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This is nothing new and means just that - nothing why do you think they call tem accidents? I retired from the Army after 26 yers and can remember having to sign such silly crap on many occasions. Some units even go so far as to hold "vehicle inspections". Does nothing to keep the accident count down. Just allows a weak commander to CYA and say "I tried to tell them."

Unless its changed since I retired your weapons qualification can be added to your marksmanship badge as a hanger at whatever level you qualified at (Marksman, Sharpshooter, or expert) was that way for all of the 26 years I was on active duty. THe qualifications must be renewed annually.

THere's alos an expret driver's badge and hangers gor whheled and tracked vehicles as well as mechanic can be added. THat badge is pretty much permanent.

Problem is that many units don't bother to cut orders for anything but expert with weapons. The Drivers badge requires orders as well.

Its my impression that subs at sea do not use "active" sonar except when manuvering in tight spots and then in "burst". They use "passive" or listening sonal and other devices at all other times. Using active sonar advertises their position to a potential enemy.

What you say is quite true to this day. There is no requirement for an enlistee to be a US Citizen though they take the same oath.

An honorable discharge has always been a ticket to a reduced waiting period to become a citizen.

I'm a retired army type and my career spanned nam to GWI. In every case, it fell either to the commander or chaplain to personaly write the families of both KIA and WIA troops. When did it become customary for the CIC or SECDEF to send such letters or is this because of the introduction of boilerplates and word processors?

I spent 26 years on active duty retiring in 92. "Profane speech" was the every day norm for myself and the soldiers around me. Nobody thought anything about it.

These days its different. I have two sons on active duty (both Army) and, from what they tell me the pattern still exists but only in private conversation the PC invasion has banned dirty words.

Would be a revalation to the DI who pushed me those final bars on the overhead ladder propelled purely by invective (damn I hated that thing.)

Lots of ASA guys myself included remember the gun trucks that ran outta Phu Bai. If I'm not mistaken that included "Eve of Destruction" which is now on static display at theFt Eustis museum.

I've seen scattered reports that transportation corps drivers are currently building gun trucks in Iraq in much the same way they were in Nam.

My favorite was the quad fifty.

About two days ago, it was mentioned that a rider to the new intel bill bans butane and propane lighters from airplanes now. Dunno about the trusty Zippo.

Seems some sky is falling congresscritter opined as how if the shoe bomber had had a Bic as opposed to paper matches he would have suceeded in lighting the fuse to his shoes.

Go figger.

While on active duty I was selected for assignment to the AFIC (Armed Forces Inaugural Committee) that planned the inaugration of President Bush Senior.

It was a very challenging assignment for a senior NCO I had folks working for me from all the uniformed services except the Public Health Service.

It was a challenging assignment with daily problems. Towards the end I was working 12/12 and was totally exhausted. THe NCOICs of the various sections had preferred seating directly adjacent to the reviewing stand. I never made the ceremony having fallen asleep at my desk with my dress blues hanging on a rack.

Never regretted a minute of the assignment.

My point entirely. The vehicle is being pushed past its original design peramaters as it is. If the hand wringers are at full speed now just think how long it would take to develop and field a better armored simular vehicle with all the size and weight constraints placed on the Hummer.

People seem to forget that ole Norm had six months to get his duckies in a row. So DAmn Insane left him alone to do just that something I don't understand to this day. The six months gave us time to put vast quantities of supplies and material in place.

That did not obtain in the current war.

I was still active duty when the Hummer first came into issue. I had my reservations but after the usual shake down period with the troops (hardest testers in the world) the vehicle proved to be robust and reliable.

The fact of the matter is, was, and will be that the chassis was designed to carry a specific amount of weight plus a factor for crew/cargo.

Up armoring the Hummer overloads the design specs by a large margin. With armor they have to be air conditioned or the troops suffer heatstroke and that leads to other add ons like a bigger aternator.

Pushing the design specs by up armoring results in a much slower vehicle which will never reach as built lifetime due to the severe weight load. Newer Hummers that have factory added armor and such are beefed up to handle the increased load.

The original Hummer was designed as a replacement for the M151 jeep nothing more nothing less. Protection in a jeep was based on speed and manuverability. The up armored older Hummers have neither.

I've been seeing the exact same list of nominees for three years. when is it going to be updated. I enjoy the Darwin awards but it seems folks are not inputting new gene pool retirees.

I said I was gonna get flamed and you're the first. Have at it I could care less. I said whats been on my mind for months. And yes, I have followed the so called trial.

I'm gonna certinly get flamed on this one but I'm sick and tired of hearing about this drumhead trial. Peterson was tried, convicted, and will be sentenced by the media and nothing more.

Not one shread of physical evidence with the exception of one lousy hair. Circumstancial evidence all the way.

All baszed on the fact that Laci was kinda cute and preggers. One wonders what the outcome would have been had she been plain as a mud fence.

I again agree with you. Most folks are melting their minds sans drugs. All of my boys grew up to be good men husbands and fathers and two of them followed me into the Army both being in career status currently and on active duty.

One poster brought up the olympics. I kinda think Jim Thorpe began to spin in his grave when "dream teams" became legal simply so the US could dominate some sports that we were getting beaten at like basketball and hockey.

One thing that turns me off from watching olympic coverage is not with the olympics themselves or its governing body but with the network "coverage".

Anybody ever notice that competition in the shooting sports still exists but is seldom shown or shown on a delay that puts them on screen at 0300?

I totally agree with you on the subject of professional sports. Too many people make "heroes" out of these single talent ball tossers.

I've come out in the past and said th same thing. Some freepers have jumped on me pretty hard however that will not change my distaste for bread and circuses.

Once posted that while growng up none of my four sons was allowed to watch any pro sports on TV if they expressed an interest I'd sign them up for little leauge or Pop Warner and go to their games and root for them.

Some folks came borderline to accusing me of abusing my kids because I actually made them play and get the exercise and benefits rather than taking up a space on the couch.

First, I'm a retired first sergeant with 26 years of active service in the Army. So much for bonafides.

If you have 200 troops to train and 20 pairs of NVGs (assuming they all work)you train those troops in blocks of fifteen till they become proficient and then cycle the next group of 15.

Blocks of 15 give you a float so one piece of downchecked equipment in the training block does not stop that group from training or leave any troop behind.

However I retired in 91 when NCOS still pretty much ran training using long experience and common sense. now it seems to be handled to a butter bar who has no idea about it except what the "book" says.

Not every troop needs their own personal piece of equipment in a training scenario. Same crap came up a while ago when some whineing momma hit the news griping that her little angel did not get issued his own set of binocs.

When those troops hit the AO they will be issued the equipment they need to go to war. In the meantime, share as you go is a workable concept.

The absolute worst was Ham and MFrs. I knew guys who actually liked the crap. Three hours later they were capable of clearing a bunker under fire by breaking wind only once.

Actually thats my point there are not enough USO facilities in airports these days especially in view of may be a long war with many troops traveling.