The Military Thread

Chrome-lined barrel, different feed mechanism to allow both German-standard ammo belts and American belts, better bipod, etc and so on. It's more or less equivalent to the current-issue M4A1 compared to the M16A1. Shares a lot of parts, but there are enough advancements and differences that they are two distinct weapons.

edited 2nd Apr '12 10:39:52 AM by Martello

MG 3 is a bit lighter, can use disintegrating and non disintegrating belts and has a slightly lower rate of fire. MG 3 also is longer and has lower muzzle velocity. They are very similar. Hell they even look almost the same.

edited 2nd Apr '12 11:53:15 AM by TuefelHundenIV

The AA sights are another difference, rechambered wartime versions (like the MG MRH 3 A3 of the Berlin police) didn't have these.

MG3s also have two different bolt assemblies (?) available, a heavy one for ~900 rpm and one for 1,200-1,300. The Bundeswehr usually uses the latter, but the heavy one was in stock, at least during my time.

As for the 'weapon weight' versus 'recruit weight' topic, during my time, the heavier guns were usually issued to NCO candidates and those who volunteered to serve a longer conscrition term. Plus a certain 'do well, you get to carry the spare barrel, fuck up, and the MG is yours' factor. (Medical training was along the same lines. Do well, carry the gnome, fuck up, carry the troll.)

edited 2nd Apr '12 12:54:01 PM by kurushio

Yeah, that's the same theory the enlisted have. We're probably right. I hated you for it at the Academy. Though no bullshit Martello, that type of thinking has probably cost the Do D a boatload of money for all the medical retirements it's been paying out due to the combination of a 110 pound lad carrying the 240 and ammunition and the combat arms tradition of never going to medical, and only being given vitamin M as a cure. It's probably cost a lot of money, and probably damaged more than a few lives. I got stress fractures like a motherfucker in Academy, and I've got metal hardware in my legs because of it, and almost got medically discharged. "make the small guy suffer" is a bit of a point of anger on my part.

Thankfully I was a 150 pound lad with a 240 in the academy. One of the wirey types who does lots and lots of pull ups.

That being said, today is my first day back in the uniform after over 60 days out of it with no personal affiliation to the military. I feel like I'm sick or something, I think Red Snow fundamentally broke something in my moto bone. I have a month and a half of orders for me to try and re-acclimate into liking this shit, but I don't know. The fact that all I can think about right now is my ETS(which is nowhere near soon) and that I'm either walking out the door or telling them I'll only re-enlist if I can go intelligence.

I'm really 50/50 on if I even want the moto bone to get fixed. If I can do the next year and a half without beating some chest pounding LAPD cop to death, it'll be a miracle. Ironically, LAPD cops make horrible soldiers. They can't follow orders, always have to establish dominance and control, and aren't good at any sort of organization bigger than being in a pair. It's unfortunate that some of these people have gotten into key leadership positions. Our best troops? They work at places like UPS, TSA, Macys, and firefighters/paramedics.

I have a theory about this though, I think it's because they are excited to be here since it's a refreshing change from what they do in civilian life. They put so much into the job, they are really dedicated and motivated NCO's.

edited 2nd Apr '12 1:05:05 PM by Barkey

I've always been curious why the US military doesn't discriminate based on physical size. Seems like a good idea.

I think there's a lower limit on height. I believe it's 5'. Why do you think we should discriminate by size, though? Bigger dudes are not necessarily always better at soldiering. For light infantry, yeah, but even then a bigger guy is obviously a bigger target. I'm five ten and two-fifteen, so I'm not exactly small, but I also don't tower over the rest of my soldiers and present an obvious target.

Smaller guys are better in tanks and Bradleys, because they can fit in those fucking metal boxes. Strykers are fine for anyone because they're awesome.

The Sovs supposedly used to pick shorter men for vehicle crewmen, and taller men for other roles. The BMP wasn't very comfortable if you were six feet tall. Then again, the Soviet method of churning through conscripts every two years came with the downside that they ignored the individual conscript's preferences and physical abilities (up to a certain point—if you were exceptionally fit the VDV or Spetsnaz would probably snatch you up), which is probably the reason the US hasn't instituted such a policy.

edited 2nd Apr '12 9:33:13 PM by SabresEdge

There is some size discrimination.

I'd think it would be considered a weighted factor for or against something or the other.

I didn't serve with any, but I know a couple of other subs where they had one or more guys at well over six feet tall. None of them I recall hearing being very happy with it.

Even at just a hair over 6 myself, that 4ft tall WT hatch on LA class boats*

Add to that getting through when you're in the hood (whose name I forget) fed by an air line that you connect and disconnect from a feed pipe along the ceiling as you move through the boat and the faceplate has a trash bag over it to simulate smoke while in a drill or going for that particular sig on your qual card, and things get real interesting, in the Chinese curse sense of the term. Barf.

edited 3rd Apr '12 10:23:54 AM by Nohbody

I can imagine that sucking rubber under such conditions would be The Suck. Living the dream, man.

Heard that the COB on a boomer got relieved a month early due to being the highest man with the secret - hazing was going on, and he knew about it, and did nothing to stop it. No idea what sort of hazing though, or how serious. I guess gone are the days of line-crossing ceremonies, using vices and boy-butter and actually having uniforms that make sense.

Not that I was a submariner (or even Navy), but I'm surrounded by Sobmariner retirees. They have awesome-funny stories of the time they served, it's fun to pick their brains.

Yeah, that wasn't fun. I had a terrible time remembering all the plug-in points for that damn hose, never mind maneuvering through the engineering spaces while the faceplate blacked out. And apparently some of the guys who had used a couple of those hoods before could've stood to guzzle a gallon of Listerine. Yuck. They're supposed to be cleaned after each use, but that was apparently not high on the "to do" list for some folks, either.

edited 3rd Apr '12 12:24:06 PM by Nohbody

So, got a new job. Not sure when I start, but a job I applied for that makes hybrid and electric drivetrains for construction equipment and cars. It's ex and reserve military owned and operated, so I'll be around folks like me. Was definitely hoping to get that job, the salary isn't as much as other jobs I applied for, but it's a cool industry and an environment I'll like more than working in an office with a suit and tie.

I'll get my own office, but it's khakis and polo shirts!

Cool! Good luck!

Ew, polo shirts. I was tempted to leave the 'r' out of that, too.

Barkey: Sounds good to me as long as it is not run by the former politicing type military guys.

^^

Better than a suit and tie.

^

Nah, the guy in charge is a retired AF Master Sergeant from active duty vehicle maintenance.

barkey: You lucky fuck. I wish there was a business like that out here.

Yeah, seems nice. Glad they have a place for grunts.

I'm told that submarines have good food (at least compared to the rest of the military) or something to that effect, or so sayeth a History Channel documentary on food, Any truth to this?

More or less, yeah. When you don't see daylight for up to months at a time (unless you get duty in Control during periscope ops and aren't at any of the diving control stations) and with hot bunking (3 people sharing 2 bunks), you have to do something to keep the crew happy, and the canned entertainment only goes so far.

The difference is more one of degree than kind, though. It's still military food, just tends to be prepared a little better.

edited 3rd Apr '12 9:12:57 PM by Nohbody

Funny how they don't do that for other folks who may have morale problems... Security Forces has had 8 suicides since Jan 1. What happens? Active Duty Bases do a down day for suicide awareness where almost everyone gets the day off after a short briefing on suicide prevention. It's supposed to be a "Take a break and relax" sort of gesture.

Guess who is still working? Security Forces.

Hey, just because you Chair Force types don't make a stink...

Seriously, in all of the services I can't recall ever hearing of anything other than over- or under-reactions to suicides. I'll grant you, though, that it isn't an issue into which I've put a lot of research.

I recall the "don't-commit-suicide-to-get-out-our-suicide" suicide training sessions. It's a serious subject, but it seems that some speakers wield only a cudgel when it comes to it.

Or so it was when I was in.

Silver Dolphin Bistro, the sub-base dining facility, was super-cool. We got to eat there a few times, and the chow was top notch. Army dining facilities were decent, if you didn't mind it a bit on the bland side. I can't recall eating at an Air Force facility, though.

Best military chow ever, though? Tripler Army Medical Center. Heap up a plate, present mealcard. PROBLEM, CASHIER? TROLOLOLOLOLOL.

...That sounds like my college eating strategy (order of events not withstanding (they take the meal card first, then I load up the tray with as much food as I can)).

edited 4th Apr '12 8:07:10 AM by Balmung