LivingInMEM

Probably 85% of the people forward deployed are no more than 1-yr removed from their high school graduation. It's no surprise when you consider that.

rickair7777

I was pretty PO'ed when I heard about this a few weeks ago because McChrystal was quoted as saying he wanted those in theater to have a more aggressive, "expeditionary" mentality.

If they are just taking away amenities to prevent people from enjoying a little comfort on occasion that's BS...we are no longer in boot camp/OCS. The crunchies who spend a lot of time outside the wire are the ones who need it the most, if the REMFs also get to enjoy it, oh well.

But now it sounds like it's a legit log chain issue...if it get's more gear to the guys who need it, that's great. I can ship my own espresso machine over I guess.

Grumble

That is [edit] hilarious. Just thinking about that stupid belt makes me want to slap the next kid that asks me where mine is. Seriously, what are the chances of getting hit by a car sitting out in front of the DEL if don't have your belt on? Whoever got a FITREP bullet out of that should be kicked [edit] repeatedly

There's a name for those guys. "Fobbits"

DustoffVT

In OIF pretty much everyone had access to that stuff, but in A$$crackistan a lot of joes are living Chosin style. It's only fair to them to spread the suck. I clearly remember the looks I got at the zone 6 Starbucks in Arifjan when I dared to enter after 6pm in uniform, with a weapon. It was hilarious.

Albief15

I spent OIF in Key West fighting Super Hornets, so my post 9/11 combat experience is zero.

That said...keeping the peace in PSAB enforcing no-fly zones, I saw first hand pilots harrassed daily between chow halls and PT tents and Ops for the silliest of infractions...including improper wear of the boonie hat and raising hell with us for "morale patches" which were our "NATO Tiger Eagle Driver" patches but in subdued tan and brown to match our uniforms. We were told we had to wear the provisional wing patch.

The fix? I bit my lip. I took notes. And I dropped papers at the 14 year point...the first chance I had to bail. Zero regrets since. We flew stupid missions inforcing an assinine policy, but the most important thing to the leadership at the time was making sure nobody had a non standard patch.

I really feel for the guys in harms way. Feeling like your own hall monitors are out there harrassing you just makes what should be a proud feeling of service more like being in detention in junior high.

hoser073

Umm, excuse me sir..... your PT shirt is not tucked in correctly. Sir, we haven't worn "that" color reflective belt ever.... you need to get the correct color.

Ahhhh, gearing up to embrace that suck once again next month. War is hell. At least the flying is good for the most part.

jungle

Reality and our grasp on it is a good indicator of mental health. Some may see the food as a symbol of something less than desirable, but to paraphrase the man "sometimes a bucket of fried chicken is only a bucket of fried chicken."

Great post, rest easy, there will be no shortage of lobster and steak in the halls of power.



Thanks to everyone for not posting "The Fobbit Song" on youtube. That would be a TOS violation.

Deuce130

I can think of a few reasons to get rid of the amenities at the FOBs but this is NOT one of them.

DustoffVT

The point is, on the big bases, GO #1 is a joke. It's hard for an NCO to run his platoon when his guys are less focused on the mission than drinking or "clubbing" that night.

That being said, I understand it's always been this way - GI's partied in a blacked out London, flight line bars in Vietnam. Some get to experience war a lot more harshly than others - ergo the fobbits, and AF crews bragging in the chow hall about their "number of penetrations" of airspace my soldiers breathed for 13 months.

If you're AF, no offence on that, just heard it several times.

rickair7777

Off to google, be right back....