16 year old, who has questions about the Military, and needs help figuring out his future....

reply to post by mb2591


I'm saying that one should prove and earn the right to lead people, not just get it by default. Having a S*** bag NCO in charge of you is one of the worst things in the world and could end up getting people hurt. That's what I'm saying.

Originally posted by NoClue206
reply to post by mb2591

 

I'm saying that one should prove and earn the right to lead people, not just get it by default. Having a S*** bag NCO in charge of you is one of the worst things in the world and could end up getting people hurt. That's what I'm saying.

Tell me about it.
How the hell does a PFC get Sgt in LESS than 2 years w/ out any combat experience to boot?
I have seen it with my own eyes and I still cant believe it.


To be exact his name was PFC Blanc and he went to E-5 in 15 months.... Some one with infinite logic explain this to me.. by the way he was a tanker.




i wanna add that the guy was pretty high speed, Though I only saw him twice he wasn't taken seriously by his soldiers. If he were infantry he wouldn't have been wearing his rank.

reply to post by NoClue206


I see what your saying but I'd still choose army over marines. Every marine is a rifleman first then what you want to be second.

Personally I want to go rangers or special forces preferably special forces and I don't think I would have the problem you are talking about if I went this route. If your going to be infantry though then yes go marines if not don't I think it's as simple as that.

reply to post by snowen20


He does well in his pft's and has big brain?

Originally posted by snowen20
reply to post by NoClue206

 

I'll tell you what, I have worked with Marines and I have the utmost respect for them, I will go to battle with them any day.
The Army has some push over MOS's. But Army infantry isn't one of them, it has guys just as hardcore as Marines. At the end of the day Infantry is Infantry and we all see the same *SNIP*, The only difference being one is called a Soldier and one is called a Marine. Brothers with different names baby.

I always gave my fellow comrades in the other services guff, keeping the ol sense of humor of course.

But yep, it always brought a smile to my face whenever I was informed that my Team was being attached to the Marines. It got to the point where we were asked for by name. That kind of makes a Soldier feel good.

reply to post by mb2591


hmmm. It goes against my grain.
I would not take him seriously either if I had been a private.
Not to mention, he had a Pretty crappy attitude and a smart mouth, that's how remember him.

reply to post by snowen20


I've seen the same thing in both services. One of my staff sergeants went from E1 to E7 in 5 years, he didn't learn a thing about his MOS because all he did was pt and study USMC knowledge all day for the boards he went on. When he got to my unit I (as a Corporal and NCOIC of nights) had to stay late at work to teach him because he didn't want to let the non-NCO's to see that he knew nothing.

Originally posted by NoClue206
reply to post by mb2591

 

I'm saying that one should prove and earn the right to lead people, not just get it by default. Having a S*** bag NCO in charge of you is one of the worst things in the world and could end up getting people hurt. That's what I'm saying.

That's just one of the reasons I retired. The Army promotes to many politicians, not enough leaders nowadays.

No one wants to do the paperwork to hold back the dirtbags, so eventually they get their next rank. Sad.

Man, I did that. Was working for the Corps of Engineers at 16, declined a full scholarship and took a contract in the Army.

Somehow, Charles Dickens summed up what I felt about it better than ever I could:

IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...

It's a study in polar opposites. I loved it, I hated it. At times I was happier than ever again, at other times I'd have gladly knifed someone. There was a lot of cool s..stuff, a lot of boring stuff, a lot of insulting stuff. Bad food, good food, no food, friends, enemies, idiots in charge of you, pogues in charge of you, people you'd have taken a bullet for in charge of you. Cold. Wet. Hot. Dry. Scared s---less and trying to act like you're not. Learning stuff about the world you'd rather have not known. Getting to do stuff your friends won't ever do. I don't know if I'd do it twice.

That said, there are some kickass assignments that would do you well in civilian life. If you're interested in medicine, get a CRNA degree from the Navy or Air Force. Any sort of helicopter or jet maintenance if you're mechanically apt. I would have said a nuclear operator in the Navy was worth having until lately. Look at it that way - what can you get a contract for that you like doing and pays as a civilian.

Originally posted by TDawgRex

Originally posted by snowen20
reply to post by NoClue206

 

I'll tell you what, I have worked with Marines and I have the utmost respect for them, I will go to battle with them any day.
The Army has some push over MOS's. But Army infantry isn't one of them, it has guys just as hardcore as Marines. At the end of the day Infantry is Infantry and we all see the same *SNIP*, The only difference being one is called a Soldier and one is called a Marine. Brothers with different names baby.

I always gave my fellow comrades in the other services guff, keeping the ol sense of humor of course.


But yep, it always brought a smile to my face whenever I was informed that my Team was being attached to the Marines. It got to the point where we were asked for by name. That kind of makes a Soldier feel good.

Ever PT with the Marines? That's a D***K measuring contest if ever I had one.
A Marine staff Sgt who wasn't gonna have any Army BS and was going to show us. And an Army 1st Sgt who wasn't gonna take any guff from a marine. Lets just say no body won.

reply to post by mb2591


You are promoted automatically to E5 once you get done with SERE. Rank has very little meaning once you are SF though, it's all about your position in the fire team. Recon and MARSOC in the Marines are no joke, they do almost all the same training as the SF guys in the army minus the second language stuff. They go to ranger school, jump, diver, SERE and many other schools just like SF.

reply to post by LandonFromKY


So if your thinking about serving, and you want to ensure that you get something out of it, join the NAVY! See the world, and enjoy! It's just like having any other job, and you will learn about a lot of things, most importantly yourself and secondly, about your fellow human beings. Don't worry about Dumb-Asses that say you'll only be bombing civilians and stuff like that. People like that just don't get it and never will. If you are worried about the potential that something you might do might harm someone like an innocent civlian somewhere in a country were all the teach is that Americans should be killed, just because they are Americans, which would be most every country on the face of the Earth, then I would suggest the United States Coast Guard, who from time to time do get into harms way, but they're primary mission is less likely to put you in a position where you wake up a night from some very bad dreams, in any case, serving your country is ALWAYS an honorable endeavour, and it will make you a better perosn, without a doubt. Good luck with your decision Citizen!

reply to post by snowen20


We PT'ed the British Marines, we had them throwing up all over the flight deck. They held their own when we were drinking though.

reply to post by snowen20


Oh yea, It was always a Army vs. Marines thing. I'm amazed we didn't kill ourselves. Though it wasn't for a lack of trying.

Our Recon platoon did some Joint training with Force Recon at Camp McCall and the last day was basically physical competition, BBQ and beer.

Both teams were pretty much combat ineffective after the obstacle course. Lots of bandages and ace wraps. And we were definitely combat ineffective after the beer.

I am a serving senior nco in the british army with 20 years of infantry soldiering under my belt. In total i have spent nearly 8 years of my life at war in many theatres world wide. I have seen the best young men die, i have had to inform their loved ones. I have killed, and witnessed the worst of men. I have had to strip a young soldier in the shower coz he was in shock coz he was covered in the blood and bones of his friend. Think about that before you sign up son. Make sure you do


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by TDawgRex


Ya know guys off topic conversation like this may help the boy decide what to do, at least he can have a look inside from people who have been there.

Want to see something really funny?
Do PT with the Panamanian army and watch the platoon leader literally whip his soldiers with a stick for not catching up to you in a 8 mile run.

Or throw your ruck sack to a Panamanian soldier and watch as they fall to the ground in shock over how heavy your ruck is. needless to say they will not be unloading your plane.

Originally posted by snowen20
reply to post by TDawgRex

 

Ya know guys off topic conversation like this may help the boy decide what to do, at least he can have a look inside from people who have been there.

Want to see something really funny?
Do PT with the Panamanian army and watch the platoon leader literally whip his soldiers with a stick for not catching up to you in a 8 mile run.

Or throw your ruck sack to a Panamanian soldier and watch as they fall to the ground in shock over how heavy your ruck is. needless to say they will not be unloading your plane.

edit on 29-6-2011 by snowen20 because: (no reason given)

Well, he did ask what it's like. We could write a book. As a matter of fact, I am, though it is fictional, it is based upon my experiances and those I knew.

I wrote a short story a bit back that I want to integrate into it. It's actually what got me into a writing mood. Please look it over and tell me what ya think. Don't hold back on the criticism.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Funny video

Well, all I can say is don't join just because it looks cool on the movies an video games. It's not cool.

Also keep in mind that if you join with the impression that you can train to be one thing, and learn life skills, just know that they can change your job like that....

I have an Uncle By Marriage who was in the Vietnam war.... He was trained as an airplane mechanic. he got shipped to Vietnam and they even told him he was going to be stationed in a safe place, where he could just repair broken planes.... When he got there though he found out that his assignment had changed.

He was not a mechanic any more. He was a gun bunny..... Basically he hung out of helicopters and shot people.... He hated it.

War is not pretty or glamorous as it is so often portrayed in games and movies.... It is horrible and can actually do great damage to you psychologically.

I think if you want to join, that is great, just keep the above in mind.

Dont want to disuade you ...you have some good reasons for joining like education, see the world etc. But remember about my old friends who didnt come back from Vietnam, Irag and Afganistan:

You have to make it out ALIVE 1ST...before all those benefits can help you...none of your reasons will secure your LIFE...NONE. You have to make it back OUT...for it to do any good...and these days...those odds are against you..

But you got great odds youll "be the 1st one on your block.. to make it home in a box"
(thanks to Country Joe McDonald and the Fish)