candyman

I think it could be a mix of both or something along those lines. There is shit we have been testing for a long time that only a handful of people know about. Some of the stuff we captured in Germany is in that group and alot of those weird projects bear a very close resemblance to the descriptions of "sightings". Could be true but I doubt it...those sites shut down as far as the missile programs were concerned but they are still up and running today for other things. The current UAV's are not the only ones we have nor are they the largest or the fastest...they are just the only ones in current service...and there have been many other UAV projects before them which could explain alot of sightings.

Keep your enemies close and your friends closer... Defending freedom don't really have a direct link to our freedoms either. Our lost brothers fought for our ability to go after those freedoms. What we do after the battles is what dictates our freedoms and such. After we kicked the British out it could have gone alot of different ways as far as how people made decisions.

Hey we just dealt with one of the new Army policies today...we had to get under protection of in our rain gear because it was sprinkling outside. Yeah...pretty much just a mist. The new policies are not working out too well so I don't know why this new change would be any different. In the meantime during our field time our camo still don't blend with shit, our ammo is still trapped in the pouches unless you stand up, and our vehicles can only go 6 mph and get stuck in stuff that even my Honda could power through. It is the principal of the matter...take care of the primary functions for our organization and worry about other shit later. Apparently our priorities do not lie in the same areas as the people that are making the decisions. Another affect of newer and more progressive policies...Basic Training used to be like but now its more like and BOTH males and females tend to whenever they have to do PT.

It is not so much how the armor protects you...it is how you wear it and how it affects your performance. First it is added weight and if it doesn't work well it is pointless weight. Second, it affects load bearing ability. Third, it affects the placement, and access, of your gear that you may really need to get at. Fourth, it affects mobility especially in close quarters areas and if you get stuck there is no quick release. The improved plate carriers would help that if they would get approved. If you are going to make us use something it should be useful and should have a minimal affect of performance and readiness. Why do you think people take the plates out when they patrol? Hell, with the current speed of almost any military vehicle it would actually be nice to shed some layers of armor in exchange for some of the other perks...especially since the EFP's that they are using can pierce ALL of the armor that we currently have.

Some people do get away with it but for the most part no personal items in combat. Most of the people that get it are SF or hold a special position. A few small items of personal ownership are sometimes allowed but otherwise you wear what they give you.

Desert Beauty...hahah... Yeah the big point here is that while I am kinda against getting rid of the DADT policy I could really care less IF...and this is a big IF here...IF the more important problems were taken care of first. Hey...do you guys know what our current battle uniforms blend in with? Ugly furniture and large groups of people in the same uniforms...not good. No we can't take our own armor...we can't take anything personal into combat. That leads to another point. The word PERSONAL! Yes when you have a personal issue it should be taken care of. However, since this issue is PERSONAL you keep it to yourself and ONLY tell it to a trusted member of your chain of command. Hell, I have even heard stories of gays pretty much calling themselves out to the chain because of personal issues. What does that mean? If it is personal...don't tell! The one exception being if you have a major problem and in that case it will most likely be handled properly and discretely unless you really fucked up. So, straight or gay you should probably shut up to begin with. The apathy thing was another point. People act like they care and want to bring us home...but we can't get Kevlar that covers a decent portion of the body and keeps us stuck in vehicle doors that we REALLY need to get out of because they are on fire. Our ammo is stacked on our chests and is a pain to get at when new vests with easy access and even distribution are available but...well we just can't have them for some reason. And to end my rant you should really think twice before poking a soldier like this. I really don't care that much but others will and I can't really blame them. I am not saying that I am awesome because of this, I am just a generator mechanic, but soldiers are a different breed. We go through shit that others don't even if we don't deploy. Damn right we flip over stupid shit and freak out over little things because we see it every day. Our entire lives our SOP and if one little thing is out of place we kinda short out and don't always react the right way. Seriously, spend an entire summer away from EVERYTHING at Basic some time...AIT is a whole new ballgame after that. It changes how you look at things and how you deal with them. So...before you go and tell off a soldier for their opinions on something or their reactions to something just think about what they might have gone through. Not the heroic bullshit but yes our minds are altered when we come in...if your mind isn't altered you tend to leave after your contract is up.

Yeah I did read it you have to read everything here otherwise they will pull a fast one on you. Yeah you pay us and yes we do work for you. However, for those of us that actually roll around in the mud YOU are voting on the wrong things. We have uniforms that need to be updated. We have equipment that needs to be improved, vastly improved I might add. We have so many other problems that deal with combat readiness and our ability to do our jobs but no...when it comes to voting and what is brought before the boards its always policies that have an impact in a completely different area. So yes the people should have a say in what we do because we do work for you and you do pay us. However, we are being handed old equipment for our combat readiness and are being told that there is a new policy to follow that ends up not affecting us at all on the positive side. Like I said before you give up alot of join and UCMJ hold you to that. With this new bill they are really doing nothing but wasting time. We have to "lie" every day about what we really think just to avoid trouble. It is not really a "lie" it is just not talking about it. It doesn't matter who you are...join and do your shit and everything will be fine. While the people that join to do that the people that aren't serving can work on policies and bills that get us the things we need or the regulations that help us with our jobs.

Non-military people deciding what policies to enact in military organizations...fail. How is that so hard to understand? If you are not a part of the organization then you REALLY don't understand however I am not going to be a dick and call you ignorant because you aren't. You just don't know any better so keep your noses out. Human rights? Really? HAHA! Yeah sure when it come to sexual harassment and racial problems the Army is pretty strict in that sense...but when it comes to anything that is personal to you do you know what the Army says? FUCK YOU! If you are gonna start holding up a human rights flag for people in the military you have issues. We all know what we signed up for and you should try doing the shit that I am doing right now. I am riding on 4 hours of sleep for 3 damn days and you can bet your ass that I have been hauling a fair amount of gear around for the majority of the time. I sleep in a sandy hole, shit in a sandy hole, and post guard in a sandy hole. My human right argument in my head says I want to do something else...but the contract I signed AND UNDERSTOOD says no...NO NO NO! And I have it pretty good compared to alot of other soldiers... End rant with first hand experience behind it

HAHA yeah we were just talking about this at chow today after a briefing...another damn briefing...about how stupid the change in the law would be. Even straight people can only go so far with their love lives and such before UCMJ steps in to inform you that the Army does not give a damn and nobody wants to hear it. It is the Army people. No wait lets just say it is the military in general. You give up ALOT of shit when you come in here so just suck it up and take the hits like the rest of us. I gave up alot of my lifestyle choices and stuff so how about everyone gets on the same playing field ok?

I don't know if I would use V for Vendetta as an example when talking about anarchy. Unless it is the version of anarchy originating from Spain seeking to take down a Protestant led England and install a Catholic regime in its place. Most of the examples in history that we see as anarchy are really just people trying to push the agenda that they believe to be the right one...almost trying to force it on people.

This could go both ways...it could work well or it could be abused but that is common knowledge. This looks like something where we would have to wait and see. I also wonder what AZ has done wrong. Foreign students get booted for not having their papers so why not everyone else. Don't belong here? Leave and come back the right way. 3 guys in my Unit were just legalized and now they are working on their families...they said its really not hard or expensive to become a legalized citizen even if its not through the military.

Actually I am inclined to think that there would be quite a few people...or at least more than would be expected. Some may just stick to certain forms of hunting. And stir-fry is the best...a very redneck stir-fry but I think it counts...

Yeah that is right hunting season starts soon! Hooah! I would love to test out my new shotgun on some birds however, the Army has decided that the 60Kw generators that they never use need to be in top shape for the general coming through soon so I can't be there...damn!

Here I know that 1988 isn't considered "history" but remember the Halabja poison gas attack or did your teachers "forget" about that one too? Its easy math when you look at the events surrounding the attack, what was used in the attack (hint: considered WMD), and then what happened to the people involved in the attack and the military instillations that supported weapons manufacturing at the time.

Wait we have been "told" that there have been terrorists attacks? Really? So what about all of the cases that have happened? Were those not real? Dude while there may be some truth to your argument the way you presented it was all wrong. You just gave a big "fuck you" to all the people that lost their lives in these attacks and all of those that have given their lives in the fight to try and stop them as best as they could. You are also making a joke of the situation in the middle east...which was a problem LONG before our former president...it was even a problem long before we even had people come over to the New World. So yeah...if you are going to do a history lesson try to include all of the relevant history... I am going to call Godwin's law on you here too...seeing as you did the common raping of Nazi Germany history to make people from today with different standards look bad.

The "successful" Anarchism that you mentioned is really no way to gauge anything. First of all most of these instances didn't last nearly long enough to say that they worked. Second, when they did work for a while there were still just as many trouble spots as in other societies. And third, anyone can say a system works by pointing to isolated events or a few elements of the society...but that isn't everything and how can you say that it would work when, well, you just don't have a damn clue if it would really work or not? No crap "anarchy" or whatever everyone can't agree on will work in some elements of certain societies. Everything we have here today is a mixture of shit we dealt with in the past. No government is truly what people say it is...and neither are all the economic systems and basically everything that goes on is a damn mix like I said before. If you want to call anarchy great go ahead. However, most of the people that chanted it before are either cheering for a certain party in the government or are still in the tight pants, studded leather jacket, and spiked up hair wondering what the fuck you are doing...

Yeah it would be a very unlikely scenario but we do have to prepare for everything. We had a discussion about this with our BN Commander once...he didn't really say anything directly but it did sound like he might also stick to his personal orders to defend the PEOPLE on the country...but then again I could be wrong. As long as they promise to issue me my Dress Blues instead of having me pay for them and continue to develop the new combat uniforms complete with the improved gear I will give the government my best and most loyal service. Hell, the only time I would ever thing of not doing that would be the martial law thing...which again is very unlikely.

Ahh yes revenge...it is a dish best served with alot of ammunition. If you are going to compare them to a terrorist group then you have to put them side by side with a terrorist group. There are things like funding and such that are different but the whole idea behind the WHY is kinda similar as far as what categories you would check. I think it was just revenge though. It was only 2 people with a plan that wasn't though out too well...not a terrorist action because those nasty bastards can wait and then formulate a really good plan to use EFP's to destroy a convoy that had not had any troubles on the road for 6 months. These idiots got mad and killed people...end of story.

Sound kinda strange to me...

If you work in D.C. you are pushing a lie not matter who you are "sided" with. Holy shit people even the "homeless" in D.C. can sham the shit out of you. Really the messiah name calling ALMOST has a place because people are putting stock in a...wait for it....................MAN IN A SUIT! A POLITICIAN..........A SUPER ASSHOLE! Sorry but let the name calling continue...its been going on FOREVER and it will continue to happen. If you try to put up a standard for berating a politician you fail. If you try to call others out for calling politicians names you fail. The name calling in the Bush era was pretty bad but no worse than normal...we are at normal right now. Sorry if you can't see that. Favorite name for politicians today: Asshats (don't know what as asshat is but whatever) There is no point in arguing about this really...its not even kicking a dead horse anymore because the horse has rotted away long ago. Also, if you keep making mean comments ex-President Bush is going to hit that natural disaster button again...and we don't want another hurricane now do we?

If you work out do it early in the morning...like around 4. It is alot easier for most people and since you woke up, well I can't really explain it but your body handles it differently. I do about an hour of PT and go for a run or else just a long run but I always do it along with the rising sun...doing that stuff once the sun is harder for some reason. Maybe that is just me though...

Yep they do train you to become killers and they break you down. But that is the basics so that they can start with something. If they didn't do any of that you would have trouble doing anything...following orders, shooting back, finding cover...you need to be a machine. However, we do have to think for ourselves we can't just think. Sure everything for combat is built in and some orders are just automatic but other are not. Because we are trained we shoot only at those we are ordered to shoot at. Yeah there are civilian casualties but...well the whole combat thing turns everything upside down. Chances are that if...IF something like the above scenario happened the military, especially the enlisted, would probably think twice about following orders IF the orders were given. See, the military would probably be the only barrier left for the government to hide behind if anarchy would start...and like I said we can take care of ourselves. You can't toss a soldier into the field with minimal equipment and NOT expect him to think. Until all that happens...unlikely...I will continue to follow orders which for now just consist of going to and from the DFAC in an orderly fashion and having my uniforms in serviceable condition.

Would you just do a sketch for people or would we have to get the work done by you too? If I could get up to Michigan again I would gladly pay...

Oh hell no I am not talking about a direct military action. All I am saying is that if you manage to get a movement like this off of the ground that you would develop some enemies. I can't speak for everyone else here...but if if came to a time where an order came for us to go against the people there would probably be alot of hesitation. Its supposed to be "Death to the Wicked" not death to anyone they tell us to hunt.

So you understand the concept of management...you would be more of an instigator right? Its nice not to get your hands dirty but at the same time you would become the head that snipers want in their sights so the can complete their mission.