66 replies to this topic

[ThJudge]

So my experience was with a group of British RM Commandos doing some cold weather training up at Ft Greely back in the day. We were testing a new 5 point harness rig and hvy equipment rigs for airborne ops. Work all day and drink all night...repeat. Found out it is not good form to pass out on em cuz they like to light peoples hair on fire and put you out with an extinguisher... Oh what fun so long as ur not the one on fire heh. On to the Royal Thai Marines... hard people... when you screw up they put pebbles in your boots and make you march around... ouch. Also eating is communal as in one big round tray with rice and all the fixings and 6 or so guys just dig in. NEVER NEVER NEVER  eat one of their little red peppers they hand out to spice the meal up... NEVER. Oh and little land crabs (bout the size of a half dollar) cooked next to a fire are just considered extra chow that happens to by laying (crawling) around.


PS: Korat and Bangkok are off the charts... would say more but would not be family friendly

[steelkillers]

Spent 20 years in USMC from 62-82.  During my 30 months in Nam (1 year then 18 months with 2 years in Conus between the tours.

My first tour was as a lowly Lance Corporal while my second tour was as a Staff Sergeant.  I worked with and supported all of the nations that were in the Nam with us.  SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization) was there along with us.

I arrived for my second tour with a crate of BA-30's (for you civilians a D flash light battery) which I knew were always in scarce territory during Nam and started trading to obtain equipment/spare parts/test equipment etc.  In the Marines (at least during Nam) you needed the serial number tag from damaged equipment/vehicles/electronics etc to get a replacement from supply.  So I was trading with all of our allies and other US organizations working in the Nam.  Everything went smoothly until one day the CO called me into his office and wanted to know what we were going to do with a Phantom jet that was sitting in outside our building.  I quitely informed him that it was supposed to be delivered to the Marines/Naval facilities while they were sending us 2 jeeps, a duece and a half and a 5 ton truck and several radio components.  I traded K-Bars (USMC issue), food, booze (never beer), cigarettes etc during my last tour.

The upshot is that I met and worked with many great military personnel and will charish my memories of them.

Gunnery Sergeant was my final rank when I retired.

[twoonesierra]

steelkillers, on May 03 2012 - 06:33, said:

"Everything went smoothly until one day the CO called me into his office and wanted to know what we were going to do with a Phantom jet that was sitting in outside our building."

Shit Gunny, a Phantom Jet...

I have trained with the USMC before during a RIMPAC on board the USS Tarawa. They never failed to amaze me with their sense of professionalism and humour!!

I will always remember being brief by our CSM not to visit the local strip joints during our stay at MCBH and imagine when some NCOs from the 2/3 bought us to a "safe" strip joint and we saw our CSM with theirs inside we were like oh shit....


Another thing thats funny about the US is a soldier, a marine or a sailor learns to kill at 18 but can't drink till he's 21!

[Drop_Bear]

I had the privilege of serving in both UK and (eventually) Australian units.

Australia, was more 'un-regimented' compared to the UK (unless the proverbial was hitting the fan).

What struck me the most about the Australian Soldier was the 'don't get caught' mentality, or in other words; "If it's not nailed down, it's ours for the taking" , but having said that, be on the lookout for Aussie diggers walking around your base with claw hammers!

During my time, we served host to many US units, and I soon found out why the Aussies loved US visitors.

When the jesting is all over though, I can honestly say that, like any other Armed Force throughout the world, it's the 'larikin' factor that brightens any Soldier's day!

When the going got tough though, I would have gone to war with these guys in a heart-beat.

[Forvet]

twoonesierra, on May 03 2012 - 07:08, said:

Shit Gunny, a Phantom Jet...

I have trained with the USMC before during a RIMPAC on board the USS Tarawa. They never failed to amaze me with their sense of professionalism and humour!!

I will always remember being brief by our CSM not to visit the local strip joints during our stay at MCBH and imagine when some NCOs from the 2/3 bought us to a "safe" strip joint and we saw our CSM with theirs inside we were like oh shit....


Another thing thats funny about the US is a soldier, a marine or a sailor learns to kill at 18 but can't drink till he's 21!

Dont tell that to the Coast Guard... =P law of the land babeh.

Dont know about other services, but drinking is part of being in a sea service. Now, mind you. I will not SAY anyone has done it, but... think now.

[DanH]

Sealteam6, on May 02 2012 - 22:50, said:

My Culture shock was working with the US Military during Kangaroo 81 at shoalwater bay, The Food back on the US Base was outstanding for quality & quantity, actually made us a bit sick (from both ends)  as we had just done 2 weeks eating whatever crawled past us mixed with 24 Hr Rat packs & to get beautiful rich food for our 24 hours leave did its job.

I second this, coming back through Rocky after Croc 99 and the Yanks were running the depot there. We wandered over to mess for dinner and got the usual food, meat and veg etc similar standard to one of our own messes but streets ahead of field food. Sat down to enjoy some real food and then started noticing Marines with plates of fries, burgers, pizza etc. Discovered they had a second line for all the fast food addicts.

Dan

[Duffbowl]

The_Chieftain, on May 03 2012 - 02:48, said:

HMS Glamorgan? County Class? That dates you.

D'oh! Messed that up.  I'll have a look back through my cruise book.

It was 1994 when I was up in Singapore for the FPDA, so definitely not Glamorgan.

Edited by Duffbowl, May 03 2012 - 10:08.

[furcalor]

One thing is definitively correct, if you ever find your self wanting to go to a sauna, just find the closest Finnish Army camp. In Kosovo our small camp of bit over 200 people had 4 saunas. And you are REQUIRED to goto sauna at least every second day (Situation so allowing). And on Irish, I have few fond memories of popping over to have a pint in their camp, I bet they still missed having gin long drinks back home

Edited by furcalor, May 03 2012 - 10:04.

[furcalor]

josephunh, on May 02 2012 - 20:22, said:

While I am sure fresh french bread is something anyone in theater would desire, or being able to hit the bar at a another bases camp, I am curious is there anything you found that foreign units seemed to desire or want from US units?  As americans we always experience other culture but its not always easy to define what ours is so I am curious if there were things they sought out when being with american units?

To answer that question, what foreign groups seemed to desire from american troops were PX (Shopping Mall), Burger King & Pizzerias.

[twoonesierra]

furcalor, on May 03 2012 - 10:07, said:

To answer that question, what foreign groups seemed to desire from american troops were PX (Shopping Mall), Burger King & Pizzerias.

Haha ya the PX was a big desire!! My whole company went in and all came out with Oakley or other branded shades

[Pirabee]

Stand to, men, this is probably going to be the wildest claim you'll ever hear on WoT: I bet I'm the only Nigerian registered on the US-Server!!! We have a fairly ok army that's proved its mettle in far-flung places such as Somalia, the Sudan/Darfur, Liberia and Sierra Leone but I've found so few of us keen to blow apart armor on PCs as I regularly do on WoT. Weird people, we Nigerians!

And if I'm wrong in my claim, hey, "arise o compatriot" and declare proof of your Nigerian-ness. Mention which State Tinapa is.

Pirabee.

[scarecrowmeow]

Why does it look like only the american guys pants fit. and the rest look like they are too long? e.0

[Zulnex]

Splendid read as always. Many thanks.

[Sword_of_Light]

Forvet, on May 02 2012 - 23:23, said:

In the US Coast Guard, being just south of vancouver I have met acouple Canadian CG members, and served with other shipmates who have had more in depth relationships.

Unlike the USCG, the Canadian CG is infact pretty much nearly a fire department, it is mostly civilian and the more military like boats are even then insanely relaxed. One of my chiefs told a story of being up in alaska, and when the bar he and a number of canadians were at had last call... the canadians invited him back to thier ship and it's onboard BAR. Suffice to say he came back to his 110 foot patrol boat utterly s***faced after having the party of his life.

Don't get me wrong, the Canadian Coast Guard is a wonderful organization. Oftentimes better equipped and better maintained by the government than our own thinly stretched, outdated, and falling apart USCG. However, it is quite the culture shock to come from a straight laced military organization with no alcohol onboard and no beards and military haircuts to looking at our CG brothers across the strait and seeing the Brawny man touting beer around the fantail as it were.

Long story short, I have never once had a bad experience... or heard of bad experience from the Canadian CG or the RCMP, both of which we work closely in tadem. This is just my little tidbit of culture shock for you fellows. ... I believe I am the only member of the USCG on these boards anyhow.

You are mistaken.  Semper P', buddy.

I never met any of my Canadian counterparts, but did work around them at one point - we were doing fisheries in Georges Bank, which is just miserable; ship doing 360s to maintain position, the Captian yelling at me because I couldnt keep target lock on the fishing boat we were boarding (because the computer was from the 70s), and I had it comparativly good.  The boarding teams were spending 14 hour days in RHIs bobing around in the freezing cold water, counting fish.  Its what convinced me I didnt want to join the boarding team.  Anyways, the Canadians are there keeping up their end of the treaty, and so they're checking to see that we dont overfish either.  The talk was that they werent dry - which didnt come as a surprise to me, I knew we were on of the few navies that was - I remember a French vessel docking at Support Center Boston, and the sailors just loading themselves down with booze from the exchange.  What blew my mind was that they had a union.  Really?  I gotta be sober, I gotta yessir nosir moron Jay Ohs or get sent up on Captains Mast, and these guys are unionized?  All this, plus Rush - there are days I'm just so damn jealous of Canada.

-Don
"Take off!  To the Great White North!  Take off!  Its a beauty way to go!"
-Geddy Lee, "Take Off"

[Viconius]

After receiving my Schützenschnur In the winter of ‘83, I was fortunate to be invited to the officer’s mess of the 1^st Gebirgsjäger Div. for some gluhwein and stories. They allowed me in as an E-4 because they considered me an NCO particularly because we (active duty US Army) weren’t considered part time soldiers. I have to say, that felt good!

The mess hall was in the keller of Strub Kaserne which wasn’t destroyed during the war, so you could almost feel the history. After practicing archery by candle light and some Christmas music, people got down to some serious story telling. A man I worked with as a civilian liaison for dealing with German nationals (I was an MP at the time) by the name of Heinrick (memory might be off) sat down across the table from me. He reached his hands across the table and placed them on the top of mine and told me and those at the table, the story of how he was captured by the Russians near the end of the war somewhere near a town called Veliki Luki (spelling is probably wrong.) I remember the name because of the way he said it. In 48, he was somehow traded to the French and was given the choice of continued POW status or join the FFL in Vietnam. So, he visited Indochina.

The stories were intense and no one spoke for quite a while after. I left that night hearing “Next time the snow won't stop us.” My understanding of history got a bit broader.

[max_output]

Regardless of what country's forces  you are in, be it US, Aussie, Kiwi, French, Pacific, Japanese, Canadian, German, we all have that special bond of comradeship and brotherhood.
We have all fought alongside or against one another, yet we all understand the concept and horrors of war.
We may argue over who won and who lost, what country sacrificed the most, who fought the hardest or longest.
But it dosnt matter because we have all shed blood on the battlefields of the world, and we will continue to do so as long as there is an injustice or evil that wishes to harm those we have sworn to protect.
We are a world of many nations and many beliefs, but we are also a world of one fundamental truth....'ALL men were created EQUAL'

[Rumbleghost]

I did a tour as a UN peacekeeper in the former Yugoslavia.  I have to respect the officers who organized that mish-mash of units.  Some can't drive.  Some have no winter gear.  Some bring their own goat.  One thing in particular was watching the Brits and the Argentinians exchange dirty looks while working together.  Some of them probably still recognized each other from the Falkland Islands.

[Slot_3]

Rumbleghost, on May 07 2012 - 06:26, said:

One thing in particular was watching the Brits and the Argentinians exchange dirty looks while working together.  Some of them probably still recognized each other from the Falkland Islands.

That must have been awkward.

[Vollketten]

I remember being on exercise in Belgium in the late 1990's and hauling a GPMG (a 7.62mm machine gun-M59) around in the hot (yes it was HOT!) Belgian countryside for 2 days as part of our manouvres with some Belgian armored units with these funky looking APC's of theirs. On the second night we prepared our ambush positions carefully for a morning ambush after moving into positions after nightfall.I set up the gimpy and everyone else got into position in what we though was a wooden area. Just as first light it became clear we were sandwiched on the edge of a children play area and a two storey brick house in a housing estate.
Out Lieutenant started to look a little sheepish with his map-reading skills when a very charming man and his wife in their 60's came out carrying glasses of Beer for their 'noble allies' as we were described.
Needless to say the ambush when postponed until the afternoon and after having one beer 'just to be friendly' outside we were invited back to their house and sat with weapons, camo and all in their living room drinking beer hearing about the war. Best exercise ever. That gimpy was very light after 5 or 6 glasses of 'dupple'.
Beautiful countryside. Weirdly the Belgian army base we stayed at though did not have a bar! You had to catch the base mini-bus into town to drink and there was no deadline to get back as long as you were their for paraded first thing the next day even if your mate had to hold you up to stop you falling over.

Edited by Vollketten, May 10 2012 - 20:23.

[Renegade_0878]

Pirabee,
I was in Nigeria in 2008 and played volleyball on your base in Lagos. Also got to go to dinner with the CO of the base at that time, any chances that you were there?