Least appealing Aspects of Infantry

[geo]

(gigle) (snort) (giggle)

 

[Red 6]

85 degrees–85 pounds on your back—85 percent humidity—25 miles to hump=priceless.

Here's some stuff I remember:
Nipples getting all raw from my flak jacket rubbing against them for three weeks.

Prickly heat all across my back in Panama from my rucksack

In the showers at Camp Pendleton after a 25 mile hump and a Marine keels over with heat stroke. (Lucky we had plenty of water)

On top of a mountain at 29 Palms at night in an OP during the winter. No cold weather gear because the trucks got assessed as battle losses and sent back. Then it snowed.

Sitting in a fighting hole back to back with your battle buddy in a driving rain storm at night. There's only one tiny dry spot between the two of you, down low on your backs where the water hasn't yet run down the collar of your Goretex.

At JRTC when I was a platoon sergeant (98) we were supposed to block and defend an intermittent stream with a road leading down a wooded hill during the mechanized attack portion of our rotation. We had three trucks loaded with barrier material that were (you just guessed it) knocked out by enemy air. So only one truck load showed up for the Mine Wire Obstacle, which was templeted to be about 200 meters across. We were also supposed to get a blade, which finally showed up from the enemy side of our position after we caved in the stream by hand. Luckily, the engineer was a moron and got the dozer stuck in the stream, which meant, if the enemy tanks attacked down the road, they'd be halted by the stuck dozer.

Long story short— the tank company did come down our road, and we knocked out the first two with Dragons and called in a Fascam on the rest. After it was over and we were doing the AAR, my senior O/C dinged the hell out of me in front of the platoon for the MWO that wasn't build to standard. He went on and on about how many mines were supposed to be laid in depth, triple strand concertina, etc. So I replied, "I understand that sir, but the trucks with all the class IV got knocked out and we only got one instead of four."

He goes, "I'm just telling you your obstacle wasn't built to standard."

My reply to him, "Should I have just sent the truck we did get back and not build an obstacle at all?"

 

[geo]

=  another was of describing:
least appealing aspects of infantry.... Infantry leaders

Chimo!

 

[Red 6]

=  another was of describing:
least appealing aspects of infantry.... Infantry leaders

Chimo!

Aw now, what do ya' want to be like that for. I resembled that remark... (now I'm retired so I have an excuse.) Here's a picture of me when I was a platoon sergeant mixing the regimental punch. I destroyed several million brain cells that night....

 

[geo]

hehe.... the Colonel's secret recipe
(another way of being given da boot)
Remember Cheers.... discussion on "the buffalo effect" of how alcohol killing off the slowest rain cells - thereby only leaving the fastest / smartest ones to survive and reproduce.

 

[Red 6]

Well, it was a new boot…

 

[geo]

LOL

 

[Red 6]

Is regimental punch a tradition in the Canadian Army? (mixed up with a lot of dubious sub-components) In the infantry, we called it "Punch", but when I was in the Blackhorse Regiment, it was called grog.

 

[George Wallace]

When I went to Cav Cup in Graff back in 1981, it was non-alcoholic, so we grabbed the team from 1/11 Cav (or was it the 7/11 Cav) and went to the Rod and Gun by the old Bismark Tower and had our own party.  The Cav Cup party was truly dull with a non-alcoholic 'punch'.

 

[Haggis]

Remember Cheers.... discussion on "the buffalo effect" of how alcohol killing off the slowest rain cells - thereby only leaving the fastest / smartest ones to survive and reproduce.

I'm gonna use that next time I call the wife to retrieve me from the Mess.  The proof of the theory lies in the fact that I became smart enough to not drive home.

 

[Red 6]

When I went to Cav Cup in Graff back in 1981, it was non-alcoholic, so we grabbed the team from 1/11 Cav (or was it the 7/11 Cav) and went to the Rod and Gun by the old Bismark Tower and had our own party.  The Cav Cup party was truly dull with a non-alcoholic 'punch'.

Hey, that was my old regiment! I rode with the Blackhorse from 85-89. We had 1st, 2nd and 3rd Squadron, Regimental Support Squadron, 4th Squadron (air cavalry), 54th Engineer Co, HQ Troop, etc. I'll bet you killed some brain cells drinking with those guys from 1st Squadron! We always joked about 1st Squadron being the palace guards since they were co-located with Regimental HHT in Fulda.

 

[George Wallace]

There were two Squadron's Teams there from the 11th.  One Team were a bunch of arrogant snobs, and the other were a bunch of very fine fellows.  We didn't drink with the snobs, but with the more fun loving boys.  Interesting in that the way we placed in Cav Cup was the exact same way we placed in Boeselager a few weeks later.  Our Cdn Team split the two US teams in the 1,2 and 3 places in both competitions.

 

[Red 6]

The snobs were probably the guys from 3rd Squadron. They were farthest from Regiment, so they always thought they were gettin' picked on for everything. 

 

[George Wallace]

Red 6

Perhaps you ran into these guys at one time or another?  Photo I took of one of the winning teams at Cav Cup '81 in Graf.  Before BDU's  ;D

 

[Red 6]

Boy, that is Old Army, George. Negative, I don't see anybody in there I knew. I do think I still have some Graf dust in my ears though. 

 

[jc5778]

Is regimental punch a tradition in the Canadian Army? (mixed up with a lot of dubious sub-components) In the infantry, we called it "Punch", but when I was in the Blackhorse Regiment, it was called grog.

C Coy, 2 PPCLI use to have a "Purple Jesus"  Consisted of anything and everything you could find  as long as it was purple and drank out of the purple Jesus helmet.  very few have felt its wrath and not "bowed down"

 

[Red 6]

Did a little worship to the Porcelain God, did'ya? 

 

[vonGarvin]

C Coy, 2 PPCLI use to have a "Purple Jesus"  Consisted of anything and everything you could find  as long as it was purple and drank out of the purple Jesus helmet.  very few have felt its wrath and not "bowed down"

When I was a student at the University of Western Ontario, "Purple Jesus" was a mainstay of any kegger.  Anything and everything went into a freshly purchased plastic garbage bin.  Right up as full as possible.  Purple Koolaid was added for colour.  Made for interesting phone calls to "Ralph" in the early hours of the next morning!!!! :-X

 

[geo]

Purple Jesus juice!... consumed some of that back 73-77 timeframe while at college/univ. 
Master of the Brew was a Jesuit priest who taught Chemistry... Father Kroehner (sp?)
Produced using lab supplies only!... no liquor store products used to prepare the brew

2 or 3 shots of this stuff and you saw God!

Then you'd have to go and pray to the porcelain god "Ralph"

 

[JVJA]

C Coy, 2 PPCLI use to have a "Purple Jesus"  Consisted of anything and everything you could find  as long as it was purple and drank out of the purple Jesus helmet.  very few have felt its wrath and not "bowed down"

Chances are I was helping myself out of the same garbage can on the first floor of B-9. :warstory: