Wpns Section vs. Line Companies

[Earthpig]

Is it viewed as a raw deal where they stick all the shitbirds?

LNeck-
I was not assigned to the Weapons Plt., so I will only comment on the last portion of your post. They definately do not stick the shitbirds in Wea. Plt. I knew many of those guys and every one of them was a stud. If I remember correctly, one of their Sqd Ldrs competed each year in Best Ranger Competition and did extremely well.
RLTW
EP

[harrisn]

Leatherneck,

Guys used to go to the weapons platoons simply on the basis of battalion need. Today however, things follow a different method for organization as the "weapons platoons" are a thing of the past. Snipers and Mortars now represent thier own autonomous platoons at the battalion level. AT guys have been rolled into their respective company's headquarters platoon and share thier formation with the fisters and arms room fags. (no offense to any of you former armorers out there!!!! I mean it endearingly! lol)

Mortars are MOSQ'd so they don't get much choice over where they're going once enroute to batt; they are destined to hump rucks till the backs snap or they quite (its a thankless fucking job! lol). Snipers have traditionally culled thier boy's out of the line platoon's more experienced spec-tabs who have some longevity.

AT guys are usually just assigned that job if one of the gun teams are short by infusing them with incoming stems. Sometimes, when all the cherries go to another battalion and they find themselves hurting too badly, the AT sections will pull someone out of a line platoon. 'Course, in that case, any "good" SL usually fights like hell to keep his hooahs, and sends his ass-n-trash over to hump HEAT.

Hope that helps a little,

Later brother,

Nate H.

1/75 Rangers: B Co Wpns; Battalion Mortars.
95-01

[Creeping Death]

I don't know how Nate and B Co feels, but in Aco in the late 90's, Wpns Plt was the place to be. Squared away PL. Squared away PSG. More comraderie than the line platoons. Hell, we went drinking on the weekends in platoon sized elements. Just one big happy family, AND we had a well earned reputation for being the craziest platoon in A Co. I enjoyed Wpns Plt a lot more than I did the line.

Then, the shit hit the fan in '96. Nate may remember that one. Article-15s out the ass.

[Tool175]

My experience has been the smallest guys always went to Wpns Plt or sqd or to AT. but that was a while ago.
The Tool, RLTW!!!

[Rgr_MindRiot]

If there were guys in Wpns. Plt that were not up to speed then it was always the whole platoons responsiblity to get them there. If someone was not responding to training then they were gone. All the guys in Wpns. Plt. wanted to be there and felt that it was their job to protect the line companies with fire support be it AT or mortars. Yes, we had to hump a lot of equipment and yes we cussed the shit out the the line dogs for putting us at the back during road marches but no one ever was there who did not belong or did not want to be. Making the comment that and Ranger Batt. would retain undesirables by assigning them to a specific unit or squad is far fetched and is insulting.

Satis Verborum

[harrisn]

Creeping's comment's on Weapon's Platoon are dead ass on. All of 1/75 Wpn's platoons were individually a tight knit bunch of guys... what few line platoon transfers who did get folded into the AT sections got their shit wired tight in hurry; especially in A CO (you guys were God Damn MANIACS Creeping!!! :D :D ).

Their was just something special about it... Stuck in a seperate barracks far removed from the rest of your company... always battling with the Wpn's platoons across the hall or on the other floor, looking for the chance too or trying to avoid getting balled up. Guy's across the hall getting an early COB and your boy's are still stuck cleaning weapon's till 1830 while waiting on "the shit". The assholes downstairs are getting a 3 day, heading out the door towards tybee while your packing your ruck for tonight's thirty-miler ...

Weapon's platoons always felt like they were getting the shaft, like the fat girl who always gets invited to the party but never gets laid,... but fat girls stick together and our collective misery and self-percieved "bastard" status made us hard and tight as group.

In the end, when the five-tons were pulling away, you could always tell which one was filled by WPN's!!! ...how we miss the good ole day's!

Later fellas,

Nate H.

[Creeping Death]

Hey, we had a few of those in 1/75 too!

Once, we were all out on squad extavs, and for us, it was the night we had to do our road march. We were at the shoot house, so we were going to get hot chow before the road march.

Guess what the spoons brought out to us.

Goddamn liver. The only sombitch in the platton that ate liver was the PSG, so he ate good. When we got home - well, let's just say there was a come to Jesus meeting.

I don't know how the the cooks determine the menu, but I do know this - we never got liver in the field again.

Ya know, looking back, we may have overreacted a little bit. Afterall, it was probable the MSG that made out the menu. Oh, well. Sometimes the ends do justify the means.