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  • #31
    Irishrgr...I had assumed that you were of the 18 series (18A?) variety. Were you filling a slot, and never made it to Q course...or am I completely mixing you up with someone else !!!??? Wouldn't be the first time I've done that :-)
    No-one, I think, is in my tree...

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    • #32
      Think of "F Troop" as Sgt. Bilko in the Wild West.

      is that stetson green? If so is it for wear with the ACU's? It is a strange color
      Brown. It's not a Stetson, more of a Fedora. Campaign Hat, Pattern 1901. About a year ago 11th ACR went from the normal black cavalry Stetson to this thing as it was the first item of headgear worn by the unit when it was formed way back when. Think Drill Sergeant's Hat meets Indiana Jones' hat. I've not seen anyone wearing it in the flesh, I've no idea what it looks like on someone.

      Originally posted by irishrgr View Post
      It's a strange transformation. They are changing an Armour Bn into a Cavalry Squadron, so most of the lads have to ge trained as 19D (Cav scouts) form tankers. The new format of the squadron is two Cavalry Troops and an Airborne LRS Company. Our official designation is 3rd Squadron 124th Cavalry Regiment (Reconaissance & Surveillance), so we're a mix of both. I won't have to switch branches as most of the staff positions are Infantry/Armour, so I keep my crossed rifles and I'll get to jump with LRS, so it won't be bad. Apparently though, in keeping with tradition, I will have to wear a stetson like CalTankers.....I swear I'll look like a pillock in it.....sigh
      Wait 'till you do a Spur Ride. (Think EIB, focused more on Cav tasks). If you can keep the crossed rifles, are you sure you don't keep the cord? I thought it was an MOS thing, not an assignment thing. At worst, you still get the CIB as an obvious indicator. I think I get to keep the tanker boots, but I'm probably going to have to take off the Pershing.

      Sounds about right otherwise. The cav unit I've joined, 1/221 used to be equipped in effect as a pure tank battalion. It traded in the M1s in for Bradleys, Hummers and a few ancilliary yokes about a year ago. All the 19Ks are converting, which is fine for me as I'm slipping into a free slot in one of their Bradley conversion courses next month. That said, there is quite a groundswell of support for putting tanks back in either Troop or Squadron (American usage) levels to provide a bit more punch, the article in last months' Armor Magazine was just the first I've seen in writing on the subject. You may recall that maybe 10-15 years ago, a cav platoon used to be a couple of tanks, a couple of APCs and a mortar track. Quite a good variety of capability, I think they're trying to get back to it. I wouldn't be surprised to see four tanks in a Cav Troop again within, say two years.

      Otherwise, however, tanks are being serously reduced in numbers. We went from four battalions in California to two companies. A lot of unhappy tankers, and a stupid amount of competition of O-3 and E-7/E-8 slots in the two remaining line companies. Part of the reason I left: They gave the company to a 21A, which made no sense to me at all.

      NTM
      Last edited by California Tanker; 13 November 2007, 08:01.
      Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

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      • #33
        Originally posted by irishrgr View Post
        I swear I'll look like a pillock in it.....sigh
        No that's a word I haven't heard in a while. Looks like you've been a way a loooooooong time.
        Meh.

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        • #34
          Pillock

          Well I have been away for a bit (24 years), picked it up from my wife who is English (the irony of a Paddy moving to America and marrying a Brit is not lost on me)...my actual comments to my commander was more along the lines of "a right fcukin' eejit" but one doesn't want to offend the mods with foul and abusive language does one????

          In response to above, nope, never made it to the 18A Q course. Variety of reasons to include back to back deployments, family and my seniority as a CPT. No regrets though, it wasn't meant to be apparently, and besides I have the "real" tab anyway. Did have good times with the unit though, a couple of trips accross the pond (one as HQ Company Commander) so I enjoyed it.

          Now I'm back in the conventional Army as the Bn Operations Officer (S-3), more planning than anything else, although the Stetson thing still bothers me............

          A

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          • #35
            Spur ride

            Sorry, premature clicking of the "post" button.......we're working up the concept for our spur ride. Commander wants to do something different as we are a combination of CAV and INF, so it'll be somewhere between the EIB and the spur thing. He wants to reflect both lineages. Our Regiment was the last unit in the US Army to formally give up it's horses in 1944. They fought in the China-Burma-India theater in WWII, so we're looking at trying to link our spur ride to that somehow.

            We had a long discussion about the blue cord though (my Boss is IN/RGR/ABN to the core), but it (by regulation) is not an option. Have to be an IN Officer/Soldier in an actual Infantry unit (we looked it up). We're looking at a possible comprimise of finding a blue cord to wear on the feckin Stetson for IN and the AR lads can wear the yellow....alreday go the CIB on a previous trip (and managed to survive to tell the tale). I'm on a losing battle about this Stetson thing, but I'm holding out until the end....Giddy Up!!!!!

            A

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            • #36
              Sorry, mate. As a Field-Grade, you're getting a gold cord on the Stetson whether you like it or not. The branch colour for cord applies only to enlisted men, but all the 11Bs should not only be entitled but by tradition are supposed to wear blue cords.

              I have to say, I disagree to on 'mixing' the EIB and Spur requirements. 11-series troops in your unit can presumably still go for an undiluted EIB from my reading of the regs, I don't think the 19Ds will appreciate a 'partial infantry' entry into the Order of the Spur. Put another way, what would the 11Bs think of allowing the 19Ds to go for a slightly 'spurified' EIB? (I know they can't by reg, as it's an official award and not a traditional award, but you get my point). As much as the EIB is strictly open to 11Bs only, if they're going to go for the spurs, I think they should go for the full normal Cav requirement. Unless you want to have only the infantry/cav spur as an option and won't do any EIBs, which I think is probably unfair on the Infantry types.

              Not sure I can help you too much on the Horsey/Burma bit. Get them to name all the components of tack in Chinese?

              NTM
              Last edited by California Tanker; 14 November 2007, 08:23.
              Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

              Comment


              • #37
                Originally posted by irishrgr View Post
                Well I have been away for a bit (24 years), picked it up from my wife who is English (the irony of a Paddy moving to America and marrying a Brit is not lost on me)
                You're not the only one. I know a guy who was born in England to an Irish Dad (who he says was a para and fought at Arnhem) and grew up there. Moved to the US and married an English woman. Made sure raised his kids in the true religion though. Has them referring to his mother as "the heathen".

                heheheh
                Meh.

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                • #38
                  Cal, is it to be worn with the dress blues? If so I can't see that looking sharp, it would look OK with the ACU's but that is about it. I'll have to keep an eye out for it in this state.

                  IrishRgr - I agree with Cal on thed spur thing - having been in both sides of the branches it could go over like a fart in church. The difficulty level of the 19D MOS as compared to the 11 series is much more complex and Cav Scouts seem to have the same level of pride as infantry - I'd keep it separate.

                  I remember the last 19D MOST we ran before being converted to 11B. All the students were former 19K and had the death before dismount attitude. Ended up being a great class and they deployed to Iraq with the 34th. Now going through the case of former 19K and 19D are being made 11B and that is whole different problem. Definite resistance and most of them can't make the mental transition - which I understand completely.

                  Irish - are you going to be able to jump with LRS if not on jump status anymore (which I assume you're not in your current position)?

                  Finally, am I the only US Mil here that is not an officer?
                  There may be only one time in your life when your country will call upon you and you will be the only one who can do the nasty job that has to be done -- do it or forever after there will be the taste of ashes in your mouth.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Originally posted by ARNGScout View Post
                    Cal, is it to be worn with the dress blues? If so I can't see that looking sharp, it would look OK with the ACU's but that is about it. I'll have to keep an eye out for it in this state.
                    I doubt you'll see it over on your side of the country, only 11th ACR wears it. I understand it is to be worn with the Blues, and I agree with you that I'm not entirely sure how well that would work. Then again, I'm not sure how well it works with anything, not having seen one.

                    Finally, am I the only US Mil here that is not an officer?
                    Look on the bright side, you'd be the only US Mil on here with a clue about what's going on in the real world!

                    NTM
                    Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Look on the bright side, you'd be the only US Mil on here with a clue about what's going on in the real world!
                      LOL If only.

                      When the time comes will you post photos of yourself wearing said hat, or are some things better left alone?
                      There may be only one time in your life when your country will call upon you and you will be the only one who can do the nasty job that has to be done -- do it or forever after there will be the taste of ashes in your mouth.

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                      • #41
                        LOL If only.
                        Oh. They're not letting you in the loop either?

                        I'm sure there will be some obliging cameraman at the Change of Command ceremony, which will doubtless be a cav-hat occasion.

                        NTM
                        Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Loop? Right now it's more like spaghetti junction in this State. Deployment looming - brought forward, way forward. State leadership are like headless chickens. Amusing and scary to watch at the same time. Knew it was going to be a clusterf*#k when the BCT commanders (and everyone else for that matter) found out the deployment date was brought forward by several months after they read the report in the paper of the State AG's press conference about the deployment. Beautiful stuff.
                          There may be only one time in your life when your country will call upon you and you will be the only one who can do the nasty job that has to be done -- do it or forever after there will be the taste of ashes in your mouth.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Originally posted by irishrgr View Post
                            and besides I have the "real" tab anyway.
                            Yeah, the "REAL" lame one

                            Zing! Oh, I slay me.
                            Last edited by ex pat 007; 16 November 2007, 00:44.
                            When I breeze into that city, people gonna stoop and bow.
                            All them women gonna make me, teach 'em what they don't know how

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                            • #44
                              Originally posted by ex pat 007 View Post
                              Yeah, the "REAL" lame one

                              Zing! Oh, I slay me.
                              My standard answer to the "real tab'.....where was SF (and I don't eman the OSS or any other stuff like that) in June 1944......oh wait, they wern't there.....thats right the long tab was "invented" in the 60's.....right.....used to be a great time slagging my mates about it.....good fun that. I like the slagging about unit pride...

                              As for jumping, yes, I'll get to jump with LRS. Select memebrs of the HQ are on status for Command and COntrol/oversight purposes. Already jumped with them last month and supposed to pop a canopy with them in December too. Commander has agreed to let squared away troops (High APFT, etc) jump as an incentive/motivator. We've alredat had a couple fo takers, we'll see next month at the PT test....A

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                              • #45
                                Originally posted by irishrgr View Post
                                My standard answer to the "real tab'.....where was SF (and I don't eman the OSS or any other stuff like that) in June 1944......oh wait, they wern't there.....thats right the long tab was "invented" in the 60's.....right.....used to be a great time slagging my mates about it.....good fun that. I like the slagging about unit pride...
                                Nope, the tab was authorized for wear 1983...the foreign type headgear has been around since the sixties though. The long tab has been retroactively awarded to members of the 1st special service force, OSS and alamo scouts who served for 120 days or more in wartime.

                                Where was Bob Rodgers during the revolution? I too enjoy these inter unit rivalries...just dont get me started on the Marine Corps.
                                When I breeze into that city, people gonna stoop and bow.
                                All them women gonna make me, teach 'em what they don't know how

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