Credo
"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones
"Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra"
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche
"A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier
"Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas
"Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex
Next thing you know, she’ll be diaper-driving to Houston.
Ah, that was just a b-b gun.
It was the hammer, knife and surgical tubing that sorta left me staring…
Damn – I wish they’d let me have that job.
Unless things have changed, the Navy’s traditional view is that small arms and small arms training are a great nuisance to be tolerated at best, if not avoided altogether. The photo shows typical “familiarization firing” aboard ships- make it go bang a number of times without hitting self or own ship and everyone is happy and training record entires are made. Actually being able to hit anything, or have even modest proficiency is not even a dream. (Notable exceptions- SEALs and SEABEEs.)
The Navy really needs to get serious about small arms training, and devote the time (and ammo and facilities) to become deadly proficient. Maybe the same amount of time devoted to sexual harassment or equal opportunity training?
The security of our tiny fleet depends on it!
Shipmates,
I suspect that there will be much gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair, wailing, and rending of clothes by the other services when they get ahold of this article.
I mean, really, if there is a need for this sort of thing, then the Navy has it all over the other services. Seriously, we literally have hundreds of ships just full of seamen just waiting to answer their country’s call…
Oh .. wait.. never mind…
Sigh…
Respects,
Ummm….
Seems I managed to miss the article I was shooting for…
The above belongs to the article below…
I’d like to blame Bush for this, but that’s probably too easy…
MARINE CORPS RULES FOR A GUN FIGHT
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you’re probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on “pucker factor” than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won’t work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don’t drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a “4.”
Navy rules for a gunfight:
1. Put to sea.
2. Take Marines
3. Land Marines
4. Drink coffee
LOLOL
Love the gun fight rules.
Not sure which I like better.
This one:
“The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.”
Or these:
Navy rules for a gunfight:
1. Put to sea.
2. Take Marines
3. Land Marines
4. Drink coffee
One of the most Fun days I had in the Army was as a Combat Engineer at Ft.Polk La. in 1982. Being the only Engr unit for the 5th ID, one of our “Official Duties” was disposal and or rendering harmless, outdated Ammunition,Ordanance and Explosives.
My platoon was tasked with disposing approxamatly 300,000 rounds of .50cal ball, some dating back to early Vietnam vintage.
We spent ALL DAY at the range on top of our 113′s lighting up tanks and jeeps and trucks
and cutting down various trees beyond the 1000yd marker.
I know I have pictures, prolly in a foot locker up in the attic, that show my track compleatly COVERED in spent brass.
Dear ASM826: My personal favourites are numbers 10 and 21.
The United States Marine Corps…The Few…The Proud. In my humble opinion…The Best. No disrespect meant, Lex
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
Dear Unkawill: GOOD GRIEF!!! If you don’t mind my asking, how many days did that take?
This is not idle curiosity, as one of my uncles (who served in WW 11, Korea, and Viet Nam) was a demolitions’ expert in the U.S. Navy. I’ve never known if there’s a similarity between the two specialties. Perhaps, if it doesn’t bring back too many bad memories, you wouldn’t mind elaborating a little. Thank you.
An additional gunfight rule – You have the rest of your life to solve the problem. How long that is depends on how well you solve it.
Pogue,
Also, see here:
A.)Good decisions come from experience.
B.)Experience comes from bad decisions.
c.)Always have artillery on speed dial.
d.)Same for TacAir
e.)The judicious use of C&D means less time spent cleaning your weapons, and more “Miller Time”.
Respects,
USS HANCOCK CVA-19, ships landing party.I’m assigned to a rifle squad…I’m the BAR man.Sailors are the riflemen, marines are the squad leaders.I asked the Gunny, my squad leader, “What’s my job?” He says to put out as much lead as I could in the 7 seconds I’d be alive.He says automatic weapons draw the first and the most fire.
NAVY – It’s not just a job.
ASM826, I remember reading those in the Humor section of Military.com. LOL.
I got to expend a total of five .22 caliber “official” rounds in the Navy–in Boot. When I was in, the Navy didn’t seem to want us non-weapon related Rates anywhere near things that went Bang. Unless it was a jet engine. Did my “unofficial” weapons training in the California hills with friends.
Notice how the PR gurus pick a photopgraph to publish. (e.g. all the guys are in the back of the picture……).
No agenda there.
Geez Skippy –it’s Girls with Guns.
What’s not to like?
Its not like they’re digging fighting positions in the non-skid.
The son of an old friend just joined the Navy (some months ago) and (if I have the story right, they usually grow in the telling) the arms-trainers were astounded at his ability. But one wise old salt (do you still call them that?) said, this boy is from farmland, they still hunt and shoot. I hope my young friend didn’t show them how good he is at ‘hawk throwing…..
d
Um, excuse me, can I ask a question?
WHY is the BEST picture only included in a damn link?! Come on now, equal time if you please…
When did skimmers err…I mean surface sailors start wearing Poopie Suits? In the 80s it was only us submarine sailors. Goin deep…..
Brian, they’ve been in a state of confusion since Zumwalt. Why do they wear cammies ashore? Shit, the Marines had to buy new uniforms just to do the they’re-not-with-us thing.
Standard Marine Corps issue: Make the Navy buy slow, fat ships and then b*tch about how long it takes to get anywhere and the quality of food while soaking up all the good hours in the gym.
Glad I was carrier Navy. Although, now I come to think on it, the CV MARDET did have it’s uses.
That’s not issue Lex, that’s doctrine. We also send some of our best LCpl’s to work in the wardroom mess, so that we get “taken care of” on the line, mwahahaha. It’s OK, we know you guys are screwing us on the mess bill.
I’ve never understood the whole Girls with Guns thing. That just does not do it for me. Never has……………..
Dear Unkawill: GOOD GRIEF!!! If you don?
Dear Unkawill: GOOD GRIEF!!! If you don’t mind my asking, how many days did that take?
Just one Deb, We had four vehicles on the firing line.
The time consuming aspect of it was lugging the ammo boxes from the trucks, breaking out the ammo cans, two to a box,replacing the barrels after they started getting too hot and setting the head space and timing on the weapon.
Also policing up the expended brass, not that I did much of that, being the squad leader and all.
I still have a half dozen of the ammo cans, they make excellant water tight storage containers and even have a collapsible handle on top for ease of storage.
As to:
This is not idle curiosity, as one of my uncles (who served in WW 11, Korea, and Viet Nam) was a demolitions’ expert in the U.S. Navy. I’ve never known if there’s a similarity between the two specialties. Perhaps, if it doesn’t bring back too many bad memories, you wouldn’t mind elaborating a little. Thank you.
No “Bad” memories to speak of, as I served in the “Cold War” 78-86 and was never shot at while in the service.
Combat Engineering Army style consists on the following skill sets.
Bridge and road building
Mine Field emplacement and clearing.
Creating and Breeching Obstacles such as ditches and berms.
Building Bunkers and fighting positions.
EOD work and generally helping the Infantry get around the battle field.
My personal favorite, Controlled Demolition
ie; blowing stuff up!
All of the above,on the front line,generally while getting shot at, and Being Infantry when called upon.
Dear Unkawill: Thank you, sir. This does indeed help me to understand.
Like so many Warriors who are modest to the core, my uncle spoke VERY little of his service in the Navy.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
Unkawill: don’t forget the joy of launching a watermelon’s worth of explosives out of the snout of the M728 CEV.
MajMike/unkawill, Had two CEVs attached to my company at Knox in 68( Don’t ask). A truly fearsome track… recall the main gun was a 155MM, piss inducing, Big Bertha,bunker buster…watermelon’s indeed… last saw one on TV in 1993…using it’s boom to punch holes in the Branch Dividian building in Waco, Texas…the useless non-veteran MSM d**k-heads kept calling it a tank…no tread-heads there…now how about that other Combat Engineer Vehicle… the AVLB ( had two of them ) …ever seen one? Best
SE and MM,
I never had the privilege or opportunity to be a crewman on a CEV, They were either Heavy Equipment Operators or Mechanics. But they sure were nice for pulling your a@@ our of the Mud ;_0 .
The weapon was/is called a Demolition Gun,I think the barrel is about 6 ft total length and fearsome it is.
AVLB M60 chassis w/hydraulic scissors Bridge IIRC.
The most impressive Tracked Vehicle IMO is the M-88 Track recovery vehicle. Truly MASSIVE.
All I had at Polk was a POS M113, Slower than Molasses in January. Overloaded with ten and their gear plus towing a trailer with all of our tools.
The 3 years in Germany were in wheeled units, ie: 5 ton dumps as squad vehicles.