The "Twinge"

[Master Blaster]

It has been a very long time since the last time I posted on this page and while I have ‘lurked‘ a little , found that if I wasn‘t ready to engage I should keep my mouth shut!

From the looks of things around here, most of the posts are coming from my generation of soldier (‘70‘s 80‘s and 90‘s) and I‘m starting to realise that the ‘warrior‘ in me just can‘t cut it anymore. Iknow that war is a young mans‘ game and that old soldiers never die BUT... I can‘t help thinking about ‘just one more tour‘ (probably end up on the short end of a land mine or trip a bouncing betty and regret it).

Perhaps it‘s wistful thinking, or the delusions of a maniac but the idea of sitting in an overstuffed armchair regaling some young soldier of the ‘Old Days‘ scares the sh*t out of me.

How about a Regiment consisting of all the old farts that are itching to get into the action be the Recce Platoons of the operational Companys? "The next loud noise you hear will be the end of your lives. Now carry on and Bless you all" (Chretien would love it! Wouldn‘t cost him a dime and he could save a bundle on the VA benefits)). Put heartbeat monitors on the soldiers and when a buch of them go out at the same time, that‘s where the ‘Bad Guys‘ are. Kit them with war stock FNC1A1 (cause they KNOW that it‘s the only rifle ever designed to kill people, dark green uniforms and rank them according to age so that the most ancient and feeble stay mostly in the rear with the gear while the younger (50 and 60 year olds) go out and get popped.

After reviewing some of this deranged rambling I‘m thinking that some of the old guys might actually be able to take down some bad guys at the same time. Every bad guy the Olde Regiment pops is one less that the operational coys have to worry about. That‘s what drove Carlos Hathcock to the eradication of the enemy. Every kill was 10 Marines that no longer had to face that particular dink and went home happy and safe to mom and dad. What better calling?

Who‘s willing to sign up? Age before beauty!

All the Best

Dileas Gu Brath

 

[Gordon Angus Mackinlay]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The British Army developed a home defence concept called the Home Service Force (HSF) in the 1980‘s, a form of ‘home guard‘. Made up of independent companies (HQ and 3 pls) with the role of providing a trained and disciplined force which could guard sensitive points, power stations, commercial airports etc etc, or provided a guard force for POW cages.

Initially proposed for some 44 companies, expanding up to 66. Drawn from men (no women) who had former regular service in the Army, RN or Marines, RAF, members of the Territorial Army who had completed a specific period of time could also join (there was also a time span from when you had been discharged), age on joining up to 52, and you could serve so long as you were physically fit and mentally proficient until 65.

The coys just had very basic obsolescent weapons (SLRs, 9mm Sterling SMGs, and L4A4 LMGs the 7.62mm Bren) and radio equipment, very restricted in transport. They did a seven day camp with some six 2 day training weekends. Coys were allied to various regiments and corps (not just infantry, some from artillery, Royal Corps of Transport etc). They had a quite high degree of efficiency, one such that belonged to a Highland Regiment had every single man having previously holding the minimum rank of Sgt, some 17 of it‘s privates having been officers, whilst it‘s commander (a Capt appointment) was an ex-Captain Royal Navy! All of them were very enthusiastic, with 100% attendence rates, their pay a pittance

With the breakup of the Warsaw Pact and the SOviet Union, they were disbanded, post haste.

Yours,
Jock in Sydney

 

[Alter Ego]

MB,

I am convinced that you would get more pers for your idea than they get for that pitiful Secondary Reserve idea.
I think that we could turn this into a usefull and profitable business, as well. How about this: offer the services of the "Old Ones" as enemy force for all Res and Reg exercises. If Chretien is willing to sub-contract airlift, he should be willing to sub-contract a Red Force. We could charge the Govt for our experience, and at the same time prove to the young pups that we‘ve still got it.
Anyone interested?

 

[nigeljp]

Alter Ego,
I bet you could still out-soldier 90% of the troops still in. What‘s too bad is that the reserves is totally focused on students so that once a guy(or girl) starts their career there are very few opportunities to get advanced training on a part-time basis. Take 6B for an example, four weeks in Gagetown is just not an option for someone who gets two weeks vacation a year. The reserves has to focus on retaining and training it‘s most experienced soldiers instead of showing them the door and hiring another recruit. I know so many guys that have quit because once you hit Sgt all you do is repeat the same boring unit training year after year - nav ex‘s, wpn‘s refresher drills without actually getting to shoot the damn things, sharp, first aid, all the things that we can do with our eyes closed. The rare tactical ex where I can go out and practice my skills is the carrot that keeps me going. I would like to see a system that provides incentive to stay in the reserves past graduation. I have never seen a weekend ex between Apr-Sept. Why not? There are lots of troops that are not on course during this time. I would love to get out on a weekend in the summer and do a good ptling ex. Has any unit actually done this? I like the idea of a unit just for the older pro‘s who want to just go out and soldier, and have no interest in the rest of the drama that res units go through. When I am CDS...

 

[Jungle]

As soon as I become an Old Fart, I‘ll be more than happy to join that "Geritol" Battalion !!! But first we have to look at some of the Logistics aspects : we have to support these troops with an unlimited supply of A-535, and a "First-line" of depends... not the disposable type; the one you can wash by hand, for field use.

 

[cagomez]

A unit full of "old" crusty sgts and WOs......be enough to scare the #hit out a me ! Who would jack up who though, probably wouldnt be much fun doing it as everybody would have heard them all. Bet you that idea would actually take of. Think about, no recruits to babysit, just basic, hard soldiering. Really agree with the early post about more support for the older guys who can‘t make t out for courses etc. By the time Im old and broken enough to join this unit, I‘ll be 60 years old and still a cpl !!!

 

[Brad Sallows]

Hehe, I can hear it now...

"You there, straighten that back."

"Sod you, Bill. I outranked you for thirty years and you know damn well I haven‘t stood straight since that last jump."

 

[MJP]

Right now I belong to a plt that has the oldest person to ever go through Battle school. Maybe GMT but I don‘t know know so I‘ll wait to confirm. I beleive and don‘t quote me on this he went through at the age of 50.

He‘s in better shape than half the plt, smart and has tons of useful information. His son actually went through Battle School the year before he did and his daughter is a signaller w/ HQ and Sigs.

I rather soldier w/ this man and hang around w/ him than most of the guys in the plt. He pretty much joined just to see if he could do it. Age isn‘t a barrier just a number

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Your only as old as you feel. I find that working with the young ‘uns helps me stay that way. I‘ve been at the game since the late 60‘s in one form or another. Yah, I‘ve gotten a little larger around the belt line (in the process of remedyiing that right now) and find myself somewhat mellowed (no cracks from knowledgable friends plse). There‘s mornings waking up in the seat of an iltis that may take to coffee break to straighten out the kinks. But all in all still happy(mostly). Thinking seriously of doing one more roto also. I‘ve still got 5 1/2 more to CRA and am angling at a way to use those yearly extentions to 60. MB, just keep plugging along, they‘ll let you know when it‘s time to go.

 

[Infanteer]

My Basic Platoon Warrant was ex 1st Commando with thirty years reg and Mo. He is going on 50. On all our little marches in the +30 Wainwright heat he didn‘t even break a sweat as little buggers were falling out all over the place. This, if anything, confirms my belief that age is a state of mind.

 

[the patriot]

All hail the FN-C1A1!!!!!!!!!

The Fal Files - FN FAL

-the patriot-

 

[Jungle]

Hey Patriot, you‘re living in the past man... the family of small arms we have now is excellent, this is one area where we have nothing to be jealous about.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Haven‘t heard from Patriot in a while. Sounds like he‘s trying to revive his thread on the FN. He was told a million times about it. Let the thread die, we‘ve hashed this before. No sense raising this excrement again.

 

[centurion]

I still think this ****weed is in prison, or some other place where he only gets access to a computer on a limited basis. Look at his posts, when he can, totally derogitory and confrontational. His last Homepage had him with the Black Watch, passed himself as an Officer there. Now his Homepage is the CDA (Canadian Defence Associates). This guy is a poser. Save us the problem. Mike, see if you can check this guy out and blast him to cyber oblivion.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Well, whatever. He‘s all bull droppings. Not worth the time to respond to

 

[JRMACDONALD]

Master Blaster- great idea, but, after an evening of drinking beer and smoking cheap cigars, I tried to chase down a young AARRSSEEhole who smashed a bottle on some one‘s head. asssissted by two very younger fellows, i lost him( I WAS the closest) AT SOME TIME , we must acccept , we ARE old.
PATRIOT- still whining, HUH!!( Still think it‘s all about rifles, heh!!) :warstory:

 

[Gordon Angus Mackinlay]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I had a chat with a old friend of mine in the North West of Scotland, on retirement from the British Army he became a ROIII (Retired Officer Grade III - the equivalent of a serving Captain) performing the duties of Adjutant/QM of the Home Service Force in the North of Scotland, looking after the admin/log of some seven companies.

When the HSF went down the gurgler, he attended all their disbandment parades, and formal dinners. In regard to the coy I described in the previous posting, it belonged to the Argyll and SUtherland Highlanders.

Unanimously - unpaid, the men of the Coy decided to have a ceremonial disbandment parade (having two men in its ranks both ex-commissioned officers, who had reached the dizzy heights of LCpl, but, having brothers who were the Lord Lieutenants of Argyllshire and Sutherlandshire) they obtained the services of the Pipe Band of the 1st Bn A&SH. They held some five rehersals with the Garrison Sergeant Major Edinburgh (Scots Guards) as their Drill Sergeant Major, having a superb parade "described in the National Press as a credit to Pirbright (the old Guards Brigade Depot).

The Formal Dinner was run on traditional Highland format, the evening following the parade, evey man being present in their former regimental Mess Dress, which represented every regiment raised in Scotland (including those amalgamated or disbanded since the war), every corps of the British Army, every Regiment of Guards, and every regiment of infantry save those of Wales and Ulster, the Royal Navy (the Coy Comd wearing RN Scottish Mess Dress), Royal Marine and Royal Airforce, and one man that of the Colonial Police.

In total the 119 men wore 1,056 campaign medals, 12 of which for gallantry and 37 for service, and 87 for Long Service and Good Conduct, Four Meritorious Service Medals, and one Canadian Decoration.

The oldest man present (and with the longest service) at 76, was the Cpl Chef - who had enlisted under his youngest brothers name, wore the two Indian General Service Medals for pre-war service, and every campaign medal between 1938 and 1964 (service in the A&SH, Royal Military Police and Military Provost Staff Corps).

They say it was a night to remember!

Yours,
Jock in Sydney

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Man, you guys! Here I was feeling pretty good about myself and age, till I started reading your posts. Now I‘m looking at ads for easy walkers and motorized wheel chairs (can‘t shake that armoured recce thing). This thread is going to turn into a bunch of old geezers drinking geritol and waxing nostalgic. Gordon, you seem to have been around the horn more than once in your day, how did you deal with having to say goodbye to it all and walking out the front gate? Jeez, I don‘t even want to think about that.

 

[Gordon Angus Mackinlay]

For you who uses the moinker of RecceGuy,

I did not suddenly take the plunge, I had planned retirement back when I was 27, many things that I have done over the years were pointed in that direction.

Last year I after having another bout with the "Jimmy Dancer" had to take a serious look at my self and that around me. I would have been able to have served until I was 57 then I would have been able to transfer to the Specialist Reserve as a Psychologist and served until I was 65.

A very hard look at myself made me come to the conclusion that no it was not in the best interests of the service nor was it in my best interests to remain in the system. So I snatched my time at 41 years, of Boys Service(3 years), Regular (20 years) and Reserve (18)(at the time I had some 51/2 years of continuous full time duty).

My last period of FTD was involved in overseas service, I had very little contact with the parent service, and basically had become a UN full time operator. To be perfectly honest it had not become fun anymore.

It is perfectly true what they say, those of my generation have now become dinesours. The attitudes have changed from what can I do for the service to what can the service do for I. This is the norm I have found in the AMerican, Australian, British, Canadian and NZ services - which of course reflects upon the attitudes current in civil life.

An example being when I was a very young soldier in the Guards Parachute Company, I had it rammed into my head that you never called someone who had a lower rank or position than you by the surname only, you always used the necessary prefix that he deserved, ie, Guardsman Bloggs, Flight Sergeant Bloggs, Mr Bloggs. Today the attitude is sowhat "they don‘t give a bugger what you call them so long as their paid" totally wrong.

Although I must admit that I have had people - soldiers who went by their nicknames to wit "plonker, wanker, Richard=Richard Cranium=**** Head" etc etc.

So all in all, I had regrets about leaving the system, but, it was tempered with the fact that if I when back into a unit at home in Australia I would not fit in - I would be a fish totally out of water, my concepts totally not of those whom I would have a duty of responsibility for.

So in the words of the song by Edith Piaf sung by the men of the 1st Parachute Regiment of the Foreign Legion in Algiers when they were driven away to be disbanded after having mutinied - ‘Regets, non Regets"

Yours,
Jock in Sydney
By the way the only person who ever called me Gordon was me mum and she‘s been dead for many a year

 

[Gordon Angus Mackinlay]

AN ADITT

I find it absolutely fascinating that the software allows plonker, wanker, but Richard=Richard Cranium=Delta Item Charlie Kilo Head it comes out as **** Head.

I wonder how it would cope with some choice Australian or Scottish expressions.

O‘well it is American.

Yours,
Jock in Sydney