Being in a Rifle platoon

[TEB]

Last edited Mon Sep 24, 2018, 05:31 PM - Edit history (1)

My point in this ramble ,do you remember how guys wore their gear. I am saying rucksack or Lbe how they carried M16 or 60 on a hump in your own personal misery. You could look around and know who was who just how they wore their flacks or Lbe web gear even looking at their backside , that’s whore House carrying the 60 with his A gunner or that’s cat fish nicknames were common. But you knew them how they walked or how they carried a rifle. Sweating your balls off at fort Irwin on NTC or freezing them on cold weather training.

A rifle platoon is a great equalizer I was in two the 82nd then 3rd armor division in west Germany as a young kid. And they were extreme opposite of each other but they both had a common as in misery but it was ok. We were young and could take it when we had to the fatigue the hunger the suffering we endured together. And I was lucky in both rifle platoons as I served with warriors fine NCO’s leaders CIB men who fought in Vietnam. We shared water c- rats later MRE’s as a family and race was never a issue your fucked as I am meaning we’re all in this together.

And that mentality is a great equalizer we have to depend on each other if it goes sideways. You come to find out with brothers that guys solid I can depend on him if we’re in tight spot. And reputation is everything these guys knew they could depend on me. Just observations from my youth looking at these pictures and remembering.

[dchill]

1. Sincere thanks for your service.

[TEB]

2. Thanks

Was not looking for thanks I volunteered go big or go home was my thoughts as kid just my observations is all

[dchill]

3. Turns out sometimes you can go big AND go home.

[DemoTex]

4. Read "The Things They Carried."

Last edited Mon Sep 24, 2018, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)

By Tim O'Brian.

[flotsam]

6. Psst..."Tim"

Probably just a typo. I loved the book!

[DemoTex]

8. Typing on an iPad.

Tim, of course.

[flotsam]

9. I don't need one

I can screw up quite well with a full size keyboard.

[DashOneBravo]

13. I have not heard of that.

Thank you

[mercuryblues]

5. this is why

We shared water c- rats later MRE’s as a family and race was never a issue your fucked as I am meaning we’re all in this together.

And that mentality is a great equalizer we have to depend on each other if it goes sideways. You come to find out with brothers that guys solid I can depend on him if we’re in tight spot.

When you find out that one of your brothers in arms is a white supremacist, they need the boot to a dishonorable discharge. A unit can not function to their fullest if members of that unit believe those they serve with are not worth defending in a tight spot.

How would that make a minority feel if they suspected members of their unit would cut and run, leaving them behind in battle?

[TEB]

7. We were all minority's

As teenagers in infantry I never ran across any klan or neo nazis in my world we were brothers if your hit I’m coming after you

[DashOneBravo]

10. We were all green lol

I never saw any of them either.

[DashOneBravo]

11. Some slip through

Last edited Fri Sep 28, 2018, 09:19 PM - Edit history (1)

But I know after those racist fuckers committed murder at Ft Bragg. The hunt was on to get rid of every one of those cowards.

And your last paragraph is exactly why it’s important to get them out. They can’t function as a team when someone is like that. And the NCOs are watching for it, also a rifle squad is small and with no privacy at all. So a Private coming in that’s a racist is going to stick out. Or try to hide it. You have to get along or at least be able to work together.

An Airborne unit is an all volunteer elite unit and they will can your ass in a heartbeat.

[TEB]

12. Exactly