Tam has an
amusing post, “Imagine Airman Johnny’s disappointment……….” about farm tractors used by the military.
There are
many of us who can relate if we grew up as cowboys doing those glamorous cowboy
occupations, fixing and building fence, and stacking hay bales.
We head off
to the US Army with great anticipation, expecting to drive tanks and shoot large
guns. Once there, we learn of a military specialty called, “Combat Engineer”,
where some aspects are building barbed wire barriers and stacking sand bags. Little training is needed by cowboys.
We spent one
entire week learning about barbed wire entanglements. First, you have your basic
barbed wire and specialty anchors.
Then you have some truly nasty stuff called concertina wire.
After
building the barrier, you learn how to defeat it.
One
unpleasant fact you learn is Combat Engineers are primarily assault troops,
clearing the way for the Infantry through barbed wire and mine fields. Gee, isn’t
that special.
After
spending a week wrestling with the wire, you must gather it up and store it
properly, so the next trainees can use it. You didn’t think the training cadre
was going to do it, did you?
Back to the
training. About two hours into the
course, Private Cowboy is taken aside by one of the Staff Sergeant cadre
teaching the course. The conversation
goes something like this.
SSG: “ Son, you have done this before. I’m going to make
you an Assistant Instructor.”
PVT: “Yes,
Sergeant. So when these dummies over tighten the wire and it breaks, it will
wrap around my legs instead of yours?”
SSG: “I KNEW you were experienced.”
PVT: “Yes, Sergeant.”
SSG: “You see son, I can’t Whomp these dummies along side the head. If you decide to Whomp one, I won’t see you do it.”
Those 60’s
era Army NCOs were a kind and gentle
group, oh yes they were. Just ask one.
7 comments:
LOL, SURE they were... And another reason I went in the Navy, I already 'knew' how to do that stuff... :-)
Smart man. Several cousins were squids.
Well, let's just say 'less' dumb that the average bear... ;-)
When my son decided to join the Army I told him I'd come along when he was with the recruiter. Of course, me being the parent and he being the all knowing teenager, he said, I know what I'm doing, I can do this.
He wanted to be trained on heavy equipment.
He signed on the dotted line and showed me the paperwork, and I noticed the MOS was listed as Combat Engineer.
I tried to make him aware of what a combat engineer was and what they did. Of course being the much older parent and not as smart as an 18 year old, I didn't know what I was talking about. I stood back and let it happen. I even informed him of the fact that most recruiters often leave the service and become used car salesmen. ;-) (the last comment was just for you, WSF,)
I waited patiently for the phone call that came eight weeks later that the recruiter had screwed him......sometimes we just have to step aside and let them learn on their own.
My recruiter retired and started selling appliances for Sears. Can't say he lied to me. I wanted to see Europe and that is where the Army sent me.
So, how does your son like being a ditch boy?
So, how does your son like being a ditch boy?
He's been out for a LONG time. He didn't get sent to the Gulf War and was discharged before our next jaunt into the Mid-East.
More entertainment to the story. His cousin enlisted in Marines about the same time. I remember the crap he gave his cousin about becoming a Marine.
My son ended up spending his whole time at Fort Hood in Texas and from what I understand from other folks, it's one of the many armpits of the Army.
His Marine cousin, after training, spent his whole hitch in Hawaii with a couple of trips to Japan!
He was in during those big Clinton era cuts to the military. Once he got to Fort Hood, he never trained or was allowed to practice his trade. He spent the whole time there working on Humvees.
Once again showing us that indeed Military Intelligence is an oxymoron!!
Sadly, a common story. A cousin joined the Navy "To See The World". After training, he had only one assignment; Adak Island, Alaska.
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