I am in the Navy(submariner) and haven't worn dog tags since I got out of school, I lost them years ago. The only non-standard thing I had on them was silencers, which makes them a lot more bearable.

In a future where compact fusion reactors are viable and stable under multiple G's and they exhaust something that acts as ECS and completely blocks microwaves (like how high densities of CO2 blocks infra-red ranges) then mobile suits are plausible.

Mobile suits would also make a great raiding weapon for space colonies and close combat with enemy vessels just on the active sonar principle of submarine combat. You have to remember that the deep ocean and space are the same. Combat will revolve on first acquisition of the enemy, maneuvering into a range at which your weapons cannot be evaded, and delivering a crippling blow. RADAR is outright in space because, with absolutely no dispersion or noise because there's nothing there, it's an instant broadcast of your position to the enemy. Even a periodic radar like on a seeking missile can be tracked, the course predicted, and a ballistic interceptor fired to wipe out the missile. Space combat is just going to be like sub combat and instead of listening to passive sonar for subtle audio cues to your opponent, you are going to be scanning every perceptible inch of space with visual/IR just for any kind of engine flare or elevated heat levels. This is where your fighter's/mobile suits come in.

It wouldn't take long to deploy mobile suits for combat via high G catapults assisted by their own thrust and they're going to be moving with your vessel already so they carry your speed. This would increase your radius of detection by a couple hundred km while they're on patrol. Laser communications are a snap to use in space and virtually undetectable unless you directly point at an enemy (unlike any form of radio wave which would not only act as a beacon to the enemy but be easily intercepted). And what you end up having is a carrier out in space on patrol in a sector with their own mobile suit patrols, if one group stumbles upon a ship and catches it by surprise here's what having a mobile suit gives you:

1. You have a versatile platform that can attach to anything without using special equipment and can use universal weapon systems without having a mechanic/ordinance guy have to attach them.
2. In a double axis 360 degree environment it is vital that you be able to aim weapons to almost any direction without having the added weight of multiple weapon mounts pointing the same weapon type in multiple directions and also incur the minimum G loading on your pilot. The natural aiming motions of the human body augmented with micro-thrusters (verniers) would provide this.
3. Having a large attack mobile suit carrying weapons suitably heavy enough to damage an enemy vessel to the point that it cannot retaliate is a must. In space everything is scarce so if you can keep an enemy vessel mostly intact it would be a huge plus. Nuking it from a thousand klicks after acquiring it on radar might work in a battle group on battle group

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>>954
>turning a tank into an unstoppable land battleship doesn't really fit in as a tank

There are some who would disagree.

>>875

sir i have spoted an enemy mecha...
shoot the legs... think... legs, joints and moveing parts and nowhere to put amour... hit just one knee joint and the whole thing falls over

that said mechas are cool... and the physiological impact of one on the field... well thats all it be good for

>there is no be-all-end-all weapons platform
yes there is we call them feet and hands, with ears and eyes for IFF and target AQ

>turning a tank into an unstoppable land battleship doesn't really fit in as a tank
... a tank IS an unstoppable land battleship... that was the original idea of the tank for WW1

>one that would turn your helicopter into a rapid response hover gunship
....that IS what a helicopter is... now...not sci fi

>Having a weapons platform that can basically pick up a weapon off the ground and use it, operate in terrain that makes tanks useless
...that is called infantry

>>954
well... i have a logical argument for EVERYTHING you said and just dont like the idea of that much tipeing... too much sci-fi to little sci-fact...

Do Psyops guys do a lot of opinion polls and the like, or is that on the humint side?

I don't think PSYOPS is open to regular enlistment. I think you either have to have a BS or already be in for a few years. I could be mistaken though.

I don't think PSYOPS is open to regular enlistment. I think you either have to have a BS or already be in for a few years. I could be mistaken though.

>>930

We never did polls.

>>959
You do have indeed have to reenlist/reclass into it, but having a bachelor's does nothing for you if you're a new enlistee toward changing that.

However, psyops does have a sister MOS, Civil Affairs, which is indeed available upon initial enlistment.

would being certified help speed my way through? Or would I have to learn everything over again regardless?

>>998
No. The military will treat you like a literal retard from the day you sign your contract until you leave. You'll go through the same schools as everyone else has to in your MOS.

Though if you know your craft well (what specifically do you mean by 'electronics'?) it'll help with making a good impression in your unit, getting positive evals and moving up the ranks.

Also, why the Marines? Do you really dig the Semper Fi stuff, because otherwise you might want to check the other branches and see what they're looking for.

>>999
>what specifically do you mean by 'electronics'?
Both analog and digital. Give me a breadboard and the components, and I can build you just about anything.
>why the Marines?
My grandfather, my step-grandfather, and a few uncles were in the marines.

>>1002
AgentCooper is dead on. Regardless of what skills you have before you go into the military they're going to treat you like you know nothing and send you to the same training as everybody else with your MOS.

That being said if you are knowledgeable about your job before you go in it probably will pay off. If you get to your unit and show you're actually halfway competent you're going to get treated better, promoted faster, and hopefully have a better chance of going to schools and such.

Additionally, I know the Marines have a MOS with welding. You should get all of your certifications you need to work in the civilian world while you're in the military. Welding is a pretty valuable skill; though depending on the unions in your area it can be hard to find work, or so I'm told.

>>1007
To tell the truth, I'm not dead set on joining the marines. Not by a long shot. I heard the navy and air force are far less demanding than the marines, I also heard that the navy has a very good training program.

If I find out that I'm a terrible welder and still want to enlist, then I'd probably just go infantry. I could probably use the experience.

>>976
No brand of harness is best, different companies tend to fit different people better. I like Black diamond, mammute and misty mountain myself. Get a padded waist band if you are going to be spending a lot of time in it also detachable leg loops so you can take a shit. You will use a different harness for different applications, you don't want to use a sport climbing harness for alpine climes and don't want to wear an alpine harness if you are sport climbing going to be doing a lot of falling, your nut will thank you, but lick firearms anything will do in a pinch, even a webbing swami belt.

The rope for purely rappelling is often static line, as its name denotes it does not stretch, this makes it good for using rappelling devices and assenting devices, it makes it REALLY REALLY bad to fall on, a 4-6 foot fall on static line will kill you. For climbing you use a dynamic rope that stretches to take up shock, it is also fine to rappel on.

There are many different ways to set up a rappel, in most cases your rappel device can double as your belay device to save weight, but always have a back up in case you drop it. FYI you can set up a rappel device with 6 carbiners and can actually rappel with no device or harness, but it is painful, pic related. (it is also handy for icy ropes that cant be threaded thru a device, but is a LAST RESORT) When you start out back your rappel system up with a prussic, saved my life once. Also go with someone more experienced, there should be a climbing club in your AO.

As for what the rope is connected to, this is called your ANCHOR.

It needs to be bombproof, you should feel like you can lower a car off it, the shock force of a moving person on the rope can cause some pretty extreme forces, tons. The is often a chain between 2 half inch bolts sank 6 inches into the rock, A tree, a large immobile rock, or similar. Remember, your anchor is the only thing keeping you alive.

I strongly recommend purchasing "Mountaineering freedom of the hills."
http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Don-Graydon/dp/0898864275

and John Longs "How to Rock Climb." (he is a friend of the fam, both my side and my wifes." Also one of the best climbers that ever lived, fucken legendary.

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I'm with Sleepy Eyes on this one
(Also, sleepy, grats on Lance Coolie)
The only repelling I did was at PI and the ropes are at the top and go to the bottom.
Also, when I did it, we didn't use harnesses, we used Swiss seats. But for the record, I like Petzl.

>>987
Have you read these books and has anyone else used these books before:

On Rope: North American Vertical Rope Techniques for Caving ... Rappellers(jan 1997)
by Allen Padgett

Rapelling second edition 1988 by tom Martin

Both books were being sold in my old Ranger Joe catalogs from 1998-1999.

>>975
screw brands , roll your own
http://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/knots/knot-of-the-week-swiss-seat/
also you know your pro when
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rappel
enjoy going possum.

>>1005
The Swiss seat is a good skill to know, but spend some time in it and you will be much happier if you got a real harness.

In some cases the face is so low angle that the Aussie rappel is the way to go, for example the Glacier Point Apron in YNP. you practical have to run down to overcome the friction of your gear when you rap off. Pic related.

>>990
No I haven't, like I said before I see rappelling as a way down when their is not other options rather than a goal in it self. Climbers tend to talk a lot of shit on people who go out solely for rappelling. Caving and spelunking tends to use different system than climbing and always uses static line. caving uses this thing called a break bar, it has 2 bars with other bars going across that you remove or add to control speed, it is easy to use, doesn't twist ropes like a figure 8 or the ranger wrap pictured operator is using (that should also be considered an emergency only rappel.) It is also good for heavy use being steel instead of aluminum like most climbing devices, this also makes it too heavy to use for most applications where you have to carry your own gear so it mainly sees use with expeditions.

Ranger joe...I haven't heard that name in years.

Like is said, Freedom of the Hills is the book to get, the mountaineers have been doing their thing for close to a century, it will contain far more useful knowledge than any book on rappelling alone.

>>916
Youll get used to it. Most of the time (for PT tests) you will be on mats. Smoking? good luck. Pushups, situps, and flutter kicks etc on gravel fucking hurts.

>>769

Just realized I goofed on my ship date. I'm actually leaving for Benning on June 5th. Not pinning my hopes on any cool-guy schools (Especially being NG), but I'll push for them every chance I get.

I'll be sure to bring back any interesting stories for you guys.

From Parris Island in 2007.

>At sand pit
>DI's make everyone pack sand into pockets, covers
>Go back upstairs, stand on line
>"Okay (platoon), Ima count down and when I hit ZERO (FREEZERECRUITFREEZE) none of you better have any sand on you at all
>Starts counting - you guys know how fast those guys can count
>Recruits emptying pockets frantically, throwing sand everywhere
>Hits ZERO
>Sand everywhere, probably hundreds of pounds of it
>All over the deck
>All over the racks
>All over the recruits
>All over the goddamn place
>'Okay (platoon), Ima be back real friggin soon. Bytime I get back, this place better be friggin spotless youunderstandat?'

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>Pic related. Also WTF, Thats not fair they have a TV.

Be glad you didn't have one.

After lights out one of our DS would turn it on and play some shitty Arab wailing religious music at max volume, and demand it stay on all night. This went on for like a week and a half.

>>769
I went from getting like ~240 PT scores to getting 4 consecutive 320+ scores. It's all about how much effort you put in.

I wish I still had that kind of motivation and training. I barely pull 230s anymore because I turned into a shitbag and stopped running, though I still max the pushups and situps.

>>920
So the unlimited ice cream buffet thing isnt true? bummer

>>926
No.
Though, they may on Tridents. Those fags get all the perks.

Naval Officer reporting in. I have put put in a plug for my team too!

Have you considered becoming an Officer? You mentioned that school and education are very important for you, and such high ASVAB scores would indicate that you could really excel in university.

If you want an education, enlisting honestly is not always the best route. In the Navy, if you are on sea duty, I can almost guarantee that you will not have time to finish a college degree. Navy College and other college classes offered by the Navy are great, but they are often not accepted for credit by major universities, if you try to use the credit when you get out. Chances are you won't be able to get an education until after you finish your enlisted service so you can use the GI Bill.


In order to be an Officer, you must have a Bachelor's degree. Thus there are several Navy programs that will pay for you to go to university and get your degree BEFORE starting your Navy service. The Navy can't take something (your chance of getting a degree) away from you if you've already gotten it! There are many programs, including NROTC, BDCP, and NPOC that will pay for all or part of your education.

As an Officer, you are a leader and a manager. You will be trusted with incredible responsibility well beyond your civilian peers. You must be smart, self-motivated, and willing to lead others. There are many different Officer communities, including Surface Warfare (Ships), Submarines, Aviation (Pilots and Naval Flight Officers), Special Warfare, and many special communities such as Intelligence, Supply, Medical and JAG (lawyers).

You will be paid more. You will have greater freedom (later curfews on liberty, the privilege of living in a Navy-paid house off base instead of in a barracks). You will also have greater responsibilities and will be held accountable for your performance as well as the performance of your subordinates.

On the other hand, if you like working with your hands or you really want to get into the action "right now", then going the Officer route is not for you.

>>969
Thanks for the input, being an officer isnt something Im totally opposed to, but I dont want to become an officer without any previous experience right off the bat. Besides I already enlisted.

How hard is it to become an officer after I get out and use my GI bill to go to college to get a bachelors degree?

>>907
>Another question, how hard is it to qualify for eye surgery in the navy? Does it depend on your job or how long youve been in?

If you wear contacts or glasses you pretty much automatically "qualify." However, the difference between qualifying and being a priority is pretty big. I wear contacts, and have been trying to get on the waiting list (which is about a year long) for eye surgery. The thing is that there are very few Navy medical centers who offer eye surgery, so it's hard to get it in a timely manner. I've personally pretty much gotta wait til I've left Japan before I can get it. Certain ratings get priority and can jump to the first in line, but I'm not sure which ratings those are right now.

>>972
There's several programs that let you go from enlisted to officer in the Navy, and some of them are pretty nice. STA21 is one of the biggest ones. And if you go enlisted to officer you get extra pay when you make officer. It's pretty easy to get your college degree, but I'd definitely suggest NOT using your GI bill while you're enlisted. The GI bill has a time limit from when you start using it, and after a year in you qualify for tuition assistance, so using the GI bill while you're in is kinda pointless when they'll already help you pay for classes.

Now the AF... Do they get attached to a CAB and work along side them? Are their helicopters sent in to work in conjunction with The Army's ? Do they get sent in if the Army has a shortage or something?

  >>932
>colorful cube

>Now the AF... Do they get attached to a CAB and work along side them? Are their helicopters sent in to work in conjunction with The Army's ? Do they get sent in if the Army has a shortage or something?

No to all of those questions. The only time the USAF works with Army aviation is either when transporting long-range (via C-130, C-17, or C-5), or their weathermen are in our towers.

>983 So do you know where the AF gets deployed to then?

This is just gleaned from the Internet as I have no personal experience:
>>983
In case OP doesn't realize, the Air Force, Navy and Marines and can also provide air superiority and ground attack support to army units in the field. Army Aviation benefits from this by not having to deal with enemy fighters and ground targets that the other branches have already taken out, but it doesn't mean that USAF gets detached to Army Aviation - it just means they're in the same air space and can deal with targets which are too heavy or fast for Army Aviation to deal with on their own. Army special forces have their own JTACs who can call in air strikes from both Army and other branches, as well as allied air forces.

>>985
If you deploy with a combat squadron, you can deploy to any air field capable of launching your aircraft. That might be anything from an established allied military air field, to a forward airfield, but if you're trained in more complex maintenance you'll likely be further back from the "front".

P.S.: If you want to see the shit, push hard and keep pushing hard, and get yourself into the higher tier units. If you want blood n guts, go Ranger. Go SF if you actually give a fuck and want to help the situation. Airborne is another option for higher rate of contact.

Amazing Grace and the shot volleys are a fucking killer though.

Above two posts by an 11C from 2nd ID, 4th Brigade Stryker Combat Team. Deployed to Iraq as part of the surge. So you'll find much more experience on this site, and more valuable advice, but here is your grunt's-eye-view.

All the best, and I commend you for your goodwill and eagerness to contribute. The Infantry tends to draw some unreasonably high GT scores. But what I said stands: the higher tier you get into, the "sexier" the missions, and the better the gear, better transportation (usually? BAMFs confirm or debunk this please).

Your heart is in the right place. Mad respect, brother.

Actually the chances of me being shot in afgan are low. I'm F/E. I spend my days preparing flight equipment. I just want to be somewhere my job actually matters. Here in CONUS most of what I do is a waste of time. Seriously the training missions they do here if they fuck up my gear I issue them is for the most part worthless. In theater what I do may actually save a life. The only thing I do here that matters in maintain the egress systems and then only a chunk of it.
I'm not saying F/E never leaves the shop. Actually I know a lot of guys who have gone outside the wire to find a pair of NVGs that some dumbass aircrewman lost in flight (that shit is expensive). I've heard stories of at least one guy from the HMLA squadron near mine who got hit by a mortar going to chow. So yes I know its not risk free but it is minimal considering some of the past jobs I've worked.
And I don't care if its a just war or not. Really I don't. Its a job and I get paid a lot more if I deploy than if I stay here in NC. I'm a greedy mother fucker.

I guess really right now I'm disappointed that I'm pretty much the only new guy in the squadron not going on the MEU that's coming up and the next few DETs I'm not eligible for because I'm not a CDI or some kind of QA (those quals are a long ways off). I'm stuck here till early next year and that deployment is really up in the air right now so I might be waiting to end of next year/beginning of 2014 before there is another MEU for me to go on. I feel like I'm getting boned.

Of course you're getting boned, that's what the big green weenie does. BOHICA, brah! Keep being a BAMF and good shit will come your way.

You'll still get boned regularly. Remember to say thank you.

>>962
Me too man. I was in the hot seat to get to see one or both of them with my ranger contract. And much to my dismay, and my parents joy, I got hurt and discharged. Now I am finishing school and re-enlisting. So Ill be around for the next one I am sure. Besides, 18x Here I come.

>>696

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_war_theory

YES

Because if it wasn't for war, you people wouldn't know what peace was.

>>700
>Know that having any sort of history with the Peace Corps is an automatic no-go for obtaining a security clearance.
The hell?

>>921
Peace Corps was hevily infiltrated by KGB informants and agents dunring the cold war, much like the CND was.

"This does not mean that you are war mongers. On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." -GEN Douglas MacArthur