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It could have been a battlefield study, field trip, site visit, guided tour, or traditional staff ride; whatever we'll choose to call it, which event stands out in your mind as the best, most interesting, informative, or just plain most enjoyable event? What was it that made that particular experience "head-and-shoulders" above the rest? Please feel free to add any links, files, sound, video, photographs, stories or any combination of the above in order to tell your story. I've had and heard of some great experiences... what was yours? This should be great fun and quite informative at the same time... there's just one simple rule here, display respect for all members, of all ranks, and in all statuses. Thank you for all that you do, and... see you all in the discussion threads!
Training
Education
Motivation
Development
Mentorship
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 30
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I was a VIP briefer on the Korean DMZ back in '86/87, and we hauled all sorts of folks around.
On one trip, a three-star decided to give our PFC driver a hard time as we started, and when the PFC told everyone to get their seat belts on, the General said, "And what if I don't want to wear it?"
Without skipping a beat, the PFC responded, "That's okay sir, you don't have to wear it. I'll drive really slow so you can walk alongside the van."
Another flag officer - a Marine Corps two-star - got all pissy at Guard Post Ouellette when the E-7 in charge at the moment came up to greet us as we climbed up to the first observation platform. The general came unhinged that the SFC didn't salute him because he was a general and this lowly piss-ant was only an E-7, and blah-blah-blah...
The Sergeant just smiled and said, "Sir, with your permission, please direct your attention to that bunker over there. See the guy with the binoculars and sniper rifle in front of him? He's looking for targets. His weapon has a maximum effective range of 1200 meters, and this location is 814 meters away from him, making the chances of a single-shot kill almost guaranteed. Their orders are to engage any and all identifiable officers they see. SIR!"
The, now pasty-white general slowly lowered the binos and looked at the E-7.. who was standing there with a HUGE smile and the most perfect salute ever seen in the US military. The General SCREAMED like a little girl, ducked, and ran for the van, screaming, "GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE," the whole way.
On another trip, a group of journalists that were HUGE whiners were in attendance. They didn't want to hear about ANYTHING we had to say and what the conditions were like. No problem. We began our tour and immediately changed course from Guard Post Ouellette to Collier... for the visual effect.
We crested the hill to the top (about a 60-degree incline, and a parking spot JUST long enough for the van) and the reporters went silent for a moment, then asked, "What is that?" "Why does it say, 'Front Toward Enemy'??"
"That, Gentlemen, is an M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine. With a quarter pound of C-4 explosives, it blows up and sends "Double-Ought" buckshot out to range of better than 100 meters, and anything within the 60-degree arc is killed. Right now, you are looking at it at a range of between six and twelve FEET. Would anyone like to know more about how serious this mission is, and how seriously we are defending our positions and our LIVES out here? Thank you."
I don't know why, but they all started to be much more subdued after that.
http://api.ning.com/files/ybaGuFhqqOrINCoKs3lK9t*O6GNi06wkPG7ZoMHUN6cVfMuUGGk4yCmRdXyI0ixiOCB6xVyN538BGLPJBAqOBIZQMHW1uP3y/ClaymoremineatGuardPostCollierd.jpg
On one trip, a three-star decided to give our PFC driver a hard time as we started, and when the PFC told everyone to get their seat belts on, the General said, "And what if I don't want to wear it?"
Without skipping a beat, the PFC responded, "That's okay sir, you don't have to wear it. I'll drive really slow so you can walk alongside the van."
Another flag officer - a Marine Corps two-star - got all pissy at Guard Post Ouellette when the E-7 in charge at the moment came up to greet us as we climbed up to the first observation platform. The general came unhinged that the SFC didn't salute him because he was a general and this lowly piss-ant was only an E-7, and blah-blah-blah...
The Sergeant just smiled and said, "Sir, with your permission, please direct your attention to that bunker over there. See the guy with the binoculars and sniper rifle in front of him? He's looking for targets. His weapon has a maximum effective range of 1200 meters, and this location is 814 meters away from him, making the chances of a single-shot kill almost guaranteed. Their orders are to engage any and all identifiable officers they see. SIR!"
The, now pasty-white general slowly lowered the binos and looked at the E-7.. who was standing there with a HUGE smile and the most perfect salute ever seen in the US military. The General SCREAMED like a little girl, ducked, and ran for the van, screaming, "GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE," the whole way.
On another trip, a group of journalists that were HUGE whiners were in attendance. They didn't want to hear about ANYTHING we had to say and what the conditions were like. No problem. We began our tour and immediately changed course from Guard Post Ouellette to Collier... for the visual effect.
We crested the hill to the top (about a 60-degree incline, and a parking spot JUST long enough for the van) and the reporters went silent for a moment, then asked, "What is that?" "Why does it say, 'Front Toward Enemy'??"
"That, Gentlemen, is an M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine. With a quarter pound of C-4 explosives, it blows up and sends "Double-Ought" buckshot out to range of better than 100 meters, and anything within the 60-degree arc is killed. Right now, you are looking at it at a range of between six and twelve FEET. Would anyone like to know more about how serious this mission is, and how seriously we are defending our positions and our LIVES out here? Thank you."
I don't know why, but they all started to be much more subdued after that.
http://api.ning.com/files/ybaGuFhqqOrINCoKs3lK9t*O6GNi06wkPG7ZoMHUN6cVfMuUGGk4yCmRdXyI0ixiOCB6xVyN538BGLPJBAqOBIZQMHW1uP3y/ClaymoremineatGuardPostCollierd.jpg
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Many years ago I had the priviledge of touring the military park in Vicksburg, MS. My wife is from Vicksburg and wanted me to see the park and to be our tour guide, she asked her uncle, who was the park historian at the time. It took us three days to complete the tour, but it was one of the best tours I have ever experienced at a battlefield park. He showed me things that are not part of the normal tour that he as found over the years in researching the siege and battles fought upto the time of the siege. He was able to bring the battle to life for me with excellent details of who did what at a specific spot. It was a great ride.
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One time we was going to the Airfield for some chinook training and I was driving a 5 ton with my two NCOs up front and about 2 or 3 squads in the back of the truck. I took my time driving the best I could applying slow steady pressure to brakes and drove slow all around to try to make the ride comforatbale as possible beacuse we all know that shit is ruff riding back there. So when we got to the airfield and everyone got down all I heard was bitching whinning and crying about how bad I drove and I simply told them I couldn't drive any better it's not a damn Cadilac so I was like okay guys I got something for you. After the training was done we started to head out and before I left the main gain from the air field I told my two NCOs up front about everything and I said I was going to slam the brakes to give them something to bitch about. So they braced themselves and I slammed on the brakes and charlie miked out the gate and man that shit was hilarious I could just hear them crying and bitching and boy did I hear it when I got out that truck... Totally worth it.. lol
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