So I'm sitting here in the TOC (Tactical Operations Command) monitoring a radio. There's barely any radio chatter because it's 4 A.M. and all our blue and white elements are sleeping, so there aren't any patrols out right now.
Everyone here is asleep, atleast for another two hours. I've exhausted nearly all means of entertainment.
I was watching smallville, but I finished all 5 episodes of season 6 that I had, so that's done with. We don't have any new movies.. I bought "300" a few days ago, I'm kinda tired of watching that.

I was sitting here just kinda reading the forums and whatnot, but I had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. On my way out of the TOC I noticed a friggin 25mm recoiless rifle just sitting there. I thought it was just one of the Scout's M4's at first, because they have these highspeed M4's with bi-pods and silencers, but then I noticed the barrel was longer and it had an extendable butstock like a SAW would have. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was a 25MM recoiless rifle. A very nice piece of equipment, But It's not like any of us will ever get to use it.

That's one thing that pisses me off about the Army. We get all this highspeed equipment, but we never use it. I've got an M4 with a PEQ-4 laser on it (A laser which can only been seen in the IR spectrum, it's used in conjunction with Night Vision Goggles), but we haven't done one night mission since I got to Iraq.

Anyway, suggest things for me to do.

Find a carboard box. Go Solid Snake style and sneak around the TOC

There isn't much sneaking to be had here. NCO's (Non-commisioned officers) are so anal about trash around here, They'd probably have some joe remove my box

That sounds horrible. At least you've got internet connectivity. Do they have ranges where you can just... shoot?

I wish. The last range we went to was at Camp Taji, Which is where the 82nd is actually based at right now. But I got lucky enough to push out to COP (Centeral Operating Post) Ford. There isn't **** out here. It's an abandoned school which we put giant concrete pillars around. It's actually a pretty cool building. There's a nice little courtyard in the middle which we use for smoking.

But it's mainly used for Bravo Troop, D-co and B-co housing and for those elements to stage missions from. I say missions, It's mostly patrols. We haven't done a whole lot of anything since arriving here.

I never wore Night Vision goggles before. Are they good?

Get a bunch of the little plastic army guys and set them up on a floor in a mock battle, then go around proclaiming that you're the new general.

If you really want to stir up a bunch of trouble, make sure you put little toilet-paper turbans on all the soldiers on one side.

It's been years since I've used NV...so it's probably significantly better now -- but it was pretty nifty then, yes.

Grab some blanks and cleaning rod segments.

Blanks are quiet enough. Also, steal the 25mm and light up the sky.

2/502 ABN AASLT dittos! Hey, I know life in the TOC sucks but remember, the guys in the line are using the stuff you just see lying around. I once found our BN CSMs 9mm lying around! I preferred the night shift because it was usually quiet but keep sharp, bad stuff happens at the most unexpected times.

Our NVG's are pretty good. They aren't like the the Night vision mode you'd find on a camera. They project IR light and it bounces off everything back to the IR lenses in the goggles, Inturn allowing the wearer to see everything as clear as day. The one's I have, the 7-delta's, look like the one's Sam Fisher wears. But all the Cav Scouts in Bravo Troop have PVS14's, which are like a monocular looking NVG, I like those better because they allow you one free eye for normal vision.

Night vision equipment is highly overrated. The first time I played around with night vision goggles in basic, I was like "OMGZ TEH GOOGLES! I CAN SEE IN THE DARK ZOMG", It was the same way when I went to CIF(Centeral Issue Facility) and got my IBA(Individual Body Armor). We all got back to the barracks and, once we all got our IBA's put together and the Sappi plates put in, we promptly went to having a kung fu showdown. I mean, random punching and kicking to the chest. Cuz with the IBA on it doesn't hurt to get kicked or punched in the chest, You just fly backwards out of control due to the added weight (About 25-40lbs depending on the size).
But now the equipment is more of a hassel(sp?)than it's worth.
My IBA now weighs upwards of 60lbs because of the ammo and NVG pouches on the front.

502nd is out of Campbell, right?

You know what else annoys me about being in the TOC? I should be out on the line.

I would so just start walking in some direction and never go back...

You'd get your head cut off within a day. So .. go for it!



Yep, on my way to Riley now. I know you feel like you have a crappy, unappreciated job but it is very important. Do the best you can and strive to excel. YOU make a difference!

Haha, I do have a crappy, unappreciated job. Fister's aren't doing a whole lot in this war.

Now if we should happen to invade Iran or North Korea, I'll be doing my job a lot. They just use us a lot for Commo BS nowadays because we're so well trained on it.

If you don't mind me asking, Wookie, what's your MOS/Rank?

11B, "permanent" SSG.

Permanent? lol for what?

I've been in for a long time (since 89). Back in the early '90s they actually paid people to get out but not to stay in. Promotions slowed way do. I got hurt and it put me way behind the power curve. Now I've done everything and more that I need to get promoted excepted rated squad leader time. I don't expect to get promoted again before I retire.

Why not just go Officer, then?
I mean, with your time in service you'd start as a 1LT, If not a captain.

Also, I'm not trying to be Bias towards fisters. But if you reclassed to 13F you could make your 7 pretty quick. Our MOS has the lowest promotion points Army-wide. I think it's something like 350. It's not that hard of a job, Either. The AIT is only 6 weeks long, Although it teaches the basics.. As an analogy, our AIT Teaches us the equivalent of how to load a rifle. When I got to my unit I learned how to fire it, You know what I mean? It's a pretty easy AIT and F.T. Sill is a pretty nice place in the summer time.

I think I just realized why I would never make it in the military. I hate acronyms with every fiber of my being. :downs:

I can't even understand what you're writing...

<transition to ROTJ scene>It's too late for me son.</>

I'm happy to retire in a couple years. Lost the drive. Every once in awhile I get delusions of grandeur but then the arthritis kicks in. Ever seen The Guardian with Kevin Costner? He gets up stumbling and has to pop a ton of pills? That's what a hard life leads you to.

If I had it to do all over again I would have put in a Warrant Officer Flight Packet. Hind sight is 20/20 and I have no regrets.

AIT = Advanced Individual Training
MOS= Military Occupational Speciality
1LT = First Lietenant
E-7 is a rank, It's Sargeant First Class.
and F.T. is short for Fort.

Acronyms are hard to get at first, but after your use them for a while you can guess what most of them are.

Out of curiousity "82nd_Fister" what brought you to this particular forum?

I'm planning quite a lot for my military career. As soon as we get back to Bragg I'm going to put in my packet for Ranger school. Hopefully If I do that I can avoid this Torch mission deployment we're supposed to get in november. Maybe First bat will get it, though. I'm hoping we get a break because I want to get married and atleast get a house before coming back to his godforsaken place.

But anyway, After Ranger I'm going to put in for Selection and see if I can make it to Q-course. I figure Ranger would be a good way to get into shape for Selection. I might go officer after that, but I don't know. Warrent officer would be good, cuz nobody messes with Cheif

I don't know. I'm just looking forward to Ranger School right now. I've still got 3 and a half years to make up my mind. I'm about to hit my one year mark, so I've still got plenty of time

To answer your question, I used to frequent this forum. I've had several names over the years, but I've been coming to massassi since I was 12.

Hahaha, I can almost hear your voice coming in over radio static causing multiple friendlies to hit the deck - "Hey, check this **** out!"

Fister, do you have a second language yet? I'd get on that now so Q-course goes more smoothly.

Not as of yet, Roach. But I've been talking to the interpreters a lot and they're teaching me how to read/write Arabic. It's a slow process and I'm not picking it up as fast as I'd like, But I know more now than when I started.

I think knowing a language already cuts off like 14 weeks of SF training, right?

Depends, I've heard word that depending on the level of your language packet, you could be instructed throughout most if not all your training.
(Don't worry about picking up Arabic, once you get used to looking for teeth, it gets really easy to read)

I'll envy your SERE training when you get that far though, that was the one masochistic thing I looked forward to when I was still in training.

Thanks Roach! I think!

Seriously, if anyone here wants to fly I highly suggest the Army's "High School to Flight School" program. Don't listen to what the recruiter tells you. If you have questions, ask me. I wont steer you wrong.

82nd_Fister, I think I've been coming here for about ten years myself. I think this was the site I started posting at around '97 but I'm not sure. Maybe somebody can tell me if I did. I think I used the same username. If not, it was certainly another DF/JK site.

Look, you are in an elite and critical MOS. Please don't do like the slug on my shift and spend it talking to your significant other on VOIP. Make a point to show everyone in the TOC that you want to learn their JOB. Be an expert and a professional. You are important.

Hahaha, sorry Wookie, it's just one thing you probably know better than I do: a Warrant Officer telling anyone to watch what they're about to do means a few tons and a few million dollars of vehicle are about to do something that it shouldn't be able to do...

Hah, I won't. It'd be kinda hard to spend all my time talking to her anyway, She's back at Taji right now working with detainee's. I got to see her the other day when we went back to Taji for refit. I know you're not supposed to have sex in a combat zone.. but eh.. No one was in the barracks at the time

Sometimes I'm a ****bag, but I try to be squared-away for the most part. I mean, Give a Joe a break though I'm still a PFC.

You sound oddly like the PFC Fister that worked in my TOC. Somehow I have a feeling you're not that bad!

His name wasn't PFC Berry, was it? O_o

Not quite. Run any counterfire mission?

Not yet. We haven't had any firemissions at all, except for a goofy 1LT that tried to call in F-16's for kids messing with some constantina wire about 300m from COP Callahan.

I was like.. Sir, Come on.. Are you serious?

We just got a little chatter over the radio.. Apparently there have been several incidents of small arms fire, and there have been 4 explosions within the past hour. They called up our blue element to be QRF(Quick Reaction Force) all day. Blue 1 is a little pissed about that because they're supposed to be sleeping today.

Isn't this stuff supposed to be secret?

I can talk about that, I just can't say names or give exact times or locations.

Well, while he probably shouldn't talk about it, he's not mentioning his location or anything sensitive (aside from details that blue element hasn't received down-time). At any given time there's gun fire somewhere over there.

This is cool. its like a war movie.

Can I join?

Edit: *Then you posted a picture which made my comment pale in comparison.* I hate you.