US Army

[USMCRET]

Joe C suggested I give you fine gents and update on me

As some of you know, I got med boarded out of the Marine Corps 8 years ago, and spent every minute of it hating myself for it, as it was due to a failure on my part.

5 years later, I decided I'd try my hand at the Legion, and started getting ready. Got in the best shape of my life, learned some French, and almost bought a plane ticket in early 2019. Then miraculously I was informed by an army recruiter I talked to years back, that I was eligable for a waiver. I started in March of last year.

Tomorrow I swear into the US Army as an infantryman. After training, I get to attend Javelin school and will be assigned to a weapons squad as an assistant gunner (In the Army National Guard, we pick everything from our job, down to our position within the platoon. It's a great system)

I learned a lot from this forum, about diet and fitness. I quit smoking at the urging of Le Petit Caporal, and others. Got into really great shape. Found some bravery and confidence I didn't know I had. Also, learned a lot about carrying myself to success and how to make a plan. I'm going to take that advice into my career with the U.S Army

My other goal besides just succeeding at my initial training, is to find a slot for sniper school. Hopefully in the future I will get to cross train with the Legion. I think that would be an intense experience, and one I'd cherish forever

Wishing you all well with your journies through life and into the Legion

Way to go killer, really glad you are making more of the second chance!
Semper Fidelis

 

[USMCRET]

Yep! And Sand Hill is like The Farm from the Legion. A place of great suffering, so I am told. Hopefully, I will go to Ft. Bragg in South Carolina at some point. There are tryouts every month for special forces

@dusaboss:

I doubt it will last. This is the story that never ends

North Carolina, Fort Bragg, that is. Home of the 82nd and Special Ops for the Army, even think that's where one goes for Ranger School.

 

[Crawdad]

North Carolina, Fort Bragg, that is. Home of the 82nd and Special Ops for the Army, even think that's where one goes for Ranger School.

Ranger School is at Ft. Benning, Georgia (as is Airborne School); you were probably thinking of Special Forces Selection (SFAS) and SF qualification course (Q-Course). Otherwise, you're correct; Ft Bragg is indeed the home of the Airborne; sort of like the American version of Aldershot or Balma.

 

[USMCRET]

Ranger School is at Ft. Benning, Georgia (as is Airborne School); you were probably thinking of Special Forces Selection (SFAS) and SF qualification course (Q-Course). Otherwise, you're correct; Ft Bragg is indeed the home of the Airborne; sort of like the American version of Aldershot or Balma.

That's it Crawdad, I knew Bragg did SF, so Benning does Rangers etc? Man, Georgia is hot as shit, almost like where we live

 

[Crawdad]

That's it Crawdad, I knew Bragg did SF, so Benning does Rangers etc? Man, Georgia is hot as shit, almost like where we live

Yep, Benning has Ranger School and Airborne School. Additionally, it's where the Infantry, Armor (Tankers) and Cavalry branches train. Artillery trains at Ft Sill, Oklahoma; Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bliss, TX; Aviation at Ft Rucker, Alabama; Engineers, Chemical Corps, MP's, and Transportation (Trains/Motor-T) at Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri; Signal Corps at Fort Gordon, Georgia; Intel at Ft Huachuca, Arizona; Medical at Ft Sam Houston, TX, and I forget where everyone else goes.
Funny how almost all the initial training posts for the various branches are in the South. Only the Navy and Coast Guard are different (Illinois and New Jersey, respectively).

I want to say that some Marine engineers train at FLW, as well; I remember seeing them around when I was there for Basic/AIT.

Kind of a contrast to the French Army, where they learn their specialty at their regiment. I suppose there's advantages to both systems.

West Central Georgia's weather indeed sucks; possibly worse than ours, because they don't even catch a breeze from the Gulf.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Southern nights with lyrics...Boon dox! Please post up, ta

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Southern nights with lyrics...Boon dox! Please post up, ta

I thought it better to post it here rather than on the thread "what are you listening to today", in case it gets associated with yours truly. It is NOT my kind of music at all. Southern ▶ Nights. (with lyrics) enjoy

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Hi Tom, what is it that you are unsure about? Where the Southern Nights (with lyrics) should be posted or that it's not my kind of music. If it is the latter, than that is just as bad as comparing me to the Night Jumper. Watch it
Only joking mate.

 

[Tom Juvenez]

It's a pretty wacky song I must say but everyone is entitled to their weirdness.

 

[USMCRET]

Hi Tom, what is it that you are unsure about? Where the Southern Nights (with lyrics) should be posted or that it's not my kind of music. If it is the latter, than that is just as bad as comparing me to the Night Jumper. Watch it
Only joking mate.

A Glen Campbell Song I believe Joe

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

A Glen Campbell Song I believe Joe

Thanks Mate.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Joe C suggested I give you fine gents and update on me

As some of you know, I got med boarded out of the Marine Corps 8 years ago, and spent every minute of it hating myself for it, as it was due to a failure on my part.

5 years later, I decided I'd try my hand at the Legion, and started getting ready. Got in the best shape of my life, learned some French, and almost bought a plane ticket in early 2019. Then miraculously I was informed by an army recruiter I talked to years back, that I was eligable for a waiver. I started in March of last year.

Tomorrow I swear into the US Army as an infantryman. After training, I get to attend Javelin school and will be assigned to a weapons squad as an assistant gunner (In the Army National Guard, we pick everything from our job, down to our position within the platoon. It's a great system)

I learned a lot from this forum, about diet and fitness. I quit smoking at the urging of Le Petit Caporal, and others. Got into really great shape. Found some bravery and confidence I didn't know I had. Also, learned a lot about carrying myself to success and how to make a plan. I'm going to take that advice into my career with the U.S Army

My other goal besides just succeeding at my initial training, is to find a slot for sniper school. Hopefully in the future I will get to cross train with the Legion. I think that would be an intense experience, and one I'd cherish forever

Wishing you all well with your journies through life and into the Legion

I still have my blue cord, and my silver wings. Good luck, I hope your Drill Sarnt focuses on actual training and no bs, no pizza parties, no phones. If given the offer, refuse anyways, you don't need weakness like this.


Enjoy Sand Hill, and the Stairway to Heaven

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

I still have my blue cord, and my silver wings.
Enjoy Sand Hill, and the Stairway to Heaven

Well come on then, mate please explain to those who have missed out on Sand Hill an the Stairway to Heaven. Although I'm too old and no-where near fit enough, I'd love to be back in the military. What is the blue cord, a lanyard. Obviously I know what silver wings are.

I'm going on a run rather than going to the gym.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Well come on then, mate please explain to those who have missed out on Sand Hill an the Stairway to Heaven. Although I'm too old and no-where near fit enough, I'd love to be back in the military. What is the blue cord, a lanyard. Obviously I know what silver wings are.

I'm going on a run rather than going to the gym.

Alright, show and tell time, mon amis.

The blue cord, is a light baby blue device worn over the right shoulder, by every US Army Infantryman. You get it at the completion of OSUT at Sand Hill, a miserable place of pain situated on, you guessed it, a hill. Which isn't exactly fun to march up and down I was there during the months of May/June/July/August, and a brief holdover before airborne school at ended early September.

The stairway to heaven, is a very steep incline that stretches for a decent distance, and it is miserable if you aren't fit and if you keep focusing on the pain and discomfort. I forget the exact distance but I marched up that incline with my class, during the 10 or 12 mile march, which isn't so bad now but as a fresh recruit I remember it to suck a lot. Also, my feet bleed a bit since water seeped into my boots and the socks + friction rubbed then raw.

It's not hard to get a blue cord if you just do the work, but mine is very special to me. At the graduation ceremony, my Drill Sergeant, an iraqi war vet and paratrooper, took his blue cord off of his shoulder and placed it on mine, which is unheard of. I was also fortunate later on to bump into him at Ft. Bragg and have a bbq and some beers with the man.

I doubt he'd ever read this thread, but that man set the standard I have for myself as a man, and I try to live up to the example he set for me and all who he trained.

 

[A_Wanderer]

I graduated with D 1/19. And even though it wasn't fun at the time, I recall alot of good memories and I miss my boys

 

[Chas]

Alright, show and tell time, mon amis.

The blue cord, is a light baby blue device worn over the right shoulder, by every US Army Infantryman. You get it at the completion of OSUT at Sand Hill, a miserable place of pain situated on, you guessed it, a hill. Which isn't exactly fun to march up and down I was there during the months of May/June/July/August, and a brief holdover before airborne school at ended early September.

The stairway to heaven, is a very steep incline that stretches for a decent distance, and it is miserable if you aren't fit and if you keep focusing on the pain and discomfort. I forget the exact distance but I marched up that incline with my class, during the 10 or 12 mile march, which isn't so bad now but as a fresh recruit I remember it to suck a lot. Also, my feet bleed a bit since water seeped into my boots and the socks + friction rubbed then raw.

It's not hard to get a blue cord if you just do the work, but mine is very special to me. At the graduation ceremony, my Drill Sergeant, an iraqi war vet and paratrooper, took his blue cord off of his shoulder and placed it on mine, which is unheard of. I was also fortunate later on to bump into him at Ft. Bragg and have a bbq and some beers with the man.

I doubt he'd ever read this thread, but that man set the standard I have for myself as a man, and I try to live up to the example he set for me and all who he trained.

I now love listening to other people's pain. I was trained by former WW2 Commandos in the 1950s'. SF club number 5XX9. I can't believe I ever endured the training. It must be all BS.