At Fort Knox

| April 4, 2012

Live photos. More to come.

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Casing the colors;
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Uncasing the RearD’s new colors;

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Category: Support the troops

46 Comments
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Anonymouse

Ha! Remember when Multicam first debuted in Afghanistan and it was stated with the issue that it was to be worn ONLY in Afghanistan?

Yet, there’s proof of an entire command wearing it on a CONUS base.

I KNEW commanders would abuse this.

H1

Me wantee.
ACU’s are worthless in the North Country.

Ryan

Oh wow, a color that actually looks like a military uniform. Who’da thunk it? Let’s hope for some more outbreaks of common sense. 🙂

Daniel

Multicam may be worn by units under deployment status for training or at the discretion of the unit commander. Normally, once the unit has received their DEPORD and have multicam issued through RFI they may switch over at a time the Commander deems appropriate.

My unit is trying to decide on an appropriate date right now because we get RFI in a few weeks and the Soldiers are pleading to switch over to Multicam ASAP. We want to do it soon but not ridiculously far out from the actual deployment.

AF MSgt

If you look at the top picture the two outlying groups (sorry, not sure what to call them) look like they are wearing ACUs.

a175darby

WTF! I thought it was about cameras..with note ‘3 more to follow…..not until post #2 that ACU’s were mentioned…sigh
I am a product of the late 70’s Army.

RLTW

Marine 83

Think there might be some weight issues with the rifleman..er person on the left?

Yat Yas 1833

Ya know, you guys, Army, wouldn’t have so many uniform issues if you would just pick a pattern and issue it to everyone!?: o (hiding)

PintoNag

@7 In the horse world, you’d call that a bang-tailed cob.

a175darby

The flag on the right, the covered one..seems to be out of uniform.

Radar

Did we also look that young back in the day?

Old Tanker

Brings back a few memories…..I spent 4 miserable months at Ft. Knox….

Sean

Multicam in CONUS? figures a Pogue unit does it. I hear no 2AD SSI will be made or authorized as SSI-FWT as its a temporary uniform. so those who earned their HOW patch wont be able to wear it.

SJ

Sean: re, “Multicam in CONUS? figures a Pogue unit does it. I hear no 2AD SSI will be made or authorized as SSI-FWT as its a temporary uniform. so those who earned their HOW patch wont be able to wear it.”

Not being a smart a$$, just an Old Soldier that doesn’t know the new terms. Mind translating: Multicam? Pogue (I’m thinking a new term for REMF)? SSI? SSI-FWT? HOW? Thanks!

Sean

SSI-FWTS= Combat(right shoulder) patch

SSI= shoulder patch

Pogue=Irish for Ass, aka REMF

Multicam= Camo Pattern originally tested to replace the BDU but digital was chosen by some unnamed moron.

Ne Desit Virtus

I always thought it was POG, Personnel Other than Grunt

Hondo

Sean – I believe “pogue” (English spelling of the Irish “póg”) translates as “kiss”, and that “thóin” is the Irish word for ass.

SJ

HOW patch?

Combat patch I understood (have 2 of them from Dom Rep and VN). SSI etc are strange to this ole guy. Thanks much.

Old Tanker

@16 That’s the way I always knew it…

SJ – However it’s spelled you’re correct, another term for a REMF

headhuntersix

The ACU’s were the rear detachment. The multicam are authorized just prior to and post deployment.

SJ

Mentioning REMF reminds that I used to tell people that it was a term that illustrates “relativity”. If you’re the Point Man, everyone else is a REMF…and so it goes all the way back to the Pentagon.

Anonymouse

No, no you guys. It’s “P.O.A.G.” (Piece of Army Garbage). Still pronounced the same way as “Pogue” or “POG”

92 G is the epitome of POAG. Have you ever met a high speed “Food Service Specialist?”(Cook)

Me neither.

Old Tanker

Sorry, but that looks silly with them being in different uniforms, it’s called UNIFORM for a freaking reason….

15DAZNG

Im an aircraft mechanic-Fobbit and proud of it.

Sustainer

Just a slight disclaimer:

I deployed with the 316th ESC during OIF 07-09. We replaced the 3rd ESC.

At any one time, 2000 vehicles and 6000 Soldiers on the roads of Iraq. Lost 20 Soldiers. Not as safe as it may seem.

Hondo

@22: Can’t say I’ve met any “high speed”92Gs, but I’ve met some damned competent ones. And I was damned glad to be eating in their DFACs vice having to eat MREs.

Sustainer: agreed. When you’re hauling supplies or fuel, you’re a target just as much as if you’re patrolling a neighborhood. And bullets/IEDs don’t care about your MOS.

Alex F.

Agree with the last few comments. I’m in an MI MOS whose mission is dependent on going outside the wire regularly…”POG” and “Fobbit” are NOT synonyms.

headhuntersix

As a Tanker I thought logistics just “happened” but being with these guys…”interesting” as they may be..has shown me thats not the case and if we are going to get our crap out of A-Stan its going to be because of the 3D ESC. We’re the first active duty ESC to deploy there because we’ll be responsible for the retrograde. The TAH team did a great job covering our event and we look forward to enetertaining your other favorite blogger. TSO, as we head down range.

TSO

I can’t fricken wait.
Getting my hotel room now.

Pat

To Anonymouse #22: Were you just joking when you stated that a 92G is a “P.O.A.G.” that is “Piece of Army Garbage? And please, Anonymouse #22 and Hondo, what did you both mean when you stated “high speed 92G?” #22 and Hondo, you both ARE kidding, correct? I hope so. I am a retired Quartermaster Officer and not only did I have troops who were served with me as cooks, but also served as repairmen, supply specialists, parachute riggers, mortuary affairs personnel, provided POL for our vehicles and choppers, set up laundry and bath units for the troops as well as ensuring water was purified and delivered for consumption and bathing. There are other 92 series (or the old 76 series) that I have left out, because there are too many to mention. How do I know all of this? Well, let’s just say that I was deployed for 2 STRAIGHT YEARS for OEF and OIF and if it wasn’t for those “P.O.A.G”s, then I wonder how the other branches of the miitary got fed, clothed, cleaned, issued ammo-and if you are or were in the Army, were kept alive and comfortable with the various Classes of Supply, Class I to Class X. And everyone knows the importance of Class VI. 🙂 As General Dwight D. Eisenhower once said ““You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics.” In reality, we all as veterans should work together as a team and not make snarky comments about a 92G. And Hondo, you are correct….if one studies miitary tactics, we were often taught that the enemy will try to wipe out the REMFs or POAGs first, because in doing so, the front line troops will evidentually have no food to eat, no toilet paper to use, no water to drink, etc. etc. If you remember your history, we won our freedom from the Brits because they had the challenge of logistically supporting their troops during the Revolutionary War. And I’m pretty sure Napolean ran into the same scenario.… Read more »

J.M.

Most units switch to multicam for a number of reasons. My BNs last deployment, the household goods for barracks Soldiers were picked up before block leave. So switching to multicams before block leave allowed the barracks guys to pack off their ACUs into storage and not haul them back and forth to Afghanistan. (except the late deployers that went downrange with a full acu TA-50 issue, then received the full RFI issue in Bagram. Poor bastards were dragging 2 of everything back and forth across country)

Old Tanker

Pat,

I will say that Army chow at the mess was pretty darned good, especially breakfast!!! The mess Sgt. Made a an absolutely awesome picante sauce from scratch. Never had anything as good!

Hondo

Pat: you obviously misunderstood my comment, at least in part. The older definition of “high-speed, low drag” I grew up with (and yes, that means I’m dating myself) was typically applied to SF/Airborne/Ranger/other combat arms soldiers on the fact track for advancement that did “daring and dangerous” stuff regularly. By definition, most cooks wouldn’t qualify. Neither would many if not most medical, signal, intel, maintenance, or logistics folks.

However, without cooks – and all of the other logistics and other support types – the Army would simply not function for long, if at all. So regardless of whether someone is “high speed” (by the old definition) or not, their job is still essential. My apologies if I that wasn’t made clear enough by my comment above; I thought I had done so.

Put bluntly: if “beans, bullets, and band-aids” don’t get where they’re needed, then I don’t care who you are, or how high-speed – you ain’t gonna be around long. And today, you can add to that classic 3-item list information and a number of other categories of support, because today they’re just as essential as the original 3.

Hondo

Addendum: Pat, I have to say I resent you implying I referred to 92Gs as “POAGs” anywhere above. Please re-read my comments #17 and #26. I most certainly did not use that term – in any way, shape, form, or fashion. In comment #17, I was observing that the term “pogue” was being incorrectly translated from the original Gaelic. In comment #26, I was politely (perhaps too subtly or politely) taking issue with the comment by Anonymous (#22) for his use of the term.

I’ve been remote and reasonably near the end of a long admin/logistics support chain on multiple occasions, and I thank God it worked quite well in each case. I really hate to think of how bad things could have been otherwise.

Anonymouse

@Pat(30): Sir, I respect your service. I did 3 years in the Sandbox myself. I understand your love for your branch, but being an old enlisted man myself, my experience on the “grunt” level with 92G’s is likely miles different than yours being on the officer side.

I can comfortably say that 99% of 92G’s I’ve ever encountered were in fact POAG soldiers. Incompetent, mildly retarded, discipline lacking, problematic and usually not “soldier material” at all. Looked as if their recruiter had pulled an unethical “fast one” on the Army in order to fill his/her monthly quota by tricking some street scum to sign to be a Cook.

Also, throughout my 3 tours in Iraq, 92G’s were nothing more than Kitchen Police that wore hair nets and bossed around civilian contractors. I just can’t respect an obsolescent MOS. “Food Service Specialist” needs to become an ASI, filled by a couple of designated soldiers in every line unit.

I do, however, have respect and love for the service and support chain of Logistics. 88M’s, mechanics (Wrench Rangers!) and others have proven throughout the Iraq War that the words “front lines” don’t matter for shit anymore.

Hondo

Anonymous: how about canning that “POAG” crap? In any MOS, you’ll find both stellar soldiers and those who accurately can be described as POSs or “rocks with lips”. Even the MOSs traditionally requiring high GT scores aren’t immune – Manning was an Intel Analyst.

Of the two Rhodes scholars I’ve known personally, one was a Signal Officer – and one was Infantry.

streetsweeper

@# 35- Best tighten up your shot group, mouse….

Pat

Hondo, you are absolutely corrected and I was wrong. You did not state that 92G were POAGs and I apologize for my error in not reading your comments correctly. I just did not understand why you and Anonymouse made the comment that you both never met any “high speed 92Gs”. Now that I have read both your explanation on the meaning, I understand. Guess I should have asked my husband what “high speed” meant since he was an 11B. I appreciate yours and Old Tanker compliments on our Army Cooks and just as Old Tanker stated, some of the best breakfasts I have had in my life was in a Mess Hall…oops, DFAC. In fact, the more I think about it, the best chow I HAVE had eaten WERE in Mess Halls instead of expensive restaurants. And Anonymouse, that is ok expressing your honesty that you unfortunately ran into some incompentant 92Gs. I am a PROUD daughter of an NCO (RIP)…I can still remember those days as a child eating SOS in an Army Mess Hall when we had to stay in Barracks for families waiting for quarters. And this was in the 1960s. And I’m talking about the SOS with REAL chip beef, not ground beef. Hondo, Anonymouse, Tanker: This is sincerity, not sarcasm: Thank you for your kind words for us loggies. I hope you can understand why I quickly went on the defense when I read the comments on 92Gs. Yes, we had some deadbeats in the Army, but unfortunately, there are deadbeats in every MOS/Branch. Some of the cooks that worked with me ended up becoming chefs in high class restaraunts…something that I know they are proud of….just as I am proud of their achievement. And they probably had a superb NCO who ensured they were conducting their mission in a professional manner, because after all, despite our MOS or Branch, we are Soldiers first. Thank you ALL for serving our country….and Anonymouse, since I am now retired, I now look at myself as a regular person and a Veteran,not a Sir or Ma’am. Wow, 3… Read more »

B Woodman

I see the pics above, and sigh. Even though I hated parades, I miss the life. And I was Signal Corps, what used to be? 31E Field Radio Repair on the old VRC12 series FM (later SINGARS) and GRC106 HF radios.
Over.

Beretverde

None of the boots are spit-shined! How many man-hours were spent shining boots back in the “good old army”?

Hondo

Pat: no thanks required, dear lady. You logistics folks doing their job well meant that I only had to worry about my guys doing theirs – and not about how they were fed, where to get supplies, medical treatment, maintenance, etc . . . .

Although I must say that the DFACs sometimes did make avoiding weight gain difficult at times. And my guy who tried to weasel an early end to his deployment due to a couple of minor medical issue probably wished that our medical support wasn’t quite as good. (smile)

Old 21B

During OIF2 my battalion’s cooks became gunners on convoys since they weren’t cooking thanks to KBR. They were in harm’s way more than say our supply clerks. They specialized in sitting around snacking.

Flagwaver

I was a 92Y stationed with an Infantry NG unit. My first Annual Training after BCT, all soldiers were told to go to the EIB section. I went, not quite understanding in my perfectly shiny boots that I was a different animal than the 11-series. I got the highest score out of my unit.

When my unit was training up to go to the sandbox, all of the troopies were reclassed to 11-series. The cooks, pencil-pushers, mechanics, even me, were all given some rinky-dink 2-week class that gave us the temporary designation of 11B (except we didn’t qualify for the blue disks, cord, or CIB). In Iraq, there were contractors who were being paid officer-level pay to do the jobs that our normal cooks and supply could do… and were mostly incompetent at it.

I fully admit that I am a REMF. After being blown up, and about three months in various hospitals, I was sent back to my unit. I am the guy who took care of pay problems. I had to handle whatever crisis cropped up in Family Support. I was the one who put together care packages to give the guys a little bit of home (including one that included about twenty-pounds of salt-water taffy). I was the one that picked up soldiers during emergency leave and took them where they needed to be. In the end, the soldiers were able to keep their heads in the game over there because of the REMFs.

While you 11-Bangbangs may get all the glory and magazine covers, without the REMFs you would be naked, broke, hungry, and worrying about your family. We all have our parts to play. Though, that doesn’t keep us from flicking a little shit back and forth.

As for the digicam and ACUs, I thought the ACUs were digicam that was bleached? The only thing it blends into is other soldiers in ACUs.

Ret12B40

My father (Mess Daddy) always told me, “NEVER piss off the Mess Daddy or Supply Sergeant.”

Had a long career with much love going out to my ‘spoons’, some of the best dismounted route clearance guys I ever had.

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