To: lodwick
Yes and no.. Kinda like how I felt about General "Pop-a-Quaalude" Shinseki thinking that if everyone had black ranger berets, everything would be okay and there wouldn't be a morale problem.
My personal feeling on that was: I'm only artillery. If I wanted to wear a ranger beret, I'd go to ranger school.
It's somewhat a matter of professional pride. I respect the rangers greatly, and knew a few as well. They kept asking me to 'join the dark side!' so to speak. (Personal joke of a sort, not a military in house deal.)
But I liked artillery and stuck with that. And I was furious that the General was so stupid as to insult everyone's intelligence that way. Never mind that the Stryker combat vehicle was supposed to have treads like a tank.. and not even be based off of the Marine's AFV. But Shinseki thought it would be better if it had tires, which can pop, and one exit door.. right above an external fuel tank.
Shinseki stated that tires have a mobility advantage over treads. I wonder if he's ever seen a Hemmet get stuck in Fort Drum sand. I have. I watched an M1A2 Abrams zip on by the stuck truck with not a problem...
The russians had an Infantry fighting vehicle with an external fuel tank by the ONLY EXIT DOOR. They learned quickly in Afghanistan that this was a bad idea. But it took them several hundred soldiers burning to death inside their vehicles first.
So.. I feel, personally, that even for my service I am not a veteran. The guy who deserves the praise is the guy who's flag you watched get folded. He deserves the praise and accolades.
Not some little lowly 'gun bunny' like me who never saw even a hint of combat. (I left the military prior to September 11th last year. So I wasn't activated for the disaster relief.)
I'm not being grouchy or anything, don't mean to have this sound snarky or anything. I just don't know a better way of explaining the thinking behind my statement. (Artillery- Shoot first, Think later.)
To: Darksheare
Thanks for your service Darks - good man. It counts in my book. JL
600 posted on
12/04/2002 1:18:40 PM PST by
lodwick
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