| Author | Message | ||
     Bill0351 |
I just read that the Pentagon is thinking of banning military personnel from having any sort of “adult” magazines. Since joining the Marines in the early ‘90s, US military culture has been watered down over and over to the point that it is starting to bother me. 1. They outlawed blood pinning of new rank. 2. They outlawed under 21 drinking for military personnel on base. 3. No visible tattoos. 4. When I was in Iraq, there was no drinking at all, and every other country allowed it. 5. We were not allowed to put names on our vehicles. My M1114 Armored Humvee was called “Big Truck.” How offensive is that? On top of all those things, any black mark on your SRB meant you were not getting promoted past E-4 and if you got busted in rank, there was a chance you wouldn’t even be offered reenlistment. What happened to having a little color on your record? When I joined the Marines I liked the fact that is was a society that wasn’t for everyone. It had a culture and rituals that made civilians really uncomfortable. Even the USMC that I joined was a watered down version of the USMC from 20 years before, and that was watered down from the generation before that. When I recently did a tour in the Army, it was even worse. My Platoon Sergeant downgraded me because he told me I wasn’t friendly enough to my superiors, I was stubborn and that I was often confrontational. In the USMC those characteristics were valued. I guess I am rambling, but when I heard about the magazine issue, it really got to me. What do they think an infantry company does in their spare time when they are 6,000 miles away from home, hang around reading the bible and playing “go fish?” Does this bother anyone else? Bill | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
That is one of many reasons I'm a PFC now.... | ||
| Bill0351 |
Seriously? That is very funny. I always managed to hold onto my rank, but it wasn't always easy. | ||
| Djkaplan |
My father joined the Army in 1958, was busted three times during his time as an enlisted man, and still made it to OCS. | ||
| New12r |
I say let the soldiers look at all the porn they want, they are keeping the assholes who put them there free. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
That would be Private F'ng Civilian..... Ya BOOT...  | ||
| Bill0351 |
I GET IT NOW! Next thing I am going to fall for being sent for a box of grid squares or an M9 barrel insertion tool! What else.... OH! E-tool qual! I loved that one! Bill | ||
| Court |
Bill: Be cool and as a favor to me I'd appreciate it if you'd not mention hauling my Aunt Kay's dining room buffet from Topeka to Albuquerque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In a C5A bound from Altus to Mather.  The EM club at the USMC gig I had always served underage. . . they, I guess, kinda figured it was tough to tell a kid they were old enough to kill and be killed but not to drink. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
1833 Amtracs YAT YAS We did ramp qual with a ax and a quarter, I had to keep that cover on all day! I felt like a dumba$$ then, but it makes me laugh my ass off now. Blue Nose & Shellback, I'm sure are a thing of the past. I had one of my LT dressed up like a rooster walking around say "any c0ck-L-do" NOW THAT WAS FUNNY!! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
USNR 1987-1993; 1998-2001 E-5 USMC 1996-1998 (contractor) GS-11 US Army Guard 2001-2004 E-6 Always followed the bigger better bonus, kept my rank each time. Want to know what kicked off the current military Political correctness? Look no further than Tail Hook 1992. I wasnt there, you dont have any pics, and you cant prove my squadron was in town ;) | ||
| Eboos |
I never liked the Zero Defect mentality. It seemed as though you would punish good Marines who made a mistake or two, while rewarding lazy shit sacks that never went the extra mile. I could really get into my own story, but I will keep that to myself for now. | ||
| Brinnutz |
I know what you're saying. Now, get this, I am having trouble going back active duty. For some reason, joining the Reserves to go retain my rank of E-4 in the Navy so I wouldn't lose it when I went back active has now stopped me from going back active. Don't ask me how, but some say I can't. WTF is that, I'm volunteering once again. I guess I just have to keep volunteering for deployments or something... I just want to get back to the life I once loved, and still do! We got any recruiters around here, or someone that can help me out? LOL | ||
| Eboos |
I used to be a recruiter. Both me and the Marine Corps thought that I should be doing something else. | ||
| Buellerandy |
I'm having to fight tooth and nail right now just to get back into ANY branch let alone the Marine Corps... The first and only time I got caught drinking underage by my superiors, I got a passionate butt whoopin so bad that I never held out again. | ||
| Bill0351 |
A lot of the guys in the ANG unit I went to Iraq with decided to stay active duty when we got back. I also seem to remember that there was a program a while back that would allow prior service Marines serving in a reserve unit to return to active duty as an E-3. I know a lot of guys who get out and then want back in. I never understood why it was so hard to get back in. I always thought it was stupid not to let a guy with good pro and con marks back in when they let just about any loser enlist and go to bootcamp. Oh, and Court? If that dining room buffet was related to you, it was totally entitled to fly space-A. You should have signed it in as Aunt Dining Room Buffet. I doubt they would have even noticed. I used to sign rosters as Sgt. Heywood Jablome all the time. Bill | ||
| Diablobrian |
I was in 87-93 USN. I saw the way the wind was blowing then and got out while the getting was good. Even in the late 80's in San Diego you couldn't drink on base until you were 21, sooo all of us went down to Tijuana to get loaded. It was a stupid policy that cost a lot of young men a lot of grief when they could have been safe and supervised on base instead. We still had the shellback and blue nose initiation back then, but even then it was toned down from the "good old days". I guess they don't allow you to "tack on" the crow of a new petty officer any more either. I still remember my Command Career Counseler an E-8 telling me that there were no jobs to be had if I was to get out of the Navy then (93). I asked him when was the last time he was in the job market? and walked out the door. Funny thing was I got a job working as a tech rep for PhibRon9 a couple of weeks later and ran into him on the pier a few months later. It was funny because as an e5 my word on anything was worth nothing onboard the ship. When I went civilian suddenly my word was LAW when I made even the smallest reccomendation. Remind me to tell you some time... | ||
| Bartimus |
USMC 1972-1994 E7 I hear what your saying, it certainly wasn't the "old Corps" I remembered when I first enlisted! And back then, You could drink on base if you were under 21!!!  Semper Fi!!! | ||
| Brumbear |
I was in the Army from 83-87 and in 1983 you could still do all the GOOD-Stuff until I guess around 1985 when the Liberals started getting a say and they took our steel pots away no more m151's Jody cadences, no smoking in some areas I feel for you guys I was sure I wasn't gonna be a career soldier in hour 3 but like I used to say look sarge 3 1/2 years in and an E-1 already PRIVATE FOR LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! seriously •••••• rules or not THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE ALL OF YOU | ||
| Southern Marine |
Hey, ya'll quit preaching to the choir. June 9, 1986 - February 1, 2007, retired after 20 years. Believe me, I could hardly wait. I was well beyond ready. I was sick and tired of the way things were changing, and they were changing for the worse. Adult magazines and porn are banned in Iraq, have been for a long time. Don't get me started on promotions. Let's just say, a lot of good Marines have been and will be overlooked and forced out of the Marines because of the way the screwed up promotion system is. Semper Fi | ||
| Paint_shaker |
As I recall in 1990, I could still be served at the E-Club (affectionately known as the gay bar), even though I was under 21. When off base, we used to rent motel rooms at the places that had night clubs in them, pool the $$$ and the over 21 gang would go buy the booze. We would then be back and forth between the room and the night club. Porn magazines were socially acceptable, just not in front of the higher ups.... Alas, the military culture is seeming to follow the p*$$ification of civilian culture... (Message edited by paint shaker on November 08, 2007) | ||
| Cataract2 |
There's lot's of stuff they ban that many higher ups don't give a damn about enforcing. | ||
| Stingaroo |
Cataract, you ain't lying! We have our FSO come up to the OP quite a bit, at AP Hill after only the first three days he was asking if we had any -10 manuals. ( "dash" 10 manuals are for operator's level maintence on equipment) That's his little code word. I think the worst rumor is trying to make it tobacco free. My Fire Support Team and the 2 others would kill each other if they run out. Our Battalion commander and CSM threw a keg party last year, this year they are moving our Christmas party to a place taht serves alcohol. I love being in a Infantry Battalion... | ||
| Bill0351 |
Careful Stingaroo, In my experience, with some rare and notable exceptions, Staff NCOs and any officer over the rank of Captain will act cool when it suits them and totally hang you out to dry when they are under the microscope. The same goes for anyone who is eyeing up a promotion. It's funny how that goes. We had absolute trust in our team. We had nearly the same for our squad or section. We knew the guys in the platoon had our back and if there was anyone who didn't, was known by everyone. Other platoons in the Company? Well... It just depended.... Headquarters? We always remembered to watch our backs. Marines and soldiers, especially in line companies should keep trust as local as possible and cover their tracks. The same guy who is asking for your -10s will be locking the barracks door and doing a junk-on-the-bunk style inspection if he thinks those same magazines will hurt his career. Bill | ||
| Ratyson |
USN, 1987-1992 I was an AW, and Rescue Swimmer. I had my wings "tacked on", and my first Crow "punched in" (I never really though about how nasty that last one sounded, until now.. LOL).. but things did start to get "frowned upon" not long after that. I also tried to enter the Coast guard as a rescue swimmer when I got out in 92. Their answer? "We are not taking prior enlisted at this time".. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?? I was current on my SAR quals.. I could have directly converted with no extra training required. | ||
| Eboos |
Wow, I just got it... "operator's level maintence on equipment"  | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Its almost time for us Jarheads to drink a beer and feed some cake to the oldest and the youngest in the bunch.... Parts of my time in may have been a major suckfest but I still get choked up thinking about the people who serve and the sacrifice they make for the rest..... I'll drink a cold one Saturday night and remember the good times and how that 6 years effected my life.... | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
232 YEARS OF TRADITION UNMARRED BY PROGRESS!! | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
http://www.frogbearbar.com/ If your in the Columbus area, stop in... My Uly will be parked out front. (Message edited by wolfridgerider on November 08, 2007) | ||
| Cataract2 |
Cataract, you ain't lying! We have our FSO come up to the OP quite a bit, at AP Hill after only the first three days he was asking if we had any -10 manuals. ( "dash" 10 manuals are for operator's level maintence on equipment) That's his little code word. I think the worst rumor is trying to make it tobacco free. My Fire Support Team and the 2 others would kill each other if they run out. Our Battalion commander and CSM threw a keg party last year, this year they are moving our Christmas party to a place taht serves alcohol. I love being in a Infantry Battalion... Well, many places on bases are tobacco free except in designated places. Though I can't see them banning them. Imagine how many soldiers would go nuts here. (Message edited by cataract2 on November 09, 2007) | ||
| Prof_stack |
My father was a Marine guard on the USS Nebraska and Saratoga back in the early 30's. He went up and down ranks a few more times than he admitted. His military gravestone reads Corporal. I think he would look at today's Marines and wonder why they got so soft. But this photo makes me wonder if he thought part of his time in was sucky (he would have used a different word...).  |
