sappersgt

That is a really good question. This was in the 80s, right at the height of Apartheid. In spite of South Africa being a "restricted" country relations were extremely good. After I enlisted in the SADF an embassy official showed up to tell me I had to renounce my US citizenship or face an eight to twenty year prison term. I was understandably reluctant to do either!

I finally did so after the embassy provided me with documentation saying I would be granted citizenship upon entry into the US if I so desired. They also allowed me to keep my US passport! When I went on leave to the US the embassy in Belize issued me with documentation stating that I was to be granted all those same rights and privileges as a US citizen! When I came home for good I had to surrender my South African passport and renounce my SA citizenship in front of a SA consular official.

The relations between the US military were even better. In El Salvador we ran all of our requests for equipment through the US embassy. We called on them for (and got) "real time" intelligence on cell phone usage of guerrillas operating in the mountains. I also got to use the embassy phone to call home.

On one occasion I had the unfortunate duty to escort the body of an fellow American and Sapper back to the US. Since he was a former Marine he received a military funeral complete with honor guard. I got a free plane ride back to the US and an extra ten days leave out of the deal.

sappersgt

When I graduated from the Battle School I became the company Sergeant. The chain of command went from my CO to me to the four platoon commanders, all Corporals. I became both the NCOIC and XO.

I didn't have a problem leading the company in combat. I'd done that. I DID become acutely aware of my lack of experience in dealing with the myriad of other responsibilities involved in running a company. I count that as the start of my "real" education.

Bluesman

Right on, Sarge. I always was surprised at just how much greater the load got each time as I went from Airman to Sergeant, and learned about being an NCO. Then to Staff Sergeant, and being technically proficient as well as supervising those new NCOs that were coming up behind me. Then to Tech Sergeant, and beginning to manage and lead with more independence.

But oh my GAWD, the education I got as a new Master Sergeant! Having to be Mr. Infallible-Man, Mr. Answer-Man, Mr. On-The-Hook-For-EVERYthing-Man.

I knew it would be a big step; I just had no real notion of HOW big. That's the biggest percentage of pay increase on the entire pay chart, and let me tell you: it doesn't begin to compensate for how much more is expected of you.

Don't get me wrong: I liked it (mostly). But after that grade increase, you are stripped of the 'talk to my boss' way out of difficult situations. You ARE the boss; your people are telling OTHER people that, then they come to you, and you've got to handle it, no matter what it is.

Senior NCO is the hardest I've ever worked, and the greatest stress I've ever felt. I almost feel like I'm stealing after that, because now I make twice the money, and have half the heartache.

But how crazy is THIS: if you asked me if I miss it, I have to tell you, 'Yes, a little bit.'

__________________
"The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it, and if one finds the prospect of a long war intolerable, it is natural to disbelieve in the possibility of victory."
- George Orwell

Gun Grape

yep, Nothing like the day that you realize that you no longer can get on the radio and ask the Gunny "Wheres the chow, fuel....." and it comes to you are gone. Because now You are the Gunny. You are the one getting the calls and having to make things happen.


2 packs of cowboy killers and 3 pots of coffee a day. Coming in before the troops get up and going home way after libo call. Calls a 0330, "Gunny, We have a problem". Snacking on motrin and Tums.

I run my own buisness now, make lots more and have half the headaches.
And laugh my butt off when other contractors tell me how stressful their job is. Then tell me they don't know how I can stay so cool.

Oh yea I miss it.I'm a adrenalin junkie, miss the challenge. This job gets boring. Something I never said as a SNCO.

Officer of Engineers

Hardest part for me is coming up with the battle plan ... and learning that a bad battle plan is still a bad battle plan no matter how late you stay up. I thought that I've could managed the risks if I maintained real time control 24/7. Bad thought.

__________________
Chimo

Officer of Engineers

Canmoore,

If you want to serve in action and do MORE than your part, then the Service Battalions are the units of choice. They will see more combat and more action than any of the manouver battalions. Like the artillery and engineers regts, there's only 4 service battalions supporting 12 manouver battalions.

Like artillery and engineers, the Service Battalions will see at least 2 rotations into Afghanistan in a 4 year period.

SnowLeopard

I was the Security Officer (Navy's version of a Provost Marshall) at an industrial base for a training command. Was it a combat job? No. Was it important? Yes.

Basically (but it was more than that), I ensured the tool was in the workspace so whatever was ready for training the next day. I ensured that the servicemember had a decent place to rest, that their families had safe housing so they were ready to work the next day.

There are really no shi**y rates in the Navy. Every rate does a particular function. If it didn't, why bother to have them in the first place?

How important was ensuring that the tool didn't leave the base? Well, if the tool left the base, then it wasn't there for the servicemember to work with, the engine didn't get fixed, the YP didn't get returned to service, the carrier's navigation team didn't have a suitable platform to practice with, the carrier wasn't up to par, the policy of the country suffers.

It all adds up and it works best where there is someone in each spot to make it work.
----------------------------------------------
("Ah, Doctor, why come down on the little guy? G-Section may not be as important to the project as your work here, but we do have our orders."--007 impersonating Hans Hergenscheimer, checking radition shields, (w,stte), "Diamonds are Forever")

-{SpoonmaN}-

Is it the battlefield repairs that do it? Or the field construction? Or is it because everyone behind the lines goes for the trucks after the tanks have gone further down the road?
With us its a bit different anyway, we have a much higher ratio of supporting and specialist units than you guys do as far as I know.

__________________
"I have this to say to the people of Australia: Kick me, I'm different."

Officer of Engineers

The Service Battalions are the Brigade's LOG unit. Basically, they're the truckers and they're running food, ammo, and the new pairs of underwear to and from the various outposts. They're going to be prime targets.

sappersgt

You'll be serving your country, no matter in what billet you end up in. The experience might prove invaluable. When you're done with the army you can always work for some PMC doing the same thing for a bazillion dollars more.

zraver

Gun Grape,

The REMF's also get more and hotter food, more sleep on something at least aproaching soft, hot showers are not part of the christmas wish list, cold or solar showers are not part of the vocabulary, they see Charlie med (or the Canadian equiv) far more often. After a major FTX they don't have yet another day or two worth of work to do before they can go home....

Being a REMF has it's advantages as well as bieng part of the overall team effort.

If you can't go combat arms, try going for a combat support/ combat service support role. Medic, 20 level mechanic, armorer, etc. You'll get to work just as hard, get just as dirty-hot-cold-wet-muddy-tired as the combat arms types and still get a chance to put your ass on the line. in fact the 20 level guys in the US Army are mostly combat vets now thanks to the nature of that war and Afghanistan is going the same way.

Shek

Zraver,
The support battalions will go to the field more often than combat units, becase as the combat units rotate through the field, the support battalion has to support each and every combat unit rotating through the field.

__________________
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

-{SpoonmaN}-

Doesn't surprise me, as far as I know personnel in Combat Support regts and sqdns here are drilled pretty hard to be ready for the former part of their title, a friend of mine who used to scout for the Mechanized Infantry reckons the scariest women he met in the Army were in Transport.
So much for "it's just driving trucks"...

sappersgt

I found that I got better with practice and especially with experience. Good thing too. My first attempts at a battle plan were shall we say "less than stellar".

zraver

trucks are also far more vulnerable to IED's and small arms fire making an attack on them far more cost efficent.