Army gone soft?

red91inWA said:
makes you wonder if thats not why they need "smart weapons."

Maybe if they concentrated on getting smart USERS instead...

Very possible. I have respect for anybody that joins and serves.... no doubt. Perhaps just old school thinking, but those that came after "us" were not near as good. I know those before me thought the same way though. :)

The Army is still smarter than the Marines though, would be hard to get the standards that low. :)
 
Red - now, why would you want to go and do that?

Y'ask me, it's always going to come down to a common factor - the ability of one man to look another man in the face, and kill him. You won't get that by making things any easier on people - I'm inclined to think Basic should be made HARDER, not easier.

Time was, I'd take a veteran over not, because he was a known quantity to me. Now, I'm not so sure...

5-90

(sorry - it was the last post when I wrote this, and someone beat me to the punch on this reply. I'd intended it to be #21, not #22...)
 
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This really is funny. The Army is going softer and the Airforce is going harder. They are adding 2 weeks to the AF boot and going to start giving them weapons to carry during training. Non fire i hope. Hell even when i went through AF boot in 98 we weren't allowed to have cells' or get talked to quietly.
 
Kelly, qute who you are replying to, makes it easier to figgure out who you are talking to. :)

5-90 said:
Now, why would you want to go and do that?

Y'ask me, it's always going to come down to a common factor - the ability of one man to look another man in the face, and kill him. You won't get that by making things any easier on people - I'm inclined to think Basic should be made HARDER, not easier.

Time was, I'd take a veteran over not, because he was a known quantity to me. Now, I'm not so sure...

5-90
 
Glenn said:
Very possible. I have respect for anybody that joins and serves.... no doubt. I concur. Not an easy job.

Perhaps just old school thinking, but those that came after "us" were not near as good. I know those before me thought the same way though. :)

The Army is still smarter than the Marines though, would be hard to get the standards that low. :)

If we had to fight another, completely conventional war like our grandparents did....THAT would be a very hard fight indeed.
 
red91inWA said:
The Army is still smarter than the Marines though, would be hard to get the standards that low. QUOTE]


I'll admit there is a certain percentage of us with lower than average GT scores...

on another note, I overheard a motivating/disparaging remark made by our SgtMaj the other day on the quarterdeck..."Topp, remember when we used to be 'the Few, the Proud, the Marines?' Seems like it's becoming more and more 'A few proud Marines."

This doesn't just hurt our ability to fight war, it kills that sense of esprit de corps that we've valued for so long.
 
red91inWA said:
If we had to fight another, completely conventional war like our grandparents did....THAT would be a very hard fight indeed.

Yup, it would be very difficult indeed. The first thing that would have to happen it to remove the fucking communist press access to anything and everything military. The press is terrible, and has no place on military missions. It turns normal Americans in to liberal XXXXXXs... and that sucks. No guts anymore.
 
Glenn said:
. . . The Army is still smarter than the Marines though, would be hard to get the standards that low. :)

Question: What does a smart Marine and UFOs have in common?

Answer: You hear alot about them, but have yet to see one!


I mean this in the nicest possible way Glenn, but screw you. :D
 
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Glenn said:
Yup, it would be very difficult indeed. The first thing that would have to happen it to remove the fucking communist press access to anything and everything military. The press is terrible, and has no place on military missions. It turns normal Americans in to liberal XXXXXXs... and that sucks. No guts anymore.

Concur. The press has no business being anywhere near military operations in progress (they can't keep secrets, and getting people killed is good for their ratings!) and they cause an unnecessary distraction - because they can't protect themselves, and end up needing protection from people who are just too damn busy dealing with threats already.

Besides, there should be a "delay order" on newscasts - you can't bring ANYTHING to light within 48 hours after an action, or while it's still in progress. I defy anyone to find me proof that "the public has a right to know." That's got to be one of the biggest lies out there.

Oh - I fixed the other post. Someone jumped in line ahead of me... :sunshine:

5-90
 
SBrad001 said:
I mean this in the nicest possible way Glenn, but screw you. :D

Sorry, but I am not a Marine, so no ass games. :)
 
I'll have to wait till tomorrow to watch the vid & be disgusted(?) but if all it's about is the stress cards... those have been issued in Army basic for quite awhile (mid 90s maybe? I remember hearing about them, but when eludes me)

I went through 13 weeks of Scout OSUT in the mid 80s (spring/summer '85 Troop D 1/6 US Cavalry) and we were dogged continually throughout. Lots of good stuff :viking: more or less 24-7. They shafted us on bayonet, unarmed & CQB, but we spent that time learning other sneaky junk.

The chow-halls at Ft Knox were subbed out to a civilian co. and were pretty good, esp. considering the volume. We certainly didn't have all-U-can eat!!! No deserts/soda (for 13 weeks) and no jibberjabber allowed. At 125# I could have stood plenty of seconds...

I don't think they are making SF any easier... I am sure they have opened up the gates a bit wider in some ways, (like 'shake & bake' SF Sergeants... or the 18X program I reupped for in 1990) but I have faith my brothers are still training them well out there in Pineland.

Hoping GI John can chime in with the G2 on the state of the present generation of pointy-end kids...
 
Nice that its upping their "stay in" rates! A crying shame that in the end it will dearly cost them in their "mortality" rates! Next thing ya know they will learn how to beat the enemy over the head with a boquet of roses!

Semper Fi !
 
I'll see your MEU and raise it by a PIR...

Y'all bring the fish, we'll have the steaks.

All The Way!
 
woody said:
I'll see your MEU and raise it by a PIR...

Y'all bring the fish, we'll have the steaks.

All The Way!

The Cav will always be ready. Even there to lend a hand for the LPC wearing NAVY bois (Marines).
 
As long as the Army doesn't mess with my beloved Ft Benning...

The ONLY true bastion of real manhood left...

Well...

'cept Campbell and Bragg

:D
 
A battalion of marines was on a beach doing a PT workout when the CO of the battalion looked up and saw a lone army ranger standing at attention at the top of a hill.
The CO was curious so he sent a marine up to see what was going on.
As the marine approached the ranger sprinted into the woods, and the marine followed.
Yelling and screaming could be heard coming from the woods, seconds later the Ranger stepped out and stood back at attention.
The CO was still curious so he sent a squad up to investigate.
The ranger ran into the woods and after some yelling and screaming, came back out and stood at attention again.
Now the CO was angry so he sent an entire Platoon up to the top of the hill.
The ranger ran into the woods.
He emerged moments later after sime more yelling and screaming with no sign of the marines anywhere.
The CO had had enough, he sent the entire battalion of marines charging up the hill.
The ranger ran into the woods. More yelling and screaming and this time some gunfire.
Finally a terribly wounded marine crawled out of the woods and reported back to the CO.
The CO inquired "Do you mean to tell me that one army ranger destroyed an entire battalion of marines"
The marine replied "no sir, it was a trick, there were two of them"
 
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