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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
shadyde, a mortarman? I just have to mention, the all-wood-hull minesweeper I was on (MSO 489) had a mortar as a main battery. Does this sound as crazy to you as it seemed to me? A trajectory weapon on a round-bottomed ship that continually rolled, pitched, and yawed, always unpredictably. As I was reassigned off the ship, they were installing a twin barreled machine gun emplacement, but the mortar should have never been there at all. What do you think. It (the mortar) had a rare military career. All we ever used in the combat zone was 50 cal. fired off an upper deck, to warn down junks suspected of running weapons. Of course, grandma and grandpa's junk was left behind to tie us up, and the guns went on in the faster boats, maybe. Probably. All the minesweepers, scores of them, have now been replaced by Littoral Combat Ships, but that's a whole discussion. Nifty but perhaps too high concept, now getting shaken down to usable formats. One big concept is a multitasking crew, but that was true on our old wooden ship too, Admiral.

 

danimalia

Lifer
Sep 2, 2015
4,385
26,440
41
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Just wait until you see the movie..........it is HORRIBLE
Wait, what?! That movie rules. In regards to Dune, a few years ago, a documentary came out called Jodorowski's Dune, which is about how Alejandro Jodorowski almost made Dune, and what it would have been like. I haven't seen it, but heard it's interesting. Jodorowski is famous for Santa Sangre, which is a pretty amazing spectacle, and the last film to get an X rating, I believe, before the NC-17 rating took over.
As forthe original topic, a military librarian would be just the type of military job for me.

 

chilllucky

Lifer
Jul 15, 2018
1,091
2,715
Chicago, IL, USA
scoosa.com
The most esoteric skillset welder I ever met did a stint on nuclear subs. Some of the alloys in that reactor chamber aren't even in the books because their compositions are military secrets.
I get claustrophobic under even my nice auto-darkening helmet. I can imagine what welding in a full rad suit might be like.
Fun story about that guy: if you ever come across an old (actually nickel) US five cent piece where Jefferson has a mole on his cheek, that's a drop of weld bead. That used to be his every morning warm-up.

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
Wait, what?! That movie rules. In regards to Dune, a few years ago, a documentary came out called Jodorowski's Dune, which is about how Alejandro Jodorowski almost made Dune, and what it would have been like. I haven't seen it, but heard it's interesting. Jodorowski is famous for Santa Sangre, which is a pretty amazing spectacle, and the last film to get an X rating, I believe, before the NC-17 rating took over.
As forthe original topic, a military librarian would be just the type of military job for me.
Hahaha, I liked it when it came out. Because I was 11 years old and there were boobs and guns. I watch a lot of movies today for similar reasons. I just appreciate it when the movie itself is good as well, hahaha. Sounds like an interesting doc, I'll check it out.
Agreed on the librarianship. I could spend the rest of my life in a library if I had a couple pipes and a few cases of scotch.

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,273
4,269
Was the second part of the double unicorn that you're a pipe smoker?
It was not only my specialty but the fact that I was a Senior Chief Petty Officer in the specialty. I was one of two and was slated to be the next Master Chief when I retired.
Sounds pretty useful in stopping a drug runner. A heat seeking missile might be overkill. Pun intended.
I saw some video of one of the snipers in action. The way I see it, if you can hit a movie target the size of an outboard motor that's moving over 40 mph and bouncing up and down from the seas and you are sitting in the open door of a helicopter being buffeted by wind and rotor wash, I don't want to piss you off.

 

headhunter

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 12, 2013
177
5
Platoon Leader and Commanding Officer of a rifle company in Vietnam, not too interesting and not a lot of fun but it was my job.

 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,084
49
Las Vegas
I have a friend from high school who was a ship diesel mechanic for the Army.
He started tech school to be a mechanic after high school, then joined the Navy where he became a ship diesel mechanic. After his time in the Navy he met a girl, got married, and then joined the Army thinking he could avoid spending time on ships away from his wife. As soon as the Army found out his background they said "We have ships too!" That landed him right back where he was.
During his first time at sea his wife pawned his TV and stereo equipment and disappeared. It's okay though because I never that she was all that great to begin with. His new wife takes care of him and treats him well so he's in a better place. It just took many more years to get there.

 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,084
49
Las Vegas
I think those are civilian jobs working for the military. Or at least, all the military librarians I've met are civilians, or just "base support" personnel detailed over to the library for a few months.
A lot of jobs are contracted out these days for (I suppose) efficiency reasons. Verticality has a lot going for it and can deliver outstanding results, but economy isn't one of them.
You'd be surprised at the number of retired military people that are re-hired as civilians after their retirement. Same exact job, same benefits, and most likely better pay. Although these are usually jobs that require a college degree.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I really admired the military families who could make it intact. After I saw what my life was like in the Navy, I didn't even think of getting married. A relationship to me needs perpetual attention like a garden or a farm. It's like, you can't play in a band if you're not there. But some people do it ably and with success, usually if both extended families live in one place and can be there for the partner and any kids when the military person is away. My parents started their marriage in WWII when my dad was a naval officer, and I'm not sure it was the best arrangement, though the families pitched in and my folks had my older sister soon after they were married, and my mom traveled cross country, with the baby, to be with my dad before he went overseas. But both families were in proximity back home and ready to help.

 

f5rd2hy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 24, 2017
139
227
NV
I was in charge of launching and tracking weather balloons on USS MIDWAY (CV-41) early in my career. Upper Air supervisor my eval said. Loads of fun. Every now and then you get one into the upper stratosphere and try to break the westpac record lol. Close, no cigar though.
 

JMcQ

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 9, 2019
850
4,264
46
Atlantic Beach, FL
I met a fellow vet who'd been in the Army. I was in the Navy, and aboard a minesweeper as a radioman among several assignments. I was surprised to learn that this Army guy, who was retired from the service, had been the skipper of an Army tug boat! Who knew? That seemed like an unusual Army career indeed, apparently around ports handling Army supplies including provisions and ammo transported by ship and barges. Any unlikely service histories, either yours or others that you've heard of?
Thanks for your service. I am currently a Comm Tech ET and work around a lot more Minemen then anyone should. So I fully respect where you come from.
 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,012
Southwest Louisiana
I was in the Navy with a Chief Warrant Officer, took a liking to me because when we went out on Liberty I would carry his drunken ass back to the ship. One drunk episode he told me he had been in the Army during WWII and his unit was the first to liberate Dacau, the sights he saw, were horrific. He said he wanted to stay in the Military but never wanted to see something like that again so he joined the Navy.
 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,012
Southwest Louisiana
Another story about my Dad, first class welder for Chicago Bridge and Iron before WWII, after Pearl Harbor joined the Navy, went thru boot camp came home on furlough, then was discharged and sent to New Mexico, he never talked about what he did, but I always assumed it was welding work on the bomb.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
The fact that the Army and the Air Force have service members whose work is being sailors of one kind or another illustrates how resistant the military branches are to have another branch on their facilities. For the Army to have the Navy running its tugboats would be unthinkable. I'm sure the Navy is resistant in other areas, and it certainly wants to run its own aircraft and have its own ground soldiers in the Corps.
 

Humblepipe

Lifer
Sep 13, 2019
1,787
6,243
Guerneville, CA
I served in The US Army. I was in the Military Police Corp. One of my stranger assignments was serving as a 911 operator/police dispatcher on a military base with a population of over 20,000 people. I was 19 years old.
 

alexj52

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 26, 2018
177
21
Although I'm just a guy serving my mandatory period in ROKA (South Korean Army), I think my job is pretty unique too. On the western frontline of South Korea, there are several tourist sites. You may have heard of the Joint Security Area, JSA. I am posted about 10 minutes from the JSA, where the 3rd Tunnel (the most famous of the 4 underground infiltration tunnels dug across the DMZ by North Korea) and OP Dora (closest observatory to NK open to public). I give Korean and English briefs to visitors, and sometimes go up and down the tunnel for special guests. That makes me a military tour guide I guess.
 
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Humblepipe

Lifer
Sep 13, 2019
1,787
6,243
Guerneville, CA
Although I'm just a guy serving my mandatory period in ROKA (South Korean Army), I think my job is pretty unique too. On the western frontline of South Korea, there are several tourist sites. You may have heard of the Joint Security Area, JSA. I am posted about 10 minutes from the JSA, where the 3rd Tunnel (the most famous of the 4 underground infiltration tunnels dug across the DMZ by North Korea) and OP Dora (closest observatory to NK open to public). I give Korean and English briefs to visitors, and sometimes go up and down the tunnel for special guests. That makes me a military tour guide I guess.

Definitely unique. Thanks for sharing this, alexj52. BTW, my primary drill sargent during basic training (a long time ago) was a former SK "Rock Soldier". Toughest soldier I ever met. I found him online a few years ago and thanked him for forming me into the kind of soldier that could survive some serious combat conditions.
 
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