For you military guys, whats commmando mean???

[craz07]

You military guys out there, what pushed you into the well, what made you guys think you would go into the military and thrive, what was the thinking behind all of that guys....  I respect what sacrifices you have made and would like to ask war survivors in depth what was the driving force behind all your decisions....

[Nypsy]

In 1969 Uncle Sam gave me a choice. Get drafted for two years in the Army or enlist in the Air Force or Navy for four years.
I enlisted in the USAF for four years.
Spent one of those years in Viet Nam with the 20th S.O.S. which was the best year out of the four.

[danny76]

I believe the word Commando was derived from irregular forces fighting against the British in the Boer war. Churchill resurrected it during the second war to describe troops taking part in irregular warfare such as sabotage and COIN operations. Nowadays in the UKAF Commando units are pretty much exclusively Royal Marines and sub-units such as SBS

[bustr]

Crazy,

Here is one way to look at it. I spent years with a friend who could not really get it together in the normal world. I met him 20 years ago, he was in Viet Nam when he was 19 given a choice of that or jail. He was sent to the 3rd marine sniper course because he had excellent marksman abilities. After that he spent the rest of his tour sniping VC on trails around hill 55.

When he got back he had brushes with the law, spent as much time as possible in the boonies hunting, fishing and not interacting with people. Eventually he found his calling as a custom carpenter. When I met him we were shooting at a local range and enjoyed building rifles and reloading. But, we also spent a lot of time bushwhacking the local boonies because he was more comfortable mentally in that environment.

One day he was showing me his album from his time in Viet Nam. The one statement he made that stayed with me was, "That was the most alive I've ever felt in my whole life. I miss it every day."

That is not everyone's motivation but, I've listened to Korea era marines at the local range make jokes in the same vein.

[danny76]

I joined up because I was too thick for white collar work. Turned out to have been the best years of my life. The best friends forged through shared experience. I left to join the police and now work on HDU Ambulances. Sort of trapped into the uniform services mindset. Truth be told the military is a fantastic experience and I should have stayed in until retirement. Hindsight is 20/20 

[guncrasher]

I joined the Marines because I thought my 1800 a month job was good enough to quit to get 599 in the Marines  .



semp

[icepac]

To me, it means this.

[Ripsnort]

I believe the word Commando was derived from irregular forces fighting against the British in the Boer war. Churchill resurrected it during the second war to describe troops taking part in irregular warfare such as sabotage and COIN operations. Nowadays in the UKAF Commando units are pretty much exclusively Royal Marines and sub-units such as SBS

This is correct.

[Swoop]

Nowadays in the UKAF Commando units are pretty much exclusively Royal Marines and sub-units such as SBS

Where the Marines go by boat the RAF Regiment goes by air.....and gets there first.  And we've never invaded the wrong beach either.

[Zimme83]

Crazy,

Here is one way to look at it. I spent years with a friend who could not really get it together in the normal world. I met him 20 years ago, he was in Viet Nam when he was 19 given a choice of that or jail. He was sent to the 3rd marine sniper course because he had excellent marksman abilities. After that he spent the rest of his tour sniping VC on trails around hill 55.

When he got back he had brushes with the law, spent as much time as possible in the boonies hunting, fishing and not interacting with people. Eventually he found his calling as a custom carpenter. When I met him we were shooting at a local range and enjoyed building rifles and reloading. But, we also spent a lot of time bushwhacking the local boonies because he was more comfortable mentally in that environment.

One day he was showing me his album from his time in Viet Nam. The one statement he made that stayed with me was, "That was the most alive I've ever felt in my whole life. I miss it every day."

That is not everyone's motivation but, I've listened to Korea era marines at the local range make jokes in the same vein.

Not too uncommon, in the military he/they had a role and were a part of a context, in the "normal" world they become just another anonymus individual among all the others and a lot of veterans have a hard time to readapt to a civilian life, no job, wife leave them etc. (They become nobodys) and since humans rather is somebodys in a "bad" place (the war) than nobodys in a "good" place (back home) the life in the war becomes desirable.

I would sat that its more a symptom of the psychological effect war has on a human and the struggle to readapt to the civilian life than a motivation.

[WWhiskey]

Joined the Army in 1983 because I wanted to " be all that I could be"
Was it the Best years of my life?  No, but darn close!
Every aspect of my life since has been influenced by the time I spent in service!
On my grave marker it will say, U.S. Army, not truck driver, not farmer, not liquor store owner, not general manager, not car salesman,ect,ect,ect.

[Maverick]

Kind of hard to put into words. I just had a lot of family that served, including my Dad. I just had a desire to serve is all, be a part of something way bigger than myself. No one in my family encouraged me directly before hand but they did support it when I made the decision.

[craz07]

In 1969 Uncle Sam gave me a choice. Get drafted for two years in the Army or enlist in the Air Force or Navy for four years.
I enlisted in the USAF for four years.
Spent one of those years in Viet Nam with the 20th S.O.S. which was the best year out of the four.

thats some scarey chit, getting drafted.. I'd put it right up there with these guys that do multiple tours

[craz07]

And Bustr "That was the most alive I've ever felt in my whole life" thats just spine tingling to hear someone say that...

[Ack-Ack]

Commando comes from the Afrikaan word "kommando" that pretty much translates to "mobile infantry regiment".