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I know, my buddies still in tell me just how bad it is right now. It's the rules of engagement that are tying their hands now. Plus, they've got an administration that acts like they're rogue criminals or something. It's tragic. Of course, most of the people I know now are pretty high up senior leadership so they see the policies and have to deal with them all the time.
Obama is apparently eager to hand out is new medal for "Courageous Restraint" ... posthumously of course. Thanks to Obama's ROE more US troops (Marines and Army alike) have died in Obama's first 18 months in office, than during all eight years under Bush combined.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southbel
Hey - y'all are the guys that got to blow stuff up! That's cool. I was Intel, a linguist, usually attached to one truck company or another. Us Intel types tend to be that way. Husband was a grunt, 4th Marines, eventually made his way over to SOI where he taught our young boots how to be hard charging devil dogs.
I did not get to blow anything up ... officially. My MOS was 1391, a Bulkfuelman. Essentially, a very well armed gas station attendant. We worked with the SeaBees to build fuel centers on the beach. We would run a long line out to the Navy tankers at sea, and off-load their fuel into our bladder tanks. Let's see the Army pull that off.
I spent a 13-month tour in Okinawa with the 4th Marine Division at Futenma Air Base refueling helicopters, but the bulk of my time was at Camp Pendleton, CA.
Obama is apparently eager to hand out is new medal for "Courageous Restraint" ... posthumously of course. Thanks to Obama's ROE more US troops (Marines and Army alike) have died in Obama's first 18 months in office, than during all eight years under Bush combined.
I did not get to blow anything up ... officially. My MOS was 1391, a Bulkfuelman. Essentially, a very well armed gas station attendant. We worked with the SeaBees to build fuel centers on the beach. We would run a long line out to the Navy tankers at sea, and off-load their fuel into our bladder tanks. Let's see the Army pull that off.
I spent a 13-month tour in Okinawa with the 4th Marine Division at Futenma Air Base refueling helicopters, but the bulk of my time was at Camp Pendleton, CA.
I so agree with the "Courageous Restraint" comment. So detrimental to our troops!
I know - it's so hard to explain why the Army could NEVER be the Marines but if you've ever served, you know it and know it well.
I think the military can be smaller than it is today, but it cannot become "small."
It is vitally important for every country to at some point fear the military power of the US. The single most important thing is to not reduce the size of our nuclear arsenal. We already have them, so we don't have to spend money for new ones. Just maintain them.
No what would be vitally important would be for nations hostile towards us to understand that we would use our military to hurt them, to hit them where it would hurt the most if they ever attacked us.
Case in point. When bombed Mohmars tent. He went away for a long time after that and behaved. If memory serves he was among the first to call after 911 and deny any part in the attack...
Politicians don't fear collatoral damage unless its them or their families that are the collatoral.
I so agree with the "Courageous Restraint" comment. So detrimental to our troops!
I know - it's so hard to explain why the Army could NEVER be the Marines but if you've ever served, you know it and know it well.
It is not that difficult to explain. You have done a very good job at pointing out the differences, particularly during basic training. The Army boot camp is six weeks, where they are primarily interested in getting you prepared for military life, the protocols, how to march (poorly), very basic first aid, etc. They also have different boot camps for different MOS' and the training will vary considerably depending upon your MOS. After boot camp the Army has Advanced Individualized Training (AIT) where they teach you about your specific MOS. The length of time in AIT will vary depending upon the MOS, but most are only a few weeks in duration. Language schools, however, could take a couple years.
When it comes to qualifying with the M16, the maximum distance the Army shoots is 300 yards and as close as 50 yards. The Army does not bother teaching you how to fire from different positions, just standing or prone during boot camp. The 11B (Infantry) MOS in the Army get a great deal of additional training during their AIT, but only the combat MOS' get that kind of training in the Army, not the support staff.
Clinton thought the same thing and worked towards eliminating the Marine Corps when he was President. I served in the Marine Corps during that time and it was pretty bad. We were still required to support missions but did so without the needed supplies and support. We lost a lot of great Marines with strigent up or out policies, creating a huge vacuum in our senior leadership for many years.
The Marine Corps has a completely different structure than the Army and more importantly, a different method of training. We stay small on purpose. Every single Marine is a marksman so there will be no instances of being an Admin and not knowing how to be a warfighter when called upon or needed. Even our boot camp is a totally different experience, better preparing Marines for the ops tempo they will face upon serving.
We always hear this call to disband the Marine Corps after major conflicts. But, each of those major conflicts have shown the utility and use of the Marine Corps. We're a forward deployed force that can move with the speed necessary to secure the ground before the Army comes in. The Army is huge and slooowwww.
And on top of that, we should not discount the historical element that the Marine Corps is the first fighting force and our reputation as a superior fighting force has its own element of power on the world stage.
not saying we have to disband the marines. Heck, they could be the new land force.
right now, we have two, and with the wars of the future, do we need that many?
heck, with the robots in the pipeline, how many actual people will we even need in the near future?
It is not that difficult to explain. You have done a very good job at pointing out the differences, particularly during basic training. The Army boot camp is six weeks, where they are primarily interested in getting you prepared for military life, the protocols, how to march (poorly), very basic first aid, etc. They also have different boot camps for different MOS' and the training will vary considerably depending upon your MOS. After boot camp the Army has Advanced Individualized Training (AIT) where they teach you about your specific MOS. The length of time in AIT will vary depending upon the MOS, but most are only a few weeks in duration. Language schools, however, could take a couple years.
When it comes to qualifying with the M16, the maximum distance the Army shoots is 300 yards and as close as 50 yards. The Army does not bother teaching you how to fire from different positions, just standing or prone during boot camp. The 11B (Infantry) MOS in the Army get a great deal of additional training during their AIT, but only the combat MOS' get that kind of training in the Army, not the support staff.
Every Marine is a marksman and that is not understood well enough but we are all trained to be able to actually fight if necessary. That is so very key. On a more nitpicking issue I have with the Army - they look so darn sloppy all the time. Not squared away at all. Some are very overweight and simply do not seem to have neither the discipline or pride that we see in the Marine Corps.
not saying we have to disband the marines. Heck, they could be the new land force.
right now, we have two, and with the wars of the future, do we need that many?
heck, with the robots in the pipeline, how many actual people will we even need in the near future?
If anything, Iraq has shown us an even greater need for the Marine Corps. We need forward deployed forces that can take the ground. Once we have done so, then and only then does the Army move in. They bring the infrastructure for long term deployments. Robots?? Really??
I think before anyone tries to question why we need both the Marines and the army they should first learn what the difference is between the 2 forces.
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Thanks to Obama's ROE more US troops (Marines and Army alike) have died in Obama's first 18 months in office, than during all eight years under Bush combined. 
I was Intel, a linguist, usually attached to one truck company or another. Us Intel types tend to be that way. 
Husband was a grunt, 4th Marines, eventually made his way over to SOI where he taught our young boots how to be hard charging devil dogs.
