[W:34] Just Another FTX!

[RF667799]

In Basic, sometimes the cooks brought us hot chow from the mess hall in mermites (take that, spellcheck), but other times they or the drill sergeants used immersion heaters in a garbage can full of water to heat C Ration entrees.

One thing I learned being served in the field from those mermites. I didn't really care that mashed potatoes, gravy, and a piece of mystery meat were plunked down on top of lettuce salad, and a piece of chocolate cake unceremoniously dumped on top of the whole mess. I gladly ate it all in whatever combination ended up on my fork.

 

[Oozlefinch]

I called them "insulated aluminum containers" because the spell checker on my phone was having a fit about the nomenclature. We went through "thermites", "termites"...

I commonly shake my head at some in here who pretend to have military experience, as it is so completely obvious that they have absolutely no idea what in the hell they are talking about. They have likely never really served, so simply can not comprehend what the military is capable of and how they do it.

Now in my over two and a half decades of service in two branches of service, I have had a wide background in how these kinds of things work. And for those who have never served, this will give them an idea how things really work in the real military.

Now my first unit was a Marine security force. We had 24 hour duty days, timed to start and end during morning chow. The ongoing shift would eat hot chow in the morning at the chow hall before taking over, the off-going shift would eat morning chow at the chow hall after getting off duty. For lunch and dinner, they would truck out our meals in mermites to our guard shack. Lunch was hamburgers or hot dogs, dinner was whatever the main meal for the day was.

After a couple years of that I moved to the "Real Infantry". And there, we spent 1 to 2 weeks in the field at a time or more. And we simply expected to eat every meal during that time as MREs. In a 1 week field exercise, we might get hot chow brought out to us once, maybe twice. But we had no field kitchen, it was trucked out from mainside. And having no mess tent, we just ate as we always would, in the open air.

Ever had a dinner of spaghetti outside in a North Caroline summer? During a rainstorm? I have, still a happy memory to this day, as we had been in the field for a week and a half. Finally getting a hot meal, and having to scarf it down as fast as we could or the rain would wash away all of the sauce. It sucked, but we were happy because it was hot chow.

And during my 10 years as Marine Infantry? Never once did I ever see a cot, or sleep in anything other than under the open sky, or in a 2 man shelter half (think of a floorless pup tent where each person has half of the tent).

Then I moved to the Army and was in Air Defense. Very different indeed. No more shelter halves, we had large tents that could be fitted together to hold anywhere from a Squad to a Company. And no more sleeping on the ground, everybody had a cot. That was like the Taj Mahal for a poor grunt like me. And even in the field, 2 hot meals a day was the norm. Breakfast and Dinner (including omelets to order), the only MRE was for the noon meal. That was little different from being in garrison. And served out of an MKT. With an actual "dining tent" where we sat at field tables in field chairs and ate under cover.

But then in my final decade, I was in Army Medical and assigned to a CASH (a modern version of the old MASH). Oh boy, yet another level of comfort I had never imagined. Now there we could eat three hot meals a day. And not only that, something I had never before experienced in all my years in the Army or Marines. Clean uniforms Hot showers!

Yep, one of the things about a CASH unit is that one of the sections is "Laundry and Bath". And just as the name suggests, that is a squad sized section that provides the hospital and all those working in it clean uniforms and hot showers. Which should be expected, we are a field medical unit and can not be expected to wear the same filthy uniforms for 1-2 weeks when treating patients. So in the evening we would trudge over to their area and have a hot shower, and turn in out uniform. And sometime in the next day one of them would return it nice and clean.

 

[Oozlefinch]

I mean, come on now! Surely everybody has seen the old TV show MASH. That was set in the 1950s during the Korean War, and things are really not all that different today. The food is cooked in a trailer now and not in a tent, but it is still largely the same. Anybody that says that there is no way to house, feed or care for thousands of members of the military absolutely has no idea what they are talking about, and are speaking out their arse.

In one of the largest field training operations I took part in, units were arriving from all over the West Coast to a central location in California. And the Army had rented an honest to god gigantic circuit tent that covered an area about half the size of a football field. We spent about a day there. Checking in, getting showers and laundry if we needed it (washing machines in trailers like are often seen in disaster areas) as our higher ups would scout out the training area we were going to and deciding exactly where they wanted us to set up. Then after lunch the next day heading on out to where our new home would be for the next month.

And yes, in those kinds of environments the training areas will be broken up into multiple smaller training areas. Each one hosting from 1-5 units. And the person in charge of those smaller training areas? They actually were called the "Mayor". In short, they and their staff were the liaison between the units in their area and the "Real Army" camp. If you had issues or the base had issues with us, we went through the "Mayor" who operated in the "Mayor Cell", normally 4 or 5 other people that assisted them.

Have a problem with getting your water buffalo filled, talk to the Mayor. Have a real life medical emergency, you contact the base and get them MEDIVACed. Have a minor medical issue that is not an emergency, you go through the Mayor and they arrange to have them transported to the mainside medical clinic for treatment.

I'm sure most who read that article and saw "Mayor" were likely confused. But that is actually what such individuals are called in the Army. They will be on site weeks to a month before such an exercise starts, and will be on the ground weeks to a month after it ends. And in my final years being IT-COMMO, I had actually operated as staff for such operations. Reporting directly to the G-6 of the training operation, and we would get calls from the various Mayors if they or the units under them were having communications issues.

Myself, I see absolutely nothing here that is any different than the Brigade or Division sized operations I took part in when I was in North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, or California. Once again, the Army has literally been doing this for almost 250 years now. They have a pretty good idea how to move thousands of people around if needed, and take care of them once they arrive. Even if it is cots in a tent, showers in a tent, and eating hot meals in a tent that were made in a trailer.

 

[Oozlefinch]

Now here is a bit of a lesson for what a CASH actually looks like.

Now that is a "Medium CASH", designed to support a Brigade-Regiment in the field. In the top left corner you can see the "Motor Pool", where the mechanics will operate when they are set up. Then across the top you have all the tents that the personnel that will run the hospital live. Roughly a platoon of around 30 per tent. And on the top-right, that is the field mess. The kitchen. I can spot the scullery (where the dishes are cleaned), the MKT folded up in the transport configuration, and the dining tent.

Now taking up most of this image is the hospital itself. And I can tell this is a medium sized one because it has a single X-Ray trailer (the small single expansion tan unit), and two operating theaters (the tan units with two expansions). A smaller CASH will only have a single operating theater, larger ones will have 2 X-Ray units and 3 or more operating theaters.

And below that in the center is the camouflage metal container with one expansion. In the field, as communications that would be my home. Where as soon as they had erected the tents me and my crew would be crawling all over running CAT-5 networking cable. Because yes, in a modern CASH everything is computerized and networked. We even have a small field satellite transceiver that allows connections to the military Internet.

This is not Alan Alda's MASH from the 1970s. A modern CASH unit is literally a full service modern trauma hospital, in tents.

 

[NWRatCon]

In Basic, sometimes the cooks brought us hot chow from the mess hall in mermites (take that, spellcheck), but other times they or the drill sergeants used immersion heaters in a garbage can full of water to heat C Ration entrees.

One thing I learned being served in the field from those mermites. I didn't really care that mashed potatoes, gravy, and a piece of mystery meat were plunked down on top of lettuce salad, and a piece of chocolate cake unceremoniously dumped on top of the whole mess. I gladly ate it all in whatever combination ended up on my fork.

Ah...Memories.

Hot is hot.

 

[Tangmo]

This Double B-Day Parade fiasco got me looking into the last big military parade in Washington which of course was the 1991 Victory March from Operation Desert Storm. This of course is by all the services whereas the Trump Double Chin parade is by the Army only for its 250th B-Day.

Dunno about the June 14th affair but this one's worth watching.

Watch National Victory Celebration | Operation Desert Storm​

Persian Gulf War Victory Parade | Constitution Avenue | Washington DC​

JUNE 8, 1991​

National Victory Celebration Parade: Bands played, troops marched, flags flew and military weaponry and equipment rolled down Constitution Avenue during the $12 million National Victory Celebration Parade in Washington, DC.

The parade, marching before a reviewing stand where the president, vice-president, members of the Cabinet and their spouses watched the proceedings, was the main event in the National Victory Celebration marking the victory of the Persian Gulf War.

Stealth bombers, Patriot missiles, tanks, Bradly Fighting Vehicles, MLRS rockets, the Tomahawk cruise missile and all the other DS military hardware were featured in the parade, as were hundreds of troops from the war. A huge crowd of 800,000 applauded the weapons and troops as they passed down Constitution Avenue. Narration is provided for the parade by Major General Streeter, commanding general for the Military District of Washington, and Washington native Willard Scott of the NBC Today show and whoppingly popular former weatherman for the Washington NBC affiliate WRC-TV.


Each unit in the parade gets a bang-up narrative about it in Desert Storm. Each service gets to show its stuff but the Marines stole the show with their 2nd Division Band from Camp Lejeune NC doing its sassy rendition of "Nothing Could Be Finer Than To Be in Carolina." Desert Storm was their largest battle in the history of the Corps so there were plenty of Marine units during the second hour. The supportive crowd loves the whole thing cheering and applauding from start to finish.

Pack your lunch for this worthwhile gander. The first hour is the Army then for the next 44 minutes the Navy in their summer uniform sea of white fills the Avenue for as far as the eye can see. As the co-narrator MJG Streeter said, the Naval forces fired 290 cruise missiles into the battle "and that was during lunch, then they really got going." The narration is outstanding throughout.

The Army aviation flyover was mostly helos but then most of the second half was flyovers by the Navy, Marines, Air Force. A consequence is that we don't see much of the street marching of the AF and the Coast Guard. This parade too is a good instance of the Iron Law that any where, any time the band is the best marching unit present. They make the music they march to and they march to the music they make. Each service band at the review platform sounds four ruffles and flourishes then does its own service signature tune.

The Grand Finale has the Joint Service ceremonial guard marching in with the 57 flags of the states and territories (at the time the District of Columbia was considered a territory!) There's a mass signing of God Bless America with the Army Band from Ft. Myer and fireworks. This was before the current Joint Task Force - National Capital Region was activated post 9/11 in 2004. Occasionally the camera cuts to the front of the parade on Memorial Bridge and to the JFK grave in Arlington Cemetery.

 

[Rich2018]

Now here is a bit of a lesson for what a CASH actually looks like.

This is not Alan Alda's MASH from the 1970s. A modern CASH unit is literally a full service modern trauma hospital, in tents.

In other words - a field hospital.

 

[NWRatCon]

I'll confess, I like a good parade, but never liked the duty. I loved marching band in HS, and I loved to strut my stuff in public as a Soldier. Changes of command were primo. But, it was all the waiting around and assembly stuff that I hated. I never could stand clusters, and no parade I was assigned to was anything but.

 

[gman]

In my almost 4 years AD I marched in one parade and that was BCT graduation at Dix in ‘66. The next parade I marched in was the Welcome Home parade with my local veterans organization in lower manhattan which was a hoot . The assembly area was the park on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge. The local tavern owners must’ve made a million bucks that day. By the time we stepped, er staggered off all of us were 3 sheets to the micky. At the first halt on the bridge hundreds of guys were pissing into the river below. When we got into lower manhattan there was ticker tape filling the air. One of the buildings we passed a young lady saluted us by bearing her tits. . Oh what a day to remember.

 

[Tangmo]

Alas and as I've posted numerous times over the years, military troops of the Joint Task Force - National Capital Region of Washington DC are professionals who volunteer to be there and they do their double duty 100% right 100% of the time. And that it is Pentagon policy that is strict, that only those who are willing can qualify for a ceremonial unit in the JTF-NCR. No one there is required or forced to be there. Esprit de Corps is vital for the ceremonial units of the armed forces in what we do.

Each ceremonial guard in the JTF-NCR has a standard MOS or rating in the branch of service. There is no ceremonial MOS or rating in the USA armed forces. It is double duty is what it is, ie, regular force AND ceremonial stuff simultaneously.

And as I've posted for years, 99.9% of the armed forces hate and detest parades, marching practice, standing around scratching their arsses while waiting waiting waiting. I've noted for years on end elite troops such as airborne to name one of 'em do things military well to include parades -- elite forces insist on doing everything well.

And that In contrast, ordinary troops are ordinary in parades that they seldom have -- ordinary at best. And that it's an Iron Law the band is the best marching unit on the field any where, any time with only the rarest of exception. Military band members also like what they do which is to march and play music while also stationary.

In the JTF-NCR the Army and the Marines are Infantry so in the winter they go to the field for FTX to include continuing or new first time qualifications. For The Old Guard of the Army at Ft. Myer the companies of troops rotate throughout the winter months at Ft. Walker in central Virginia and Ft. Indiantown Gap at the PA state line. For the Marine ceremonial guard at the Marine Barracks in Washington, they go to Quantico for FTX and qualifications during the winter months.

Both of us get food in the field both in camp and out on exercises, the same as everyone in the Army does and same as every Marine does. Each the TOG Soldiers and the Marine guards know the mermites in camp and in the field to include walking into field tents with big pots and pans of food in 'em and that is a rare or only warm place for miles around. You get some field dust or dirt or snow in your metal tray of your maybe warm by now food you just suck it up as routine and normal. In middle school the kids named me the fastest eater of our hot lunches in the school but in the field in the Army I doubled that record time.

In TOG in the field there are 11 member squad tents in long rows but if you run the stove in your squad tent all night -- while everyone sleeps in their cots and fartsacks -- then each member of the squad needs to do a one hour fire watch after which they wake the next fire watch grunt and so on till first call when you fall out in the always inescapable cold that gets you every time. I still remember one platoon sergeant one morning bellowing "This reminds me of Germany!" Yes, I still remember that -- because that's where I would have shipped if not for TOG 3rd IR at Ft. Myer beckoning to me.

Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard train in their military rating in place in DC during those less busy winter months -- and now likewise for the Guardians of the Space Force. As we say, they got it made in the shade as it were.

 

[Tangmo]

This post focuses on the Joint Service Special Flag Detail of ceremonial guards from each service branch in Washington DC who performed in the Desert Storm Victory Parade on June 8th 1991.

This is the State and Territorial Flag Detail that carries the 57 flags of each state and territory of the USA. These guards of honor are members of what since 2004 is the Joint Task Force of the National Capital Region of Washington DC that includes 6500 Army personnel alone.

Each service of the armed forces provides flag bearers: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard. (A Space Force separate branch did not exist in 1991. )


The Marine guard at the center carries the flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which was the 5th state to ratify the Constitution which means he's a slightly taller one who goes up front in the formation that places the states flags first to last based on their date of ratification. Delaware was the first to ratify so it is the first flag in the formation. (Where is your state ha?!)




A Marine ceremonial guard of Infantry PFC from Marine Barracks Washington at left acquires new information and knowledge about the Desert Storm Victory Parade in Washington with an Army 3rd Infantry guard of honor Corporal from Ft. Myer during informal wait time before marching out to join the parade for its Grand Finale of song and fireworks, June 8th 1991.


The military service members of ceremonial guards shown are the Special Joint Service State and Territorial Flags Detail of 57 flags.







Part of the Joint Service Color Guard are shown at the ready to join the Desert Storm Victory Parade in Washington DC on June 8th 1991.

Each flag bearer carries the official flag of his armed service. L-R are Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and a Marine armed color guard of honor. Not seen outside of the left margin is the Army armed color guard, the Army bearer of the USA national standard and commander of the guard, and the Army bearer of the official flag of the AUS.

 

[Rich2018]

I'll confess, I like a good parade, but never liked the duty. I loved marching band in HS, and I loved to strut my stuff in public as a Soldier. Changes of command were primo. But, it was all the waiting around and assembly stuff that I hated. I never could stand clusters, and no parade I was assigned to was anything but.

May Trump could sell tickets to his parade and sell the broadcasting rights to Fox ?

 

[Fledermaus]

May Trump could sell tickets to his parade and sell the broadcasting rights to Fox ?

Maybe?