Intro A-2 1/75 99-05

[RangerJurena]

Like no one prior to either of these alphabots bitched about the equipment or policies that kept us from doing what we felt was our job?

Yeah, we were so smart that Wayne Downing chewed us out for some of our actions in Panama. Because we felt we knew more than those who planned the mission. Occassionaly, the shooters are wrong but it's normally hindsight that tells you that.

There are times when I think the admins create these identities just to fuck with us and to liven things up, this would be one of them!

As for your career advice , thanks for sharing. I think if you'd keep your mouth shut and get to know some of the folks here you might be suprised to find that many of us have nothing more than a high school diploma and we are doing quite well out here. Oh and guess what, most of us are not IC's with Blackwater or Triple Canopy.

I'll wait to welcome you, never cared much for Alpha Company anyway.

[Everett Ruess]

WOW! You joined the site back in Sep 05 and you're just now doing an intro? You're not Italian are you? Domani, domani!! :D Welcome.

[Soul Snatcher]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with a HS diploma, there also isn't anything wrong with being a Ranger and just meeting the standard. College is bullshit, but unfortunitly it is the standard in this age. I just came out of Battalion, so that might mean I know the current events a little better then you Jurena. What I meant was, Rangers talk about how they can get out and get on any SWAT team, or be a Game Warden, blah blah blah. But the truth is that is a fucking lie. I like your comment about Black Water (Jurena), it didn't even fucking exist when you got out, so how is your comment even relevent. I've been reading alot of the posts in all the forums and I must say I am very dissappointed. This sight claims to help young men out with their military decisions, but all I read is a bunch of shit talking and belittling. If you don't believe me read the reply to this post. These DEP's and young men have no military bearing, no experience, their clueless about rank, (especially on a computer). Let them find that shit out themselves like we all did, but don't expect them to bow down to you at the keyboard and expect them to understand what you have accomplished.
Just understand, whatever I post is my opinion, I'm not attacking or belittleling anyone. I don't even know you. But I am also not a sheep, I am not going to say some shit to be cool or to impress anyone on this site. Only people who know me can really understand what I mean, others may take it the wrong way and for that I appologize. But do me a favor, just because I am 26 and your 40, or 60 or whatever, it doesnt make you a better man than me or a 17 year old, and if you want to give me sarcastic advice about how my veiws of TODAY'S army and the insurgency we now face, please have as much or more combat experience as me, and know where I am coming from. Reading the newspaper doesnt count.

I was an experienced JumpMaster, Team Leader, and SquadLeader when I left 1/75, I grew up in the same platoon, never bitching out to go be a sniper or take a promotion in a different platoon, this may have been a career mistake, but I cared about the 40 men I grew up with. Me and my partner left Best Ranger Training to invade Iraq before they cancelled it and we already had 2 deployments under our belts. Anyone who was a Ranger or is thinking about being one, I would give my house to them if they needed it, I don't think most of you guys would even piss on me if I was on fire. That is definitly the wrong message to be putting out for the world to see.
I may never change anything when I'm an officer, I may fail 20 times, but at least that is 20 faliures closer to success. If you have something insulting to say just keep it to yourself, because I truley believe you wouldn't say it to me in person. Thanks have a great day.

[Rico]

Hey brother,

I've felt the same pain I'm sure you're feeling and I am sure everyone on this site has at one point or another. And I'm equally sure that everyone on this site is more than happy that one of us is on his way to becoming an officer. Having said that, I too have an opinion.

And I hope that mine has merit to you given that I have also deployed to combat 6 times. That's your thing right? I need to have as much or more combat experience than you to have an opinion that matters? Check my sigline, I just left a year ago after 8.5 years.

Am I qualified to have an opinion???

The difference between you and I is simple, I realize that the only reason you, or I, or any other Ranger for that matter was able to accomplish what we have is because we stand on the shoulders of the men who came before us. Withouth their sacrifices we would have nothing, we would be nothing. That Scroll you wore on your shoulder does not represent just you and the Regiment today. It is a symbol of the past, the ones who guided us to where we are today. Do you think that the problems that exist in the Regiment today have never been seen before? Do you also think that the opinions of men who walked in our shoes long before us have nothing to offer to the future? Men who were Rangers long before you or I ever knew what a Ranger was....

Or what was it... Oh yeah, "reading a newspaper doesn't count"......

Good luck in your pursuits brother, honestly

RLTW

j.

[Soul Snatcher]

You see,

There is a respectable response I can read and understand. I respect every opinion on any level, I just ask that some people use "constructive", responses. If your going to get in my intro thread and be a cock sucker, then just save it for someone else.

The whole thing with changing problems in the Army, I said it would be a nice goal to shoot for, and it may never be accomplished. I didn't say that I am the only one who cares or is going to try to change it. I'm just a fellow jumper and I'll link up with others with the same goal when I get to the assembly area. Then we'll assault the objective.

We are all Rangers from many different generations and many different wars. Those men you speak of (Rico) those are our fathers, brothers, grandfathers, etc. I would by no means insult my family or the family of my neighbor and that is not my intention.

I'm also not on my high horse, many of my friends still in Batt have 8-9 combat deployments with no end in sight. I am mearly stateing Ive been around, and I don't need people trying to tell me how it "really is". I'm not on here telling the guys 30 years ago how it was for them. I will never know just as they will never know what it is like today.

And Rico, I believed you asked me what year I was earlier, I'm starting my Junior year. And to all you sarcastic fellas: a 3.7 in Microbiology is not a big deal, if you came up to me and said, hey smartguy in front of my friends they would probly look around, and say "who the fuck are you talking about?" I'm a meathead thru and thru, don't worry about me being some bookworm bitch.

[Rico]

Dude, I'm going to be a big fucking help to you. I teach rotc at the Unversity of Texas at Austin, in fact I'm writing you from LDAC right now. PM me when you get verified and I'll give you the skinny. I can also help you a great deal with Accessions and what not. Hit me up when you get verified.

RLTW

j.

[Soul Snatcher]

O' don't worry I was already thinking of that. O' by the way I always pictured LDAC as PLDC but gayer. Is that accurate. Look for a guy named Riesburg and Make him push for Reedy. He is a friend of mine from colorado and I know he is there right now, trying to act hard. You must be aquinted with MSG Z also. He just got to CSU and he is a pretty good teacher. But you can tell him I got his drive on wings for him. It will definitly be good to have some insight from different perspectives when playing the packet game. Thanks.

[rgrpuck]

we were fighting with one arm behind our backs because of 80's and 90's era policy. The rangers where more than capable of completing any mission given to us and we did but we seemed always hampered in on way or another. He just wants to see changes, changes hes sees needed from his time on the ground as a team leader and squad leader. Granted it is getting better in battalion but not fast enough. The equipment is coming around and we are given more freedom in civilian non army issue equipment (no high and tights for us bitches ) The training is getting more focused on the current mission but not fast enough. I wont discuss what we where doing here on these forums, but it is getting better. All ReedyCSU wants to see is no more gay bullshit and focus being on the boys and helping them to complete the mission as efficently and safely as possible.

SO Basicly .....The Bn's have never changed ......We were dealing with the Rangers of the 70's ....change never came fast enough for us ...(I remember the first time they talked about getting rid of the "high and tight" I belive it was in 90...) So you want what every body in the Army wants .......

However ...it is happening at a rate that hasnt been seen in 65 YEARS.
WWII was the last period of the sweeping changes in the Army that are happening as we speak.

I am thinking that when you and ReedCSU inherit the Army there will probably be a couple of young turks in the ranks bitching about the glacial rate of change...and not being able to use the latest off the shelf stuff (anyone else remember jumping for joy when we could actully use camel backs ?)...So look forward to your leadership challenge and formulate a plan now .....Cause in my last 20 years it hasnt changed.

[Ndog275]

This is why I left 1/75.

[Soul Snatcher]

Ranger Bill,

Your right I don't have the greatest argument to defend however, the rate of death does not make you a pogue or non-pogue. That would mean all non-combat Rangers are pogue's because "man for man" no one died while they were in. There is a hell of alot of fuel truck drivers dieing over seas, does that make them hi-speed.

That is what is crazy, there are women on the front lines now, finance people on the front lines, you name it, becuase there is no front line when you are fighting an insurgency. The front line could be at you local 7-11. So I was wrong for calling quartermaster a pogue branch, maybe it was just instinct I guess. If you asked me if the Battalion S2 was a bunch of pogue's, back in the day, I would surely answer yes. I just have a different outlook now in my "young" age.

Here would be a better response: Quartermaster wouldn't suit me because I wouldn't feel like my decisions were impacting the men on the ground. With my experience an Infantry, MI, or Medical (PA) officer would most likely appeal to my interests.

What do you think you would branc if you became an officer?

[Soul Snatcher]

Roger that SGM,

I saw some awesome changes just before I was leaving, but like I said when your a team leader, getting new cherries every month as the others cycle out, all I wanted to do is get them in the shoot house, because right now that is all that matters. Rangers have this natrual urge to be the best in every catagory, but that could prove to be a bad thing. It is Impossible to be the best at everything, It is better to be the best at what is needed at the time being. AF Seiziures (spelling), I can understand, hell, it's our mission statement. But some of the other things could be weeded out in order to make us stronger at others.

Sometimes it is even deadly. We spent so much time worrying about other things, like bunkers, I forgot how to JMPI. My first jump back, we lost one of our brothers, Ranger Miller Aco. 1/75, I was asst. JM on the bird in front of his as I watched him fall to his death. I blame that on lack of proficiency, and lack of refresher training. If you haven't jumped in a year SAT doesn't cut it.

[rgrpuck]

Here would be a better response: Quartermaster wouldn't suit me because I wouldn't feel like my decisions were impacting the men on the ground. With my experience an Infantry, MI, or Medical (PA) officer would most likely appeal to my interests.

What do you think you would branch if you became an officer?

As your responses have been somewhat informed they are certainly arrested at the Squad level. This is not a bad thing just an observation.

I would think out of any Branch, the most down played and weak Branch would be the Quartermasters ....Sad really...considering absolutly nothing would be accomplished with out it.

Historically speaking the Quartermaster Branch has consistantly been a consideration of every commander from the dawn of the organized army.
bottom line if the bullets aint there ...the attack will not go in ....

Think of the facets of the branch ....Literally everything is effected, any desision made by any commander has to consider the second and third order of effects on the Log train. Fuel/ ammo/ Demo / chow/ water / tentage/ where the hell does a BN take a crap? or a division / Tentage/ The ever impostant mail/ WHo plans an executes LOG rings .....(I remember them being color coded in Afghanistan) What is the effect of a fire base in Paktica if they miss a ring ?

No I think the Log train ...or if you perfer, the Quartermaster Corp.... is the most over looked Branch in the Army. ...maybe it because thier efforts are invisable at the squad level .....unless you are running out of chow water ....or...god forbid ....Ammo.

What do you think you would branch if you became an officer?

I wouldnt give up respect for money.

I would be Infantry ....it is the MOST versital branch in the Army. Infantry officers do a little bit of everything.

[rgrpuck]

Roger that SGM,

I saw some awesome changes just before I was leaving, but like I said when your a team leader, getting new cherries every month as the others cycle out, all I wanted to do is get them in the shoot house, because right now that is all that matters. Rangers have this natrual urge to be the best in every catagory, but that could prove to be a bad thing. It is Impossible to be the best at everything, It is better to be the best at what is needed at the time being. AF Seiziures (spelling), I can understand, hell, it's our mission statement. But some of the other things could be weeded out in order to make us stronger at others.

WOW then you should never have left Bn. I couldnt agree more. But It only gets worse out in the real Army. Wait till you see the Bullshit pile up so fast you cant see over it..... wait till you recive your new cherries 4 days prior to a year deployment.... you can say that training is priority and it wont happen when you get your comission ....but it will ..and you need to prepare for it now.
IT only is going to get worse.

Sometimes it is even deadly. We spent so much time worrying about other things, like bunkers, I forgot how to JMPI. My first jump back, we lost one of our brothers, Ranger Miller Aco. 1/75, I was asst. JM on the bird in front of his as I watched him fall to his death. I blame that on lack of proficiency, and lack of refresher training. If you haven't jumped in a year SAT doesn't cut it.

Well I hate to say it ....but thats jumping ....people are going to die doing it. YOU cannot stay 100% on everything ALL the time. But you can attempt to stay within the band of excellence, and statisticly speaking SAT cuts is for thousands of paratroopers in the 82nd. does it SUCK ...damn right it does ESP if you are on the DZ that night..... But it worked in the Division for 2 deployments I was on ...and we didnt loose anyone.

No one will ever reach total excellence. But you can be real good. Jack of all trades Master of nothing.

[Soul Snatcher]

SGM,
Your right about the money for motive comment, but the hardest speed bump I am facing is going to a leg unit and traveling through Baghdad 10 miles and hour with white lights on for a 2 year deployment.

But a more positive way to look at it is, Why were Rangers even created?
-If I did go to an inf. unit, that would basically define what Rangers were meant to do. Learn to be "mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight"..."go further, faster, and fight harder..." put that in my kit bag and then take it to a conventional unit where they can learn to meet the same standards.

So, many decisions to make, so many risks to take, Transportation to Infantry, we all share a common objective and we will all work together to achieve our goals. Any path I take, or am given will probly be the best for me.