Something About this Picture I Can't Quite Put my Finger On ;-)

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
He looks like a target for the WW II Finnish troops who knew a thing or two about snow blindness. Oh well, this is what field exercises are for. Live and learn and live.
 

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
We used to have an old, not so educated battalion Command Sergeant Major.

He'd love to get out of his jeep with starched BDU's and spit shine boots and loudly proclaim how it was "good to see his men SOLDIERING!"

Someone took it upon themselves to actually look up the word soldier one day. One accepted definition, when used as a verb is "to make a false pretense of work to avoid punishment".

After that, we were thrilled to concur with the Sergeant Major whenever he made his proclamation!



View attachment 139401
Is this what you refer to Jay?

From the OED.....

Soldier, verb

d. To feign illness, to malinger; to make a mere show of working, to shirk.

1840 R. H. Dana Two Years before Mast iv. 32 There is no time to be lost,—no ‘sogering’, or hanging back, then.

1876 C. D. Warner Winter on Nile 248 They stretch out..so far that it needs an opera-glass to discover whether the leaders are pulling or only soldiering.

1890 W. C. Russell My Shipmate Louise I. vi. 119 Finding fault with some fellow for ‘sogering’, as it is called.

Regards,

Jay.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Because improper use of camouflage doesn't camouflage. If your tactics involve camouflage, then you'd better have camouflage .
but will that really make a difference. The troops don't need the camo to know what they're doing. To my mind it seems like a putting the cart before the horse. The troops shouldn't function any differently if they practice in camo or not, unless it's camo training. Just seems completely unnecessary to my mind.
 

Hovannes

Can't Leave
Dec 28, 2021
355
847
Fresno, CA
but will that really make a difference. The troops don't need the camo to know what they're doing. To my mind it seems like a putting the cart before the horse. The troops shouldn't function any differently if they practice in camo or not, unless it's camo training. Just seems completely unnecessary to my mind.

I agree that troops need to know what they're doing before taking to field, but well planned training exercises should go beyond that level.
If realistic training isn't important why not just train on virtual computer simulators? No camo required, nor would MOPP gear be needed for NBC training, For that matter, neither would you need snow for arctic training.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I agree that troops need to know what they're doing before taking to field, but well planned training exercises should go beyond that level.
If realistic training isn't important why not just train on virtual computer simulators? No camo required, nor would MOPP gear be needed for NBC training, For that matter, neither would you need snow for arctic training.
We could take that all or nothing approach and invite enemy combatants in too. I mean they'll be facing death and grave injury in the field so if it's either all or nothing better include that too.
 

Hovannes

Can't Leave
Dec 28, 2021
355
847
Fresno, CA
We could take that all or nothing approach and invite enemy combatants in too. I mean they'll be facing death and grave injury in the field so if it's either all or nothing better include that too.
Have you spent 18 hours in MOPP gear on a Summer day?
It gives a good idea of what you can realistically accomplish.
Without that training, troops would have no idea what they're in for.

There are electric sensors worn in the field that respond to "hits" fired by OPFORs
Getting hit by an OPFOR sniper when you're not expecting it can sure cash a reality check
and that is what we want when training, isn't it?
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Have you spent 18 hours in MOPP gear on a Summer day?
It gives a good idea of what you can realistically accomplish.
Without that training, troops would have no idea what they're in for.

There are electric sensors worn in the field that respond to "hits" fired by OPFORs
Getting hit by an OPFOR sniper when you're not expecting it can sure cash a reality check
and that is what we want when training, isn't it?
and that relates to wearing the correct color of camo and holds the same level of efficacy?
 

Salvaje

Can't Leave
Mar 19, 2022
331
457
NC
Militaries will often deploy units to training environments without going through the cost of issuing region appropriate battle dress.

I was in a "desert warfare" unit stationed in the swamps of Georgia (USA).

We wore woodland camo uniforms, like those in the above photo. We deployed annually to shitty, sandy places to train (Mojave desert in California, occasionally Turkey or Egypt) We kept the woodland camo uniforms through those training environments.

When actually deployed for combat (Desert Storm) they finally opened the purse strings and issued the desert camouflage gear.


So, taxpayers, do you want to complain about the cost cutting effects of the out of place camo patterns or do you want to complain about the higher cost of military spending to issue twice as many uniforms? nnnn


View attachment 139265
Thank you for your service. I have eaten more than my fair share of GA sand and been eaten by the infamous sand fleas. The worst uniform transition was to the “ “digital camouflage”. I’m still perplexed by what part of the world the “digital camouflage” actually blends you into?! I was thinking that it’s the thought process of how zebra camouflage works. If you run around like a group of Key Stone Cops the enemy can’t pick out one specific person from the others?? Whomever came up and sold that idea to the military could sell ice to an Eskimo. I couldn’t stand those patterns. Pawn Shops are giving them away cause no one wants them. SMH
 

Salvaje

Can't Leave
Mar 19, 2022
331
457
NC
Have you spent 18 hours in MOPP gear on a Summer day?
It gives a good idea of what you can realistically accomplish.
Without that training, troops would have no idea what they're in for.

There are electric sensors worn in the field that respond to "hits" fired by OPFORs
Getting hit by an OPFOR sniper when you're not expecting it can sure cash a reality check
and that is what we want when training, isn't it?
I have spent more than my fair share of time running FM 7-8 drills (I think it’s a new nomenclature now) but it always helps to have a “yellow key” handy. Anyone know what that is?
 
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Salvaje

Can't Leave
Mar 19, 2022
331
457
NC
If training the Arctic I’d want full blown blaze orange. If a rescue became necessary for any reason I’d prefer to stick out like a turd in a bowl of milk. When I worked in the Arctic many years back we looked like neon robots when we headed out on to the tundra.

As Jay mentioned, I’m sure they get the good stuff for the real deal.
I’m glad I never had to get assigned to an arctic/cold weather unit. Central/South America was my AO. Thank you heat and humidity. Lol
 
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Akousticplyr

Lifer
Oct 12, 2019
1,155
5,712
Florida Panhandle
Thank you for your service. I have eaten more than my fair share of GA sand and been eaten by the infamous sand fleas. The worst uniform transition was to the “ “digital camouflage”. I’m still perplexed by what part of the world the “digital camouflage” actually blends you into?! I was thinking that it’s the thought process of how zebra camouflage works. If you run around like a group of Key Stone Cops the enemy can’t pick out one specific person from the others?? Whomever came up and sold that idea to the military could sell ice to an Eskimo. I couldn’t stand those patterns. Pawn Shops are giving them away cause no one wants them. SMH

In case you have to assault grandmas house?

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