Nads knows military command (aka "inside baseball")

[jukin]

For a mission like that: I'd make a SWAG it was an O-3 or O-4 on the ground. Maybe an O-5 at the stick of the choppers.

I thought warrant officers were usually piloting helicopters.

[obumazombie]

I thought warrant officers were usually piloting helicopters.

When I was in that was true. Warrant officer pilots outnumbered commissioned 10 to one or thereabouts. Don't know if it's still that way.

[JakeStyle]

When I was in that was true. Warrant officer pilots outnumbered commissioned 10 to one or thereabouts. Don't know if it's still that way.

That's an Army thing.  The helicopters were USMC CH-53s.

[JakeStyle]

For a mission like that: I'd make a SWAG it was an O-3 or O-4 on the ground. Maybe an O-5 at the stick of the choppers.

I actually met two of the pilots back in the early '80's, Lt Col Barney Oldfield and Maj James Schaefer.  Maj Schaefer was the pilot of the helicopter that clipped the C-130 and started the fire.  The right side of his face was just a mess of scar tissue from the burns that he received that night.

We were doing an exercise at 29 Palms, they got drunk one night and came to the A-frame that us enlisted guys were in and told us the story from their perspective.  It was just a whole lot of bad circumstances occurring as they were refueling that caused the crash.   

[NHSparky]

I will say this:

On the boats, we might associate with the JO's a bit, but not much.  Same with the Chiefs--a little but not much.  Blueshirts ran with blueshirts, CPO's with CPO's, and O-gangers with other O-gangers.

RARELY the ENG would throw a party for the department if we did well on ORSE or at the end of a deployment.  Even during the Submarine Ball, we all kinda stratified by rank.

When we got to the tender, it was even more strict.  I was in Guam when the Holland showed up (I crossdecked from Proteus to Holland.)  NONE of the khakis showed up to the divisional party, and we had that thing over two days.

And frankly, what nads knows about DEVGRU can be summarized in two words: jack shit.  If she didn't live in SD, I doubt she's ever met a SEAL.  Hell, I was on two boats, a tender, and recruiting duty, and the number I personally know by name I can count on my hands with fingers left over.

[Rebel]

There are warrant officers in every branch in the army, to my knowledge, even 18 CMF. What I tried to be, a 153A rotary wing aviator, is/was the only one that didn't require you to have a feeder MOS.

[GOBUCKS]

Funny how being a c*%k holster seems to give nads some special inside knowledge of the military.

Of all the roles nutcase nadin has played, that's one that had never occurred to me.

But it's one of the best comments of all time!

[NHSparky]

There are warrant officers in every branch in the army, to my knowledge, even 18 CMF. What I tried to be, a 153A rotary wing aviator, is/was the only one that didn't require you to have a feeder MOS.

Bit of a difference between Army and Navy/Marine WO's though.  Not many WO's with less than 15 years of service in the Navy or Marines.

[AprilRazz]

Of all the roles nutcase nadin has played, that's one that had never occurred to me.

But it's one of the best comments of all time!

She reminds me of this woman.
Sent to the commanding officer at Point Mugu, CA.

Question:
What is the deal with the gate guards not surrendering salutes to officer’s vehicles? I don’t think an admiral’s wife or your wife would appreciate that either. We’ve worked hard to get here and should be recognized. They learned to recognize your vehicles. On every base I’ve been on they have a sign WE RENDER SALUTES PROUDLY. Here they work on trying not to salute the vehicle if the active duty member is not present.

Isn’t it by UCMJ code they are supposed to render a salute to an officer? The vehicle has a sticker so why do they not (salute) whether or not the active duty member is present or not? Fill me in!! DO THEY NOT TRAIN THESE PEOPLE ANY MORE?? If not, I see more and more laxness going on in this military.

A CWO wife.

Answer:
Wow. That’s quite a sense of entitlement you have. Are you sure a salute is sufficient? Perhaps a curtsy or a genuflect would be more appropriate? We could have one sentry prostrate himself before you while the other fetches some oats for that high horse you’re riding.

First, the irony of addressing what you perceive to be an issue of respect in such a disrespectful tone is not lost. Secondly, since you specifically brought her into the dialogue, my wife thinks your question indicates a regrettably narrow perspective. Third, yes, we have training which encompasses many things for which a post sentry is responsible and accountable, primarily focused on force protection, anti-terrorism, law enforcement, defense of critical assets and infrastructure, and the use of lethal force. But thanks for asking. Fourth, if you consider standing a post 65-70 hours a week as “laxness,” then I invite you to put on your winter coat and go stand on the asphalt in front of your house for four hours holding your vacuum cleaner when the temperature reaches 85 degrees. That will give you some very small sense of what it is like to man a post, without of course the lethal responsibility.

Salutes are a custom between military members dating back as far as Roman times when soldiers approached each other in a manner to indicate they were not armed. The custom evolved over many centuries in many militaries, but it has always been a custom exclusively between military members. It is also important to understand that the salute is a custom of mutual respect, not subservience. That is why both members salute. It is customary (and required under Navy regulations) for the junior to render (not “surrender”) the salute first, but the senior member must return the salute promptly and in the same manner. This tangibly expresses the reciprocal respect among military members. NBVC sentries will render salutes to properly identified officers, active or retired, immediately upon identification. The salute was never intended as recognition of, or as a reward for, your “hard work to get here.” While I certainly value that hard work and your support of your husband’s military career, along with the sacrifice it entails, you ma’am are compensated in other ways for those achievements and accomplishments.

You rate many things other than a salute as a dedicated Navy wife, our gratitude, appreciation, and respect among them. I sincerely hope, expect, and require that you are always treated courteously and professionally on our bases. I would ask that you give the sentries their due as well rather than leaping to the most cynical of all conclusions when our execution is imperfect.

[Rebel]

Hate to be that CWO.

[Skul]

062B was an Army driver several decades ago.
That was my MOS. The feeder at that time was a high school diploma.
Considerably more difficult to get into the program now.
 

[NHSparky]

Thanks for that letter, Doc.  I love the fact the CO himself basically pimp-smacked her for being such a pompus ass.

And note to military spouses--you do NOT rate salutes, and you're not getting one.  Witches like you are why most of the boat wives HATED associating with other boat wives.

I can just see nads at one of these meetings or whoever had her on the phone tree: "Aw ****--why do I have to call this bitch?"

[Skul]

Thanks for that letter, Doc.  I love the fact the CO himself basically pimp-smacked her for being such a pompus ass.

And note to military spouses--you do NOT rate salutes, and you're not getting one.  Witches like you are why most of the boat wives HATED associating with other boat wives.

I can just see nads at one of these meetings or whoever had her on the phone tree: "Aw ****--why do I have to call this bitch?"

Reminds me a bit of the responce that an AF CO sent to a whiner over "jet noise".
I know you remember that one.

[NHSparky]

Reminds me a bit of the responce that an AF CO sent to a whiner over "jet noise".
I know you remember that one.

Sure do--the young man they were honoring went to the same high school I did (Farmington, NM) a number of years after I had.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/wakeup.asp