Yeah, I know I promised something with explosions after last month's epistle, but this story was on top of the pile. It almost has explosions - for my part, I like it better that way.

Something I posted eight years ago:

I Speak PERFECT Vietnamese!

Pidgin Poop

Throughout 1968, I spent a great deal of time working with the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) in the area between the old Imperial Capital, Hu...

(Another poster mentioned automatic weapons systems, which reminded me of this little episode. OPSEC, PERSEC, etc. have all been adhered to.)

We were sitting in class that afternoon in the huge auditorium in the main building of Staff Academy on Quantico, VA. It was late fall in Virginia and I was bitter and resentful about having been sent to Staff Academy. This was because I’d been planning to...

Hi again brothers and sisters. Even if the title changed, you might recognize me from my First Story, my Second Story and Third Story. Once again, thank you for all your support. Writing is my therapy, you reading it is part of it. Thank you for your caring and loving comments. Merci beaucoup.

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I’m French. I’m in the Army. I’m in the infantry and fucking proud of it. I do love embracing the suck...

About 3 weeks after the storm hit, life was pretty good and routine. I still didn't have my SUV back so was totally reliant on the electric golf Kart that the CO had given me upon my return from NAS Meridian 4 days after the storm hit. Now this kart was a little unique as it had a front seat, back seat, and a 3 foot flat deck behind the back seat, as well as a Bimini (canvas roof). I had adorned...

TL;DR at bottom

So for background I'm in the army (won't disclose which) and I'm a tank gunner. Every year we have to do online courses on certain subjects such as CBRN, Conduct after Capture, Weapons Handeling, etc...

Sometimes they say on your spare time you will do online courses at home (that don't count for shit) and most of the time the chain of command usually loses all of them and you end...

This was a good 22 years ago and I need to set the stage a little bit: I was an Air Force Staff Sergeant (SSgt) stationed on an Army Post as part of a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). Our officers were supposed to be fighter pilots that were temporarily grounded for a three year tour. Of course these guys hated that (anything that takes them out of a cockpit) and a metric shit-ton of bennies...

Veterans of Reddit, what are some recruiter stories that, looking back, we’re just downright awful ploys?

Scene: a military camp on the second week of December 1999, just two days to the turn of the millenium. The Major has planned a party this evening, because most people are going home or on leave during the New Year.

During the party, the Major notes that the ice-cream is missing. He goes around the back of the officer's mess, and can't find it. He goes around the other side of the mess, and...

I still believe in, and love America. Not the geographic borders, or the fortunate accident of my birth of being born inside them. I mean the greater metaphysical concept of what it is to be an American. I do have a very complicated love/hate relationship with Americans as a people, finding them often to fulfill many of the negative international cultural stereotypes. But I love the spirit of...

When I was stationed at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, there was very little Marine Corps training going on at the Marine Detachment. This was due to the insanely demanding academic schedule we were subjected to. For us Arabic students, the courses ran anywhere from 68 to 75 weeks depending on whether or not the student took the dialect courses as well.

The result was a lot of...