Thread: Too fat to enlist. (It's the school lunch.)

Yea, SpecOps grow them in Theater as you mentioned, to blend in with the locals best they can. I mean here in Garrison... When I was in Afghanistan most of the coalition forces had beards... or at least didn't appear that they had to shave.

In the US Army it's only true if you are African American (and get shaving bumps)... and then it's not a "beard" it's more of a 5 o'clock shadow.

I was unfit when I joined the army, six weeks after boarding an aircraft I wasn't. :P

I would like to see men and women have the same fitness standards......

Having to carry some @#$@!# on a stretcher pissed me off. I was having a hard enough time on my own thanks.

Originally Posted by bigross86

My pet peeve was soldiers who didn't have their uniform squared away. If their shoes weren't polished, if their pants weren't tucked into their boots (or have rubber bands to give the illusion), if they weren't carrying their ID or wearing their dog tags.

Even now, as a civilian, I look at all the REMF's that get on the bus with their shirt untucked and the top 3 buttons open and I want to bitchslap them so hard they will have my handprint on their cheek for the next 3 weeks, minimum. It really gets me goat...

just remember, there's never been a combat ready unit that has passed an inspection, and a inspection ready unit that is combat ready..

I don't know about that. You do need to maintain a level of readiness, and getting everything in shape and in order makes sure that know where your crap is and what you need to do if the shite hits the fan. I will agree however, that driving your tank through the mud to the other side of the base to the high pressure water hose to wash it off and then driving it back through the mud to the company barracks since the Battalion CO wants it to look clean is just stupid.

But again, I'm not referring to combat soldiers. In my whole three years of service I only knew one guy that got reported for a fcuked up uniform. Most of us took pride in our uniforms, since we worked hard to get the pins and symbols on them. That, and we wore our Class A's every 3 weeks, leaving base and coming back to base. My problem is with the guys that sit in front of a computer in an air-conditioned office in the heart of Tel Aviv right across from the mall and don't wear their uniform properly. It's the bias of a combat soldier against REMF's, but ask any combat soldier in the IDF, they all hate a REMF's without a proper uniform

Bi gross as a question for you and I don't know if the IDF presses irons and starches their fatigues in garrison. But if you were in fatigues all day and on maneuvers then returned to base would you guys be expected to have everything spotless and ironed by random passers-by on base?

For some reason a lot of NCO's in remf positions seem to have taken it into their heads in the US armed services that such impromptu pseudo inspections of other personal's uniforms are their responsibility. This includes in dining halls, and in the supply depot. So for example I personally saw happen an E-3 had been changing the tire of a 2.5 ton truck that had gone flat and his uniform had become somewhat soiled while doing so. Then after setting up a number of tents he was sent to pick-up from supply a couple more tents and a number of 5 gallon water coolers. While in supply he was resoundingly chewed out by a spec 7 for his uniform's condition and being out in it. I have no idea what the PFC was supposed to do about it since he could hardly say to his superiors that he needed to stop by the barracks and change fatigues before stopping by supply likewise the specialist wasn't hearing any excuses or reasons from him.

I fully agree that dress uniforms need to be squared away and well presented and that fatigues should start the day or exercise in the same condition but at the end of the day fatigues are working uniforms and the work being performed will soil and wrinkle the uniform.

If your fatigues weren't obviously ripped, and were worn properly, i.e. shirt tucked in, shirt pocket buttons closed, pants with rubber bands over the shoes, nobody gave a damn how clean or dirty your uniform was. Of course, you wouldn't want to wear it if it was too dirty, but every soldiers has 5 sets of fatigues, so that's not an issue. Plus, if you rip or tear your shirt or pants a bit, go to the company sergeant, he'll replace it for you.

The sergeants who were smart would take one pair of pants, rip it in two, and give it to battalion logistics and get 2 pairs of pants in return.

Originally Posted by Maxor

Bi gross as a question for you and I don't know if the IDF presses irons and starches their fatigues in garrison. But if you were in fatigues all day and on maneuvers then returned to base would you guys be expected to have everything spotless and ironed by random passers-by on base?

For some reason a lot of NCO's in remf positions seem to have taken it into their heads in the US armed services that such impromptu pseudo inspections of other personal's uniforms are their responsibility. This includes in dining halls, and in the supply depot. So for example I personally saw happen an E-3 had been changing the tire of a 2.5 ton truck that had gone flat and his uniform had become somewhat soiled while doing so. Then after setting up a number of tents he was sent to pick-up from supply a couple more tents and a number of 5 gallon water coolers. While in supply he was resoundingly chewed out by a spec 7 for his uniform's condition and being out in it. I have no idea what the PFC was supposed to do about it since he could hardly say to his superiors that he needed to stop by the barracks and change fatigues before stopping by supply likewise the specialist wasn't hearing any excuses or reasons from him.

I fully agree that dress uniforms need to be squared away and well presented and that fatigues should start the day or exercise in the same condition but at the end of the day fatigues are working uniforms and the work being performed will soil and wrinkle the uniform.

That E-7 needed a little "Leadership counseling".

Nothing wrong with the E-7 inquiring as to why the PFC looks like crap.

A quick "Hey, Devildog, Whats up with those cammies?" But as soon as the PFC says "I've been busting tires" or We are putting up tents" then "Oooh Ra Carry on" is about the only thing left to say.

The PFC should have told his chain of command. I'm sure someone from the company would have had no problem going to supply to "Discuss the issue" with Mr supply pogue.


Here is the "Rule of thumb" that just about every Marine I knew used.

If you have been working and have "Nasty" cammies on, then stay away from public areas. Don't go to the main PX or the Commissary. There are plenty of 7-day stores near the gun parks/motor pools to get what you need.

As you said, its a working uniform. As long as they don't wear todays nasty cammies, tomorrow, life is good.

We also had a tankie's superstition: Everything (aside from your gun) looks and works better with a little mud and grease on it.