Kinda Quiet

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

'dunno Darren.  Rick always insisted that was a true story about his wife, Peggy.  Some of the Army wives are pretty crazy -- make me look sane and that is hard to do.  I've met some women that I could see doing that, without blinking an eye.

Virginia

[kodydog]

My military wife story: But first let me say thank you to all that serve.

Charleston had a huge Navel base. One of the biggest and most efficiently run in the nation. We did 4 dinning seats for an officers wife. Not the screw out dining seats but the kind that you upholster right to the frame.

She brought them in, I upholstered them and she came to pick them up. It was raining that day and she gave a very close, on her hands and knees inspection. She noticed a small stain on one chair she was giving close scrutiny to. Rose looked at the stain then looked at the ladies wet hair and determined a droplet of water fell from her hair upon her regimented inspection. Okay.

She then pointed out one of the corner pleats was 1/8th inch taller than the other. I assured her this was well within industry standards but this was totally unacceptable to her. She explained how her husbands closet was impeccable. Everything in its place. Shirts pressed and starched and lined up in order of color and importance of ceremony. Shoes polished and not more than 1/8th inch out of line. She went on about his pants but at this point I was starting to feel sorry for this poor women and agreed I should redo the pleats. She came back a week later and was very happy with the job. Whew!

[Mojo]

Ed:

That was a Navy officers wife. You should have to deal with a Marine's wife. :)

When in the Corp's we had constant inspections. Boots, brass buckles, shirts, pants, etc. Th drape in the back had to be perfect. The outside seam on the shirt had to line up perfectly with the fly on your pants. And on and on. If you were not squared away during inspection you paid dearly.

The Marines were brutal back when I was in. They beat you, tortured you, run you till you dropped, etc. We always had an ambulance following us during runs to pick up stragglers and they were always present and parked next to our puggle stick ring during puggle stick fights/training. These training sessions were brutal, bloody and nasty.

I got knocked out cold by a Gunny Sgt who butt stroked me in the back of the head with an M-16. ( I got out of time on a step during marching once. One single step and he saw it ). We had suicides during boot camp and attempted suicides by the dozens ). The abuse was outrageous. Then they beat a recruit to death during a puggle stick fight. Turns out this kids parents had deep ties to a few Senators. Shit hit the fan and an investigation ensued. That changed the Marines forever. They were no longer able to hit us, torture us or abuse us or even swear at us. Some say it was the downfall of the Corp's.

Speaking of military officers wife's. I was on base one day running an errand for my CO and was near headquarters. A Marine officers wife came by me in her car, stopped and got out and chewed me up one side and down the other for not saluting. We were required to salute any car that had an officers emblem on the bumper. Some of these women were more over the top about power then their officer husbands. lol She snitched on me and I got called in for it. My DI told me " I don't care if the officers pet dog is driving the damn car......you see that emblem..salute it. "

I could tell stories about the Marines till the cows came home. But there is a reason why they are the most respected and feared fighting force in the world and the very best at what they do.

Chris

[Darren Henry]

Shit hit the fan and an investigation ensued. That changed the Marines forever.

Our airborne regiment was to the CF what your marines are to the U.S army. They were disbanded following an "investigation" after video of some of their actions in Somalia was sensationalized in the media. Politicians and public opinion have no business dealing with the military. If you've never played the game---don't try to change the rules.

The masses have Hollywood's portrayal of military life---they do not understand that each and every drill and behaviour is based on a sound decision to evoke a required mind set and response. If some one is shooting at you and I tell you to duck---I'm not going to make small talk, ask politely, and negotiate. The only way I can bring you home to Mom in one piece (and have you do the same for the other members of the unit) is if following orders is instinctive and immediate. You have until the bullet gets there to decide if you want to do as your told. John Q Pubic always tries to equate the military with large corporations. This is not a job or even a career people! It is a LIFE. Soldiers do not work 9-5 in air conditioned cubicles where a paper cut or missing out on the doughnuts is their biggest fear. They get yanked out of bed in the middle of the night and sent to nasty corner of the planet they didn't even know existed knowing that their lives are at risk, and do what ever they can  to save the lives of a bunch of innocent  people. The insurgents do not play Margue of Queensbury rules. They do not think or act like our society---we have to function on their level, no matter how unpleasant that is.

The media ( and thereby public opinion) fail to mention that in order to do that soldiers have to be better prepared for adversity and much stronger team players than our privileged lifestyle prepares us. In all the "Hollywierd" movies I've seen there is no mention of the commaradery (sp), brotherhood and esprite de corp that develops when a unit has to work that hard together in training or the benefits that those bonds  bring to the battle field. [ Read---most effective neutralization of threat vs. casualties sustained ]. They also over look the confidence, attention to detail, and work ethic that military service instills in young people.

Is it right to strike a subordinate during peace time training? Only to prevent a dangerous situation for the rest of the unit. Did I deserve that "tap" in the slats with a pick axe handle when I sent a round down range before the safety officer got to my gun platform on my det. comm's course? Hell yes---may I have another to remind me not to be a dumb ass again, Sgt!

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Yup, my rude awakening in basic training was that DS held me responsible for the failures of the two dumb biatches in the next room that caused us to flunk the Colonel's inspection.  Holy Crap.  Seriously, we double-timed for 4 hours with only one lousy cigarette break.  OMG!  Yes, a blanket party was held that night and the two afore mentioned biatches were the guests of honor (or dishonor).

Officer's wives.  You have to love them.  Leavenworth has more Officer's wives than any city should have due the Command and General Staff College being located on Ft Leavenworth.  For 10 months every year, the little darlings move there and are in for the shock of their lives.  At any other duty assignment, a Lieutenant Colonel is pretty close to God and the wives can call anywhere in town and introduce themselves as Mrs. LTC scuzbutt and they are treated almost as a celebrity.  One of my friend's father managed the Sears in Leavenworth and he had finally reached his fill of Mrs. LTC one day.  The next phone call when the woman introduced herself in that fashion, he very nicely replied, "Ma'am, your husband is a LTC.  What have you accomplished in your life?"  Shut her pie hold up post haste!

My first job on Ft Leavenworth, I worked in the Secretary's Office of CGSC, a glorified Orderly Room.  One day, a very PO'd Captain strutted in, very irate because there was no one waiting at Kansas City International Airport to greet him when he arrived.  One of our closest friends worked in the same office and was a Sergeant First Class (SFC) for all you civilians.  He proceeded to dress Gregg down for this egregious sin.  Gregg clicked his heels together, pulled himself to attention and proceeded to explain to CPT Dumb Sh*t that Ft Leavenworth has 1 3 star General, 3 2 star Generals, 50 Full Bird Colonel's (called Full Bird because their insignia is an eagle), several hundered LTC's or Lieutenant Colonels, 500 more or less Majors and when CAS3 is in session there are over 1,000 CPT's on post at any given time.  He smiled politely and said, "Now that you understand where you are in the pecking order here Sir, is there anything else I can do for you?"  The Captain said not one word, turned and tucked his tail betweel his legs and crawled out of our office.  Once he was out of earshot, Gregg treated himself to a full belly laugh, explaining that he lives for the days that he got to put an officer in their place.

Virginia