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The extremely long AITs of 98Gs then adding Ranger/SF school would be a cripoling delay of that talent to the field.

I agree. Going to Ranger/SF school perhaps as a reenlistment incentive or for junior and senior NCOs. *Maybe* if they are on a first term enlistment of 6yrs.

Other than that I'd say that Ranger/SF trained ones could figure out pretty well on their own how to train the lower enlisted ;-)

I didn't think anyone really grew up in Barstow :-) Army brat? I really do like the area myself. I had to fly to California a few years ago on business so I planned my trip to land in Las Vegas and then rent a car to drive to San Francisco. Ended-up driving to to Ft Irwin for some sightseeing and then north up to Yosemite and over. As far as inferior gear, of course the combat support and combat service support will get the dregs.

I was in Ft Polk in 1986. This was my issue weapon:

A WWII M3. I didn't mind. It sure beat toting around that M16. :) My jeep was built in 1958 and I had a mess kit that was stamped 1944.

When I was attached to Co B, 1st Bn, 32d Armor (Bandits) in Friedberg, Germany in 1976-78, there were two M-3 “grease guns” assigned to each of our M-60A2s as ‘crew served weapons’ in addition to the co-ax machine gun and the commander’s .50 cal. M-3s were much more tank friendly than M-16s. I remember an artillery FO 2LT who had to operate out of an M-60A2 (FIST concept trials) and had his M-16 “eaten” by the turret when it traversed. After that, all of the artillery forward observers were issued M1911A1 pistols as their weapon instead of M16s.

Little town called Trona. Barstow is just about in the center of San Bernadino County, and Trona is in the northwest corner of SB county. Chemical plants process the brine in the dry lake to produce bicarbonate of soda and soda ash. You learn to live with the heat. I’ve had enough of that and live in Flagstaff, AZ now. 7,000 ft above sea level, cool mountain air.

Yeah, the dregs just beats throwing rocks...