I wanted to write a blurb about Veterans day / Armistice day before I went to bed but nothing came.  For those of you who don't realize it, today is the 90th anneversary of the end of W.W.I.  A couple of months from now, 90 years ago, my grandfather will be born.  He left this world earlier this year.  He remains my favorite veteran although I've ( Read more... )

The Army is testing air burst grenade launchers.  I remember reading about these in Popular Science what's getting to be 20 years ago or so.  Two thoughts:

1.  Just wait 'till the gang bangers get a hold of this!

2.  I wonder if I'm too old to re-enlist...

3.  Any surprises that the only workable model is coming from H&K.  Gotta love those Kraut toys!

I don't know why, but I was surprised by the reactions that I got from my rifle / macbook joke. I decided that it's a amalgam of too many personal inside jokes presented to the wrong audience so nobody really thinks it was funny except me. That makes me look pretty pathetic and it's probably more than just appearances. I think I actually ( Read more... )

When I was in Reno I met a guy who's a little younger than me and has a prosthetic leg. His other leg looks like a bird cage. The leg he has left has a steel wire frame encasing his whole lower leg and the wires at the top penetrate into his knee; to support the bone I suppose. In other words, his knee looks like a bicycle hub, complete with ( Read more... )

It seems that in the field, when soldiers have down time, there is never a lack of conversation, only a lack of diversity of subjects. The vast majority of tales that are spun and told are limited to the following topics: Sports, cars, past field exercises, past assignments, classic rock and roll, drinking, people whom the story teller doesn't ( Read more... )

1. Never run out of coffee.
2. Being able to run is more important than being able to shoot.
3. There are opportunities for everyone, no matter their I.Q.
4. An Iowa farm boy or a kid from inner city Chicago has at least as many good ideas as a West Point graduate.
5. Humvee's only look indestructible ( Read more... )