What the Corps is missing....everybody please read

[cm22486]

i think something that needs to be taught to today's military more than anything, is something they used to do back in the vietnam days and before. officers would basically sign a piece of paper saying they would be a gentleman. too many military personnel these days are so morally whacked, its absurd. i have come to believe that these days most young marines have no morals whatsoever, the concept of being a gentleman is something that hasnt even been thought of. in vegas, i saw marines in their blues and they were just cussin up a storm in front of women and families, who had a disgusted look on their faces. that uniform is revered as something sacred in the eyes of america, it represents something america can call upon when freedom is threatened. the proudest figure that relates to the red white and blue.
marines in the px here will cuss around wives and children all the time, making kids cover their ears and wives look in disbelief. at the ball this year i had to watch a captain at our table jump a corporals butt for cussing in front of the captains wife, is this NCO behavior? respect and morals is something that is just not taught these days. we represent something that when america looks at a marine they say....thats a squared away guy, because he is a marine, he is not a hornball drunk.....at least we dont think he is......
these days, the young crowd that is joining up mostly has no evidence of any kind of moral upbringing or values. swearing is something all of us marines do, but you have to know when to do it. marines every day here in okinawa are going to hooker joints, blowing every payday they get within 48 hours of the direct deposit on what? getting so drunk that they either pass out or get NJPed the following week. it is sad, and something i think the leadership needs to focus on these days is marines being gentlemen....not barbaric sex hounds who live through the week just for the next paycheck...the next bottle....and one step closer to EAS. it disgusts me that i have to worry about bringing my wife out to town to grab a bite to eat for fear of the behavior that she will see from marines, especially when her in laws come into town for the birth of our child in june. her sister happens to be a very attractive girl, but is only 16....but i promise marines will still attack her like a pack of wolves.
Im sick of seeing it, and i wish i had more weight on my collar to be able to get something done about it. i urge all higher ups that read this to take this into serious consideration. the image america has for a marine is the highest of all fighting forces, america loves us and needs us. how are we supposed to be accepting thank you's from strangers, free drinks from strangers, strangers paying our tabs at restaurants, and just general compliments....knowing that 70% of our corps is a bunch of drunken idiots who fornicate every chance they get, regardless of marital status sometimes. it is sad that nowadays not too many marines uphold a sense of morals....and i think this is far more important than every PME being about wearing a helmet on motorcycles.
Its not just marines though gents, its every branch. I would have to say the air force behaves the best and im sure all will agree. marines needs to understand that we dont have to be able to do 20 shots, have sex with multiple amounts of women, and rebel against the rules to be feared killers. i think the most feared killer is a disciplined killer, not a barbaric one. hopefully you all can share my view here, if not....carry on....but remember when the next time you have a uniform on and a civilian walks up and thanks you, remember they thank you for what the marines represent....a flawless warrior with a history of great triumph and strong character...i hope that never dies, because when it does....god help our future.
I may not have much experience in the marine corps, but i have a lot of experience in life. I disclose my rank only to shed light that if a little lance can notice this....the higher ups need to as well. i guarantee all of you do, but something needs to be done.

LCpl M, Okinawa Japan

[kenny10]

so Marines being gentlemen is far more important than Marines and Pme regarding motorocycles and safety?
You know that a record number of Marines have been killed on motorcycles lately, so I get it you
You think its more important for gentlemen talks than it is for Marines dying

[AMERICANWARFIGHTER]

This LCpl is 100% right. Who cares about motorcycle safety classes. When off duty the "Marines" will do what they want anyway. So when he kills himself on the weekend for showing off or speeding on a rice burner, I couldn't care less. Thats one less undependable knucklehead I have to take into a fight.
The Gunny,

[mel44]

This LCpl is 100% right. Who cares about motorcycle safety classes. When off duty the "Marines" will do what they want anyway. So when he kills himself on the weekend for showing off or speeding on a rice burner, I couldn't care less. Thats one less undependable knucklehead I have to take into a fight.
The Gunny,

That would be perfectly ok if we tax payers were not investing mega bucks in training these knuckle heads. I have sen one young lady killed here on 41a and 1 take a dive onto the shoulder. The second one I was directly behind him, slammed the brakes and jumped out as a first responder. He was ok, mostly concerned about the dents and scratches to his bike. I am not sure the statistics today but as of last year we had more soldiers killed on these crouch rockets than in Afghanistan. Boys and their toys. The are young and have to much money when they return from deployment. The earned it but my goodness the amount of money it costs the army each year in lost and injured soldiers.

[kenny10]

This LCpl is 100% right. Who cares about motorcycle safety classes. When off duty the "Marines" will do what they want anyway. So when he kills himself on the weekend for showing off or speeding on a rice burner, I couldn't care less. Thats one less undependable knucklehead I have to take into a fight.
The Gunny,

Not all Marines ride recklessly and its not always the riders fault
Wow "Gunny" thats great that you don't care about a Marine that gets killed on a motorcycle
I wish you were in charge of me! (sarcasm)

[cm22486]

Not all Marines ride recklessly and its not always the riders fault
Wow "Gunny" thats great that you don't care about a Marine that gets killed on a motorcycle
I wish you were in charge of me! (sarcasm)

but it is their decision to get a motorcycle. no matter how safe and smart of a rider you can be, if the thing next to you with 4 wheels is drunk, incompetent, or not paying attention and swerves into you....you would have much better odds of survival on 4 wheels rather than 2.

[USMC_8156]

The reason most people don't take Lance Corporals seriously is because they haven't seen enough of the Corps to run their mouth off about things that should be changed. Once you see things from a different level, the whole picture changes. That's why I said you should hold off your talk about how everyone sucks.


is it the character of a marine to sleep with a hooker? to get so drunk they puke in the public streets in front of hundreds of people? to flirt with another mans wife? to swear in front of children?

Here's the thing. This shit happens. We are the youngest, most male dominated branch of the military whose pure purpose is to help the infantry kill things. Do you expect choir boys to go out on the town in their braided belts and khakis, sipping microbrews and giving a hearty ha-ha to the cricket game? No. Frankly, you get a bunch of young overaggressive men who are going to get drunk on shore leave, swear a whole lot, and so on. Do I condone prostitution? No. Do I condone adultery? Of course not. Which is why both of those things are punishable under the UCMJ, and are, regularly.

The reason I feel like telling you to GTFO of here is because you're overemphasising something that is a non issue. If you hear someone swearing in public, tell them to be more aware of their surroundings. If they're sleeping in a motorcycle PME and you know they have a crotchrocket, throw your can of cope at them. If they're so drunk they're picking up a hooker, help a brother up and take him home. Condemning the system because you think this generation of Marines is of poor quality is a mistake.

Plus, you should see how the sister services, particularly the Navy and Army, behave on liberty. Brother, you haven't seen nothing yet.

[DevilNuts]

I think another big part of the situation is that the Lance Corporal here is on Okinawa. Oki is far from home, devil dog. I remember doing all of the same BS when I was there, it was like a 2 year time out where none of it counted towards real life. When I left Oki, I turned it down and became human again.

Your attitude is good and you've got the right idea, but keep in mind that Marines are not all boy scouts. You are going to see alot of drinking and sluttery. The best thing to do in your position is to set the best example you can for the younger Marines to emulate and to do what you can to keep them out of trouble and steer them in the right direction.

Another thing to remember is that to a person who doesn't speak japanese or read kanji (and isn't used to being away from home) is not going to know what else to do in his down time over there. You can try to include some of your buddies in some of the more wholesome activities and open their eyes to what else okinawa has to offer besides booze and hookers.

Take your friends SCUBA diving, take a tour of shuri castle, take a weekend trip to okuma beach. The bottom line is that you can't change people but you can set the example and hope for the best. Signing a piece of paper isn't going to make a Marine stay sober on the weekend or make his language any cleaner. Just be the morally upstanding person you are, while setting a good example and always emphasising your core values.

[Battleshort]

Plus, you should see how the sister services, particularly the Navy and Army, behave on liberty. Brother, you haven't seen nothing yet.

Hey!

I resemble that remark!:eek: :D

[cm22486]

The reason most people don't take Lance Corporals seriously is because they haven't seen enough of the Corps to run their mouth off about things that should be changed. Once you see things from a different level, the whole picture changes. That's why I said you should hold off your talk about how everyone sucks.



Here's the thing. This shit happens. We are the youngest, most male dominated branch of the military whose pure purpose is to help the infantry kill things. Do you expect choir boys to go out on the town in their braided belts and khakis, sipping microbrews and giving a hearty ha-ha to the cricket game? No. Frankly, you get a bunch of young overaggressive men who are going to get drunk on shore leave, swear a whole lot, and so on. Do I condone prostitution? No. Do I condone adultery? Of course not. Which is why both of those things are punishable under the UCMJ, and are, regularly.

The reason I feel like telling you to GTFO of here is because you're overemphasising something that is a non issue. If you hear someone swearing in public, tell them to be more aware of their surroundings. If they're sleeping in a motorcycle PME and you know they have a crotchrocket, throw your can of cope at them. If they're so drunk they're picking up a hooker, help a brother up and take him home. Condemning the system because you think this generation of Marines is of poor quality is a mistake.

Plus, you should see how the sister services, particularly the Navy and Army, behave on liberty. Brother, you haven't seen nothing yet.

well put. you got my respect in everything you wrote there.

[wzgriffith]

is it the character of a marine to sleep with a hooker? to get so drunk they puke in the public streets in front of hundreds of people? to flirt with another mans wife? to swear in front of children? if you think so....or have any type of rebuttle justifying this kind of behavior, that scares me.

Hahahahahahahahaha! Yes! Yes it is in the nature of a Marine to be a sloppy drunk, skirt chasing, rude trigger puller. Thats the way it's always been. Do a pump or two with a MEU, spend a little more time in the fleet overall and you'll see what a prude you are.

[OIFCOMBATVETNYC]

USMC, you sure on point brother!!

Lance Cooley,

I was at Camp Kinser in the 80s and Quantico in the 90s. Nothing much has changed. Marines getting in fights on BC street, whoring, kicking Airmen's butts at Kadena and Camp Guard duty in Kinville. Now and days, I heard there are alot of curfews in place. I was able to cross into Tijuana when I was at Camp Pendleton, now I heard you cant even do that. Point is that leadership is doing their best to take care of Marines but even with controls, you will have issues. Same thing with the Army with weekly safety briefs (wasnt there when I first started) but again because of the issues that you stated, these things will happen. The point is when you get rank, take care of your marines as much as possible and try to guide them to do the right thing but everyone is human and you cant control everyone. And if you see impropriety then do an on-the-spot corrections. Doesnt make a difference on what rank you have to do that. If you see a Gunny with his uniform out of whack, you can tactfully correct him. He might not listen though lol.

Just set the example and you be fine.

[Combat correspondent]

I think another big part of the situation is that the Lance Corporal here is on Okinawa. Oki is far from home, devil dog. I remember doing all of the same BS when I was there, it was like a 2 year time out where none of it counted towards real life. When I left Oki, I turned it down and became human again.

Your attitude is good and you've got the right idea, but keep in mind that Marines are not all boy scouts. You are going to see alot of drinking and sluttery. The best thing to do in your position is to set the best example you can for the younger Marines to emulate and to do what you can to keep them out of trouble and steer them in the right direction.

Another thing to remember is that to a person who doesn't speak japanese or read kanji (and isn't used to being away from home) is not going to know what else to do in his down time over there. You can try to include some of your buddies in some of the more wholesome activities and open their eyes to what else okinawa has to offer besides booze and hookers.

Take your friends SCUBA diving, take a tour of shuri castle, take a weekend trip to okuma beach. The bottom line is that you can't change people but you can set the example and hope for the best. Signing a piece of paper isn't going to make a Marine stay sober on the weekend or make his language any cleaner. Just be the morally upstanding person you are, while setting a good example and always emphasising your core values.

Couldn't have said it better if I was in the business to do so.... incase you missed it, read DevilNuts' post.

[CplH5811]

Do you expect choir boys to go out on the town in their braided belts and khakis, sipping microbrews and giving a hearty ha-ha to the cricket game?

This made me laugh quite a bit. Although I somewhat agree with the Lance, I have to say that I disagree just as much. The fact is that it's not everyone doing this. Yes, people pass judgement on what they see first of a group of people, but, if they feel we're all like that, it's nothing but ignorance. And obviously, you haven't spent more than a minute in the Corps because if you had, you would know that we have a lot of issues.

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank GOD for the United States Marine Corps." Eleanor Roosevelt, 1945

Know your history Devil.

[SGT 0313]

We were founded in a bar there Lance Corporal. We are only carrying the torch of those before us. Yes there are some stupid Marines who constantly get in trouble and put a black eye on the Corps Devil, but that is why we NJP the shit out of them so they do not pick up rank and hopefully move on when their EAS comes.
Focus on setting the example and once you pick up a little rank, your junior Marines will follow in tow.

[fancyb]

Well i am now learning about the marines, particularly those in operations and boy this is an eye opener for me. i mean if what you guys say about them are true then descent women should let them be.

[SEMPERMAN]

Well i am now learning about the marines, particularly those in operations and boy this is an eye opener for me. i mean if what you guys say about them are true then descent women should let them be.

Descent women? What is that? Marines love sluts hoooooooooooooorahhhhhhh:D

[kenny10]

Descent women? What is that? Marines love sluts hoooooooooooooorahhhhhhh:D

1st of all its ooorah there is no H and 2nd of all stop talking about Female Marines and take a look at how sleazy some Male Marines are, obviously you are one of those.........

[AMERICANWARFIGHTER]

Not all Marines ride recklessly and its not always the riders fault
Wow "Gunny" thats great that you don't care about a Marine that gets killed on a motorcycle
I wish you were in charge of me! (sarcasm)

You should be damn glad I'm not in charge of you, becuse I'd treat you like an adult. Able to make your own choices in life and pay for them when you make bad ones. This seems like something your current unit leaders are not doing. I never have, nor will I baby any Marine or anyone pretending to be a Marine. If I lose a guy in a motorcycle accident, I look at the rest of my platoon and I tell them, "He was a dumbass and now he is dead. Dont be a dumbass, now get back to work."

[Deebelle369]

Well, I'm not a Marine but I gave birth to two and I hope I instilled (sometimes BEAT) being a good man into them. I agree with the Lance Cpl. I don't believe you have to be a vulgar, whore-loving, drunk to be a quality Marine. On the contrary, self-restraint ain't for sissies. I also don't think you need to experience years of bad behavior to know it is bad.

What ever happened to "keep my honor clean"?

[sigecaps]

The Marine Corps is filled mostly with young adolescent males who have aggression issues. Quiet professionals do exist, but not in large numbers in the Marine Corps. If you want to find them, look to the special operations forces. Those guys are tough as nails, cool under fire, and 100% professional about getting the job done.

[AMERICANWARFIGHTER]

Drinking, fighting, women and whores then more drinking with the guy you were just fighting with! Oh yes, those were the good old days. Not of that is PC these days. Sad.

[notamotogrunt]

Oh christ here we go about the good old days from the old salty hardcore gunny who left his feelings on the yellow footprints and emotion at the recruiters desk. BTW you talking about your marine that way dont make you sound good or tough. If a guy gets killed theres no need to piss on his grave, but if thats one of the ways that youve found to get your point accross then keep it up...hooahh gunny.
Look marines still whore around, drink til they fall, and fight. It happens. BUT these highers we have now are more worried about their image with the press and the american public than anything else so they fry marines whenever they get the chance. Its just how it happens. (personally I think its funny as shit that highers are always talking about the old corps when theyre the ones running the new one) That being said theres way to many of these cats who think that being a marine makes um tough, or drinkers, or gods gift to women so they go out and make jackasses outta themselves. I think its funny personally but I kinda see where the lance criminal is coming from not that I really give a damn about the image of the corps.

[FlaMarine]

That would be perfectly ok if we tax payers were not investing mega bucks in training these knuckle heads. I have sen one young lady killed here on 41a and 1 take a dive onto the shoulder. The second one I was directly behind him, slammed the brakes and jumped out as a first responder. He was ok, mostly concerned about the dents and scratches to his bike. I am not sure the statistics today but as of last year we had more soldiers killed on these crouch rockets than in Afghanistan. Boys and their toys. The are young and have to much money when they return from deployment. The earned it but my goodness the amount of money it costs the army each year in lost and injured soldiers.

We "knuckleheads" pay taxes too! Hell if their parents didn't teach them to be respectful and polite it definitely won't happen in the Corps.

[Toogr82h8]

We are taught to be gentlement, it is all in our customs and courtesies classes in boot camp. However, It is something that guys get caught up in. Many times you are around nothing but Marines five days out of the week if not more. Generally in our shops it is FUCK THIS AND FUCK THAT.

One of the best Marines I had the privelege to work for was a MGySgt in Camp Pendleton. He would not allow us to curse. At first it was a pain in the ass since I was previously in a very vulgur enviroment in Japan. Throughout my time in Pendleton it is insane at how much others benefitted from this change. After awhile no one had to be corrected.

Most of us were not allowed to swear in our houses growing up so why do we do it now. I will be the first to say that I curse, but I do try and limit it. It sets a bad example, why would you teach your children to not do it unless it is wrong.

Cussing to me should be at a minimum and if you work around civilians or women then it is a NO! Its funny how the coolest person can get offended when something is out of context.

ohhhh and yes we pay our own salaries too! And we will also be civilians again at one time or another.

[THORSHAMMER69]

Well, I'm not a Marine but I gave birth to two and I hope I instilled (sometimes BEAT) being a good man into them. I agree with the Lance Cpl. I don't believe you have to be a vulgar, whore-loving, drunk to be a quality Marine. On the contrary, self-restraint ain't for sissies. I also don't think you need to experience years of bad behavior to know it is bad.

What ever happened to "keep my honor clean"?

While I agree that you don't have to be a dipshit (paraphrasing here) to be a Marine, I think you lack the perspective needed to make that conclusion. By your own admission, you have never been a Marine, so I find it slightly offensive to hear you talk about what it takes to be a good Marine. We didn't join the Marine Corps to sing songs by the campfire. The sole reason the Marine Corps exists is to kill America's enemies. I don't mean this to be a personal attack so please don't take it that way. All I'm trying to say is that there is a reason the rest of the world runs when they know the Marines have landed. Marines all have alpha personalities. Imagine the last party you went to, then imagine the most outgoing and aggressive person there. Now put 20,000 of those personalities together with nothing to do on their off time and make your own conclusions on what will probably take place. I'm not condoning anything here. I"m a married father of four beautiful children. There have been times where I had to tell some dumbass LCpl to watch his mouth around my daughters. But it comes with the territory.

[Gunny_0848]

Looks like an old thread that was resurected. Here is my $.02... The LCpl who started the thread has some points but to say that the Corps has totally gone to Sh-t is wrong.

Marines should behave themselves on liberty when around women and children etc.. We all know that this doesnt always happen. There is a time and a place for horeseplay cussing drinking whoring etc. Just correct Marines when you see them doing it in the wrong places. I spent 3 years on an Army base and they are just as bad about it.

Also for those of you who think that Gunnys make policy you are mistaken. It is the pencil pushing officers that make it with pressure from washington and the mother's of america..

As for motorcycles .. First of all I am a rider myself. There are more motorcycle deaths nowadays because there are more Marines riding nowadays. That is pretty easy to figure out.

I hate to hear when a Marine dies from anything but here is my view. A Marine who dies because he was reckless is like a Marine who takes his own life. He doesn't rate a memorial.. No boots, rifle, helmet nothing.. We had a kid suck on a rifle here in Iraq and he is not a hero. There was no memorial and there shouldn't have been. I feel for his family and friends but that is all.

We do a good job I think with Battalion motorcycle clubs and getting the word out about PPE. I was glad to hear recently that the mandatory reflective vest has gone away because it hasnt proven to prevent anything but picking up chicks. PPE will save you most of the time if you are following the laws, speed limits and are driving defensively etc.

[THORSHAMMER69]

Gunny, awesome post. well stated and I completely agree with everything you just said. The Corps is made up of individuals, whether we like it or not. Sometimes setting a good example can be a huge step in the right direction. Peer pressure can be a positive thing as well. For example, if you embarass your buddy in a restaraunt when he does something out of line, he might have second thoughts about being a jackass next time.

[Lone_NCO]

LCpl who started this thread, hopefully you found some info this thread that enlightened you. Im guessing your negative attitude came from frustrastion over specific situations you encountered. So this is my only input to you, stick to those things you believe, then as you grow as a Marine and become an NCO you can implement...

I am an NCO dedicated to training new Marines and influencing the old. I am forever conscious of each Marine under my charge, and by example will inspire him to the highest standards possible. I will strive to be patient, understanding, just, and firm. I will commend the deserving and encourage the wayward.

I will never forget that I am responsible to my Commanding Officer for the morale, discipline, and efficiency of my men. Their performance will reflect an image of me.

The 2 sentences underlined were the 2 that meant the most to me personally, I've always felt if I had a problem i'd fix it or find out how to...catch my drift? For the record, if your not going to make a difference then your just whining. You will NEVER be able to change influence or correct the entire Marine Corps, there will ALWAYS be shitbags, but if you wanna make a difference then theres no better place to start. Good luck

[Deebelle369]

While I agree that you don't have to be a dipshit (paraphrasing here) to be a Marine, I think you lack the perspective needed to make that conclusion. By your own admission, you have never been a Marine, so I find it slightly offensive to hear you talk about what it takes to be a good Marine. We didn't join the Marine Corps to sing songs by the campfire. The sole reason the Marine Corps exists is to kill America's enemies. I don't mean this to be a personal attack so please don't take it that way. All I'm trying to say is that there is a reason the rest of the world runs when they know the Marines have landed. Marines all have alpha personalities. Imagine the last party you went to, then imagine the most outgoing and aggressive person there. Now put 20,000 of those personalities together with nothing to do on their off time and make your own conclusions on what will probably take place. I'm not condoning anything here. I"m a married father of four beautiful children. There have been times where I had to tell some dumbass LCpl to watch his mouth around my daughters. But it comes with the territory.

I am sorry if you were offended by my post, even if it was slightly. No, I am not a Marine but I have given the best I had to the Corps - both of my sons. As a parent, you should know what an investment that is.

Nowhere in my post did I suggest y'all gather around a campfire and sing kumbayah. Neither do I expect pristine behavior, especially when out in the field. My sons joined the Corps because it is the biggest, baddest bunch of mo-fos on the globe and they fit right in. I realize that they have been trained to kill and I for one, am grateful. But, they also know how to temper their language when in my prescence.

Unlike many mothers of America, I realized that boys grow up to be men and need to be men, not a watered-down version. Frankly, I think our society has emasculated men and I have done my best to see to it that they had plenty of guns, war movies, Maker's Mark, and cigars to enjoy their manliness. I have walked away when they were 'wrestling' to the point of one of them becoming unconcious because he refused to tap out. I've helped them right themselves after a particularly bone-head move or two. Sometimes this involved stepping back and letting them sort out their own mess. Suffice it to say, I have not coddled my sons.

With that being said, I still believe it takes more strength to show restraint than it does to let it fly and stand behind "I'm a Marine. Whaddya expect?". The Corps demands excellence in so many areas. Why is it different when it comes to behavior?

[LeaderOfMarines]

It is the pencil pushing officers that make it with pressure from washington and the mother's of america.

Way to cut us at the knees Gunny! Your right though, can't argue that point. That pencil gets heavy after a while. You should send me a PFC TAD to hold it for me...(sarcasm)

[Gunny_0848]

Sorry if it seemed like a stab at officers. Someone up there has to make those decisions and shape our policies. And I understand that they are influenced by the media and the public..

[Silver Fox]

Dear concerned citizen:

It is not that today's generation of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen are morally whacked, it's that today's moral standards are a lot tighter than they were once upon a time.

It was once morally acceptable for military men to be the men they are, rough and tumble dangerous types who drank, smoked, didn't take shit from people, cursed, were sexually promiscuous and generally morally bankrupt outside the field of honor. Today, people expect them to not be military men, but still be in the military.

Unless you're unfamiliar with the term, "Filthy Sailor", "Curses like a Sailor", "Sleeved like a Sailor", etc..... you would know by now that the behavior describing was military tradition until sometime in the 1990s when everyone decided we needed to be politically correct pussies. Nothing has changed, only the demands of our leadership as to what is the 'proper behavior' for an enlisted man.


Signed,
The New Generation

[Silver Fox]

The Marine Corps is filled mostly with young adolescent males who have aggression issues. Quiet professionals do exist, but not in large numbers in the Marine Corps. If you want to find them, look to the special operations forces. Those guys are tough as nails, cool under fire, and 100% professional about getting the job done.

I've seen more professional behavior from young Marines than I have soldiers, sailors or airmen... and I've worked with all four.

Matter o' Fact, I deal with Marines everyday as an 'outsider', and they are the most professional young men I've ever worked with. Thus far, I've been given nothing but the utmost respect and best effort and am treated no different than those of the same paygrade that are lucky enough to be Marines. From my experience, the problem children are always the army blow hards suffering their intolerable inferiority complex desperately trying to puff their chest out at anyone dumb enough to take them seriously. It's like they're pissed at the world for being too intellectually inept to make it in the Air Force and lacking the testicular fortitude to be a Marine. Everything is "Air Force this" and "Marine Corps that". "Air Force is pansies", "Marines aren't any better than us".... it's almost like if they say it out loud enough, they might actually start believing it. It's pathetic.

Oo ee oo aa booga booga booga, soldier wants his banana. Army Strong!

[Combat correspondent]

Oo ee oo aa booga booga booga, soldier wants his banana. Army Strong!

I think I just pissed myself Silver Fox! Sodier wants his banana, huh? :D

A friend of mine in Afghanistan wrote,

“There is also a strange race that I've seen a few times out here. The race of seemingly slow-moving bipeds had bellies that would drag low to the ground even though the animal would be upright. From far away the pattern on their skin made them appear gray but when you get up close to the creatures you can tell that they are actually several different shades of green. And you'll think to yourself after years of evolution in the desert why would these creatures be green on the outside instead of a shade of tan?

As I was saying, these dimwitted creatures will bump into each other and with surprised looks on their faces will remark "HOOAH" to each other.

I've witnessed these creatures do this remarkable ritual several times and Hooah seems to be the only word in their obscure, primitive language. I've seen the larger creatures of this race become angry at the smaller ones and make hand gestures while yelling "Hooah" in an almost retarded fashion. After this happens the smaller creature will be given rank as a gesture of apology. I've witnessed one of these creatures be promoted 5 times since coming here from what they call hooah, or as I've deciphered basic training. Even though the creature has no marketable skill they are still promoted. Fascinating!

Another bizarre ritual I've witnessed is when one of the creatures was accidently set on fire from the twinkies they were roasting, the gray/green beasts threw money at him until he eventually died. Then the beasts returned to their twinkies and said "hooah" as if nothing had happened. In another instance the animals found that the chow hall had closed before they had eaten. Again they threw money at the door in hopes it would open again. It appears that the only way these creatures have adapted to solve problems is by promoting each other and throwing money at their problems.

And finally when one of their humvees rolled over onto one of their own's feet the creature whose feet were being crushed Bellowed "Army Strong!" and attempted to lift the humvee off of his feet. He failed of course because these beasts are weak have no understand of weights and balances. It was humorous to say the least.”

[SSgtAllen3381]

I think I just pissed myself Silver Fox! Sodier wants his banana, huh? :D

A friend of mine in Afghanistan wrote,

“There is also a strange race that I've seen a few times out here. The race of seemingly slow-moving bipeds had bellies that would drag low to the ground even though the animal would be upright. From far away the pattern on their skin made them appear gray but when you get up close to the creatures you can tell that they are actually several different shades of green. And you'll think to yourself after years of evolution in the desert why would these creatures be green on the outside instead of a shade of tan?

As I was saying, these dimwitted creatures will bump into each other and with surprised looks on their faces will remark "HOOAH" to each other.

I've witnessed these creatures do this remarkable ritual several times and Hooah seems to be the only word in their obscure, primitive language. I've seen the larger creatures of this race become angry at the smaller ones and make hand gestures while yelling "Hooah" in an almost retarded fashion. After this happens the smaller creature will be given rank as a gesture of apology. I've witnessed one of these creatures be promoted 5 times since coming here from what they call hooah, or as I've deciphered basic training. Even though the creature has no marketable skill they are still promoted. Fascinating!

Another bizarre ritual I've witnessed is when one of the creatures was accidently set on fire from the twinkies they were roasting, the gray/green beasts threw money at him until he eventually died. Then the beasts returned to their twinkies and said "hooah" as if nothing had happened. In another instance the animals found that the chow hall had closed before they had eaten. Again they threw money at the door in hopes it would open again. It appears that the only way these creatures have adapted to solve problems is by promoting each other and throwing money at their problems.

And finally when one of their humvees rolled over onto one of their own's feet the creature whose feet were being crushed Bellowed "Army Strong!" and attempted to lift the humvee off of his feet. He failed of course because these beasts are weak have no understand of weights and balances. It was humorous to say the least.”

NOW THAT MY FRIEND....IS HILARIOUS!

[Combat correspondent]

Isn't it? And through the comedy is soooo much truth - the answer to every problem is $ and promotions :) Damn I made a bad choice - I could have been a rich-a$$ dude w/ several hundreds of thousands of $$$ in bonuses, been an E-9 at 10 years and sitting on my butt right now by simply screwing up and still reenlisting - what a racket!

[CplH5811]

Of course, you also run a higher risk of getting killed. Look at the numbers, the Army has had far more soldiers killed than any other branch. And before anyone gets on here trying to say they're doing all the work, everyone is doing something over there.

[Combat correspondent]

Of course, you also run a higher risk of getting killed. Look at the numbers, the Army has had far more soldiers killed than any other branch. And before anyone gets on here trying to say they're doing all the work, everyone is doing something over there.

You are correct ... but, that is in their job description - sounds weird, right? Let me explain:

Let me equate the battle field (in a conventional war) to an operating room.

The Air Force (and Navy if the country is ocean side) acts as the anesthesiologist. They ‘shock and awe’ the body with overwhelming amounts of mind – and body-numbing medicine (bombs). This puts the patient in a state of unconsciousness so the operation can progress.

Now, the Marines and SOF troops act as the surgeon. They come in and make precision little cuts and take away the cancer that is plaguing the body and killing it from within (equate this to a nation). The surgeon cannot act alone, however. The anesthesiologist still needs to maintain a steady flow of medicine into that patient to (1) support the surgeon, and (2) keep the patient subdued while the surgeon operates.

The nurse and post doctors are the Army. After the surgery is over and the cancer is removed, the nurse comes in and pack the patient’s wounds with an enormous amount of gauze – some placed with precision, some merely wrapped on the wound. The job now is to keep coming in and sucking up the blood and infectious material so the cancer won’t come back. Granted, this may be considered the hardest job but takes the least amount of precision.

As you can see, each branch is as valuable as the next and serves a specific purpose. The trouble we are having in this war is everyone is doing each other’s jobs – trying to keep ‘THEIR’ job in the CNN/FOX spotlight, etc. We have Airmen augmenting the Army pulling convoys and patrols. We have Marines augmenting the Army doing the same thing. We have Sailors and Airmen augmenting Marines, all the while other Marines are augmenting the Army – it’s a cluster of fuc%ed upness!

[CplH5811]

Somehow, all of that made sense to me. Haha!

The point that I was trying to make was actually that somwhow, the Army is sustaining more casualties than any other branch. I don't know if it is boiling down to training or what. And as you said, everyone is doing everyone's job. So, that makes me think that it does come down to training. I did a joint training excercise with the army a while back for MOUT. As my squad was providing perimeter security, I saw two squads of soldiers get "killed, one by one, in a single doorway. When I asked how this could happen, they gave me the outline of their building entry training.

If the man in front of you goes down while attempting to make entry:
1) step back to last safe position
2) evaluate the situation
3) try again
4) repeat

I think there's a flaw here.....

[SSgtAllen3381]

Back when Jessica Lynch was captured (or whatever happened to her) I was stationed at Fort Lee. A few days after that mess, all the Army Instructors had to leave the classrooms to go to WEAPON'S HANDLING Refresher classes. Now, you have to understand that most of these Soldiers were E6-E8's...

You would think they would know how to handle their weapons by "now". But, a little extra training never killed anyone...has it?

[Gunny_0848]

The thing about more casualties is true. The Army is about 2.5 times the size of the USMC. They take about 5 or more times the casualties. It does come down to training as well as TTP's but mostly it is about complacency and leadership. If you sweat in peacetime it will prevent blood in wartime. The Army from my 3 years stationed at Ft. Sill, OK does not live by this and their cushy, and easy training while in garrison bites them in the tush when they get in a combat zone. The Army didn't always suck. Gen Thurman is credited with rebuilding the post Vietnam Army. The "Be all you can be Army" wasn't all that bad. Today's Army is sad. They have dropped their recruiting standards so low that they have lots of fat bodies, elderly E-4's and criminals. Not just an occasional soldier who breaks the law. They have sexual assault and it is a problem. Every commercial on AFN over here is about sexual assault. The army has no height and weight standards while deployed either and believe me it shows. Sad if you ask me.. It is the price we pay for having a big all volunteer Army and wanting to grow it fast. I think sadly the Marine Corps is slipping too. Luckily our slide has been and will be much more gradual and now that the huge bonuses are gone we can start trimming some fat when it comes to reenlistments. I have ahad a few wastes of sperm check into my platoon and they were given $ to join the infantry. Glad to see that changing.. What was this thread about anyway? haha

Gunny

[SSgtAllen3381]

Guns, I STILL don't know. The original post made my eyeballs and hair hurt. :)

[Lone_NCO]

Combat Correspondant, thats some of the funniest stuff i've ever read on here, you are indeed hilarious.

[Combat correspondent]

Combat Correspondant, thats some of the funniest stuff i've ever read on here, you are indeed hilarious.

Thanks - it's pretty funny! But, also sadly true ... Gunny has some great points above.