Who on here has been

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I cant wish i was on something when i have no idea what it is.


so i guess my question is, whats a two way range?
 
just seems that some posters on here have a romantic notion of warfare, and seem to want to be involved in something big yet probably when it came to the crunch would be as useful as a chocolate bayonet.

This is not aimed at all posters, and nor am I saying those who have not been in a contact don't have a valid opinion or viewpoint.
 
If your question is who has been fired at, I have, although it was not in the military.

I have been in war zones three times in my career.

Vietnam
Iraq x2

There was ordinance being expended by both sides in all three occasions.

I would not go as far as to say that I've been in a fire fight with an enemy.

Have you?
 
K9Dug said:
just seems that some posters on here have a romantic notion of warfare, and seem to want to be involved in something big yet probably when it came to the crunch would be as useful as a chocolate bayonet.

This is not aimed at all posters, and nor am I saying those who have not been in a contact don't have a valid opinion or viewpoint.

I was just wondering why you were asking, thanks for the response. There are some of us that have been, but I don't think most have.

I think everyone has a valid opinion and viewpoint, but that doesn't mean it's an educated one. Unless you've experienced combat, you can't know about it or what it is like, the same goes for the military lifestyle in general. There's a lot of armchair quarterbacking that goes on about the military in general though (as well as other topics like politics etc), but that's what happens on a forum with a bunch of different people with various opinions and the desire to share them. What's a forum without people doing that though?

You don't see too much over-zealousness here, maybe I missed something though. The moderators are all vets or active military and reading through past posts, it looks like the "big" talk about "combat and killin'" from people whose experience came from a game with a reset button was nipped in the bud awhile ago. You also don't see people giving information out about the military that don't know what they're talking about thanks to the rules, which makes this forum and its credibility very good.

As for the "romatic notion," I think every kid that wants to be in the military (and even some adults that wanted to be) have the idea that combat is a certain way. I know I did until the early 90s when I got a huge reality check. It's something you have to experience to understand and know.

When you're a kid and all you want to do is join the military and serve your country, you rely on the books you've read, movies you've seen and stories you've heard to decide what it will be like. All of these things are designed to keep your interest, so they will focus on the "exciting" parts. You don't hear about (or see yourself) spending 90% of your time doing mundane, day to day things.

Those that choose to listen and learn from the guys that have been there will go in with just a little bit more knowledge of what military life can be like and probably have a greater respect for service in general, but they still won't understand it. They'll only really know it and understand it once they have been there. That's how everybody really learns, they jump in feet first.

Man, I can ramble. :p

Btw, how come your profile doesn't have any info???
 
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lol...yea, you can. No, Ive never been to war...And as long as Im not called upon, I dont plan to. If my unit is called, I wont mind...lets put it this way. I dont look forward to war, but i dont mind going to it.
 
I haven't been overseas. I'm not military. I was under fire a few times in one of the neighborhoods I grew up in, though. I've seen the end results of such combat. Gangs don't really discriminate on who they shoot at when you get down to it. I never returned fire since I was never armed at the time.
 
C/1Lt Henderson said:
lol...yea, you can. No, Ive never been to war...And as long as Im not called upon, I dont plan to. If my unit is called, I wont mind...lets put it this way. I dont look forward to war, but i dont mind going to it.

One day you might even listen and learn from my "sageful" ramblings! :mrgreen:
 
cheers for the replys, like I say all opinions are valid but i do believe some are more than "armchair quarterbacks" and have a deep desire for war.

Snr chief, yes I have, first time was during rioting in West Belfast then a crazy slivovic fuelled Serb decided to have a go in Bosnia, And about once a week in Al Amarah, Iraq. (at to that a few petrol bombs, homemade grenades, improvised mortars, Chinese rockets, and even 10 rounds of 81 that an Al Q cell managed to steal from the yanks and lob at us in Abu Naji)

Pj4, very eleoquent post big man! i couldn't be arsed with the profile but any questions just ask
 
K9Dug said:
just seems that some posters on here have a romantic notion of warfare, and seem to want to be involved in something big yet probably when it came to the crunch would be as useful as a chocolate bayonet.

"Dulce bellum inexpertis"
(war is delightful for those who don't know it)
- Desiderius Erasmus, title of his book from 1515
Dutch humanist, ca. 1466–1536
http://www.military-quotes.com/database/e.htm

So true, so true... :???:

There are several members in here with more than enough experience from the "two way range".
But I doubt that most, especially us who still serve, will comment much on that on an open forum like this...

Another quote that fits nicely here is:
"Those who knows doesn't tell, and those who tells doesn't know.."
 
I've noted that a lot of people have the "arm chair" soldier attitude in this forum as well. It seems to mainly be people who have not served in the military, and have no real idea of what it entails. Although I haven't yet served in a combat zone, I have many mates in the services who have been, and they have been quick to dispell any myths or ideas of grandeur in combat (both through what they've told me, and because of the mental issues some of them have suffered since). As many people are quick to say when asked, I have no desire to rush of to the nearest war zone and win myself a Victoria Cross, but when and if asked to do my duty I will, without any aprehension.

It does suprise me to see posts from people saying things like "I wish I was a sniper, it'd be so cool", and "I'd so take an AK47 if I was there"... and the like.
 
With the portrayal of combat these kids see from Hollywood I am not surprised... youth is wasted on the young.
 
Maybe, maybe not, Bulldogg...I know the difference between real-life war and Hollywood war. I think. I know Saving Private Ryan gave me a pretty good insight to the psychological effects of war...That movie shaked my idea of wether or not I decide to join the service...Now, do I think that all Americans, especially my generation, knows what war entails? No. I think kids play video games like Halo or MOH and think that thats all war is...They dont realize that in real life, you cant restart the level or put in a cheat code to make yourself invincible...They dont realize that you cant simply turn it off...
 
Kid you don't know until you, personally, in the flesh have been there... you think you know but you do not.
 
I know enough to know that it's not all shoot without being shot. I know that it hurts. I know you can loose your closest friends in one second.Ill bet I know more than you think I do....
 
C/1Lt Henderson said:
I know enough to know that it's not all shoot without being shot. I know that it hurts. I know you can loose your closest friends in one second.Ill bet I know more than you think I do....

Talk is cheap, boy. Go back to watching movies, you don't know squat.

K9Dug said:
cheers for the replys, like I say all opinions are valid but i do believe some are more than "armchair quarterbacks" and have a deep desire for war.

Snr chief, yes I have, first time was during rioting in West Belfast then a crazy slivovic fuelled Serb decided to have a go in Bosnia, And about once a week in Al Amarah, Iraq. (at to that a few petrol bombs, homemade grenades, improvised mortars, Chinese rockets, and even 10 rounds of 81 that an Al Q cell managed to steal from the yanks and lob at us in Abu Naji)

Pj4, very eleoquent post big man! i couldn't be arsed with the profile but any questions just ask

I see.
 
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See thats the thing. I haven't been, but I'm not stupid enough to think I know what it'll be like and what effect it'll have on me. I can see and hear what other people have done and experienced. But until I go, I'm really in the dark.
 
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