Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: BlueJ1 on March 15, 2008, 12:00:38 AM
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My orders came in today. I had decided against volunteering for a billet to Iraq a little while ago. Today I got told that Im going to Afghanistan. I leave in late June for my Army training in Washington for awhile. Then fly to Kuwait, then on to Afghanistan for a year. Im assigned to armored support, in other words convoy duty. Told my parents and my girl. They taking it as I expected they would. Not quite sure what to think of it all yet myself. Hasnt sunk in yet. I'll make sure to try to drop in as much as I can. Thought Id tell yall so you dont think of me as gone missing when the time comes.
<S>
Blue
P.S. Us Navy squids do get our hands dirty and put miles under their boots. :D
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Good luck Blue and watch your bellybutton over there. Thank you for your service!
<S>
Just seems like yesterday you were wet behind the ears and was all curious about what bootcamp would be like.
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Training at Ft. Lewis?
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Training at Ft. Lewis?
Maybe. I know the answer but Im not sure how much Im allowed to disclose.
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Good luck Blue and watch your bellybutton over there. Thank you for your service!
<S>
Just seems like yesterday you were wet behind the ears and was all curious about what bootcamp would be like.
I'll always be wet behind the ears. And thank you sir.
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Take care..
<S>
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Yeah BlueJ, take care over there and THANKS.
It really does seem like yesterday when you first joined. Hope all is well, sir. <S>
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Yeah BlueJ, take care over there and THANKS.
It really does seem like yesterday when you first joined. Hope all is well, sir. <S>
I started playing when I was 14. 6 years ago. Never ventured to the BBS until 04'. Im 20 now and get to spend my 21st in a combat zone in a 3rd world country. We went to war with Afghanistan when I was in 9th grade. Now I'll be there. Crazy how time flies.
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Im 20 now and get to spend my 21st in a combat zone in a 3rd world country.
Not sure if Afganistan even qualifies as third world... might be a few pegs farther down the scale. Good luck, be careful and <S>
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You never know when your call to arms will come. You've got some time to collect your thoughts, make some plans and enjoy family. Be careful over there.
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<S> Bluej - be careful, keep your head down and shoot straight should the need arise fella.
Thank you for your service,
Wurzel
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Stay safe. And I'll pray for your healthy return.
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<S> Blue! :salute
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Good luck,Stay alert and stay safe.
And stay in touch keeping us posted as to the real deal over there.
No better history is written then by those who are living it.
Gods speed <S>
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Lucky bastard; could be going to Iraq like me. :)
Stay safe and have fun.
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How long till you leave Tarmac?
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Good Luck Man. Pay attention and stay sharp.
Charon
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Tarmac and BlueJ - once you get onsite - sling me a pm with a contact addy - care packages will be sent. (If its not going to compromise your security obviously)
<S>
Wurzel
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I thought you were in the navy or coastguard Blue. What happened?
Oh and stay safe.
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Nilsen, the Navy's had many rates that double as ground pounders with the Marines, namely the Hospital Corpsmen. Even the Storekeepers, my old rate, have been brought into the ground combat aspect as well as others that I can't remember right now. The Navy's support of the Army and Marines in a land-base role has been escallated significantly the last 3 or 4 years.
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Stay safe Blue.
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Keep your head down over there Blue and stay safe.
I know how your parents feel, my own son has done 2 tours in Iraq already and will likely do a 3rd soon if he doesn't get to transfer to another unit.
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Keep your head down and be smart, Blue.
<S> for your service. :salute
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<S> and stay strong!
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<S> Come back safe to be shot down in virtual skies, bro. :)
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
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<S> Tarmac and BlueJ stay safe and don't go dying on us.
My thoughts are with you :salute :salute
Slider
<S>
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I thought you were in the navy or coastguard Blue. What happened?
Oh and stay safe.
Exactly what Diablo said. My rate is Aviation Electrician. Any airdale in a shore duty squadron has a high chance of being sent IA. Indvidual Augmentation. Its a little paragraph in our contracts that say in a time of need we can be sent temporarily to the Marines or Army. Sort of like a draft within the military.
Thanks for your kind words guys. When I come back I'll treat anyone who wishes to a round of beers.
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Good luck Blue, I hope you make it back in one piece. Serve our country well. :salute
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<S> and good luck.
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My son is coming home from Afghanistan shortly, finishing up a long deployment there. It is his second tour in Afghanistan.
It is not a safe place.
Good luck and thanks for your service.
dago
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where ever you go stay safe and keep ya head down.
my cousin is going to that crap hole and its not a nice place ,should have learnt from the russians that its ot a good place to be
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<S> BlueJ and Tarmac. Your service is highly appreciated.
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dont look over mounds when the mound is taking fire
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Tarmac, you are going to Iraq? Be careful and alert out there. Those freakin IEDs scare the crap outta me. Your service is appreciated (need a stronger word than appreciated but it is all I can think of).
Ely/Elysian
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<S> Gents be safe .... :salute
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stay safe and keep your eyes open<S>
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Good luck,Stay alert and stay safe.
And stay in touch keeping us posted as to the real deal over there.
No better history is written then by those who are living it.
Gods speed <S>
What he said. I can't improve on it too much. Pay close attention to your training in the next few weeks. You'll need to really amp up your SA but don't tighten yourself up to the point where you are over doing it. I know it sounds kind of contradictory but it is possible. If you have ever read anything by a guy named Jeff Cooper and his 3 readiness conditions you'll understand.
Condition Green = like being at home, no worries, no threats.
Condition yellow = like being in a threat environment but nothing exceptionally elevated. Constantly looking and evaluating. A semi relaxed state of readiness and awareness. Not at ease but not at combat level either. It can be maintained almost indefinitely.
Condition red = imminent combat ready. Very tiring and draining.
That was very simplified but I think you'll quickly grasp the technique once the training starts.
Good luck and stay in touch troop.
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Lucky bastard; could be going to Iraq like me. :)
Stay safe and have fun.
I wouldn't say he is lucky, statistically a soldier is twice as likely to suffer combat injuries in Afghanistan than Iraq. IEDs are reported to be increasing in Afghanistan, decreasing in Iraq.
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Neither Tarmac or me are lucky. I consider they man or women we are replacing to go home to their families lucky. Lucky but well deserved.
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be safe, my GOD go with you.
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BlueJ, Tarmac, both ya'll take care over there, and Thank you. <S>
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Hunker down and Teamwork.
<S>
Mac
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I haven't been on here for a long time.... but all the best in Afghanistan! Keep safe <S>
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Lucky bastard; could be going to Iraq like me. :)
Stay safe and have fun.
Stay safe and have fun, from me as well. Say, Tarmac, any chances you could send him a bulletproof crotch plate, like the one in your avatar?
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Keep your head down, and thank you for your service.
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Godspeed. If you happen to see Osama, shoot him once or twice for me. :)
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Good luck Blue. Keep your head down.
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Nilsen, the Navy's had many rates that double as ground pounders with the Marines, namely the Hospital Corpsmen. Even the Storekeepers, my old rate, have been brought into the ground combat aspect as well as others that I can't remember right now. The Navy's support of the Army and Marines in a land-base role has been escallated significantly the last 3 or 4 years.
It's worse than that... The Army is simply unable to accomplish the tasks given it. The "title 10" laws that govern what each service is responsible for have been waivered for years, in order for USAF and USN personnel to accomplish tasks that are by law assigned to the Army, but which the Army cannot in fact carry out due to lack of personnel, money, equipment, training, etc. It is inherently wasteful to train up USAF and USN personnel and then have them go do the Army's job, and that's why the law says they're not supposed to do that. But that's what we're doing.
If it bugs you, write your congressman. It probably won't change anything since the fact remains that the task at hand is larger than the Army can handle, but you might feel better having griped about it :)
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Good Luck BlueJ.
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I very much appreciate your service!!! :salute
Thank you!
ROX
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good luck and godspeed.
see you on the flipside.
<S>!
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Thanks for your service and keep your head down ( better to take it in the a&& in this case) Don't shake hands with the locals over there...just a suggestion <S>
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Blue, good luck, keep your head down, and Thank You for your service. :salute
Joker
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Be safe gentlemen. Drop a PM when you get there and let me know where to send some goodies to help keep you guys remembering what home is like.
All this cross training started several years ago when the Clintoista regime started unit draw downs and shutting down most of the combat support units that the Army had in the National Guard. When my dad deployed to Saudi Arabia for the first play time in the sand there were only 12 units like his in the Army and Marines. I think he told me 7 in the Army and 5 in the Marines. Since then I think there are 2-3 in the Army and 2-3 in the Marines. Anyway its crazy guys stay safe.
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Thanks guys!
Favor to ask. Any books yall would recommend? Im putting together a pile of books to take with me. The more the better.
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BlueJ ~ send your addy to me once you get there. I'll send you a care package. :) I'll include some of my favorite books, too. :)
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BlueJ ~ send your addy to me once you get there. I'll send you a care package. :) I'll include some of my favorite books, too. :)
Thanks alot mom! I really appreciate it. In the mean time could you suggest any of those books you were talking about in another thread about sled dogs and the races in Alaska? I have a LONG flight to Kuwait and Im gona need something good. The history of the Third Reich may put me to sleep.
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"Spirit of the Wind" by Lew Freedman is the one I was talking about from the other thread. Along those lines though, there's a great book called "Soldiers & Sled Dogs ~ A History of Military Dog Mushing" by Charles L. Dean
"Longitude ~ The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time"
(by Dava Sobel). I can't recommend this one enough. Actually, Dava Sobel has written a few interesting books, this "Longitude" is my favorite though.
Honestly, the best for long manifests & long plane rides is something you don't necessarily want to ponder over though... just something to enjoy then toss back into your duffle bag... like any of the action novels by Clive Cussler. Any of his Dirk Pitt books are great. :aok
Plus, if you go into the history section of any book store they've always got these quirkly little fact books that are great... like "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?" which details the last words, manner of death, map & hours of the burial sites, etc. of each of the Presidents. That was a kind of cool book. I'd like to read one that is just like it... except entirely before their terms. But any of those quirky little history books are cool ~ because once you read it... something is bound to catch your eye & you can then look for another book to buy about whatever it is that you just read in the quirky book.
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"Spirit of the Wind" by Lew Freedman is the one I was talking about from the other thread. Along those lines though, there's a great book called "Soldiers & Sled Dogs ~ A History of Military Dog Mushing" by Charles L. Dean
"Longitude ~ The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time"
(by Dava Sobel). I can't recommend this one enough. Actually, Dava Sobel has written a few interesting books, this "Longitude" is my favorite though.
Honestly, the best for long manifests & long plane rides is something you don't necessarily want to ponder over though... just something to enjoy then toss back into your duffle bag... like any of the action novels by Clive Cussler. Any of his Dirk Pitt books are great. :aok
Thankyou Ma'am. I will atleast order these online now and have for over there. Usually for plane rides I red Dean Koontz or Stephen King because I get so into the books time goes by that much faster. But Ive read pretty much all of their books that they have out. :D
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Good luck Blue and watch your bellybutton over there. Thank you for your service!
<S>
Just seems like yesterday you were wet behind the ears and was all curious about what bootcamp would be like.
What ^^he^^ said. Thanks for serving Blue!
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Usually for plane rides I red Dean Koontz or Stephen King because I get so into the books time goes by that much faster. But Ive read pretty much all of their books that they have out.
You should definitely add Cussler to that list. :) He's awesome. Be sure it's the Dirk Pitt series. :)
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Usually for plane rides I red Dean Koontz or Stephen King because I get so into the books time goes by that much faster. But Ive read pretty much all of their books that they have out.
You should definitely add Cussler to that list. :) He's awesome. Be sure it's the Dirk Pitt series. :)
Yes ma'am. Will do. Im looking him up right now.
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Good luck, and take many pictures.
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Usually for plane rides I red Dean Koontz or Stephen King because I get so into the books time goes by that much faster. But Ive read pretty much all of their books that they have out.
You should definitely add Cussler to that list. :) He's awesome. Be sure it's the Dirk Pitt series. :)
most definitely recommend Clive to your reading list, and most especially any of the Dirk Pitt series... a lot of fun they are
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<S> Thank you for your service <<<S>>>
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When I had a long flight I preferred Heinlien. His more lengthy works were better for passing time and maintaining my interest for long period of reading. Stranger in a Strange Land and Time Enough for Love were both great ones for that.
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BlueJ1 shoot me an email. garracornish@gmail.com.
I'll be in S. Afghanistan myself in a couple months again. I'm working for a Canadian PMC.
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Stay safe and thanks
we'll try on this end to put an admin in the WH in Nov who understands the importance of a strong military <S>
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Thanks guys!
Favor to ask. Any books yall would recommend? Im putting together a pile of books to take with me. The more the better.
BlueJ1
If you haven't read these books go try and find the Ceasar series by Conn Iggulden and his newest one about Genghis Khan. They make long plane rides go by fast and also are good to read over and over. If you can't find them shoot me a PM and I will put you a care package together before you head out or once you get there.
Godspeed.
Reschke