The Veteran Thread

[Wolfsong]

Originally Posted by theoddz

On another note.......

This in today's news:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...in-combat?lite

Personally, I knew of/served with a handful of Women Marines who, IMHO, could have held their own in combat. One friend of mine used to work down at the base Motor Pool and she could carry a bus tire under each arm. She was tough as nails, strong as an ox and meaner than a snake, too!!! I think she could have made the grade, though I also knew some who wouldn't have been able to hack it.

What say you all?? Opinions???

Semper Fi,
~Theo~

I think if you can do your job it shouldn't matter. It will be interesting to see how many sign up for 11 Bravo school. I'd be more interested in other more technical combat arms like FA or Air Cav. I suspect you'll see more women there than Infantry.

You know, it is easy to get nostalgic over the romantic notion of high speed - low drag infantry but hey....y'all remember doing this?



That was me......."I can't see, I can't see" and bouncing off a tree.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

I think if you can do your job it shouldn't matter. It will be interesting to see how many sign up for 11 Bravo school. I'd be more interested in other more technical combat arms like FA or Air Cav. I suspect you'll see more women there than Infantry.

You know, it is easy to get nostalgic over the romantic notion of high speed - low drag infantry but hey....y'all remember doing this?



That was me......."I can't see, I can't see" and bouncing off a tree.

My hat is off to all of you.

Not only did I feel claustrophobic watching it but think I started to wheeze a little!

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

That was me......."I can't see, I can't see" and bouncing off a tree. [/FONT]

Don't forget the long strings of snot pouring from your nose and mouth. Everything with a mucus membrane was wringing with it....eyes, ears, nose, mouth....everything.

~Theo~

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by theoddz

Don't forget the long strings of snot pouring from your nose and mouth. Everything with a mucus membrane was wringing with it....eyes, ears, nose, mouth....everything.

~Theo~

Those were the days! We laughed we cried, then threw up... Good times. Thankfully over.

[Wolfsong]

Originally Posted by theoddz

Don't forget the long strings of snot pouring from your nose and mouth. Everything with a mucus membrane was wringing with it....eyes, ears, nose, mouth....everything.

~Theo~

I am still amazed that there is that much packed in there.

Originally Posted by Corkey

Those were the days! We laughed we cried, then threw up... Good times. Thankfully over.

Yup yup glad we can laugh about it now......it was not so funny at the time

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Corkey

Those were the days! We laughed we cried, then threw up... Good times. Thankfully over.

Ya, I'm not sorry I did it, but I wouldn't want to do it again.

For us, I think this about says it all:



Semper Fi,
~Theo~

[Wolfsong]

I wish I had been a little wiser, I wasted a lot of opportunities. I should have never, ever, ETS'd. That was one of the biggest inner turmoil's that I'd ever experienced in my life. That argument with myself to re-up or get out to go to college went on for an entire year. If there was anything I'd ever been born to do it was career Army. I knew though that in spite of the fact the military claims you can go to college while your on active is an option, it really is not. There was no way I was ever going to pass some of my courses and do the things that I was expected to do. I figured I'd gone in the Army to go to college and I needed to do the right thing and actually go to college. Ah well I have a degree.....and a commission.....which I likely would not have gotten if I stayed in. (OCS was not really on my radar while on active). The Reserves and the Guard were good to me but it was never really the same.

I think opening combat arms will open opportunities for women. If I was a kid now I'd go in and stay considering the economy. I don't know. You guys know that I have 2 buddies, Tim and Steve, that I got commissioned with that have spent the entirety of their adult lives at war? Literally from the 1st grain of sand in Desert Shield. They both recently came home for good safely and amazingly in one piece. I just don't know how you would assimilate to a civilian life after that. I ETS'd in February and by the following spring I was enrolled in college. That was the most miserable few months of my life. I didn't know how to be a civilian. I can't help but think about the kids now that have been stuck in this cycle for some real time. I think that it will change an entire generation in terms of how women view themselves, conduct their lives, and raise their children.

[Wolfsong]

Daughters and moms now consider rape before applying to military

To be honest this never entered my thinking, at least, not from our own. It did occur to me while we were training pre-deployment to Desert Shield that this was something that could happen at the hands of local civilians, allied military members, and, of course, enemy combatants.

Thankfully, I never knew anyone that was attacked or even heard of it happening in our battalion or the combat arms battalions we were supporting. There was ALOT of hanky panky going on among the married hetero group. It was high comedy (and ok that kind of vile disgust that you feel watching Jerry Springer) to watch who's door is opening and closing through the night, tip-toeing their walk of shame, while on CQ.

It isn't the same Army though. I'm not certain that the 17 year old Wolf today would make the same decisions that 17 year old Wolf did then.

[traumaqueen]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

I think if you can do your job it shouldn't matter. It will be interesting to see how many sign up for 11 Bravo school. I'd be more interested in other more technical combat arms like FA or Air Cav. I suspect you'll see more women there than Infantry.

You know, it is easy to get nostalgic over the romantic notion of high speed - low drag infantry but hey....y'all remember doing this?



That was me......."I can't see, I can't see" and bouncing off a tree.

I got to stay in for two rounds and a few repetitions of the Soldier's Creed...something about being a smart-ass.