What pay for soldiers?

[Eddie]

I admired BG Granrud at 2X for that reason. He kept the nice luxury 5-ton we outfitted for him at the motor pool, and slept in a pup tent just outside the TAC. I had it better than him -- I slept on top of a 577. I never had much real respect for most officers, but I respected the hell out of General Granrud.

Oh, don't misunderstand. We pimped that tent out eventually. We built a wood platform floor, had a sometimes-functional DRASH A/C/Heater, had sometimes functional power drops and lights, but had an analog dart board and all the wood and building supplies we could ask for.











When our new commander finally got us CHUs out at the JSS they took our tent and made it into the company chow tent.

[Legbreaker]

The Australian "Hootchie" is a relatively lightweight peice of equipment - about half a kilo with pegs. I'd say that the vast majority of my time was spend under one of them, sometimes in a tactical setting (it being set about 18 inches off the ground) sometimes as a "Taj Mah Hootch" (up to a dozen all clipped together into a veritable mansion.

Barracks quality varied GREATLY from asbestos riddled sheds from WWII and condemned shortly after construction through to proper near new appartment style rooms (four private bedrooms with a shared common space).

Much of the time though I slept right on the ground without bothering to erect a shelter unless the weather looked like it would turn foul. Even then, often I'd just wrap the sleeping bag in the hootchie.

[pmulcahy11b]

Eddie, that tent looks like an electrician's nightmare...or what's behind my computer desk...

[jester]

I carried the shelter half, sometimes -- it's a bit bulky, though, and a poncho can serve many of the same purposes.

Amen brother! I would ditch that thing everytime it wasn't required. 99% of the time we didn't use them anyhow, so why add the weight. Really, they are good for a real encampment, but not very tactical especialy when we operated in the jungle most of the time. A poncho hootch was usualy the thing. Sometimes, if we could aquire a second poncho life was good.

I recall a bro and I snapped out ponchos together durring a rain and sand storm, the thing was 50% bigger than the shelter half, we charged 1 cigarette as an entrance fee. We had half of weapons platoon and third platoon in there, the rest were playing soccer the fags.

[jester]

Eddie;

That looks better than half the barracks and squadbays I lived in. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!

[pmulcahy11b]

While I was in Korea, I went to TA-50 Alley and did what a lot of soldiers did -- get a duplicate set of field gear (later supplemented with more expensive stuff as gear changed) so that you had the stuff they issued you at CIF that you just checked every so often for cleanliness, and the real stuff you actually used and replaced as needed. That way, CIF had as little to bitch about as possible (they still found a way to reject at least one item -- you just took it back home, let it sit overnight without touching it, then brought it back to CIF and magically it was accepted).

[Eddie]

Eddie;

That looks better than half the barracks and squadbays I lived in. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!

The benefit of having two carpenters in my platoon. During the winter months, we had one space heater that we would rotate through sections of the tent. Anybody that says Iraq doesn't get cold in winter needs to get some sense slapped into them. It freaking snowed on us and we were only 25-30 miles north of Baghdad!

We got the DRASH about the time that those pictures were taken, after temps were already rising into the 100s during the day. That's the Army supply system. "We have it, but you can't have it until it's too late. Go away."

[Abbott Shaull]

While I was in Korea, I went to TA-50 Alley and did what a lot of soldiers did -- get a duplicate set of field gear (later supplemented with more expensive stuff as gear changed) so that you had the stuff they issued you at CIF that you just checked every so often for cleanliness, and the real stuff you actually used and replaced as needed. That way, CIF had as little to bitch about as possible (they still found a way to reject at least one item -- you just took it back home, let it sit overnight without touching it, then brought it back to CIF and magically it was accepted).

Yeah the damn problem is those who did that, the equipment that CIF rejected was usually issued too you with that problem...Rather stand GI inspection than turn in equipment to them...

[jester]

The benefit of having two carpenters in my platoon. During the winter months, we had one space heater that we would rotate through sections of the tent. Anybody that says Iraq doesn't get cold in winter needs to get some sense slapped into them. It freaking snowed on us and we were only 25-30 miles north of Baghdad!

We got the DRASH about the time that those pictures were taken, after temps were already rising into the 100s during the day. That's the Army supply system. "We have it, but you can't have it until it's too late. Go away."

You were there then A couple freinds sent me pictures when it snowed. I even had some pictures on my old comp. They titled them, "Hell Just Froze Over."



As for deserts being cold, lol. Yeah, most people only figure that they are just hot and forget that they also freeze at night and in winter many a time.

As for carpenters, lucky you for having the talent and of course some of the materials to be creative with. God love the infantryman, we are so creative with so little.

[jester]

Yeah, gear was always a problem. And the turn ins were BS! Often they just said "So, take it and TRY to survey it later."

We always tried to have a seperate set of kit too. Unfortunatly it was considered a contraband item by the company and anything in excess was confinscated. When I went into the hospital, my 1st Sgt actualy took some items I purchased from a surplus store and from Brigade Quartermaster, to include two 16 ounce pilots flasks <they were handy for small ops and ops, and fit in a pocket or buttpack> my parachutists folding knife <useless but a cool mechanical gadget> some BLACK 1 liter canteens and a 2 quart <yeah I am big on water because WE NEVER HAD IT!> And my boonie and old style cleaning kit and pouch. Heaven forbid you have similiar gear to what was actualy issued that got taken and put in their stash in company supply, hell, even a couple of those British 58 pouches went there.

But, yeah, a spare set of gear that was cleaned, folded and locked away for inspections only was always handy.

[Abbott Shaull]

Yeah, like I said, most of troops had two sets of gear. The ones who lived off post, had it made sorta, they could leave one set (The clean GI) at their place of living, while they carried their every gear with them, or locked up in the barracks. It was fun on the morning of GI, when those who had the field gear and GI gear would scramble to find a car trunk or van from someone hopefully in their squad/platoon where they could store them.

[weswood]

Wes,

What camp were you at in Oki

We did Hansens, the open bays by the lower Chow Hall, empty pool at the Very edge of the base. Just a side wall divider for a cubicle, and when it rained heavily, it would flood., glad I got a top bunk

I did a stink at Camp Courtney, the HQ 3rd Mar Div for a bit and they gave me a room! Damn! They had carpeting, bathtubs and TEAK cabinets for wall lockers and real furniture, again some kind of nice hardwood desks and talbles and even a nice refrigerator. It was like night and day from where I had come.

Paul, you are kidding even when I was in Hawaii in the 90s many of us were living in open squadbays <a couple that had been condemed since the 60s>


As for pay per day, we would sit and do the math.

As a L/Cpl before taxes we got about $34 a day which well when we thought about it, it was rather demoralizing. I recall many a time guys saying "For the hours I work it comes out to half minimuim wage. Phuc, I'd be making more flipping burgers." But then again, it wasn't about getting rich, it was more about chasing women, riding fast in helos and boats, shooting automatic weapons and blowing things up. AHHHH, even the memories have a slight adrenaline rush

Sorry Jester, I swear I answered this a few days ago. I can't remeber the name of the camp, it was where the HQ Squadron for the 1st Air Wing was.

When I was in the Reserves, we got called up for Desert Storm. Never made it out of Pendleton, but we go to stay in the quonset huts where they filmed parts of "Heartbreak Ridge" with Clint Eastwood.

[jester]

Hmm, that could be the 52 area or another area I forget the name. Then again we are talking 20 years damn how time flies.

[weswood]

Hmm, that could be the 52 area or another area I forget the name. Then again we are talking 20 years damn how time flies.

Yep. I was there '85-'87.