# Brief Military Veteran Inputs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 26, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542 "2014-10-26T04:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/61 "2014-10-31T19:00:48Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Did you at least rotate the turret to point at the cop car? That’s rarely a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/62 "2014-10-31T23:33:47Z")
I’ve slept out in the desert at 2am when it was raining, so tired that I just lay down on a high point of the sand, in a poncho covering my upper body but not my lower legs. We were waiting for the trucks to take us to the field. Hurry up and wait. Another time, sleep caused half our unit to be left behind. Again, late night in the desert, pitch darkness and with only blackout lights on, our unit convoy stopped in the middle of the desert - maybe the C.O. was figuring out which way to turn, who knows. When we moved out again, all in single file, one HummVee’s driver and A-driver were asleep and didn’t see us move out. From that vehicle on back, everyone was just sitting there. Finally the others realized they’d left half the unit behind and circled back and got us. None of us knew we’d been left behind (again, hurry up and wait). Yeah, the CO was pretty pissed off. Yeah, we can sleep anywhere, almost any time. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/63 "2014-10-31T23:53:41Z")
USAF vet here Let’s see: [ol] [li]Hurry up and wait - Get there immediately and wait to be called[/li][li]ASAP - Is pronounced A-Sap. No one spells it out.[/li][li]Bring a book - You are going to be waiting for a while[/li][li]If a military vehicle slows down in front of you while you are walking, be ready to salute.[/li][li]Never volunteer[/li][li]Personal note: I now hate chipped beef on toast (aka Shit on a Shingle)[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/64 "2014-11-01T00:27:30Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > That’s rarely a good idea. Good idea or not, would be hard for me to resist. 'Course I was AF, not Army, so maybe the penalties are greater than I can imagine 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/65 "2014-11-01T00:50:58Z")
Can the driver of an M1A1 Abrams rotate the turret? Wouldn’t that have to be done from the TC or Gunner’s position? ---
**Author:** ![dasilva94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@dasilva94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasilva94)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/66 "2014-11-01T01:00:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I _like_ MREs! 🙂 > > (As a civilian, I never _had_ to like them. 😉 ) > > I have to share this story: > > My SO, who was _very_ petite during the Gulf War, was one of the first female helicopter pilots to fly in a combat zone. Being female in a male-dominated world, everyone ‘knew’ she was sleeping with the other pilot. The other pilot said to her one day, ‘They all want to know if I’ve seen your tits.’ She said, ‘Well, _have_ you? Because I’d like to find them!’ 😃 > > (Then there was the time she almost pissed on a sleeping soldier’s head…) Hi Johnny, cool story! Is there a legit was to get US MREs from the government , or does one always have to get ersatz MREs? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/67 "2014-11-01T01:13:48Z")
> [@dasilva94](#): > > Is there a legit was to get US MREs from the government , or does one always have to get ersatz MREs? I had no problem in the '90s getting MREs by SOPAKO, which provided MREs to the military. I assume they still do. But I haven’t bought MREs in quite a long time, and the stuff in Army/Navy stores I’m not entirely sure about. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/68 "2014-11-01T01:20:01Z")
My local surplus store sells MREs. **dasilva94** , try checking the surplus stores near you. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/69 "2014-11-01T17:39:15Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Good idea or not, would be hard for me to resist. 'Course I was AF, not Army, so maybe the penalties are greater than I can imagine 🙂 No, I think pointing a major weapon system at law enforcement in the conduct of their duties is one of those things that transcends branch, even jurisdiction. 🙂 I’d imagine that the “it wasn’t really loaded” defense has a tenency to fall pretty flat with the Chain of Command, as well as prosecutors and juries. > [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Can the driver of an M1A1 Abrams rotate the turret? Wouldn’t that have to be done from the TC or Gunner’s position? No, and yes, and I wasn’t driving in that instance. I was a gunner on a “command tank” (company XO), and as such was the de-facto tank commander for all routine stuff. My crew and I had pulled an all-nighter installing a new engine, and my driver and I, after a few hours sleep, were headed to the ammo point to load up the old girl before she shipped to Houston (Galveston, maybe, I don’t recollect) to head to Saudi Arabia. My driver reminded me that we didn’t have a good road test on the new engine, so I told him to put his foot in it (figuratively speaking; the M1 throttle is on the motorcycle-style handle bar). Next thing I know, an MP is flying past us with his lights on (could’ve had the siren on, too, for all I know; I never would’ve heard it in any case) and waving us to pull over. As the (allegedly :rolleyes: ) responsible NCO, the speeding ticket, had the MP decided to issue one, would’ve landed on me. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/70 "2014-11-01T23:36:17Z")
Quote function is fucked for me again. > [@](#): > > ``` > [nevadaexile](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?u=112282) > > ``` > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/images/statusicon/user\_offline.gif](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif) > > Guest > Join Date: May 2011 > > ``` > USAF vet here > > ``` > > Let’s see: > > [ol] > [li]Personal note: I now hate chipped beef on toast (aka Shit on a Shingle)[/li][/ol] My father refused to eat anything that could be made with bread, flour, milk, eggs and/or chipped beef in varying combinations. In WW2, some general had the bright idea of fitting out deuces with a bakery, figuring that if nothing else the guys at the pointy end could get freshly baked bread and anything else that could be made with the above ingredients like french toast, scrambled eggs, shit on a shingle … when you have spent several _months_ slogging through Germany with your only real hot meals provided by reconfiguring c-rats and what came off a bakery truck, you develop a hatred of the foods. He was finally thrilled when they garrisoned someplace and sent he, a driver, a jeep and a trailer out foraging for food. They came back with eggs, sausages, potatoes, cabbages, veggies, cheese and 43 German soldiers who wanted to surrender [and their weapons. I still have a P.08 and a Sauer 38H from it. And his issue M1] Speaking German and behaving in a civil manner [and having _chocolate_ to trade] helps get the good supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542/71 "2014-11-01T23:53:28Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > … when you have spent several _months_ slogging through Germany with your only real hot meals provided by reconfiguring c-rats and what came off a bakery truck, you develop a hatred of the foods. Better than having to eat K-rats. It’s interesting that C-rats were replaced by MCI rations in 1958, which were superseded in turn by MREs in the early 80s, but we were \*still \*eating C-rats on field exercises as late as my last FEX in about 1983. They must have used a shitload of salt and preservative in the canning process for them to last that long. As for chipped beef: blech. Never could stand the stuff. It was like liquid library paste with bits of leather chopped up in it. No flavor, other than salt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brief-military-veteran-inputs/702542.md?page=3)