11 Days left for me.

[cgratti]

I joined the Army National Guard, I leave for basic training on May 14th. I get to spend 9 fun weeks at Fort Jackson S.C., then 13 wonderful weeks at Fort Meade in Maryland.

This puts me back here sometime in October, I will be in withdrawl from not being able to shoot this summer. But if Uncle Sam wants to pay for my college and throw me $20,000 cash. Then I am all for it.

I am gonna try and shoot my butt off until I go to try and tide me over.

[VegasGeorge]

Good for you! Go make us proud, and we'll still be here when you get back!

[timbernet]

Good for you! Go make us proud, and we'll still be here when you get back!

*whispers* unless he presses the red button by mistake


Just kidding.


Good luck!

[Ronald S. Jr.]

I joined the Army National Guard, I leave for basic training on May 14th. I get to spend 9 fun weeks at Fort Jackson S.C., then 13 wonderful weeks at Fort Meade in Maryland.

This puts me back here sometime in October, I will be in withdrawl from not being able to shoot this summer. But if Uncle Sam wants to pay for my college and throw me $20,000 cash. Then I am all for it.

I am gonna try and shoot my butt off until I go to try and tide me over.

Hey, look on the bright side. When you get back, you'll be able to buy a pair of 1DMkIII's, a 300 2.8L IS, and a 600 f/4L IS! :eek:

[csm328]

I joined the Army National Guard, I leave for basic training on May 14th. I get to spend 9 fun weeks at Fort Jackson S.C., then 13 wonderful weeks at Fort Meade in Maryland.

This puts me back here sometime in October, I will be in withdrawl from not being able to shoot this summer. But if Uncle Sam wants to pay for my college and throw me $20,000 cash. Then I am all for it.

I am gonna try and shoot my butt off until I go to try and tide me over.

Look me up if you come to Fort Eustis. I'm the only Australian Instructor here. Best of luck.

[primoz]

Just to be clear on beginning already. I'm not trying to start political debate!
Now when this is clear... didn't you forget about some small thing called Iraq? ;) Maybe that's reason why your uncle wants to pay your college and throw you $20k ;) But on the other side, it can also be, it will be all over till October. :D
PS: Sorry, but I was accused quite few times in last few days, I'm really good in encouraging people :mrgreen:

[Jon]

You may qualify for some extra mentoring from Lord_Malone. He's currently somewhere in the Ft. Meade vicinity . . .

Hands off the Iraq subject folks. "Non-political".

[rhys]

I joined the Army National Guard, I leave for basic training on May 14th. I get to spend 9 fun weeks at Fort Jackson S.C., then 13 wonderful weeks at Fort Meade in Maryland.

This puts me back here sometime in October, I will be in withdrawl from not being able to shoot this summer. But if Uncle Sam wants to pay for my college and throw me $20,000 cash. Then I am all for it.

I am gonna try and shoot my butt off until I go to try and tide me over.

You still get to do plenty shooting. Not with a camera though.
I'm not too far from Fort Jackson. Occasionally you'll find me at Shooter's Choice with my .357 Magnum. Or - if I can stand the politicing then maybe at MCRC range nearby.

[superdiver]

Cant you take a camera with you? Would be a great way to document this period of your life. Of course mant subjects would be sensored I would think, but it would be cool to have a photo history of this time in your life...

[rhys]

A digital compact might be better for this.

[Lord_Malone]

Dammit Chuck. I owe you something. Check your PM.

[cgratti]

Just to be clear on beginning already. I'm not trying to start political debate!
Now when this is clear... didn't you forget about some small thing called Iraq? ;) Maybe that's reason why your uncle wants to pay your college and throw you $20k ;) But on the other side, it can also be, it will be all over till October. :D
PS: Sorry, but I was accused quite few times in last few days, I'm really good in encouraging people :mrgreen:

I didnt forget about Iraq, do I want to go? No! But I refuse to life my life by what if's. If I get called, I go. I honestly haven't been even thinking about Iraq, I am more concerned with getting into basic training right now.

[MDJAK]

Congrats on making that decision. I'm proud of you.

Look forward to your return and your pics.

mark

[SoaringUSAEagle]

I hope you get in Delta Co 1/34. Thats where i did basic three years ago. And for AIT I was in Alpha Co in Ft Lee, VA.

Have a lovely HOT ASS summer. ;o)

[rhys]

How long do people normally join up for?

In the UK the minimum is 3 years.

[steved110]

Am I correct in thinking the National guard is like the UK Territorial Army - ie part-time soldiering?

Good luck, I hope it is everything you want.

[Jon]

Yep.

[Vortex99]

Well if your not in shape now, you will be soon!
All the best!

[In2Photos]

Congrats and good luck!

[rhys]

We call them the weekend warriors in Britain.

Almost a century ago, my great uncles were all in the territorial army. They went off for their 2 week summer camp and came back 5 years later. They served through the First World war. For many years most would not talk of their experiences and one came back twisted over on one side from loading the big guns Britain was using to shell Paris. I don't believe I ever met any of them.

[Captain Mantastic]

Good luck, kick some @ss and thank you for serving our country!

i almost joined up in college (navy nuclear program) but got turned down because i had one too many surgeries on my knee.

and regardless if we are at war or not, uncle sam will foot the bill for college. a nice little thing called the GI bill...

[rhys]

I was turned down by the UK army and Marines. The Navy and the RAF wanted me and I passed the test to be an intelligence officer with the RAF but went off to Eastern Europe instead and ended up lecturing at the Latvian military academy instead. Wild, wacky and wierd!

[cgratti]

How long do people normally join up for?

In the UK the minimum is 3 years.


I had to sign for 6 years for the college tuition and 20K bonus.

[Mike R]

Thanks for serving and good luck. You get College and 20K, The rest of us get another dedicated patriot.

[Medic85]

Well, Iraq or no Iraq, you should be proud you're serving your country. I know the people in my house are greatful for every soldier, front line or not, that serves our country.

Good luck and be safe. Thanks in advance for what you are doing.

[rhys]

My father in law didn't have a ton of money and wanted to be a dentist so he signed up for the navy and got through college that way and became a dentist. He also went through the Korean war.

[mavericksupersonic]

Good luck and be safe.

[cgratti]

I want to thank you all for the kind words and support. To be honest I am vey nervous, I am 35 yrs. old and have a wife and two chidren. I am not worried about the physical part of basic, but I am worried about the mental part. I am not used to being to what to do and when to do it. I know I can keep myself in order and don't foresee me losing it and saying something I might regret. I just hope can get past the not being home part. My family and I are as close as you can get, we eat supper together every night at the table, we talk about our day and share everything. I wont have this for at least 12 wweeks, I hope I can keep my mind on what need to be done and not keep thinking about my family. I know once I get through basic training, then the 13 weeks of AIT will be a breeze, since I will get some weekends home during that time. Any last minute advice to keep myself occupied?

[rhys]

Good Heavens... 35 - you're an elderly enough old codger to be joining the army. In the UK they don't let you join after you're 30. The navy is the most flexible up to 40. Oooerr.... I'm 40 in about a week :(

[Airedale1]

Best of luck. I did my basic at Fort Knox and my AIT (Armorer's School) at Fort Lee. My dad was a Marine and before I went off to Basic he gave me some really good advice to help smooth my way through, which I will now pass along to you.

"Never be first in line or last in line for anything and never volunteer for anything." Again, best of luck and stay safe. The time will fly by.

[20DNewbie]

Like Airedale1 said, just stay low on the DS radar. It's not very difficult as there will ALWAYS be some yahoo that can't seem to keep their trap(your vocabulary for the word mouth will expand greatly:lol:) shut.

The first three weeks nothing you do, no matter how right you do it will not be done properly. You can't eat fast enough, walk fast enough, go to sleep fast enough, go the bathroom fast enough, etc., etc., etc...... It's the whole breaking you down and rebuilding you process, it happens a few times through the cycle. If you can get your head around that mentally you should be pretty well squared away.

Take it easy on the PT, meaning don't be a PT stud and max out right off the bat. I'm not trying to tell you not to try, just if you keep getting over the 300 mark you'll earn yourself what is affectionately known as the "Smoke Me Badge", I've since forgotten the real name of the patch. Which in turn will just draw attention from any NCO and the chances of getting dropped for no reason at all increase astronomically.

IIRC, week 3 you get gassed(a blast, I wanted to go through it again:lol:), week 5 BRM, probably week 8 will be your FTX(went Infantry so the schedule is a bit different), week 9 everyone heals up and bay maintanence then onto graduation.

Help the kids out with getting their heads around the not being able to do anything right in the beginning. I was 30 when I did it(older than some of the drills and my Captain[25 years old] that rotated in near the end of the cycle), and it was a bit difficult to keep my mouth shut when being spoken to in such a manner, but for the kids it's much harder on them.

All in all you'll look back at it and think it was a great time. You'll learn new things about yourself you otherwise would never know. You'll go far past what you thought your limits were, and be closer to the guys in your platoon than you could ever imagine. Heck, I was closer to those guys I spent 14 weeks with than with people I've known most/my entire life.

Oops, forgot to say don't bother to try and sneak anything in, chances are it will be found at the inspection at Reception Battalion. After I got hurt they shipped me there as the rehab platoon was located across from the reception barracks. Lol, I was one of the guys going through everyones gear and grabbing stuff, eating/drinking their snacks and reading their magazines. Hopefully you won't spend to much time there as most of it is hurry up and wait.

One more thing.

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/3681/salutesmilieji4.gif

[Steve Parr]

I didnt forget about Iraq, do I want to go? No! But I refuse to life my life by what if's. If I get called, I go. I honestly haven't been even thinking about Iraq, I am more concerned with getting into basic training right now.

Good on ya', man...

[PhotosGuy]

I get to spend 9 fun weeks at Fort Jackson S.C., then 13 wonderful weeks at Fort Meade in Maryland. S. C. isn't a picnic, but be glad it isn't Ft. Leonard Wood... In July? :D
ie part-time soldiering? Not any more!
Take plenty of non-reg wool socks & underwear. You'll be glad you did!

Good luck, & try to laugh the BS off. You'll have plenty of chances to do that. ;)

[Hellashot]

So you'll probably be over in Iraq by the end of the year, right?

[primoz]

S. C. isn't a picnic, but be glad it isn't Ft. Leonard Wood... In July?
My brother's gf was there 2 years ago (some cooperation between US and Slovenian army, but I have no idea what and how exactly) and she didn't complain all that much :p

[Radtech1]

Just remember:


If the enemy is in range, so are you.

Incoming fire has the right of way.

Don't look conspicuous, it draws fire.

There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work.

The problem with the easy way out is that it has already been mined.

Try to look unimportant, they may be low on ammo.

Professionals are predictable, it's the amateurs that are dangerous.

The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions:
- when you're ready for them.
- when you're not ready for them.

Teamwork is essential, it gives them someone else to shoot at.

If you can't remember, then the claymore IS pointed at you.

The enemy diversion you have been ignoring will be the main attack.

A "sucking chest wound" is nature's way of telling you to slow down.

If your attack is going well, then it's an ambush.

Never draw fire, it irritates everyone around you.

Anything you do can get you shot, including nothing.

If you build yourself a bunker that's tough for the enemy to get into quickly, then you won't be able to get out of it quickly either.

Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.

If you're short of everything but the enemy, you're in a combat zone.

When you've secured the area, don't forget to tell the enemy.

Never forget that your weapon is made by the lowest bidder.

Friendly fire isn't.

Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep.

The most dangerous thing in the world is a second lieutenant with a map and a compass.

There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.

A grenade with a seven second fuse will always burn down in four seconds.

Remember, a retreating enemy is probably just falling back and regrouping.

If at first you don't succeed call in an air-strike.

The enemy never watches until you make a mistake.

The more a weapon costs, the farther you will have to send it away to be repaired.

Field experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Interchangeable parts aren't.

No matter which way you have to march, its always uphill.

The one item you need is always in short supply.

The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.

The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of the weapon's operator.

Airstrikes always overshoot the target, artillery always falls short.

When reviewing the radio frequencies that you just wrote down, the most important ones are always illegible.

The tough part about being an officer is that the troops don't know what they want, but they know for certain what they DON'T want.

The weapon that usually jams when you need it the most is the M60.

When you have sufficient supplies & ammo, the enemy takes 2 weeks to attack. When you are low on supplies & ammo the enemy decides to attack that night.

The newest and least experienced soldier will usually win the Congressional Medal Of Honor.

A Purple Heart just goes to prove that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.

Murphy was a grunt

[Col_M]

Good luck :)

I'm sure you'll have a blast, after all as my bro and many others say the forces are just a drinking club with an army problem :D

[Boogie99]

Good luck, any one who fights someone elses war is a very brave man.

[asysin2leads]

Cant you take a camera with you? Would be a great way to document this period of your life. Of course mant subjects would be sensored I would think, but it would be cool to have a photo history of this time in your life...

Nope. No cameras allowed. At least, that's how it was when I went through Ft. Benning in 95/96. Not really sure how Jackson is.

I want to thank you all for the kind words and support. To be honest I am vey nervous, I am 35 yrs. old and have a wife and two chidren. I am not worried about the physical part of basic, but I am worried about the mental part. I am not used to being to what to do and when to do it. I know I can keep myself in order and don't foresee me losing it and saying something I might regret. I just hope can get past the not being home part. My family and I are as close as you can get, we eat supper together every night at the table, we talk about our day and share everything. I wont have this for at least 12 wweeks, I hope I can keep my mind on what need to be done and not keep thinking about my family. I know once I get through basic training, then the 13 weeks of AIT will be a breeze, since I will get some weekends home during that time. Any last minute advice to keep myself occupied?

Best of luck to you. It's going to be hard going through at 35. We had a couple of "geezers" in my basic unit at Benning. Make darn sure that you write home EVERY chance you get. Even if it's just to say you miss them. That'll mean a lot when you're gone. Keep something in mind. It's nothing personal. That is the biggest thing about basic. They have 9 weeks to break down the 35 years you've taken to become you. Basic is not hard. It only seems that way.

[eddarr]

Guys this thread is 363 days old.

[lakiluno]

Status update?? I wonder if he ever did go to Iraq...

[jafrknb]

Guys this thread is 363 days old.


:eek::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[jafrknb]

Status update?? I wonder if he ever did go to Iraq...

if he hasnt yet he will soon...

[asysin2leads]

Guys this thread is 363 days old.
Well, don't I feel like an arse. I didn't even look at the date. Oh well.

[LBaldwin]

Congrats on doing your part. Maybe you will get lucky and get sent to Germany for some training, great photo ops and the beer is off the hook. Watch out for the girls though deadly gorgous.

What is your MOS?

[Radtech1]

Status update?? I wonder if he ever did go to Iraq...

Well, this is his most recent post:

great shots, you should move her away from the backdrop next time so the flood filter can fill behind her more to look more realistic. Good shots tho.

Three weeks ago in THIS THREAD (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=481555).

Seems kind of mundane.

Rad