|
Busket_in_Posket posted:What are the worst reasons to join the military? Your girlfriend/boyfriend is in.
|
#
¿
May 30, 2010 18:48
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 13:27 |
|
|
Why do they play music at random hours of the day? Is there any historical significance or is it just a dude dropped in his magazine on the sound board? I'm mostly curious why I'm hearing poo poo at 23:30 every night.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 30, 2010 00:18
|
|
|
What is the best way to go about getting a BA while enlisted? I've got 90ish credit hours from a California State school, although I know not all of it will transfer. With the current stage of training I'm in a lot of free time here at Ft. Bragg and I now there are some colleges around. I've started enrollment with GoArmyEd, is that the right path? Anything I should be trying to avoid?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 9, 2010 22:07
|
|
|
10 Beers posted:2 questions for you guys: Keep running, and work on your push-ups and sit-ups. You're over thinking it if you're trying to knock out some P90X or crazy work-outs. You have a good chance of getting stuck doing paperwork as an enlisted. Honestly you should take a hint from the half dozen threads, and hundreds of posts (including the one with the very clear title.) If you're going to join the military and have a degree or are going to soon have one JOIN AS AN OFFICER. Its really simple and trying to justify enlisting instead is retarded. Officers get paid more and treated better. If you kick rear end you'll do the kind of work you want and it'll kick rear end. If you suck your job will suck.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 14, 2010 01:27
|
|
|
I don't now poo poo about the Airforce but this seriously sounds like you're getting scammed. Don't sign that poo poo. 5 seconds with google gets you http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090929155957AA62n8t There's some more contradictory information there so I guess I'm no help.
iceslice fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Feb 4, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Feb 4, 2011 02:48
|
|
|
GoGoGadget posted:Like those Perfect Pushup things? I have those, but I stopped using them for some reason. Do they actually help in any way? I found the best way to improve push-ups is to spend every other day doing them all day. Pick something you do pretty often, like going through your doorway, and knock out a set every time you go through.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 8, 2011 03:27
|
|
|
Hippay posted:Run timed intervals or sprints if you want to improve your time on a PT test. Run distance intervals or just make sure you run outside your comfort zone if you want to improve at medium distances/lose weight. Also for losing weight once cutting food isn't cutting it (har) start looking into supplements like green tea or the million DYNAMIC THERMOGENIC REVOLUTIONARY FORMULA fat burners you can get at GNC or online and start incorporating those into your diet and start using pre workout stuff like NO or jack3d to help keep your heart rate up while you exercise. Yes, exactly this. Run interval sprints. I went from a 1240 to a 12 flat in 3 weeks with them. Personally I prefer running a known distance with a measured time. It is easier to look at your watch when you finish an interval then to try and figure out how far you went. First workout, run 400m (or probably one lap at your local track) as fast as you can. Stand around and rest twice as long as your lap time (1minute 30 second lap time, 3 minutes rest) and repeat 8 or 10 times. From there just add laps and decrease intervals. When you're doing the full mile, do only 4 intervals then next workout start back at 1 lap. Your main goal is to have as little variance between interval times while going as fast as possible. To make sure you accomplish this always rest the full 2xWork. With the longer intervals you'll feel weird standing around for so long, but allowing your self to fully recover means you can put out 100% on the next interval (which is key). Workouts like that for rucking, running, and swimming are the bread and butter to success in almost anything physical I've done in the military. iceslice fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Feb 8, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Feb 8, 2011 18:10
|
|
|
ifire posted:Does anyone have a sample packing list for a 35lb ruck? I've been wanting do to some ruck training lately and need a place to start. Extra uniform, wet-weather gear, both your 2-quarts full, both your 1 quarts full, extra boots, flashlight, both your ponchos, extra pair of socks and a T-Shirt. Honestly just dump your pile of TA-50 on the ground and grab everything you might need in the event that you find yourself caught over night or stumble across a hosed up stranger. You'll more than likely never use it, but in the event something does happen that 35lb weight isn't going to do much for you. Roving Reporter posted:Large ziplock bags filled with sand wrapped in 100mph tape. Put them in the radio pouch so they will be up pretty high on your back along with your camelback. Adjust weight accordingly. This is what I use. I made a few 10s and a few 5s so I can adjust everything to whatever we need for the day. I try to get them on my mid-back, and as close to the frame/my back as possible. Also realize when you put heavy poo poo on top of fluffy poo poo its going to "settle" as you ruck. Try to compensate for that.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2011 21:27
|
|
|
3rdEyeDeuteranopia posted:Put your sleeping bag at the bottom on the ruck and you will have something relatively light and cushy that will keep heavier stuff on top. In fact what is what the bottom part of the molle ruck is for specifically. Or zip the the bottom pouch off and don't be bothered using it. I always have a hard time getting everything locked down tight and balanced with that huge puffy piece of poo poo in the bottom. Usually I'll zip the bottom pouch off, place my spare boots in first, fill the gaps with uniforms, lay on more poo poo, fill gaps with ponchos ect. It'll make a ruck you can run with that doesn't sap your energy with bounce every time you strike the ground.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2011 06:12
|
|
|
I'm in the Army and the stupidity is pretty comparable. I don't see as much officer-rear end-kissing, but I'm joe nobody so I wouldn't. Most of the stuff that is hilarious in that series is pretty relevant to every day life.. POLICE THAT MUOOOOSTACHEE! I love that poo poo.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2011 13:17
|
|
|
Tony Montana posted:In that thread invision created (is GiP a shitpost forum?) a few people say this too. Honestly the most truthful parts of Generation Kill are when Doc calls the Captain incompetent, and he responds by saying "I'm doing the best I can" to which the Doc says "Its not good enough sir." Also when Pearons (I think says) "In the opinion of this marine its all the rap music and violent video games that are desensitizing the youth of today." in regards to how hosed up Trombly is, and all the crazy hosed up marines nod in agreement. The Army is hosed up kids being forced to do poo poo they don't want to at an attempt to better their lives, and the grown up version of those hosed up kids given the responsibility to train the new ones. They're honestly doing the best they can, and in (most of the time) tough situations its not always good enough. iceslice fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Feb 22, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2011 18:14
|
|
|
greazeball posted:Can a civilian ask a question in here? Guys who bother to stay in for 10 either stay in for 20 to get retirement, or get out because they found something better. Guys with service in two branches is pretty common, but I've never heard of three. Generally marrying someone who you've only known for a few weeks, is unemployed, or hasn't built any sort of career is a bad idea. To for for a hat-trick speaks for itself. What rank did he get out as? That will probably tell you a lot.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 14, 2011 22:52
|
|
|
overdesigned posted:I like Canadians. Is that a fortrex on his weapon at 2:20something? That is the definition of high speed.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2011 23:06
|
|
|
Sounds like they just need to be broken in. The procedure I use is to only wear them as much as I want to (as in bring another pair of boots during the duty day, or just wear them around home) until they're comfortable. It just takes time for the material in the heel to break up and become flexible. It really depends on what you use them for but personally I would just take them into a boot shop and have the heel-cups removed. I've been through 3 pairs of the same style (about to buy my 4th) with the heel and toe cups removed, and they've taken me through hundreds of miles of land nav and road marches. I always have that super thin Vibram some put on them, and they feel like moccasins. They ankle support won't be as good, but once they're broken in you can't beat them in comfort.
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2011 00:55
|
|
|
Roving Reporter posted:Iceslice, you're gonna either be SMA one day or the commander for CAG/etc. You have adapted so well and are 10x above of your peers. i just really like boots. they let me keep walking!
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2011 21:19
|
|
|
physeter posted:I'm a civilian who recently re-established contact with a cousin who claims he's been Army special operations for a long time. The trouble is that unlike most of my removed family members we actually got along really well when he visited down here and we're talking about everyone taking a vacation together in a few months since his family is only a 4 hours away and he commutes from NC alot. It was nice to be in touch with a that part of my family again. "Special Operations" covers a wide variety of jobs, from the poo poo you see on Call of Duty, pilots, EOD, all the way to support positions that are exactly the same as the regular Army. North Carolina is home of Ft. Bragg, where a large majority of Special Operations guys are trained, as well as stationed. There is no list of "Dudes who are in Special Operations" as a portion of their missions are covert/clandestine. It wouldn't make any sense. The easiest way is to just try to talk to them about it. If they seem like a decent person, and don't spend the entire time telling you how awesome they are or the cool poo poo they've done, they're probably legit. If they tell you they killed Osama..
|
|
#
¿
Aug 24, 2011 23:10
|
|
|
Smoke Crack posted:You still wear your unit's beret regardless of your skills/tabs i.e. you still wear a maroon beret in an active jumping unit regardless of whether or not your airborne qualified. The same goes for SF groups, you wear the unit's beret regardless of whether or not you've gone through the Q course. This was a few days ago, but I wanted to jump on with gleep glop. In this day if you wear a green beret you've graduated the Q course. No fatty preggos in tennis shoes wearing them.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2011 04:13
|
|
|
I've never understood why rating your self is a bad thing. If they sign it at the end of the day, why is filling out the paper so hard? At least you can put down all the poo poo you want, and no one is going to look at it anyway. I don't know poo poo about being an NCO, am I missing something?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 6, 2011 04:18
|
|
|
gleep glop posted:I hate to all effort and moral here but...it isn't right. How can I honestly rate myself? The person who is supposed to be my rater can and will be way more honest than myself. I know it won't make a big difference but little things like this are what create a lot of the problems the army has. How am I supposed to get on my soldiers about doing the right thing, being honest with me, and standing up to the command when they're flat wrong and then just do this? I know in the grand scheme of things this isn't a big deal but it is not something I'm going to do. Continuing with the "I don't know poo poo about being an NCO" theme I have a couple thoughts on that. First, I'd say that an honest introspective view is going to outweigh anything your senior NCO is going to tell you on a piece of paper written once a year. Daily feedback, job performance, and your relationship with your peers should give you that personal information/satisfaction. Second, if the guy doesn't give a gently caress enough to do the rating, and you have to push them into it, how good of a job do you think they're going to do? They'll copy and paste the bullet points, print, sign, and get you out before PT is over. I agree that its a huge flaw that the Army (and a lot of middle management in almost any business) struggles with, but forcing your seniors to do it for you isn't the solution. If your subordinates ask why your NCOER is hosed, tell them its none of their god drat business and you'll show them how to do it properly. My experience tells me that with today's Army there is no point in trying to change those above me, but you can have an impact on the junior guys for the future.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 6, 2011 04:59
|
|
|
gleep glop posted:Well I'm not making much more of a career out of the army. I ETS Dec 2013, six years, two deployed, is enough for me. It's just the fact that my actual rater is willing to rate me, and my PSG, who isn't anywhere in my rating scheme, is trying to order her to make me write it. Stupid. I won't do it. My reading comprehension is weak and I misunderstood your situation. Has the drawdown plan been made public at all? I've been seeing numbers between 40k and 150k, and I'm curious where these guys are coming from? Is there a priority for who is going out first, or are promotion slots just going to disappear? iceslice fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Dec 6, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Dec 6, 2011 05:27
|
|
|
Gordian posted:Quick question, I'm in DEP but have more important poo poo to be doing with my last month than PTing with a bunch of people who can't even pass the APFT and sitting in class going over poo poo that I have to do on that FSTS training site anyway (even though I'm E-3 and can't get more rank). Is there anything my recruiter can do to my contract if he gets pissed off? I've read about people not even showing up to a single thing until they ship, so I should be good right? I was in DEP for 6 months and I didn't show up to anything like that. My recruiter asked that I call once a week to make sure I'm not dead, and come in whenever to show my face whenever I had time. I would give your recruiter the courtesy of telling him that you can't make it, and you'll keep in regular contact with him. Accountability for your people is a big deal in the military, and from what I got from my recruiter he is somewhat responsible for you until you ship. I don't actually think there is anything they can do, but I'm not the one to answer that.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 9, 2011 14:17
|
|
|
I took these to hell and back: http://www.extremeoutfitters.us/t8tacticaljunglebootgarmont.aspx If they fit right, they're the best. I like my Oakleys too.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 31, 2011 21:59
|
|
|
nwin posted:So apparently now I'm left with getting rid of the boxes through y city recycling once a week...this should only take about two months! Screw it, no matter how much the movers despise me, I'm making them unpack all my poo poo for me from now on. Find someone with a truck and take it down to the city recycling center. They should take it for free.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 6, 2012 03:46
|
|
|
GreenCard78 posted:If I am not clear on the details, excuse me, this is second hand. You'd really need more detail to figure it out.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 21, 2012 23:08
|
|
|
Day and night are pretty much the same, just realize that your pace is going to be slower because you're naturally unsure of your footing. If you feel like you're there, you probably have another few hundred meters to go. This is especially true if you're tired, or your anxiety level is up. I use the major (solid lines on the map) roads to create a lane for me to walk, with an intersection as an attack point. For example its pretty easy to find a road going east/west, and another one going north/south (or close to that), so where those roads meet is my next attack point. I'll walk in the general direction of my AP, knowing that if I'm drifting either direction that road is going to be my backstop to funnel me in. Once you hit one of the two roads, you can pull out your compass and make sure its going the direction it should be, and have it funnel you into your AP/intersection. Going a few hundred meters out of your way to hit a solid AP will pay off in confidence, and prevent mistakes. As you plan your route, you want to measure out each road you're going to cross. To the nearest hundredth meter works for me. Then I know as I'm working my way towards that AP of an intersection, I'm going to be crossing X checkpoint roads each at an whatever distance interval. Between those two strategies you can stay confident in your location, and continue forward. This strategy works really well for clearing through those thick draws, since it doesn't matter where you come out on the other side as long as you don't cross any major roads in the mean time. You can just funnel your self towards an intersection, readjust your general direction, and move out. Once you hit your last attack point before you go for your actual point, take a look at your map and walk a very direct azimuth and distance taking note of any terrain you'll be crossing. This is helpful if your point looks like its in a draw on a spur, or the backside of a hill. A few things I've noticed where we land nav: First, most of the points are going to be verified by someone prior to you going out there. 99% of the time they're not going to do it all on foot. This means there is going to be some sort of trail or road near by that a vehicle has recently traveled on. As you get closer to your point, look at the ground to see if there is anything you might think a vehicle would move down. You can also ask your self "would I drive here/near here?" when you're wandering around looking for your point. If the answer is "hell no" then its probably not in that area. We're coming out of winter which means most of the trees and brush are going to be relatively bare. Getting low to the ground can help you spot a chem-light. I find my self holding my compass closer to my face to read it when its night because the numbers are harder to read with that radiological stuff they put in there. This could possibly change your technique in taking an azimuth, and will cause you to generally drift off one way or another. There isn't really anything to change, except that you want to be thinking "all night my CPs and APs have been to my left/right," and use that to generally guide you. The maps we use are at least 15 years old. This means that any solid-line road is going to probably have been heavily traveled and easily distinguishable, and any of those dotted-line roads are going to be moderately traveled. If you come across something that looks like a 4x4 trail, its probably not going to even be on the map. This is of course area dependent, but probably holds true for any area that is regularly used for land-nav. This helps me when I do cross a lightly-used road and I'm unsure if its one of my check points as I'm traveling towards a heavily used road. If its not where its supposed to be (within 1 or 200 meters), then I just blow it off as not on the map, knowing I'm going to hit that heavily used road before I make any more decisions. Distinguishing between "heavily used," "lightly used," and "4x4 trail" is really going to depend on how familiar you are with the area. The most critical part of land nav is confidence. When I make mistakes that matter is when I second guess my self, or doubt where I think I am. Its common sense but knowing where you are at all times, and being confident in your decision means that when you do make a mistake all you have to do is just replot and walk a little extra. Having that easily identifiable attack point (right before you shoot your last azmiuth to your point, within 600 meters), means as long as you're moving in that general direction you're not wasting your time. Finally, and I don't know how much time you have until you test, but if you know where you're going to land nav go out there and drive around in your car the weekend before. It'll help you learn some major land marks, and you'll have an opportunity to see a LOT of your area very quickly. At a minimum you'll know what major roads are and aren't on your map, and what the major intersections look like so of you do get lost you can just shoot for one of those, and reorient your self. I don't know what your command will think of that, and its not really in the "spirit of land nav," but if it helps you improve your skills when you test why not? edit: Just to add, land-nav is really a huge part of what we do and we do a lot of it. I consider it one of the very few things I'm really good at, and have yet to not max any of our tests so far. I'd probably contribute any success to a genuine enjoyment of it (especially at night), which contributes hugely to my confidence. I'm not being sarcastic when I say try to have fun. iceslice fucked around with this message at 22:32 on Apr 4, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2012 21:57
|
|
|
Tysterisk posted:Is it actually worth buying a copy of the Ranger Medic Handbook and studying it before I ship? Granted I'm just riding a plain 68W contract, it still seems like it might help. Also I figure that if I'm confident after a serious gut check during BCT/AIT (recruiter wasn't really helpful on if/when Ranger batt recruiters might show up during IET), actually get through RASP and am selected, I might not be as blind-sided by the SOCM course. It won't help. SOCM is so fast, and so advanced that its just a waste of time. They also don't use any of that material to teach from. The Ranger medics do a pre-course, after RASP, to help train up and weed out their medics prior to sending them to SOCM. Because of this, they have an extremely good pass rate as a unit. Don't worry about that, they'll give you everything you need to be successful or its just not for you. Instead work on maxing your PT test. At the end of basic they'll be looking for volunteers, and the ones with the highest PT scores go first.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2012 16:22
|
|
|
Tysterisk posted:I was wondering more about PT score spreads for IET, like before even getting voluntold for RASP. Then again I was probably going to ask about RASP anyway, so that works. The grading standards at Basic/IET are pathetic, and their workouts are a joke. You should be 275+ easily, but figuring out how to push near 300 isn't difficult. I guarantee the standards will be enforced at RASP, so your goal should be perfect push-ups and scoring a 300. If any of the dudes I work with don't score 290+ they're considered a "failure" and are counseled. There is only one group that I've met that treats physical fitness more seriously then these guys, and for good reason.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2012 03:59
|
|
|
DoktorLoken posted:So does this mean E5 slots will become E4 slots and so on? I thought they just make reenlistment competitive for MOS with no available NCO slots, and increase the difficulty of promotions?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2012 22:29
|
|
|
Clicking page 59 has me so confused I'm not sure what is going on right now.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 13, 2012 00:02
|
|
|
Martello posted:Was gonna say what Godholio said, and I'll ask you guys - should I get Fuel Cells or Gascans? I have fuel cells, my buddy has gas cans. They look weird if we switch, so it depends on the face.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 18, 2012 15:53
|
|
|
Godholio posted:Turbotax freedom edition is what you're thinking of. It's due out any day now. Do they do state for free? I seem to remember doing fed for free, and paying like $20 to file state.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 21, 2013 16:40
|
|
|
grover posted:Virginia's website says of Turbotax Freedom: "Free federal and state returns if your adjusted gross income is $31,000 or less or your adjusted gross income is $57,000 or less and are active duty or reservist or are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit regardless of income level." That's a few more dollars back in the pocket. The Army W-2 doesn't come out until around then (the 28th I think), so its not a big deal. Thanks for the link. Godholio posted:I haven't given a poo poo about state taxes since 2004. Yay Florida I'm giving California a loan, since they give it all back since I'm not living in CA but its my home of record.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 21, 2013 17:17
|
|
|
That's good to know. Is there any incentive to having a home of residence in any particular state? I have no reason to change from CA, and it would eventually be WA. Either way I'm not residing in CA while on Active duty, so I guess its like hiding some money from my self when I get it back. I'm sure that's the best way to manage my money. :armytalk:
|
|
#
¿
Jan 22, 2013 00:25
|
|
|
I'm moving across the country doing a PPM (formerly DITY) and plugged all my poo poo into the site. Its telling me I'm going to get about a dollar a pound. I don't have a ton of stuff, and I'm not going to sham (buying like 4000 lbs in sand), whats the deal here? Do I get paid for mileage and gas, or has that changed?
|
|
#
¿
Jan 26, 2013 14:56
|
|
|
I'm PCSing across the country and have a few questions: My understanding is that I'm allowed 9 days and 2900 miles, am I going to get paid this even if I did it in a shorter distance/time? I know I won't be doing it in a shorter distance, but time for sure. I'm authorized the standard $123/day, do I have to prove 9 days of hotels to get those days of lodging rates or are they just going to pay me 24 cents a mile x 2900 miles, plus 9 days x $123 regardless of how I do it? edit: If you have a link to a reg clarifying this that would be awesome.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2013 21:38
|
|
|
iyaayas01 posted:Not necessarily the case...you'll get reimbursed the mileage regardless of the time you take or the actual mileage you use (you get reimbursed based on mileage tables from point A to point B, not on how much you actually drive) but unless the AF does things differently from the other services (it shouldn't, since PCS travel is a DoD wide thing) you will only get reimbursed the total amount of days from when you leave your old unit/duty station to when you sign in to your new unit. My travel time will exceed the allotted time (I've got leave time in there too), and mileage is going to be over so I'm just expecting to get what the rate is. Where I'm confused is the per diem. There is a breakdown in JTFR saying $77 of the $123 is the lodging cost, and they do require you to keep a receipt of all lodging, but I haven't read enough of it to understand if you do or don't get that money regardless of where you stay. On top of that, $77/day is their standard lodging rate, which might get me into a campground in some parts of the country and a 5 star hotel in others. I've been told that each economy has a "standard rate" and as long as you don't exceed that they'll adjust your compensation. My plan so far is to just get it done as quickly as possible, visit some friends on the way, and spend as little money as I can. When its all said and done, hopefully they'll let me keep everything I didn't spend and I'll come out ahead. I'm a single enlisted doing a full DITY, I don't have that much weight, and I'm not all that interested in moving 9 weight sets across the country to make a few extra bucks. With that in mind, any other PCS advice would be great.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2013 22:27
|
|
|
Bob A Feet posted:When does promotion show up on my pay stub? I got promoted on the 27th and checked on my pay and its not listed on next month's payments. My two year pay bump is, however. Will it just be filed as back pay later? not caring is right. Most importantly, keep your promotion orders handy and watch when you start getting paid. There are typical Finance cut-off dates for things to happen as far as if it will show up on the latest check, or the next check. Sometimes what you see on your LES will change when you get paid (for the adjustment. If there is a discrepancy bring them to your S1/whoever and they'll back pay you to your promotion date.
|
|
#
¿
May 31, 2013 04:46
|
|
|
Frosted Flake posted:The CF is out of boots, so I only have one pair. That's a pretty key piece of kit I want to pick up before going on exercise this summer. Any of the boots you get are going to get trashed if they get wet. The leather ends up shrinking, and getting waves which will eventually give you blisters. Depending on what your chain of command allows you to wear, go for something made of more modern materials in the lightest weight, least leather you can find. I guess the newer Rocky S2Vs, Nikes, etc are popular. I've had a few friends who owned OTB Desert Lites, which are made by New Balance, and they have pretty good things to say about them. When you are done for the day, and your boots are super wet, take out the insoles and pack them with newspaper (or whatever paper). This will help dry them out, but more importantly retain the shape of the toe. As a very boring but "no poo poo" anecdote, I took my 3-day soaked boots off and tossed them in the sun to dry. When I went to put them back on they were rock hard, and had waves in the toe so deep my toes getting trashed. My feet were so swollen from the rucking we did, and they had shrunk so badly, that even without the insole or socks my feet couldn't fit inside of them. Luckily I had pass the school and was done with that crazyness, so I soaked them in the sink to get them soft and wore them around with no socks, and no insoles for the last day we were there. There was a lot of walking very slowly. When I got home they ended up in the trash. The best boot you will ever wear, but has nearly no protection for your feet, can be found at the boot shops near Fort Bragg. They make a "SOPC Special" which is a regular Army boot with no heel cup, no toe cup, and the thinnest sole they can put on them. When you're walking in the rivers with those, they feel like moccasins. Christoff posted:For the last long while (At least 5+ years?) they've had a program called "pre-BUDs" which has raised the attrition number a lot. Yes. edit: That was a really long post about boots, and I could probably write even more about socks. For hot weather, buy the "Athletic" Smart-Wool ones (not the boot ones, they're too hot), and follow the wash instructions. Other cool-guy gear to look at are some quality radio pouches. Most of the mil issue is garbage compared to a Tac Taylor radio pouch. It'll orient the radio towards you, so you can release the buckle to have it fold away, instead of having to take it out of the pouch to look at the screen. There are also some awesome "War Belts" floating around, so you can move your side arm, IFAK and "survival kit" (lighter, knife, etc) off your shoulders and down to your hips. I picked up the HSGI one a few weeks ago and its great. It really helps keep things more modular, so if you need to take your plate carrier off you can still have some of your essentials. I'd also throw another vote out there for a sling. I really like the Viking Tactical one not so much because of how you mount it (1, 2 or 3 point) but because of the quick tighten/quick release on the sling length. For example if you're bending down to pick a litter up, you can loosen the sling, flip your weapon to your back, and tighten it back down. It'll help keep it from coming back (compared to a non-adjustable length sling) and butt-stroking the guy on the litter in the face. There's a thread in TFR if you want more ideas on how to waste your money. iceslice fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Jun 7, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jun 7, 2013 05:31
|
|
|
McSpatula posted:OSUT at Benning in '09 was cake as gently caress, don't pay attention to what anyone says to the contrary. If you aren't going as an 11X, expect it to be more chill than anything. Just follow the advice from your cadre at RSP, if you guys even have it at your unit, and have fun. That's some solid advice. While it sucks not having women around, all male basic training means no female drama. In the Army that's the worst kind of drama. Everything there is a game, and there is usually a good lesson in everything you do. The real issues come when you lie, cheat, or steal. If you get caught breaking the big rules like no tobacco, no alcohol, or going AWOL they'll make things miserable for everyone. When you get there and start that first week of inprocessing be patient. Everyone will get caught up in being all excited and hooah, but getting that many people through all of the things they have to do takes time. Everything is very simple, but it shouldn't be easy. If it is, you should be challenging your self to do better or helping the ones around you struggling. Suffering is part of the game, and an important Army skill is to make lovely situations as fun as possible. An injury is an injury, but stay away from sick call. Unless its life, limb or eyesight suffer through whatever happens. Living in an open bay with people from all over the country is going to make you sick, and going to see someone isn't going to help you. That place is a black hole of lovely attitudes and quitters that you don't want to be around. Most importantly just shut up and do exactly what they tell you. In the real world you get direction, wonder why you have to do something, talk about it, and then go and perform. In Basic training its the opposite. Shut up, execute, and think about it after so can improve the next time. Its part of the "failure based learning" that makes the military what it is. I personally thought it was easy, and fun. You hang out with a bunch of decent guys, work out, shoot guns, and chill in the woods. We had no drama, and our instructors were good at their jobs.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 23, 2013 01:21
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 13:27 |
|
|
mirepoix posted:I'm in a position now where I actually have to consider buying (some) gear that's better than what I'm issued, is there a better thread to ask random gear questions? Magpul slings are good. To me the only real feature that makes any sling better then another is a quick adjustment that they have. Its nice to be able to tighten it down when you need to use your hands, and loosen it up when you take it off. I think I have an MS3, or something similar. They do get expensive when you start buying the mounting points, but Google can help you find some deals. If I'm not riding around in vehicles a lot I prefer to have a bigger belt so I can move a bunch of my kit off my plate carrier. I got one of these on a recommendation from the gear thread: http://www.highspeedgear.com/hsgi/sure-grip-padded-belt-31PB.html It gets expensive when you buy the belt with it, but if you use any amount of gear on it they're way better then anything else I've seen or used. edit: That belt is cool because the inner belt comes with velcro sewn onto it so the outer belt doesn't roll down, which is the problem I've seen with most other ones. The best way to find a sling is to just walk around a barracks and ask Joe if they have one to sell. Dudes with expendable incomes blow lots of money on gear they don't need. iceslice fucked around with this message at 20:28 on Nov 3, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Nov 3, 2013 20:24
|
|