Thread: Braggin by Proxy

Originally Posted by mackie

Strange that a straight would be considered a weapon. When I was in ( back in the days of iron men and wooden ships ) everyone on board was required to carry a sizeable knife. Just in case you steped into the bight of a line. But then, when I went to school, almost every boy carried a knife there too.
Many times I wish I had stayed in the Navy. My son is in now. A Master Chief with 17 years. You must be very proud of your grandson.

If you check with the Chief I hope he will verify what the recruiter has told me about the razors. I have never fully trusted recruiters. Today's military is far different from when I first enlisted 31+ years ago. BUT even back then a straight razor or DE would not have been allowed in basic training, the str8 as a weapon and the DE for suicide prevention. Once basic and school was completed it didn't matter what a soldier chose to shave with. I believe the str8 might have drawn some unwanted attention until the user convinced the chain of command he was in fact using it for nothing but shaving.
I never did fully understand the suicide issue in basic training while I was there. It wasn't as though any of us were drafted, we all volunteered and if it ever got too rough all a person had to do was go through channels and he would have been sent home. Yet almost every veteran I have spoken with since 1981 has reported at least one suicide he had 1st hand knowledge of. 'nuf on that subject.
To say I'm proud of Trey is a bit of an understatement. While he chose the Navy over the Army or Marine Corps, which are the branches I served, I am still quite proud of him just for joining. He leaves for the MEPS tomorrow morning and won't be home until Thursday afternoon. I hope he gets his first choice for rating and doesn't have to wait until January like they are telling him.
IF he does have to wait 6 more months to ship he and I will put the time to good use preparing him for training. The boot camp training guidlline is available on-line and i told him that if he has to wait 6 more months he'll know all 478 pages front and back to ensure he's prepared and ready to compete for honor graduate. It will also give him more time to perfect his wet shaving techniques, both straight razor and with the DE we gave him for his birthday last night.
He was very happy when he opened his presents. He got a "gig" bag for his banjo to store it while he gone and a DE with the sample pack of blades, a travel shaving soap and a container for used blades. Normal people, those would shave the "modern" way might think the shaving gear my wife and I bought him might seem odd for a birthday present but Trey loved it and that's all that counts to us. I laughed when I showed him the adjust ment on the DE and told him the one I have doesn't have it. he looked at me and said "if you don't need it, I don't need it." I could have saved a few bucks on the razor if I had known that would be his attitude Anyway...
My wife got to actually talk with him about the whole wet shaving thing tonight for the 1st time. When she asked him how he liked it, he got a Chesire cat grin on his face and reported to her that he "loves" it and can't wait for his whiskers to come in so he can shave again. Does it sound like he might already be addicted after only 3 shaves? I am anxious to hear how he does and what he thinks of the DE as a back up to the straight razor.

Originally Posted by OldSoldier

My wife got to actually talk with him about the whole wet shaving thing tonight for the 1st time. When she asked him how he liked it, he got a Chesire cat grin on his face and reported to her that he "loves" it and can't wait for his whiskers to come in so he can shave again. Does it sound like he might already be addicted after only 3 shaves? I am anxious to hear how he does and what he thinks of the DE as a back up to the straight razor.

And that is a true convert! On this fast pace life, taking time to enjoy the little things is precious, and from the sound of it, it looks like he has it. He will do well in the Navy (the Navy have more brains than the Army or Marines anyway)(now I open a can of worm). Double O

Originally Posted by Double0757

(the Navy have more brains than the Army or Marines anyway)(now I open a can of worm). Double O

Spoken like a true swab jockey! Believe me when I say I am not in the least bit insulted by your comment. I have taken the ASVAB 2 times the scoring changed between iterations, my first score was 148 and the second was 127. The maximum possible scores were 150 and 130 respectively, BTW those are GT scores. Sooooo, as you can see, I have no reason to ever take shots about intelligence between services personally. Yes, I suppose I was bragging just a little bit.
Inter-service rivalry is an old friend of mine and my family's; my older brother retired last after serving 30 years in the Air Force, one of my younger brothers served 12 years in the Army National Guard participating in Desert Shield/Storm, one brother served a 4-year hitch at Ft Stewart in the Army as a mechanic and my youngest brother served 3 1/2 years of his 4-year enlistment, before getting injured, with the 7th Light Infantry out of Fort Ord, CA he was in Panama when Operation Just Cause kicked off and he got to stay through for most of the operation. I served 15+ in the Army and 6 in the Marine Corps completing 2 tours of Duty in Iraq one of which was the invasion tour, "opening a can of worms" to use your words. As you might imagine, my oldest brother has always been the victim of comments about the Air Force being a "soft" service especially since he managed to avoid anything close to combat throughout his 30 years and only served 1 1-year overseas tour and 2 of their famous 90 "overseas tours" which all other branches laugh at because we spend more time on field operations at one time than they spend on an entire "tour" of duty. Of course there are many other things I have beat him up over during the on-going inter-service battle, all in family fun, but I'll keep them between him and me.
In all honesty, I have never denied that I have steered young men and women toward the Navy or Air Force when I see they are NOT comabt arms material or they do NOT posess that inner quality required to succeed in the very different worlds of the Army or Marine Corps. If I know they have a high ASVAB score or will do well and are looking for technical training to set themselves up for a civilian career I always steer them toward the Air Force or Navy. I have even talked a few out of joining the Army and into joining the Navy for those reasons.
I love debating service differences with veterans, as long as they are adult enough to take what they dish out and understand it is all in fun but most importantly that in the end we are all on the same side. I have always been of the opinion that everyone should serve my country at least 2 years and as long as someone serves I couldn't care less which branch he chooses to serve in.
All right, I have run away at the keyboard again. I have a bad habit of typing complete thoughts instead of one-liners, I think they are a waste of time and often times lead to arguments or misunderstandings at the least.
Semper Fi,
Army Strong,
Something Navy (I need to learn this one now)
Aim High
God Bless America

I served 14 years in the Air force and I'm with you on the inter service rivelary. I just like to see people's faces as I comment on it.
Here is a good one:
Four four star generals, from Navy, Army, Marines and Air Force are bragging about who has the bravest men. ( you may have herd it before)
When the Army general says, " I have the bravest men, watch this". "Hey soldier, go stop that tank comming down the hill". The soldier gets up, run in front of the tank and try to stop it with its bare hands. The tank runs over him and shred him to pieces. The Army General smiles and says, "That's was a brave soldier!"
The Navy general, not to be out done, tells a sailor. "Hey sailor go stop that F14 Tomcat taking off that carrier". The sailor gets up , run in front of the jet and with his hand pushes the nose of the airplane as the Tomcat is release from the catapult. The sailor gets catapulted on to the sea to get run over by the ships propellers. The Navy Genral turns to the others and says, Now, that was a brave sailor".
The Marine knowing he has them beat, tells a marine, "Hey Marine go stop that Harrier from taking off". The marine without hesitation gets up, grabs to the wheels of the jet and try to pull it down back to the ground, as he gets char by the jet blast from the Harrier. The Marine General take a puff out of his cigar and says, "That, was and will always be a brave Marine".
The Air Force general smirking inside tells the other three "Watch now", "Airman, go stop that F-16 before it takes off". The airman gets up turns to the general and says " Are you F#*

I hadn't heard that one before. I like it. I'll try it out on my brother, who by the way retired as a Chief after 30 years faithful service in the Air Force.
Today while waiting for the recruiter to come pick up my grandson we were looking up the different service mottos only to discover that you guys really need to work on yours
Marine Corps - Semper Fidelis or Always Faithful
Army - This We'll Defend
Navy - Non sibi sed patriae or Not self bu country
Air Force - Aim high
The navy Marine Corps and Army mottos all refer to serving the country; what's up with aiming high? I guess we can keep the inter-service rivalry alive and well here on SRP but perhaps should begin a new thread to do so.
Thank you for your service. Know that when I say that it isn't said as a catch phrase as it is by all those civilians who want be cool or think it's the least they can do to feel good about participating in the defense of this country.

I'm coming back to this thread without really following it, but was prompted to write in reference to the 'mottos'.
I'll always love the Australian Army Artillery one; 'With Honour and Glory Lead'.
I also like the phrase 'Artillery lend dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar conflict'.
I'd also like to say I'm very much taken with the level of gratitude seems to be shown by 'average' Americans. While here in Australia service is certainly valued, it doesn't seem to attract the level of spoken gratitude it appears to in America.

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I'm coming back to this thread without really following it, but was prompted to write in reference to the 'mottos'.
I'll always love the Australian Army Artillery one; 'With Honour and Glory Lead'.
I also like the phrase 'Artillery lend dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar conflict'.
I'd also like to say I'm very much taken with the level of gratitude seems to be shown by 'average' Americans. While here in Australia service is certainly valued, it doesn't seem to attract the level of spoken gratitude it appears to in America.

Being a former artilleryman, at one time in my career, I am somewhat embarrassed to say I am unfamiliar with either of your quotes. I do find them interesting, especially the second one considering how artillery turns a battlefield into a scene of vulgar carnage when it's used effectively.
My personal take on the whole American gratitude for our military is sure to step on a few toes here so I will apologize now. Everyone here has tough skin and has proven they are open to varied opinions. My opinion on this topic is just that, MINE and you can take it or leave it. This country had a heritage of honoring it's veterans when they returned home from the front lines up until the Korean war and it got down right embarassing how our Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home.
Those same hippy war-protesting freakshows who so willingly spit on our returning warriors back in the 60s and early 70s are now the parents and grandparents of the warriors returning home from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. How would it look for them to spit on their children and grandchildren? Some of those same people are now politicians and it would not bode well for winning votes to out there treating returning veterans like shit again even though deep down inside they can't stand what we are doing.
BUT most of all the veterans of Vietnam have spearheaded the efforts to ensure no returning veterans ever get treated the way they did. If not for their efforts and the resurgence of national patriotism by a small majority of Americans after 9-11 I think it might be a different story. So I would say that most of the credit goes to the Vietnam veterans for the way returning warriors are welcomed home now.
When I walked through the Dallas airport I had tears in my eyes while walking through the lines of people welcoming me home. The tears came from never being one who enjoyed being in front of a crowd receiving accolades for doing my job so I guess you could say I was embarassed. As I walked I noticed a lot of Vietnam veteran caps worn by men who also had tears in their eyes; I began telling them "welcome home" remembering how they had been treated. I went through this reception both times I came home on R&R leave, as I did 2 tours and I cried both times.
One thing else I noticed about the lines of people who flanked us and showered us us with "welcome homes" was that besides Vietnam veterans there were veterans from other wars, surviving spouses of men who gave their all, surviving spouses of veterans, and a very small amount of non-military connected personnel. While the world looking sees it to be a national effort, I would say it is still primarily a military thing and probably always will be because when it comes right down to it we have an insight that civilians just can't understand because they haven't been there.
For those who are ready to blaze away at your keyboards, please remember that this is MY opinion and at no time did I say I did not appreciate the effort or the reception. I actually felt it was too much for me any way because I am the type who gets embarassed when recognized for doing my job. If I ever got wind I was about to receive a medal I would attempt to have it given to me in the 1SG's office and leave it at that. Anyway...

Originally Posted by OldSoldier

Being a former artilleryman, at one time in my career, I am somewhat embarrassed to say I am unfamiliar with either of your quotes. I do find them interesting, especially the second one considering how artillery turns a battlefield into a scene of vulgar carnage when it's used effectively.
My personal take on the whole American gratitude for our military is sure to step on a few toes here so I will apologize now. Everyone here has tough skin and has proven they are open to varied opinions. My opinion on this topic is just that, MINE and you can take it or leave it. This country had a heritage of honoring it's veterans when they returned home from the front lines up until the Korean war and it got down right embarassing how our Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home.
Those same hippy war-protesting freakshows who so willingly spit on our returning warriors back in the 60s and early 70s are now the parents and grandparents of the warriors returning home from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. How would it look for them to spit on their children and grandchildren? Some of those same people are now politicians and it would not bode well for winning votes to out there treating returning veterans like shit again even though deep down inside they can't stand what we are doing.
BUT most of all the veterans of Vietnam have spearheaded the efforts to ensure no returning veterans ever get treated the way they did. If not for their efforts and the resurgence of national patriotism by a small majority of Americans after 9-11 I think it might be a different story. So I would say that most of the credit goes to the Vietnam veterans for the way returning warriors are welcomed home now.
When I walked through the Dallas airport I had tears in my eyes while walking through the lines of people welcoming me home. The tears came from never being one who enjoyed being in front of a crowd receiving accolades for doing my job so I guess you could say I was embarassed. As I walked I noticed a lot of Vietnam veteran caps worn by men who also had tears in their eyes; I began telling them "welcome home" remembering how they had been treated. I went through this reception both times I came home on R&R leave, as I did 2 tours and I cried both times.
One thing else I noticed about the lines of people who flanked us and showered us us with "welcome homes" was that besides Vietnam veterans there were veterans from other wars, surviving spouses of men who gave their all, surviving spouses of veterans, and a very small amount of non-military connected personnel. While the world looking sees it to be a national effort, I would say it is still primarily a military thing and probably always will be because when it comes right down to it we have an insight that civilians just can't understand because they haven't been there.
For those who are ready to blaze away at your keyboards, please remember that this is MY opinion and at no time did I say I did not appreciate the effort or the reception. I actually felt it was too much for me any way because I am the type who gets embarassed when recognized for doing my job. If I ever got wind I was about to receive a medal I would attempt to have it given to me in the 1SG's office and leave it at that. Anyway...

Amen! Double O

We need a smiley face of a little man opening up a can of worms...

We have for the very first time that I am aware of a soon to be Sailor in the family! Our oldest grandson made it through the induction / MEPS process 2 days ago and is now in the delayed entry program for the U.S. Navy!!
Before he left for the MEPS he was advised there was a very real possibility he would have to wait until January or later to ship out for boot camp. He wasn't too happy when the recruiter told us that but by the time he and I finished discussing all the ways to use the time to his advantage he didn't take the possible delay as badly as he did initially. As luck or fate or whatever you choose to call it would have it Trey doesn't get to ship until February. That gives us plenty os time to prepare him for boot camp both physically and mentally.
I don't yet know the datils of his enlistment because he hasn't called. I'm hoping that I'll be able to snag him later today and bring him to the house so his MiMi and I can celebrate with him and show him how proud we are of him for getting in, even though he chose the Navy.
Just joking about the Navy, I'm glad he chose the Navy. I'm proud of him for enslisting, period.