Soldiers in Iraq too vulnerable, says Army specialist

North West Indiana Times ^ | May 16, 2004 | JERRY DAVICH

[Cannoneer No. 4]

ping

[CWOJackson]

A david HACKworth in the making. I bet this this idiot is verrrrryyyyyy sorry to contribute to the liberal cause.

[dts32041]

Roger that top, and don't forget the best way to counsel young soldiers is when they are in the front leaning rest.

[Poodlebrain]

Heldt enlisted with a friend in 2001 mostly because "it was time to grow up."

Sounds like SP4 Heldt hasn't achieved his objective. He joins an all volunteer Army and whines when deployed to a warzone for a period longer than he thinks is fair. One wonders how confident the others in his unit are in Heldt's commitment to accomplish the unit's mission.

To read the complaints of a finance clerk regarding lack of body armor is laughable. How often do you think SP4 Heldt draws his weapon and UBL of ammo to stand guard duty much less going on patrol?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

To read the complaints of a finance clerk regarding lack of body armor is laughable.

To you and I and anybody who knows the deal it is. We are a small minority of the general US population.

Little Johnnie's mama and the Hand Wringers of America aren't laughing.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Before Algore invented the Internet, the disaffected snail mailed their congressman when they wanted to put a turd in the punch bowl. Now they email their hometown newspaper.

The other side has some extraordinarily skilled INFOWARRIORS.

[Squantos]

We always seem to make future plans based on our last war fought..............history repeat's itself.

Stay Safe !

[TADSLOS]

Great tag line. Reminds me of Pegasus Bridge.

[Squantos]

Ditto that.........Stay Safe !

[R. Scott]

Of course that E-4 is an expert …

[R. Scott]

But he is a “SPECIALIST”!!!!!

[R. Scott]

A specialist is one step above a private, one step below a Sergeant.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The tank commander on B22 knew something was wrong. His tank lost turret power, so he lost the thermal imagery and the commander's independent thermal viewer. Still, he did not hesitate to move back in and secure the ambush site. He requested artillery illumination to aid observation. I will never forget his words over the net when he was told his request was denied: "Illumination denied. I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out."

[R. Scott]

To read the complaints of a finance clerk regarding lack of body armor is laughable.

Now it can get to be right dangerous riding from the office to the barracks to the PX, movie theater, the mess hall …

[R. Scott]

I was fortunate when in Viet Nam. I encountered only one real true REMF - our boats seldom came around them.
I had hopped a Huey to get to the HQ at Long Bien for my (voluntary) extension leave. To get from my boat to the pad I had to wade through a freshly fertilized rice paddy.
When I found the right office there was a line out the door of the building. Air conditioned buildings, starched jungle fatigues and waxed floors - I patiently waited in line. The troop ahead of me sniffed the air and decided to try again later. I moved up. Every guy in line did the same thing. I was soon in front of this clerk’s desk.
He sniffed the air and decided to take a break.
“Go ahead, I’ll just wait in you chair with my boots on your desk.”
He typed up my going home orders quicker than I had ever seen a typewriter work before.
That paddy muck came in handy.

[Future Snake Eater]

Heh heh...there's nothing quite like "field smell" to clear a path back in the "civilized" portions of the world...

[sarasmom]

Thanks!
I rarely criticize those who have/had boots on the ground, but some of this whiny crap is just so over the top....
Lots of civilians may not know any better, but few veterans can be fooled by this kind of whiny, "Mommy I want to come home now", crap.
I hope his NCOIC has noted his words, and denies the lad the opportunity to reenlist.Perhaps an early general discharge, under honorable conditions.LOL!
To civilians, that may seem like giving him what he wants, but to any veteran, it means something entirely different.
And chances are the lad will meet a lot of veterans in his future.

[wtc911]

A specialist is one step above a private, one step below a Sergeant.....

Thanks, I'm well aware of the rank structure. My point was that folks who are not might read Army "Specialist" and think "expert" instead of corporal.

[Travis McGee]

This clerk is PO's because he didn't get his hard body armor plate when he arrived in Iraq? Well boo f'n hoo.

[Travis McGee]

Leveaux Belgium, January 5, 1945

Private Joe Schmuckatelli charged today that not only was his division totally unprepared to fight in sub-zero weather, but their Sherman tanks were useless against the onslaught of Nazi Tiger 2 tanks. Schmuckatelli, 22, of Boston, says he plans to write his Congressman as soon as he can find a (cont. on B-37)