How to tell if you are an old soldier

[Monello]

1. You know what GDP means and still remember where yours was and how long it took to occupy.
2. You remember when we had tactical nukes and really planned to use them.
3. You remember spending hours in MOPP4 and doing M256 kits.
4. You remember when the M8 Claymore and M72 LAW were part of CTT.
5. You remember when ARTEPs were 36 hours and you had fun.
6. You remember when Carl Vouno was CG (8th ID(M)) and Max Thurman was head of recruiting command.
7. You know what a Gamma Goat and Goer were and could fix an M151A2 to run off one prop shaft.
8. You remember when the Israelis were bad-asses and we all wanted to be like them.
9. You remember when Saddam Hussein was our loyal ally.
10. You remember when Airland Battle was a new concept, and everyone religiously read FM 100-5.
11. You know what the 'Cap Wineberger' Doctrine was.
12. You remember when the M16 was a plastic carbine, and you hoped for an M14.
13. You can remember going to the Club at Graf, drinking, and watching Margaret.
14. You personally know Margaret.
15. You know what is a "smokey" at Hohenfels.
16. You know the difference between the VRC46, VRC47, PRC77 and VRC160 and the requisite installation kits.
17. You know what a CEOI is and you can encrypt grids.
18. You remember when NTC was a new and cool concept.
19. You remember when it was real cool to go to SAMs or be an OC at NTC.
20. You remember when as a new LT/CPT you could go out and train your soldiers and not have an OC tell you how screwed up you were.
21. You remember BN Cdrs and 1SG's who were Vietnam Vets.
22. You remember Bn Cdrs who drank, swore and mentored.
23. You remember Bn Cdrs who were ruthless about tactics, but didn't give a crap about admin BS.
24. You remember when 2LTs and CPLs demanded respect from PFCs and got it.
25. You can navigate at night without a GPS.
26. You can remember OPDs about Clausewitz (aka dead Karl) which usually ended with beer drinking at the O' club.
27. You can remember when lanes training was a neat concept.
28. You can remember when FM 25-101 was a new concept.
29. You can remember when the defense budget was 7% of the GNP.
30. You can remember when the main battle area was the only fight.
31. You can remember when every ones career track was 10 years in Germany with 1st Armored Division at Ansbach.
32. You remember when the Soviet Union was a major super power instead (albeit the Russian Republic) of being a basket case for the IMF.
33. You could remember studying German concepts like mission tactics, and commander's intent and it was cool.
34. You could remember reading military history and it was in vogue, and going on staff rides because the Chief of Staff of the Army did it.
35. You could become a S3, XO, BN Cdr, or Bde Cdr without being Resident CGSC graduate.
36. You could remember BN and BDE cdr's who were proud of being "non-resident" CGSC guys.
37. You could receive a couple of "2-blocks" and it would not force you to look for employment on the outside.
38. You did not worry about OERs as a lieutenant.
39. You remember when privates bragged about the challenge they got in basic training, and how tough their drill sergeants were.
40. You remember when Sensitivity training was something your wife did.
41. You remember when Values Cards meant credit cards.
42. You remember when officers did not need values cards because they practiced values everyday.
43. You remember when going to the Pentagon was not cool and did not help your career.
44. You remember when PowerPoint was what a private did on butcher paper taped-up on a board with "hundred-mile-an-hour" tape.
45. You remember when you could say hooah, because the Chief of Staff of the Army said it.
46. You remember when women in combat was just a bad idea that would soon fade away.
47. You remember when being hardcore and a warrior was cherished.
48. You remember that going to ranger school was cool and not for career progression.
49. You remember that more than one company command was what studs did.
50. You could remember that going to Korea was like going to the field for twelve straight months, and only the hard-core guys extended.
51. You could remember when you could maneuver anywhere you wanted in Korea and it was not a big deal.
52. You could remember when "maneuver damage" was paid lip-service.
53. You could remember when you could "Major" in ROTC.
54. You remember eating C-rations in the field.
55. You wore the "banana suit" to PT.
56. You wore the "pickle suit" to formation.
57. You remember taking the five-event APFT.
58. You remember when a PFC/SPC made presentations using a Leroy set instead of CPTs/MAJs using PowerPoint.
59. You remember when camouflage nets were made of cloth.
60. You remember when the Army's vehicles ran on gas.
61. You remember when cigarettes were in C-rations.
62. You remember on Thursdays was Donut Dolly day.
63. You remember how to report for pay and what a pay line was.
64. You remember beer machines in the barracks/dayroom.
65. You remember when Clothing Sales was run by Army soldiers.
66. You remember when there used to be enlisted, NCO and Officer Clubs.
67. You remember the Women's Army Corps (WACs).
68. You remember when stripes were worn on the sleeve.
69. When you ran PT in boots, white T-shirt and fatigue pants.
70. When Jungle boots were green.
71. When Jump boots cost $16.50 a pair and you shined the whole boot instead of just the toe and heel.
72. When cigarettes where $2.00 a carton.
73. What an alert was.
74. When Sergeants ran the Army.[SIZE=-1]Courtesy of M.A. Sweeney[/SIZE]
75. You remember Disposition Forms (DF’s) instead of memorandums. (That would be DA Form 2496!)
76. When a one line correction on a document was sufficient, instead of correcting it on a word processor and running off 20 times the number of copies you would have needed prior to the computer age. (The Paperless Army!)
77. You were allowed to wear foreign jump wings or a RECONDO badge on your fatigues.
78. Only elite forces wore a beret.
79. You carried a .45 cal pistol instead of a 9mm.
80. Soft cap meant wearing your helmet liner.
81. You could shave, bathe and cook out of your helmet.[SIZE=-1]Courtesy of RainEagle[/SIZE]
82. You remember when 5 tons ran on gasoline.
83. You remember when F-4 phantoms mock attacked your convoys.
84. You remember when your Sergeant was a Missile.
85. You remember stepping on a lucky strike pack and punching the nearest guy.
86. You remember finding Lidane in your bunk.
87. You remember wearing duty uniforms that weren't camo.
88. You remember painting Dragons on your 2 1/2 ton to keep the Korean slicky boys away.
89. You remember when Agent Orange was just a weed killer.[SIZE=-1]Contributed by MAJ Bremmer.[/SIZE]
90. You're an old soldier if you carry a twenty round magazine in Afghanistan.
91. You're an old soldier if you're a Major and you have a K-bar with your name and SGT inscribed on it.
92. You're an old soldier if you drove a 113 on more than one REFORGER.
93. You're an old soldier if you are a life member of the 8TH ID association.[SIZE=-1]Contributed by 1SG (RET) C. R. Bolton.[/SIZE]
94. You remember how to set up a footlocker and wall locker display.
95. You remember using coke cans to neatly roll your T-shirts and boxer shorts for your footlocker display.
96. You remember the only space you had in your footlocker for personal items had to fit in a space the size of a cigar box.
97. You remember needing a pass to leave post.
98. You remember getting stopped by the MP's in downtown Graf to check your pass.
99. You know what bed check is.
100. You know what fire watch is.
101. You remember being on KP in garrison.
102. You remember Saturday was for inspections and Monday thru Friday was for training.
103. You remember when an article-15 did not end your career and all good enlisted men had at least three and they were removed from your 201 file upon transfer to another unit.
104. You know what Blood Stripes are.
105. You remember not being thrown out of the army for fighting downtown.
106. You remember when people went to prison for desertion.
107. You know what a T-10 parachute is.
108. You remember being dragged to safety by an overweight medic.
109. You remember when every major Post had a Post Stockade and used them.
110. You remember being detailed to guard a work detail from the Post Stockade with a loaded shotgun.
111. You remember pulling guard duty with a loaded weapon.
112. You remember what the "Colonel's Orderly" was.
113. You remember being issued handkerchiefs and using them.
114. You remember having a shaving stick and why you had it and not a can of shaving crème.
115. You know what an M-79 is.
116. You know what a "Mule" is (not the four-legged type).
117. You remember when you didn't have to be "somebody" to be buried in Arlington.
118. You remember draftees.
119. You remember your serial number.
120. You know what the RA or US in front of a serial number means.
121. You remember when food was not allowed in the barracks.[SIZE=-1]Courtesy of K. Dasing[/SIZE]
122. OCS in Germany wasn't for training officers.
123. The back cover of Soldiers Magazine was a Playboy Bunny or someone's girlfriend.
124. "Turret Talk" wasn't a friendly conversation.
125. Connie Rod had big boobs.
126. You were allowed two beers for lunch.
127. There were beer machines in the barracks.
128. You knew the difference between a "Radborro" and a "Marlborro"
129. The "Wall" wasn't a movie about Nuremburg.
130. Actual strippers in the NCO clubs in Germany.
131. The "Fifty Staters" wasn't a jock shop at Graf.
132. Hitler's Tower.

 

[barsook8]

Wow, does that bring back (good) memories of my time at Coleman Barracks. Yup, to all. Well done & thanks!

 

[GURPS]

I thought you were Navy :shrug:

 

[GURPS]

1. You remember when NTC was a new and cool concept. - I went 4 times in 2.5 yrs at Ft Carson
2. You remember beer machines in the barracks/dayroom. - in Korea ... the Scout Barracks had a 'soda machine' full of beer - Bud was .50
3. You carried a .45 cal pistol instead of a 9mm. - the slide on my 1911A1 was so sloppy it was a wonder I could hit a 25 meter target
4. You remember when an article-15 did not end your career and all good enlisted men had at least three and they were removed from your 201 file upon transfer to another unit.
5. You remember pulling guard duty with a loaded weapon. - indeed

I remember a few others as well ...

 

[spr1975wshs]

 

[itsbob]

Company Grade Art 15.. (14 and 14) were removed from your file.. BN or Field Grade weren't but moved to your restricted file (not to be seen by promotion boards)... and the restricted file was only restricted until they started the RIF of the existed ranks.. one or two AR15s I your restricted file and either you were soon looking for employment or weren't allowed to reenlist..

McNamara's 100 thousand.. THAT'S and old soldier..

And 19 series.. Ansbach? No friggin way.. it was Fulda, Bad Hersfeld or Bad Kissigen.. 11th ACR was the career maker.

 

[itsbob]

Connie Rod... WOOT!

PS Magazine was porn..

Overseas Weekly actually had naked centerfolds..

 

[itsbob]

C-rats came with cigarettes..

Bookstores still sold Hustler, Penthouse and Playboy..

The theater played Matinees for the kids at 2, and X rated movies at 8 for the troops.. the posters at the theater were and education for the kids in line waiting to buy tickets...