Republicans DO NOT Support Our Troops

[Stace]

Their is a $40,000 enlistment bonus? Or get a degree then train to become an officer, then make more than that a year! :mrgreen:

Not everyone gets that much of a bonus!!! I myself only got $5,000, which translates to about $3,300 after taxes....

I would rather have killed myself than become an officer. They have to salute EVERYONE, and I have better things to do. :lol:

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by Stace:
Not everyone gets that much of a bonus!!! I myself only got $5,000, which translates to about $3,300 after taxes....

I would rather have killed myself than become an officer. They have to salute EVERYONE, and I have better things to do.

Do it Stace, do it! Whoop, whoop, whoop...

 

[MSgt]

Not everyone gets that much of a bonus!!! I myself only got $5,000, which translates to about $3,300 after taxes....

I would rather have killed myself than become an officer. They have to salute EVERYONE, and I have better things to do. :lol:

I received a 3,000 dollar bonus my first re-enlistment. I've gotten crap since.

Re-enlistment bonuses goes by MOS. Pilots, technicians, and computer nerds would be the type of MOS's that would receive grand bonuses. There is rarely a bonus to speak of for trigger pullers and battery operated Grunts.

 

[Stace]

I received a 3,000 dollar bonus my first re-enlistment. I've gotten crap since.

Re-enlistment bonuses goes by MOS. Pilots, technicians, and computer nerds would be the type of MOS's that would receive grand bonuses. There is rarely a bonus to speak of for trigger pullers and battery operated Grunts.

I know that....I was just trying to show stsburns that the idea of $40,000 bonuses is mostly crap. SOME people may get a large bonus such as that, but it is definitely the exception.

I don't even know what my re up bonus would have been....the 5K was just my regular enlistment bonus....

 

[MSgt]

I know that....I was just trying to show stsburns that the idea of $40,000 bonuses is mostly crap. SOME people may get a large bonus such as that, but it is definitely the exception.

I don't even know what my re up bonus would have been....the 5K was just my regular enlistment bonus....

Air Force has a regular enlistment bonus?

 

[Stace]

Air Force has a regular enlistment bonus?

For some AFSC's.....I almost went into the Navy, they were gonna give me $5,000 to sign up for 5 years instead of 4......

Let me see here...my contract guaranteed me at least a $2,000 bonus (because I went into Open Electronics, as the job I wanted wasn't available at my MEPS station), or whatever my eventual AFSC was giving as a bonus, whichever was greater. I do believe there are some AFSC's that don't award bonuses, though.

 

[stsburns]

Not everyone gets that much of a bonus!!! I myself only got $5,000, which translates to about $3,300 after taxes....

I would rather have killed myself than become an officer. They have to salute EVERYONE, and I have better things to do. :lol:

Ouch! About the inlistment bonus.

True, true, but at least as an officer your not a "human shield", I mean grunt! :lol:

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by GySgt:
Re-enlistment bonuses goes by MOS. Pilots, technicians, and computer nerds would be the type of MOS's that would receive grand bonuses. There is rarely a bonus to speak of for trigger pullers and battery operated Grunts.

What do they call you guys? Devil dogs? Dirt dogs? What?

 

[Stace]

What do they call you guys? Devil dogs? Dirt dogs? What?

Well, I don't know about GySgt, but I was a Ground Rat!!! :mrgreen:

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by Stace:
Well, I don't know about GySgt, but I was a Ground Rat!!!

There is a certain term jarheads refer to each other. I just can't think of it right now. I learned about it on the history channel a couple of days ago with this broad who was like the first female combat reporter in the field. They said she got a ride from these devil dogs to the front when no one would take her. They drove up to this sand dune and said, "That's the front." Then they dropped her off. She went up to the top of the dune to take pictures but stopped after ten minutes because of all the mosquitos in the area were bothering her. When she got back to the jeep, the guys there informed her that it wasn't mosquitos wizzing by her ears. It was bullets.

 

[Stace]

There is a certain term jarheads refer to each other. I just can't think of it right now. I learned about it on the history channel a couple of days ago with this broad who was like the first female combat reporter in the field. They said she got a ride from these devil dogs to the front when no one would take her. They drove up to this sand dune and said, "That's the front." Then they dropped her off. She went up to the top of the dune to take pictures but stopped after ten minutes because of all the mosquitos in the area were bothering her. When she got back to the jeep, the guys there informed her that it wasn't mosquitos wizzing by her ears. It was bullets.

Yikes!!!!!!!

 

[vergiss]

With the 2006 pay increase, an E-1 with less than 2 years of service makes $1273.50 a month before taxes. That comes out to about $7.95 an hour if you base it off of a 40 hour work week, with four weeks in a month.

:shock: Serious? I'm 17 and make about that much in a burger joint.

 

[MSgt]

What do they call you guys? Devil dogs? Dirt dogs? What?

Official nicknames for Marines....

Jarhead = Fondly used by other Marines, but derogatory when coming from civillians. Sailors dubbed this name upon Marines as early as WWII, because of the way our Dress Blues and stiff high collar make us resemble "jars." Later definitions included the emptiness of the Marines head. Some of these types of terms have been considered derogatory to varying degrees and attempts were made to eliminate them. Those attempts have failed because many service members take a certain perverse pleasure in the sense of shared hardship which the nickname implies.

Leatherneck = Historical name because of the high leather collar Marines wore to protect against saber cuts.http://www.usmcpress.com/heritage/usmc_terms.htm

Devil Dog = Translation from the German.."Teufelhunden"..After the Marines took Belleau Wood from the Germans in June, 1918, they nicknamed the Marines to commemorate their fierceness in battle and the ass kicking they just received.http://www.usmc1.us/teufelhunden.html

Grunt = Member of the Infantry and in the 0300 field.

Battery Operated Grunt = Member of the Infantry, because of his communications field. (Radioman = Me).

Unofficial nicknames for Marines....

Devils in Black boots = The Army could afford to purchase desert boots for their soldiers during the Gulf War and the Somalia era. The Somalis dubbed us "Devils in Black Boots" to differentiate us from the soldiers.

White Sleeves = The Army rolls their sleeves up in a manner that shows the outside sleeve at the cuff. Marines roll their sleeves up without the fanciness and with a folded crease to make them tight. "White sleeves" allows them to differentiate the Varsity from the JV to the locals. Because they recognize us, they are not so inclined to ambush and fight us. In many cases...they run and wait for a "softer" target. This is heard throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Baby Killers = Fondly given to us by the American Left who needed such things to exonerate themselves from military service.

Helpless Victims of American Imperialism = Those same American Leftists who now use us as a political tool while remaining "politically correct" and "supporting the troop not the war." (Incidentally, these same Americans that were so against the war in Vietnam voted us into Iraq years later.)




......I could go on.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by GySgt:
Devil Dog = Translation from the German.."Teufelhunden"..After the Marines took Belleau Wood from the Germans in June, 1918, they nicknamed the Marines to commemorate their fierceness in battle and the ass kicking they just received.http://www.usmc1.us/teufelhunden.html

Devil Dogs, this was the term I was thinking about. What's your comment on item #6?

Tribute to the Marines
A tribute to the United States Marine Corps and the reasons why they are superior to the many organizations of the world . . .

* United States Marine Corps Birthday: 10 NOVEMBER 1775 *

1) Best haircut. Hands down. You can't have a bad hair day with a high and tight. And you spend less on shampoo.

2) Dress blues. They're the coolest uniforms in any military worldwide.

3) Bloused trousers. Another distinctive Marine look that sets the proudest service members apart.

4) The rest of the Marine sea bag. From the Alphas to the camouflage utilities, uniforms just look better on a Marine than any other service member.

5) Marines don't wear dungarees.

[This is my favorite]
6) Most respect I. When the Marines pulled out of Haiti and Somalia, the media reported the U.S. military was pulling out -- as if tens of thousands of Army troops weren't still in the country. Now that's respect.

7) Most respect II. When the Corps came back to Haiti after 60 years, an old man on the Cap-Haitien beach said ``Welcome back!''

8) Toughest mascot. The Marine Corps' is a bulldog. The Navy's: a goat.

9) Esprit de Corps. Even if you can't spell it or pronounce it, the Marine Corps has it in spades. One example: When sailors get tattoos, they do it to express their individuality, and their choices range from Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse to raging sea serpents. When Marines get tattoos, they do it to express their solidarity, and choose bull dogs, ``death before dishonor,'' and ``USMC.''

10) Best war monument: Iwo Jima

11) The Marines invade, then go home. The Army has to do the occupying.

12) The silent drill team. Just watching them ply their trade makes you want to wear dress blues.

13) Status. Sailors live and work on ships. Marines go for cruises -- then hit the shore.

14) Best fast attack vehicles: LAVs.

15) Best fighting knife: Ka-Bar.

16) Best duty assignments: Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea.

17) Worst duty assignments: Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea.

18) Most exotic duty assignments: Kuala Lumpur, The White House.

19) Best phone number. Call 1-800-MARINES and you've got the Corps. And if you're a civilian with the character to be a Marine, a recruiter there will be happy to sign you up.

20) Toughest DI's. (Drill Instructors). They're so tough that when the Navy wants to train its officers, who do they call? 1-800-MARINES.

21) Toughest boot camp. When San Diego was still training Navy recruits, legend has it that recruits occasionally would jump the fence and accidentally land in Marine boot camp. The Marines would keep them a couple of days, and when the recruits were sent back, they were ready to be sailors!

22) Best motivational cries: Ooh-rah! - Attack! - Kill!

23) Best emblem: Eagle, Globe and Anchor. (Air, Land and Sea)

24) Best campaign covers: The Smokey Bear hat.

25) Separate heads for enlisted and officers. Everywhere else, officers and enlisted use the same pot.

26) The only official, congressionally sanctioned hymn for any of the services: ``The Marines' Hymn.''
http://www.ahajokes.com/war068.html

 

[MSgt]

Devil Dogs, this was the term I was thinking about. What's your comment on item #6?

I remember the Somalia part of #6. It goes to show you. When looking for an American troop to kill..they know enough about our reputations to stay clear from the "White Sleeves" and the "Devils in Black Boots." (This is also why the death rate in Iraq is overwhelmingly on the Army side and why the Army has sustained a history of major ambushes.) Marines are considered "Hard Targets." We are rarely vulnerable. This is why I tell people that if you are going to serve in the Marines, you will be in the thick of a lot of mess, but in the end, it's safer.

Some history: If you watch the beginning of 'Black Hawk Down' it states that the last of the Marines had pulled out. That was my MEU SOC (Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable) as well as other smaller units that flew out. The MEU sailed up to Saudi Arabia to train their troops. After the 'Black Hawk Down' incident, we set a record for a hastened retrograde back to our ships and sailed back down to Somalia to cover the Army's retreat out of Somalia.

Other tidbits of lesser known history in Somalia while I was there: Pakistan caused an international incident and the UN kicked them out. Italy caused an incident and the UN asked them to leave.

Example on how our media can leak info: My father read in a newspaper that the 24th MEU was in Somalia and conducting combat operations against warlords. At the time it was printed in the news paper, the 24th MEU was passing Spain and we were not informed as to where we were headed - Bosnia or Somalia.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by GySgt:
I remember the Somalia part of #6. It goes to show you. When looking for an American troop to kill..they know enough about our reputations to stay clear from the "White Sleeves" and the "Devils in Black Boots." (This is also why the death rate in Iraq is overwhelmingly on the Army side and why the Army has sustained a history of major ambushes.) Marines are considered "Hard Targets." We are rarely vulnerable. This is why I tell people that if you are going to serve in the Marines, you will be in the thick of a lot of mess, but in the end, it's safer.

Some history: If you watch the beginning of 'Black Hawk Down' it states that the last of the Marines had pulled out. That was my MEU SOC (Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable) as well as other smaller units that flew out. The MEU sailed up to Saudi Arabia to train their troops. After the 'Black Hawk Down' incident, we set a record for a hastened retrograde back to our ships and sailed back down to Somalia to cover the Army's retreat out of Somalia.

Other tidbits of lesser known history in Somalia while I was there: Pakistan caused an international incident and the UN kicked them out. Italy caused an incident and the UN asked them to leave.

Example on how our media can leak info: My father read in a newspaper that the 24th MEU was in Somalia and conducting combat operations against warlords. At the time it was printed in the news paper, the 24th MEU was passing Spain and we were not informed as to where we were headed - Bosnia or Somalia.

How about the rest of it? Since your in the know on this subject, was the rest on the money? And do they really call it a "high and tight"?

 

[ANAV]

I believe this clip has already been posted but I will post it again anyhow. I think it's relevant to this thread since the title claims it is the Republicans who do not support our troops. It shows Senator John Murtha and Congressman Jim Moran (both Democrats) at a town hall meeting in VA. A former service member makes some comments on Murtha's remarks on troop morale and the lack of support he and his fellow troops received from Moran.

http://www.siamlady.com/Movies/SgtMarkSeavey.wmv

I would have loved to hear responses from the two of them, but they had nothing to say and simply moved on.

 

[MSgt]

How about the rest of it? Since your in the know on this subject, was the rest on the money? And do they really call it a "high and tight"?

'Blackhawk Down?' The events were mostly dead on, but the individual performances had a bit of hollywood in it, of course. The visuals were dead on.

By the way, the event that got the Italian forces relieved from duties in Somalia involved the 24th MEU (Force Recon Marines backed by Grunts) and Farah Aideed (The warlord we were hunting for the UN).

It's a 0 to 3 inch graduation, but the hair is shaved "high and tight" around the head. You see this on all Drill Instructors. I wear a "high and tight" flat top. Aside from a neat appearance, there are tactical reasons. It ensures for a solid helmet fit and a secure gas mask seal. There's a reason for everything we do.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by GySgt:
'Blackhawk Down?' The events were mostly dead on, but the individual performances had a bit of hollywood in it, of course. The visuals were dead on.

By the way, the event that got the Italian forces relieved from duties in Somalia involved the 24th MEU (Force Recon Marines backed by Grunts) and Farah Aideed (The warlord we were hunting for the UN).

It's a 0 to 3 inch graduation, but the hair is shaved "high and tight" around the head. You see this on all Drill Instructors. I wear a "high and tight" flat top. Aside from a neat appearance, there are tactical reasons. It ensures for a solid helmet fit and a secure gas mask seal. There's a reason for everything we do.

What's a grunt?

 

[MSgt]

What's a grunt?

Grunt = 0300 MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) field. After all Marines are trained on warfare and weapons they move on to their specialist schools to become Pilots, Communicators (0600), Engineers, Clerks, Supply (0400), Intel (0200), Operations, Motor T, etc. Marines that are going to be in the 0300 field move on to their specialist schools and become focused on Infantry solely or Grunts.

0300 Infantry Common Skills:
0311 Infantry Rifleman Course
0331 Infantry Machine gunner Course
0341 Infantry Mortarman Course
0351 Infantry Assaultman Course
0352 Infantry Anti-tank Guided Missileman Course

These are "Grunts." After graduation, they are stationed in their units in the Infantry where other specialist MOS's are also located. The Air Wing and the FSSG (Fleet Service Support Group) all need Communicators, Admin, Supply, Motor T, etc. So does the Infantry.

In the Infantry, Communicators are the specialists with the Comm gear, however, Grunts are trained to operate field radios, because we can not be everywhere. The Platoons will have a Grunt with a radio and the Company will have an actuall Communicator they talk to. Since Communicators frequently live and must perform as the "Grunts" do, they are called "Battery Operated Grunts." This is me, except now I am a planner and grown beyond the days of the little guy with the radio on his back.

 

[jamesrage]

What's a grunt?

In the Army a grunt is a infantry soldeir.
When I was in there was 11B(regular infantry),11C(mortors)11H(Heavy Anti--armor Weapons),11M(mechanized infantry).
Although recently 11M and 11H have been incoperated into 11B.

There are no women in the infantry.So the rules and how a soldier conducts himself are more strict,PT is much harder,training is much harder,the way of life is much harder and Infantry units are more disciplined than their non-infantry counter-parts.If you do not beleave me then go to the nearest infantry post and if you see soldiers walking around acting like their NCOs and officers are their drinking buddies(almost like a episode of M.A.S.H.)then you know those are what infantry soldiers call P.O.G.s(persons other than grunt) or wannabe soldeirs.

Some non-infantry soldiers try to pretend to be grunts,these are usually scouts,artillary,combat medics/field medics and other support.

All grunt in the Army go to basic training in Ft Benning Ga.You might be familiar with that place if you go down there once a year to protest with scum ouside of Ft Benning.

 

[MSgt]

Some non-infantry soldiers try to pretend to be grunts,these are usually scouts,artillary,combat medics/field medics and other support.

This is also true in the Marine Corps with regards to "Cannon Cockers," Tankers, and LAV Marines. Our Corpsemen are Navy, so there is no blending of the title there. However, our Scouts and Snipers are "Grunts." They are just further specialized.

All grunt in the Army go to basic training in Ft Benning Ga.You might be familiar with that place if you go down there once a year to protest with scum ouside of Ft Benning.

Good one.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally Posted by jamesrage
There are no women in the infantry.So the rules and how a soldier conducts himself are more strict,PT is much harder,training is much harder,the way of life is much harder and Infantry units are more disciplined than their non-infantry counter-parts.If you do not beleave me then go to the nearest infantry post and if you see soldiers walking around acting like their NCOs and officers are their drinking buddies(almost like a episode of M.A.S.H.)then you know those are what infantry soldiers call P.O.G.s(persons other than grunt) or wannabe soldeirs.

Why would I not believe you on a subject I know nothing about? What is PT?

 

[MSgt]

Why would I not believe you on a subject I know nothing about? What is PT?

PT = Physical Training. The act of staying in shape and in readiness for the rigors of combat duty.

PFT = Physical Fitness Test. Taken twice a year to prove that your PT has kept you in shape and that you are prepared.

In the Marines, a perfect PFT score is 300. This means..
1) A 3 mile run in 18 minutes (Failure is 28 minutes)
2) 20 Dead Hang Pull Ups (Failure is less than 3)
3) 100 crunches in under two minutes. (Failure is less than 35)

Getting less than the max results in a lesser score and the levels are..
1st Class
2nd Class
3rd Class
Failure
A 2nd Class or a 3rd Class results in ridicule and shame from fellow competitive Marines, but a failure can result in an Administrative Discharge.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by GySgt:
PT = Physical Training. The act of staying in shape and in readiness for the rigors of combat duty.

PFT = Physical Fitness Test. Taken twice a year to prove that your PT has kept you in shape and that you are prepared.

In the Marines, a perfect PFT score is 300. This means..
1) A 3 mile run in 18 minutes (Failure is 28 minutes)
2) 20 Dead Hang Pull Ups (Failure is less than 3)
3) 100 crunches in under two minutes. (Failure is less than 35)

Getting less than the max results in a lesser score and the levels are 1st Class, 2nd Class, 3rd Class, and Failure.

I've hit the gym the last 14 days in a row.