As usual, strategic insights from KOS, a former Spec. 4 in the artillery.

Artillery, eh? Sounds like the old 'redleg' ran on up a little higher and gave Kos a case of the 'red ass'.

And all his little Kosigners, too.

<Godwin alert>

Kos was corporal-level in the artillery? Who else do we know who...?

</Godwin alert>

(Though, I believe I've read somewhere the other guy wasn't a corporal after all.)

"Forever" huh?
Kos served in Germany just under five decades after V-E Day.

Well...I hate to disparage my fellow service members, but the 13B "artilleryman" weren't exactly the "brightest bulbs in the box." I was formerly an 11C "indirect Fire Infantryman" AKA "Mortarman" and had quite a bit of interface with the Artillery Forward Observers (13F) and they didn't have much good to say about them either, not to mention that when I was enrolled in the Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course (BNCOC) I noted that the 13B's finished at the bottom of the class (if they graduated at all.) It became pretty apparent that to be a 13B "cannon-cocker" all you had to be able to do is to; follow the truck in front of you, lift the heavy projectile and put the "pointy end" in first, followed by the correct number of color-coded charge bags (tricky), index the correct deflection and elevation on the sight and adjust the gun accordingly off the aiming posts (even trickier...that's why they went to automated systems), and then "pull the lanyard". Again, I apologize for the "few" intelligent 13B's (who have probably all long since put in their Warrant Officer packets) but that about sums up my experience, and if Markos was actually only an "entry level" artilleryman before getting out (kicked out?) then he probably is "dumber than a box of rocks" only to be "out-dumbed" by a STUMP (Stupid Tanker Under Mortar Protection.) I kid you not...sorry Tankers, but you all weren't that bright either...not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that, as long as you accomplish the mission (and quit talking so much s#!+.)

"Progressives" all sound like the bitchiest, snottiest, most insecure woman you ever dated, the one who made you dance with joy when you finally dumped her.

If it gets to the point that no U.S. troops are getting killed, who cares if the stay forever?

Not forever Markos, just until we win.

Part of the reason for the hysteria against the Iraq Campaign, from the start, was to prevent any action against Iran by making it clear such action would bear an even higher political price. But we shall have to deal with Iran someday. If we wait until the Ayatollahs start slinging nukes around the blood will flow in greater rivers than the lefties can imagine.

@Tom W.:
Actually, she dumped me: it was my only foray into the seriously younger market (~21), and it quickly felt like babysitting.
Indeed, I danced for joy. And pitied the Army twit she quickly married to torment with her high-maintenance attitude.
Indeed, these Progressives have parked their heads in lightless regions.

sorry Tankers, but you all weren't that bright either

So I'm looking at my colleague who's a tanker with a Master's in computer science from a pretty well known school, on a fast track to a PhD at Army urging and ....

thinking maybe that was a little overstated. ;-)

And we're still in Japan too. Also Korea.

And weren't there troops stationed in the Phillipines until about ten years ago, dating back to the Spanish-American War? THAT seemed like forever.

Hey, Top -

Lets just say that back in the day 11Cs come from the same bulb manufactory as 13Bs. I know, I hadda train 'em to hit targets they couldn't see, when their platoon leader and platoon sergeant proved unable.

They did direct lay just fine.

My MOS was 13A.

Joel, at least we've finally stopped paying the tax that financed it.

Hey ... don't we former 13B's get ANY credit for remembering how to place those red & white candy cane thingies? You know, it's hard to remember which side is on the left.

Just don't get us confused with all that "mil" and "a$$ 'n muff" stuff.

According to Kos' bio: "I was a 13P -- an MLRS/Lance Fire Direction Specialist (artillery), and served between 1989-92."

In other words, a rocket boy.

So, John, I think the reputation of the genuine cannon-cockers is still safe... :)

I never could force myself to fly under the gun-target line, regardless of apex altitude. You guys scare me. ;)

Anyway, picturing Markos in Kevlar is like picturing Rudy in drag, a bit...wrong.

TO: Instapilot, et al.
RE: Aaaaw....

"I never could force myself to fly under the gun-target line, regardless of apex altitude. You guys scare me. ;)" -- Instapilot

...I had A10s fly under my gun-target line at Irwin, when I was an 81mm Mortar Platoon Leader in the 82d.

On the other hand, a week later an F4 tried to bomb my mortar platoon position, mistaking it for the target he was supposed to bomb about 2K away.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Big sky. Little bullet. -- Credo and prayer of Close Air Support pilots]