I carried a Colt M-16 A1 for a while and changed to weapons platoon and carried a Colt M-203. The M-16 I used in basic and AIT was a General Motors one and was a piece of shyte.
No Combat Infantry Badge for me....just a National Defense Ribbon.
angus
Active Member
[quote author=brucewayne131 link=topic=16186.msg204991#msg204991 date=1201887343]
Congrat's Jack.................Make us proud !
I'l be praying for your safe return !
[/quote]
agreed
Congrat's Jack.................Make us proud !
I'l be praying for your safe return !
[/quote]
agreed
vkgphil
Active Member
larry/spunk
was your experience anything like kubricks movie full metal jacket? i love that film. in the extra features a comment is made that of all the vietnam era war movies, this one is regarded the most realistic.
i also thought apocalypse now (and the redux version) had to be a pretty good depiction.
was your experience anything like kubricks movie full metal jacket? i love that film. in the extra features a comment is made that of all the vietnam era war movies, this one is regarded the most realistic.
i also thought apocalypse now (and the redux version) had to be a pretty good depiction.
Red devil
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Full metal Jacket=awesome movie.
Larry
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You really lucked out Spunk! I was a Ranger School washout and wound up in Vietnam as an infantryman attached to the 101st AB. I took AIT at Polk......Tigerland!(what a hell hole!). Went through 8 weeks of Ranger Training (in Polk as well as an extension of the main training ctr..can't even remember where the heck it was). Washed out along with 70% of the guys that volunteered for it and got shipped to VN. Landed there as a greenie and learned to deal pretty quick.
Waded all the way there and all the way back with nary a scratch and maintained my sanity. In 12 months participated in only 2 firefights and to this day am still clueless as to who/what we were shooting at as the post patrol yeilded a bunch of shredded jungle and nothing more. Saw lots of guys who were not as lucky as me and lots of civilians, NVA and VC bits and pieces. Not to worry TNT, things in Iraq are nowhere as bad as the unorganized chaos we faced back then.
To answer your question Phil......Take about 40% Full Metal Jacket, 30% Platoon, 10% Casualties of War, 10% The Deer Hunter and 10% Apocalypse Now and that's what it was like. Lots of being scared, drama, wisecracks, confusion, innocent loss of life......all commanded and orchestrated by egotistical psychotics who never even left Washington (Yeeesh......now I'm going to put on my peace symbol and play my Country Joe and the Fish album........)
Waded all the way there and all the way back with nary a scratch and maintained my sanity. In 12 months participated in only 2 firefights and to this day am still clueless as to who/what we were shooting at as the post patrol yeilded a bunch of shredded jungle and nothing more. Saw lots of guys who were not as lucky as me and lots of civilians, NVA and VC bits and pieces. Not to worry TNT, things in Iraq are nowhere as bad as the unorganized chaos we faced back then.
To answer your question Phil......Take about 40% Full Metal Jacket, 30% Platoon, 10% Casualties of War, 10% The Deer Hunter and 10% Apocalypse Now and that's what it was like. Lots of being scared, drama, wisecracks, confusion, innocent loss of life......all commanded and orchestrated by egotistical psychotics who never even left Washington (Yeeesh......now I'm going to put on my peace symbol and play my Country Joe and the Fish album........)
Spunky
Active Member
Larry is right....
You can also add the movie Jarhead to the mix to get an idea of the insanity of being in an Islamic country.
I also took Ranger training but we never got our certifications as the instructors got busted for beating up wayward Marines for fun.
I did partake in the first DA recognized Reconnaissance Scout training and passed until the last week when my knees could not function after being pounded by a boulder during survival and slipping off the rappelling tower twice. Rappelling out of a helicopter was nothing as long as you were careful and didn't slam the deck face first.
I really tried to finish but at one point when you cannot physically get up to salute a Lt Col and they try to fry you in a Special Courts Martial for refusing to obey a direct order, you have to ask yourself if this is worth it. I was the lowest ranking soldier in the Recondo school and all the eyes of the ARMY were on us. I tried but could not stand, much less walk a step so I was sacrificed....This is the military.
I was like "The Waterboy" in high school football and also in the ARMY. Nickname was Audie Murphy and I could do more situps in a minute than anyone in the Battalion. My 132 out of 140 GT score didn't help me either as I was the target of the West Pointers for Guard duty and hated by the lesser officers for my education and ambivalence towards the stupidity of the NCOs.
Just keep your mouth shut and stay out of trouble......
You can also add the movie Jarhead to the mix to get an idea of the insanity of being in an Islamic country.
I also took Ranger training but we never got our certifications as the instructors got busted for beating up wayward Marines for fun.
I did partake in the first DA recognized Reconnaissance Scout training and passed until the last week when my knees could not function after being pounded by a boulder during survival and slipping off the rappelling tower twice. Rappelling out of a helicopter was nothing as long as you were careful and didn't slam the deck face first.
I really tried to finish but at one point when you cannot physically get up to salute a Lt Col and they try to fry you in a Special Courts Martial for refusing to obey a direct order, you have to ask yourself if this is worth it. I was the lowest ranking soldier in the Recondo school and all the eyes of the ARMY were on us. I tried but could not stand, much less walk a step so I was sacrificed....This is the military.
I was like "The Waterboy" in high school football and also in the ARMY. Nickname was Audie Murphy and I could do more situps in a minute than anyone in the Battalion. My 132 out of 140 GT score didn't help me either as I was the target of the West Pointers for Guard duty and hated by the lesser officers for my education and ambivalence towards the stupidity of the NCOs.
Just keep your mouth shut and stay out of trouble......
oldrockfan
Well-Known Member
Hey i watched that jarhead movie and thought it was good. Loved the last fight scene with the big gorrila guy. Little lockblade came in pretty handy!
Be safe TNT and be sure to drop us a quick note if that is allowed. Take a good reliable camera with you and lots of SD cards so you can get lots of pics while there.
Be safe TNT and be sure to drop us a quick note if that is allowed. Take a good reliable camera with you and lots of SD cards so you can get lots of pics while there.
TNT
Active Member
Well guys it looks like I'm gonna be a .50 cal gunner on a gun truck (armored infantry HMM-V). I'm at Ft Stewart, GA now. Theyhave an area that we're in now that looks like a FOB in Iraq where we'll train. So far nothing exciting. Just a bunch of duffel bag drags, medical, and govt paperwork out the wazoo. We're doing language training now. I'm attached to C Co 1-152nd.
Talk to y'all later! 8)
Talk to y'all later! 8)
T, the .50 is a safe med point between the .22 and the 20mm........ 
guitarweasel
Well-Known Member
I wanna see a pic of Jack with no hair !!
oldrockfan
Well-Known Member
T, that is exactly what my buddy had to do over there. Be safe, be alert and lets all hope we get our soldiers back home soon.
Larry
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Thanks Mick!
The 152nd T? Great unit!!
Hang tight, you'll be home safe and sound before you know it and have stories to tell your grandkids one day!
The 152nd T? Great unit!!
Hang tight, you'll be home safe and sound before you know it and have stories to tell your grandkids one day!
