Military Stories

[SixStringSuicide]

After reading the cool cop stories post, i wanna hear some more stories from you guys, from military experiences for any of you. Im not asking to dig up to past or anything, because i know thats a touchy subject. My bro just got out of boot camp and im going to be enlisting in the corps next year. Id be interested to hear some stuff on the reality of things- on deployments, from bootcamp, etc etc. Thanks guys

[khabibissell]

Re: Military Stories

I was in the Marines from 91 - 95. I was a "pogue" (you'll find out what that means... LOL), so I don't have any cool action stories... Most involve alcohol and girls LOL! I did a WESTPAC however, and got to see Hong Kong, Jebel Ali x 2, Hawaii, and Australia. I was lucky enough to be stationed at El Toro in SoCal (the base is now closed). It was an awesome duty station... SoCal is the place to be for a young single guy, trust me. Plenty of hot girls and alot of stuff to do from clubs (GREAT music scene!) to the beaches. So I suggest requesting Pendleton or Miramar if you have a choice and you're into that sort of thing (depending on MOS). Boot camp is tough but definitely not impossible, not to mention they've toned down a few things since I was in (TV in the chow hall and barracks???!!!). There are x amount of people going through the same crap as you and that alone should get you through. Besides, when they are done with you, you feel indestructable... It's a great feeling. I say go for it!

[Back For More]

Re: Military Stories

I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you. [img]/images/graemlins/refuse.gif[/img]

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: Military Stories

Pray you dont end up at Cherry Point, Camp Lejeune, or New River...aint a decent guitar store within a gazillion miles!!!!

Dude...it's great that you want to join the military, any branch....but yeah, I may be biased to the Marines [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

All I can honestly tell you about joining, is do it for the right reason, not because dad was a Marine, or Grandpa fought in WWII, do it because you have a strong belief and conviction in your service. It looks "cool" and is pretty much a very patriotic thing to do, but it isn't a joke...it is real life.....it's not a VHS or DVD that you can rewind and start over.

OK, here is my story.

I was with the 26th MEU(SOC) in 96'-97' on a Med float. We had BLT 1/8, HMM-365, MSSG-26, and were part of the Nassau (LHA-4) battle group in support of the nuclear carrier the USS Roosevelt. Our first real mission, was to do a NEO (non-combatant evacuation) from Albania when the country collapsed. We had AMCITS (American citizens) flown in, elderly people, wounded people, children, separated families, bodies (shudders), it was mas chaos in real-time. We didn't have time to think, just react to the situation. I worked on Combat Cargo on the flight deck, and because I was mentally quicker on the draw, I got the Flight Deck Triage area, whereas my buddy got the ramp. The first day was 20 hours straight, launching sticks of Marines, gear, and recovering people from Albania.

Immediately after this happened, we were called to Africa, in Sierra Leon in the Congo basin. Our ship, the Nassau, was told to steam for Africa while the Nashville and Pensacola stayed on scene with the evac from Albania.

In Africa, it was totally different than anything we had ever encountered. We claimed an abandoned Soviet air base from the cold war era. There were actually Russian tanks, artillery, and planes still in and around the base which were abandoned. Two days before we got there, Belgian Marines got there to set up camp as part of the whole NATO thing (don't even get me started on NATO [img]/images/graemlins/nono.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/refuse.gif[/img]).

I was there for almost 60 days straight, managing supplies and mediating as best we could between us, the Belgians, and the local African militia to keep things cool, but we were heavily armed, and didn't really have a senso of humor. Our ROE cards were basically, act immediately if provoked or attacked, no questions [img]/images/graemlins/refuse.gif[/img].

We were on the flight-line one day and a little African kid was playing, as all kids do, and we were "cool" in our cammies, weapons etc. He made the mistake of running up to a militia officer and play with him, or so he thought. He made a grab for the officers side-arm and playfully kicked him in the shin, the officer pulled his pistol and point-blank shot the child (wanna say he was 6-8 years old, and probably homeless/orphaned due to the civil war or AIDS). The childs head exploded in a pink mist, and I remember thinking "Oh my God....what the **** do we do now". Well, the other militia didn't really like us due to us being Marines, and there was a healthy respect and leave me the **** alone, and we will leave you alone, or it will get ugly quick mentality. The militia thought one of us killed the child, and started to form to attack us. Our Lt kind of lost his mind, as he had a child of similar age back home, and he pulled his 9mm to shoot the murderer. You can see where this is going. In less than 2 seconds, we were involved in a serious firefight with the militia. I know that I killed at least one of them personally, as I saw my rounds impact in his chest and saw his lungs blown out his back, and I think I assisted with another KIA, but it was confusing and everything happened so quickly. It was over in like 10 seconds, but it seemed like it was hours.

When it was said and done, there were 8 militia KIA's, one of us wounded, and Lcpl Rosenthall was killed, we couldn't do anything for him...he had a sucking chest wound, and quickly bled to death. Myself and the Lt were holding him as he died....not a good feeling.....I'm not religious, but we "felt" him go....I dunno.....eerie.

That is my story.....luckilly I don't have any more...that was the only firefight I've ever been in.....am I proud of it, no.....but I'm still alive.....

[Ace]

Re: Military Stories

I was in the USMC Infantry from 1997-2001. I have a bunch of pictures where I look drunk, and others where I am dressed up like a tree and holding different guns. I don't remember any of it. I don't remember TV anywhere in boot camp besides the barber shop in Camp Pendelton, and that was for the barbers, not us.

[khabibissell]

Re: Military Stories

Hmmm... When I was in 3rd phase nearing graduation they installed TV's in the chow hall at MCRD San Diego. It must've been a temporary thing.

Like LPC said, do it for the right reasons. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong and it's a good experience for anybody. Remember that while you are in, regardless of your MOS, you can be called on to deploy to a forward area at a moments notice. It's not a game, a motivational video you see in the recruiters office, or something you go into half-heartedly. It is real life so be sure that joining is really what you want to do.

[SixStringSuicide]

Re: Military Stories

i came out of mamma carryin an m-16! but really, ive been set on this for a long time now. Its pretty much all ive wanted to do with my life.

[Jack Napalm]

Re: Military Stories

Go in without an attitude and you will do well. You will come out with an attitude. The experience will change your life for the better even if you never see combat. Combat will change it again and give you a different perspective on life's events. I was told when I went in, 88-92, too expect some sort of conflict during my enlistment, they were right. Expect it and be prepared for it if/when it happens.

[guitarshredder]

Re: Military Stories

[ QUOTE ]
The childs head exploded in a pink mist, and I remember thinking "Oh my God....what the **** do we do now".

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you mean the kid ended up *headless* after the shot??? What was it like to see a child's head get *blown* off, I'm pretty sure that bothered you from quite some time!?!?!? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/idea2.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/eyes.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/what.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/sick.gif[/img]

[horns666]

Re: Military Stories

Wow the "child" stuff I'll never forget ...

That's the only crap that still haunts me...

wow ...intense story dude..