"Why I Fled George Bush's War"

[EJinCT]

It's possible to oppose the war and still think Cindy Sheehan is a self-serving farking moonbat. It's possible to oppose the war and point out that some of the "atrocity whistleblowers" who have been so readily embraced by the anti-war movement, have been proven to be utter frauds and liars. And, I would hope that it's possible to oppose the war and point out the above without having your karma hammered.

You get +1 from me. 

[alphaniner]

It's possible to oppose the war and still think Cindy Sheehan is a self-serving farking moonbat. It's possible to oppose the war and point out that some of the "atrocity whistleblowers" who have been so readily embraced by the anti-war movement, have been proven to be utter frauds and liars. And, I would hope that it's possible to oppose the war and point out the above without having your karma hammered.

Heretic!
Fomenter!
Instigator!
Rabble-rouser!
Provocateur!



Glad to have ya aboard!

[Puke]

BTW, I doubt your in-country familiarization was much different just because you were a mechanic instead of an engineer.

I should clarify i was a helicopter mechanic. I spent most of my time on an airfield.

[alphaniner]

American Spirits?  What are ya, some kinda hippie?

[Puke]

What are ya, some kinda hippie?

Nope. I prefer straight tobacco, that's all. 

[alphaniner]

Nope. I prefer straight tobacco, that's all. 

I hear that.  I go for their pouched tobacco myself.

[/thread hijack]

[Kat Kanning]

I read the book that this story came from.  The raid described was an amalgam of many raids in the story.  He never said in the book that he was the first man in on a raid.  I wasn't paying attention about the ammo, whether that was the same as the book or not.

[Rifkinn]

I was in an Armored Cavalry Regiment (11th, not 3rd), and our attached Combat Engineer company was mostly forgotten unless we needed an obstacle breeched or bridged, or if we needed a hasty defilade that we couldn't create with our own chainsaws and det cord. Frankly, our mechanics were a heckuva lot more valuable to us than the engineers were (no disrespect to the Combat Ditch Diggers out there!)

I was a Combat Engineer and as such have a hard time believing that an engineer unit would be used the way he was describing.  Placing or removing obstacles I can see, not removing one door to gain entry.  The bit I have read online feels like a description out of the twilight zone if engineers were used that way.  BTW, I haven't been able to find any mention of where he got his advanced training.  When I went through, all engineers were trained at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.  I even stayed with the same unit after basic and had my advanced training with the same drill instructors.

I did have the same lie told to me about my job that he mentioned.  I thought I was going to be a construction engineer but ended up as a combat engineer.  The recruiter even showed me videos of what ce's did.  Lesson to me, re-read all your paperwork carefully.

[Kat Kanning]

If I remember right, the training was in Ft. Collins.

[KBCraig]

If I remember right, the training was in Ft. Collins.

Fort Collins is a city in Colorado. It's not an Army post.

Perhaps you meant Fort Carson? It's the only Army installation in Colorado. But it's not a training post; the only engineers at Carson are attached to the combat units (and already trained before arriving).

[RangerProbst]

I was in an Armored Cavalry Regiment (11th, not 3rd), and our attached Combat Engineer company was mostly forgotten unless we needed an obstacle breeched or bridged, or if we needed a hasty defilade that we couldn't create with our own chainsaws and det cord. Frankly, our mechanics were a heckuva lot more valuable to us than the engineers were (no disrespect to the Combat Ditch Diggers out there!)

I was a Combat Engineer and as such have a hard time believing that an engineer unit would be used the way he was describing.  Placing or removing obstacles I can see, not removing one door to gain entry.  The bit I have read online feels like a description out of the twilight zone if engineers were used that way.  BTW, I haven't been able to find any mention of where he got his advanced training.  When I went through, all engineers were trained at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.  I even stayed with the same unit after basic and had my advanced training with the same drill instructors.

I did have the same lie told to me about my job that he mentioned.  I thought I was going to be a construction engineer but ended up as a combat engineer.  The recruiter even showed me videos of what ce's did.  Lesson to me, re-read all your paperwork carefully.

I've talked to guys that were over there that said plenty of non-combat troops are being used for foot patrols since they are hurting so bad for people.

[RangerProbst]

C4 doesn't sound out of place when it comes to breaching. When I was in, we breached doors with C4, det cord, water impact explosives, and shotties. C4 was probably used the least in my own experience

I believe he said he was the third man in, not the point man.

He is way off on M249 rate of fire. I was an M249 gunner for year and it's more like 750-1000 per minute. There are other things as well that sound suspect. It looks like he goes back and forth between telling the truth and exagerating greatly.

My kid brother went to pick up his home-boy, Jim, from the airport. While they were waiting for Jim's luggage, this guy walked up to Jim and said, "Thanks for going to war to protect this great county and us."

Jim's response was, "I'm not going to war to protect this country or you. I'm killing people for college money."

[Raineyrocks]

C4 doesn't sound out of place when it comes to breaching. When I was in, we breached doors with C4, det cord, water impact explosives, and shotties. C4 was probably used the least in my own experience

I believe he said he was the third man in, not the point man.

He is way off on M249 rate of fire. I was an M249 gunner for year and it's more like 750-1000 per minute. There are other things as well that sound suspect. It looks like he goes back and forth between telling the truth and exagerating greatly.

My kid brother went to pick up his home-boy, Jim, from the airport. While they were waiting for Jim's luggage, this guy walked up to Jim and said, "Thanks for going to war to protect this great county and us."

Jim's response was, "I'm not going to war to protect this country or you. I'm killing people for college money."

What was the guys response?

[RangerProbst]

What was the guys response?

I don't recall. I don't think he said anything. I'll ask my brother to verify.

[Raineyrocks]

What was the guys response?

I don't recall. I don't think he said anything. I'll ask my brother to verify.

Okay, thanks!