One of My Boys On Leave

[firehawkordy]

This'll be brief, my son's best friend, the one who lived in my garage just rolled in to the house. Best surprise this year. He's fine and standing tall. I finally got him the Johnny Walker I had promised him a wile back. He told me that the advice that I had given him about getting extra armor on his M2 saved him from some real hurt. He told me that less than a week after he put some extra plate on the side, they took a hit from a 155mm IED. The added stuff helped tak ethe blast and he's here today. Thank God for small favors and kids the actually listen.

 

I want to tell all you Vets out there, anything that you learned, even if it's anecdotal, can save a troop. Pass on your knowledge, those of us who were "peacetime" Vets, what was told to us by the guys from Viet Nam and before, that knowledge was entrusted to us to help our younger brethren. We have a duty to teach, even in retirement, the kids. Both my boys have said the same thing, they listened to me and others and it helped them survive.

 

I'll get off my soapbox now, time to spend with the kid. Consider my words, and the boys says thanks for the good thoughts.

[Jug]

This'll be brief, my son's best friend, the one who lived in my garage just rolled in to the house. Best surprise this year. He's fine and standing tall. I finally got him the Johnny Walker I had promised him a wile back. He told me that the advice that I had given him about getting extra armor on his M2 saved him from some real hurt. He told me that less than a week after he put some extra plate on the side, they took a hit from a 155mm IED. The added stuff helped tak ethe blast and he's here today. Thank God for small favors and kids the actually listen.

 

I want to tell all you Vets out there, anything that you learned, even if it's anecdotal, can save a troop. Pass on your knowledge, those of us who were "peacetime" Vets, what was told to us by the guys from Viet Nam and before, that knowledge was entrusted to us to help our younger brethren. We have a duty to teach, even in retirement, the kids. Both my boys have said the same thing, they listened to me and others and it helped them survive.

 

I'll get off my soapbox now, time to spend with the kid. Consider my words, and the boys says thanks for the good thoughts.

 

Sage advice. I, for one, am extremely proud of your son, his best friend, my son, and all sons and daughters who suit up and lend their lives to the task of our security. Whatever help we can extend from our experiences is always worth the effort to pass it on. Besides, ever met a Vet who didn't have a good war story or two.

[Guest Bounder]

I became a big time believer in sandbags,"our Old Man" made everyone in the unit carry 10 sandbags if we stopped over 30 min ya filled them and walked on them to pack them down. During DS many is the time we had to get resupplied as the bags absorbed rounds , or shell fragments . To this day I still use them,even on vehicles a few times they got knocked of and the paint was not ever scratched. Some of the oldest low tech stuff still saving lives.

Edited April 3, 2008 by Bounder

[+Muesli]

Completely true!!!

 

I myself am a Dutch UN Peacekeeper veteran from the Bosnian civil war and served there as an ambulance

driver in 1994. Nowadays, Dutch Defence Ministry asks me sometimes to help young soldiers

prepare for there first mission abroad (which now is Afghanistan). Guys who are 18 and 19 as I was myself.

As you both said, what could be a simple anecdote can help another one survive! It is true, and it is really

appreciated by them. Some of them even look for me when I walk the parade on Dutch Veteran's Day in

The Hague to tell me about their experiences and the use they found in my (and other) advice.

So, share and pass the knowledge. Be proud of who you are, who you know and who you can help!

 

Peace!

 

 

Muesli

[Nesher]

great to hear about it...! glad they are alright :)

 

Cheers

[firehawkordy]

Found out the Troop is reporting to Ft Irwin at the end of the week. We've been going through his gear and deciding what he should take as he's accumulated so much s***. He had to re-up for this posting but he's ready to train Soldiers and pass on his knowledge and experience.

[+Dave]

Ah Ft Irwin.....there is lots of.......desert there.