Both saddened and relieved I never attained this level of …militariness(?)
The language alone is super kickass and I would have had a lot of fun bustin chops. I was out of there before I was 15 so it wasn’t to be.
On the other hand, damn, why was this even allowed to be an option? I guess it’s trial by fire but it seems like military issued gear should be the only gear allowable in that situation and that they would have gone through extensive drilling till they got proficient before getting into potential life-risking conditions. Honestly, looking back, it wasn’t much different for our first backpacking trips. We were still using terrible external-framed packs. My mom insisted on getting the crappiest discount ghetto-ass pack for me and I was in a ton of pain the whole time. Parents weren’t super into looking out for us back in those days. Years later, I got myself a decent internal-framed pack and the extreme upgrade made me want to go kick them all in the dicks. It didn’t cost one penny more, either. Just somewhat slightly thoughtful.
Haha, either way, I sure do love the way you described it. Thanks for posting.
Often, I think of this line from Deadwood when I read a description I really like. It’s not about the lying, of course. It’s about the turns of phrase and the storytelling. Thanks again.
God dammit Swearengen, I don’t trust you as far as I can throw ya…but I enjoy the way you lie.
Hey I feel you. I’m both saddened and relieved to have attained this level of militariness. The environment makes the person.
A big part of why this kind of stuff flies that often, soldiers look for little comforts. We want a nice chair to sit in or a comfier hole to lie in at the end of the day. You learn through trial and error what you do and don’t need. Our kit is often insufficient, lowest bidder type stuff that it ends up just not serving the purpose it’s designed to do.
Part of it is also leading a horse to water but not being able to make it drink. I can tell a subordinate they won’t need their winter jacket for October but hey, what if they get cold? Ultimately, newer soldiers end up over packing and over burdening their section until they learn how to pack. I prioritise undergarments, socks and water. Trying to leave as much room for mission essential kit over comfort. But I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I’ve rucked three days across Sandy plains with a 12 pack in my bag so we could have some morale at the end of it. While other times I’m wet because I didn’t want to pack the extra 1lb for rain pants.
A lot of the drilling you receive is about working as a team, how to move fast or silent, complete the mission under arduous circumstances. How you decide to get there is usually a personal decision. Your leaders are still responsible for your overall well-being but, like I said earlier. You can lead a horse to water.
Funny you mentioned internal frame rucksacks… Our current bags are internal frame, really spacious and easy to pack but they SUCK when you’re wearing your armour, and ammo and everything else. They just don’t fit right and hurt more than they help. They also promote what I talked about before which is over packing and without any kit in them weigh 15lbs already. The older rucks were external frame, smaller, lighter and fit less kit. They had their merits.
Quality and fit definitely help with your comfort when you’ve only got two feet and a heartbeat.
Both saddened and relieved I never attained this level of …militariness(?)
The language alone is super kickass and I would have had a lot of fun bustin chops. I was out of there before I was 15 so it wasn’t to be.
On the other hand, damn, why was this even allowed to be an option? I guess it’s trial by fire but it seems like military issued gear should be the only gear allowable in that situation and that they would have gone through extensive drilling till they got proficient before getting into potential life-risking conditions. Honestly, looking back, it wasn’t much different for our first backpacking trips. We were still using terrible external-framed packs. My mom insisted on getting the crappiest discount ghetto-ass pack for me and I was in a ton of pain the whole time. Parents weren’t super into looking out for us back in those days. Years later, I got myself a decent internal-framed pack and the extreme upgrade made me want to go kick them all in the dicks. It didn’t cost one penny more, either. Just somewhat slightly thoughtful.
Haha, either way, I sure do love the way you described it. Thanks for posting.
Often, I think of this line from Deadwood when I read a description I really like. It’s not about the lying, of course. It’s about the turns of phrase and the storytelling. Thanks again.
https://www.reddit.com/r/deadwood/comments/1e51dyv/daily_deadwood_quote_337/ldj8zhb/
Hey I feel you. I’m both saddened and relieved to have attained this level of militariness. The environment makes the person.
A big part of why this kind of stuff flies that often, soldiers look for little comforts. We want a nice chair to sit in or a comfier hole to lie in at the end of the day. You learn through trial and error what you do and don’t need. Our kit is often insufficient, lowest bidder type stuff that it ends up just not serving the purpose it’s designed to do.
Part of it is also leading a horse to water but not being able to make it drink. I can tell a subordinate they won’t need their winter jacket for October but hey, what if they get cold? Ultimately, newer soldiers end up over packing and over burdening their section until they learn how to pack. I prioritise undergarments, socks and water. Trying to leave as much room for mission essential kit over comfort. But I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I’ve rucked three days across Sandy plains with a 12 pack in my bag so we could have some morale at the end of it. While other times I’m wet because I didn’t want to pack the extra 1lb for rain pants.
A lot of the drilling you receive is about working as a team, how to move fast or silent, complete the mission under arduous circumstances. How you decide to get there is usually a personal decision. Your leaders are still responsible for your overall well-being but, like I said earlier. You can lead a horse to water.
Funny you mentioned internal frame rucksacks… Our current bags are internal frame, really spacious and easy to pack but they SUCK when you’re wearing your armour, and ammo and everything else. They just don’t fit right and hurt more than they help. They also promote what I talked about before which is over packing and without any kit in them weigh 15lbs already. The older rucks were external frame, smaller, lighter and fit less kit. They had their merits.
Quality and fit definitely help with your comfort when you’ve only got two feet and a heartbeat.