Just a little update with some pretty major changes

[Infonick]

Ah, I see. I don’t really care about the money (like enlistment bonuses and stuff). I knew about that prior to joining and I got a good taste of how much more money the Army has when I was at Fort McCoy this summer. I can see how guys would join the Army after getting out of the Marines. You want that similar feel, but the Marines just don’t give you the other perks you want.

Damn, you got Corporal after 20 months? Fuck, you’re not even eligible for it yet in the Marine Corps. Hell, you just barely pick up Lance Corporal (E-3) at 20 months (you pick it up at 13, but still have another year at least before you are eligible, let alone get the promotion). The worst thing about prootions is that you have to reach certain ranks by certain years, or they reject your re-enlistment. You could have an outstanding record, but just not be lucky with promotions and you won’t be able to stay in. This makes it even harder to count on the Marine Corps as a career.

Yeah, I can definitely understand about the heat. I mean, it is something you have to be aroudn a lot and just climatize to (which only helps a little). Fuck, just in normal tempratures the gear is fucking hot. It’s so hot that if it is a cold night and we’re out int he field I just put my flak on (which causes most of the heat anywayy) and it warms me right up.

[Mabatsekker]

enjoy trying to keep warm in the german winters with your coal stove. i met some army guys while i was in germany, and despite my ultra-liberal, atheist, pacifist outlook on life decided to talk to them. they were all right, though some of the stuff they told me freaked me out. i mean, considering how technologically advanced germany is, the fact they had to use a little coal stove to keep themselves warm in the winter was just downright insane. Yet another reason for my distaste of the army - if we’re going to have one, the troops should at least be treated better than horses.

We used wood. To warm up the water in the field cannon in which we made all the food in. To warm up just about everything. Including those little stoves. Boo for coal.

[Varan_the_Red]

Well, in the Army we have two ranks at E4, Specialist and Corporal. A specialist is like an overpaid private, basically, which is what I am. You’re not put in charge of a team or anything, but when details and such come down, you get to be put in charge of those. I’m eligable for Seargent right now, but they aren’t going to have a promotion board for E5 again until like, March, so it’ll be a while.

And yeah, weather just sucks all around. The heat of Iraq, the cold of Germany. But at least in Germany there’ll be beer