Any Old army boy's here? (1 Viewer)

[Iron Duke]

Just wondering how many of you collecters have actually served outside your study cabinet{sm4}. If you have served in the military i'm curious, was it all rough and macho (brutal hazing and all that {eek3}). Or was it a home away from home like they always try to sell it to you as?

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi There,

I served for 12 on Active Duty and then 8 in the Reserves and there was a bit of both. During training there were times when they pushed you harder than you thought you could go and it made you a better soldier. In units of assignment there was a more "family" feeling. You still worked hard and trained hard but this would be off set by other events that we would celibrate like families back home. All in all the experiences you had were a direct result of how much you put into it.

Dave

 

[trooper]

I enlisted in the Royal Air Force at eighteen. Basic training was busy, no hazing just drill instructors chasing you everywhere yapping like demented Jack Russells. A great feeling of satisfaction when everything came together and the flight performed complicated drill movements as an entity. After that it was quite enjoyable. Then on to trade training, (wireless operator) then onto an advanced course, hard work but the instructors were good. Then overseas posting, Germany initially, then a short posting to Cyprus, (not good, Eoka using live ammo, ambushes and having to go armed at all times) Back to Germany (part of the Y service) then eventually demobbed. Often wished I had re-enlisted and done the full twenty one, would have retired at forty with an index linked pension, but got into the model soldier trade instead. For me service life was good and has served me well with the toy business as my belief is that a serviceman has always been the same since the dawn of time. He spends a lot of time cleaning his kit, a lot of time just waiting, he will chat up any female in the area, play with the kids, adopt any stray dog or cat, brew up at the drop of a hat, play cards and help old ladies. His life will be 85% boredom, 10% enjoyment and 5% sheer terror. So when I make a figure I bear that in mind and apply my own experience to the subject with regard to body language and circumstance. So I enjoyed my time served and have made good use of the experience. Trooper

 

[Iron Duke]

Well I gotta say I'm kinda surprised. What made me ask was that in Australia there is a ''scandal'' at the Royal Australian Military College. The media likes to make them all look like sexist yobbos! I didn't believe it of course, but even so wanted to ask find out for myself. Oh and Trooper, I have to say you look like one of those ''brylecream spitfire pilots'' ^&grin Just out of interest what plane did you fly? Or if you were a groundsman what planes did you work on?

 

[Mitch]

There was a recent thread asking this very question. you should check it out
Mitch

 

[trooper]

Sorry Iron Duke, only a squaddie, didn't fly. Didn't work on aircraft either. Just a lowly "sparks" engaged on the Y service monitoring Eastern Block radio signals and Direction Finding. We had an early computor, it was about the size of a single decker bus with valves (!!) the size of light bulbs. ****ed thing rarely worked so everything got passed on to GCHQ. We operated Ack R 88's and Raekel sets. The Eddystone was just being trialled when I left. Trooper

 

[Currahee Chris]

I got hazed on a pretty much weekly basis in the 506. Most, if not all my senior noncoms were Nam vets then. The "hazing" I experienced was not meant to humiliate but correct through instructional sessions. Additionally, if anyone had issues, we handled it- went around back the motor pool, took the rank off and last man standing pretty much wins the argument. No grudges, just get it off your chest and be done with it- 90% of the time, you and the dude you were angry at were back in the barracks having beers together. Trust me, I'd much rather have to deal with that kind of attitude adjustment versus the counseling and talking and writing and talking and documenting and all the other nonsense that goes on in the corporate world I am entrenched in. Respect was earned, not just attained through backstabbing.

 

[Jack]

I got hazed on a pretty much weekly basis in the 506. Most, if not all my senior noncoms were Nam vets then. The "hazing" I experienced was not meant to humiliate but correct through instructional sessions. Additionally, if anyone had issues, we handled it- went around back the motor pool, took the rank off and last man standing pretty much wins the argument. No grudges, just get it off your chest and be done with it- 90% of the time, you and the dude you were angry at were back in the barracks having beers together. Trust me, I'd much rather have to deal with that kind of attitude adjustment versus the counseling and talking and writing and talking and documenting and all the other nonsense that goes on in the corporate world I am entrenched in. Respect was earned, not just attained through backstabbing.

Chris

I don't want to hijack a thread but I often hear about the benefits of the 'rank is no issue' attitude adjustment. In fact I have never heard anyone say it doesn't work. But in your experience does anyone go around the back, fight their corporal, lose badly and then complain that they were assaulted by a superior? I am not starting a 'is it right' argument, I just wonder how vulnerable the ranking officer would be if a complaint was made, even by an 18 year old private's mum when he gets home on leave with a black eye?

Regards

Jack

 

[Currahee Chris]

Hello Jack-

Thank you for your inquiry. I never experienced any situations occuring where complaints were raised- that was not to say they didnt exist. I am taking a stab here answering, not neccesarily based on factual experience but more from second hand stories and rudimentary knowledge of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Yes, depending on how severe, there could be pretty serious repercussions- what exactly??? Probably would depend on how strict the senior chain of command wanted to be/ public outcry/ etc.

Best regards
CC

 

[bromhead]

Just wondering how many of you collecters have actually served outside your study cabinet{sm4}. If you have served in the military i'm curious, was it all rough and macho (brutal hazing and all that {eek3}). Or was it a home away from home like they always try to sell it to you as?

being a volunteer in a draftee army the "hazing" could be reverse directed,,"you asked for this? "etc.hardly a home away from home as i left just about the best situation of my life to enlist,,believe anything a recruiter says is as false as ever,,"hazing " is a come lately term,,anyone there one day longer then you has a great deal to say let alone with one more stripe,,a wonderful experience as long as it is in the past.

 

[Jack]

Hello Jack-

Thank you for your inquiry. I never experienced any situations occuring where complaints were raised- that was not to say they didnt exist. I am taking a stab here answering, not neccesarily based on factual experience but more from second hand stories and rudimentary knowledge of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Yes, depending on how severe, there could be pretty serious repercussions- what exactly??? Probably would depend on how strict the senior chain of command wanted to be/ public outcry/ etc.

Best regards
CC

Chris

Thanks for that. Sounds as though the unwritten rules exert an influence as great, if not greater, than the written ones. I once heard a senior teacher in an upmarket school make the point that disciplinary hearings concerning one on one fights tend to punish the student who is the better fighter regardless of the cause. Tragically, based on my experience as a student, that would have worked in my favour!!{sm4}{sm4}

Regards

Jack

 

[Iron Duke]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I kinda expected a mix of good and bad. When you think about it, all you can do is make good of a bad situation. But if you had your time over, would you re-enlist?

 

[Martin Tabony]

My regiment has two seperate units. I have to say that while serving with the regiment (armoured) I found that it was as you'd expect when a bunch of young men (some under 18) where penned in together in a foreign country and then let loose with a 56 ton vehicle! Knightsbridge on the other hand is a different world where the horse is the senior rank, and believe me, nothing comes before the welfare of the horses. THis along with with living in central London seams to give a different outlook. While completely profesional at work, there is no shortage of female tourists to keep the young trooper happy.^&grin
I was a "Pad" (married man). The married quarters are inside Hyde Park Barracks so, there was an understanding between all ranks that at the end of the day, rank didn't count. Unfortunately this was never the case with the wives, with a woman thinking she was more special because her husband was a Corporal of Horse!

Martin.

 

[Currahee Chris]

But if you had your time over, would you re-enlist?

That has been a question I have wrestled with since I got out. Easy to say hell yeah, I'd go back when your sitting at home on the sofa eating ho-hos and sucking down cherry cola worrying about why the stupid remote wont work while watching reruns of Archie Bunker. Much much different situation when you are on your sixth deployment, humpin an 80 pound ruck, sweat beading out of pores in pores of your body, not knowing if the people looking at you are plotting your death and if that is really a rock or some kind of explosive device looking to expedite your ticket to Valhalla.

So in short, the worst decision I ever made was getting out!! {sm4}{sm4}

@Jack- to spin some army vernacular- it was called wall to wall counseling! {sm4} There were guys who occasionally qualified for various other punishments which I never agreed on. I always said soldier issues should be settled amongst the troops. Still, if the platoon, squad, etc felt you weren't up to speed, they might do all sorts of things- one particular ritual took place when 7-8 guys would sneak a trooper in his sleep, three pairs of guys would hold the offender down by stretching towels across him andd then a couple dudes would beat the guy with soap and maybe rocks stuffed in a bag. I was never a fan of this stuff, it didnt happen often but when it did, it was brutal. I always believed a trooper should be allowed to look his accuser in the eyes and stand on his feet and take it- sneaking on a dude in his sleep wasnt cool. If I was aware, I always distanced myself but would give subtle hints to the trooper who was the intended target. That is the kind of stuff that brings down heat on the chain of command.

@Martin- that is a an amazing uniform my friend!! I would never be photogenic enough for stuff like that!! {sm4}

 

[The Military Workshop]

I did 9 months in a Police training school and apart from a very mild initiation day there was no hazing or bullying etc at all.

In view of the recent events at ADFA in Oz (Google ADFA Scandal) I would have to say I would have no confidence for my daughter to go there. Won't comment too much on what hapened other than to say I believe the victims version of events and know a cover up when I see one. Nobody makes up a story like that for the fun of it.

Regards
Brett

 

[bromhead]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I kinda expected a mix of good and bad. When you think about it, all you can do is make good of a bad situation. But if you had your time over, would you re-enlist?

No,,if I had re enlisted I would have been sent back over,,respects to the troops these days but I could not have faced it again,,become close to fellow soldiers,,go thru the losses again,,try to deal with survivor guilt and all it means,,once it seems like it happened this morning it never fades,research the poem ,,,the burden.
the only normalacy I found returning was going to my next duty station,,back to the army,,no comfort in being home,nothing normal being back,,only wanting to be back in the system,,then facing a recruit training unit knowing what they were going to face shortly.

 

[nysoldiers]

Boot camp in Louisiana during the summer wasn't pleasant but being young and in good shape helped. My DI was a good guy from the Bronx and being that I was one of the few New Yorkers among a lot of Southern boys that helped.
Unfortunately there was a contingent of Southern "Red Necks" who just didn't like anybody from up North, especially ethnic New Yorkers. Probably had fist fights everyday for the first few weeks and the DI's let it happen thinking it would eventually calm down and bond our company. Thankfully I had done some amateur boxing in High School and college so I gave as good as I received. Made some good friends though with a couple of Louisiana Cajuns and still keep in touch.
All in all a very humbling and eye opening experience. Oh yeah this was in 1970 so I hope things have changed as far as prejudice and ignorance.

 

[Currahee Chris]

Boot camp in Louisiana during the summer ............ in 1970

that's really interesting. My Dad went through boot at Polk though I think it was the summer of 69 though it may have been 70- red headed quasi hippie type from Florida. I was there in 1992 to help deactivate and move to Hood.

I'll have to ask him when he was there and what basic company.