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Butter bars?


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Shortly after leaving Boot Camp I headed off to Quantico, VA. for my MOS training. Butterbars were EVERYWHERE. And each one seemed to have a chip on their shoulder, at least it seemed that way to a young PFC who had just a bit of an issue with authority.

 

lol.... It didn't take that PFC long to learn the the USMC does not appreciate enlisted personnel putting their hands on officers and the phrase "With all due respect, sir..." loses any and all of it's protective magic once the discussion turns physical.  At the time, my attitude about stripes was 'easy come, easy go' :)

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1 hour ago, Festus G Lonetree said:

Shortly after leaving Boot Camp I headed off to Quantico, VA. for my MOS training. Butterbars were EVERYWHERE. And each one seemed to have a chip on their shoulder, at least it seemed that way to a young PFC who had just a bit of an issue with authority.

 

lol.... It didn't take that PFC long to learn the the USMC does not appreciate enlisted personnel putting their hands on officers and the phrase "With all due respect, sir..." loses any and all of it's protective magic once the discussion turns physical.  At the time, my attitude about stripes was 'easy come, easy go' :)

Q:  What's the difference between a Second Lieutenant and a Private First Class?

 

A: One has been promoted.

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On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 5:23 PM, Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 said:

I thought all Air Force officers were Colonel or above. 

Nope! But my father told me a sign that he actually saw in an officer's mess in Puerto Rico, just about the time I was born... "Air Corps colonels under the age of 21 WILL NOT be served hard liquor!" He was a company CO of a signal company at Barincon Field (later Ramey AFB), supporting the Air Corps at that base.  He had held a reserve commission as a captain before WWII broke out. Later served overseas with the 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division.

Of course it sounds hilarious, but in that time frame, the AAC (later Army Air Forces) were losing so many planes and pilots over Europe, that competent aircraft commanders were getting promoted a lot earlier than they would have in peacetime.  (Eighth Air Force lost more men, officers and enlisted than the USMC did the whole war!  The chances of completing a 25 mission tour alive or at best as a POW, was practically nil.  It wasn't until 1944 that 8th AF gained anything like air superiority, when the P-51's became available to escort the bombers to Germany.

 

During  the Viet Nam era, Air Force 2LT's were promoted to 1LT at 18 months.  Army butter bars turned silver six months earlier! 

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23 minutes ago, Trailrider #896 said:

Nope! But my father told me a sign that he actually saw in an officer's mess in Puerto Rico, just about the time I was born... "Air Corps colonels under the age of 21 WILL NOT be served hard liquor!" He was a company CO of a signal company at Barincon Field (later Ramey AFB), supporting the Air Corps at that base.  He had held a reserve commission as a captain before WWII broke out. Later served overseas with the 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division.

Of course it sounds hilarious, but in that time frame, the AAC (later Army Air Forces) were losing so many planes and pilots over Europe, that competent aircraft commanders were getting promoted a lot earlier than they would have in peacetime.  (Eighth Air Force lost more men, officers and enlisted than the USMC did the whole war!  The chances of completing a 25 mission tour alive or at best as a POW, was practically nil.  It wasn't until 1944 that 8th AF gained anything like air superiority, when the P-51's became available to escort the bombers to Germany.

 

During  the Viet Nam era, Air Force 2LT's were promoted to 1LT at 18 months.  Army butter bars turned silver six months earlier! 

Now that richt there is funny. 

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On 10/15/2017 at 1:54 PM, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Yes. The same basic lensatic compass, updated with tritium.

Because GPS doesn't always work.

http://olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_compass_lensatic.php

When I was a 1SG I ripped a Butter Bar for failing land nav, he got smart telling me that he has a GPS and would never need to use a map and compass. I told him NEVER think that you GPS would alway work, if you can't navigate you are worthless. Fast forward 2 months we are in Mosul a Plt. is in contact this Lt. was trying to get to the fight with is Plt but couldn't get a signal in his up armor so he put the widow down put his arm out. That is when his truck was hit with an IED he almost lost the arm. Technology is great but you can NEVER think it is the end all be all. 

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1 hour ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

Yeah, and then Amelia Earhart did it also.

Well.....mostly.

 

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9 hours ago, Alpo said:

"6"? Ain't that "military-speak" for "ass"?

 

"Hey Leroy, watch your 6!"

 

Six is radio code for the company cmmander. At least when I was in.

 

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