"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
On 11/21/2006 8:50 AM, Eisboch wrote:
The
Navy also has air squadrons, pilots, maintentence staff, etc. plus
numerous shore based facilities for communications and other purposes.
You couldn't possibly train civilians to handle those tasks in any
practical sense.
Most would quit after a week.

Eisboch


Why is that? Bad management, poor working conditions?

Probably the lack of union representation to coddle and protect them.

On 21 Nov 2006 04:42:24 -0800, "wingspan"
wrote:


Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:11:47 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


US Navy, so must include boats.
Weapons control we can live with.
http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html

Looks like they're still using the '06 Springfields - or replicas.
Not bad, but I'd like to see them do a little marching.
A few left and right obliques, and a counter-march or two.
Then maybe some time in the scullery, just to keep them sharp.

--Vic

Actually that's the '03 Springfield. It's the favorite of honor guards,
drill teams, etc. because of its full-length stock/handguard and its
balance. I have an '03-A3, and it shoots as good as it looks.

Right, I was off. BTW, in boot camp in '64 I worked in the armory
until the chief caught me sleeping in and put me in the scullery, but
not before I had stacked thousands of these things. I don't think any
were capable of firing, but never tore one down. I'll tell you this,
they were beautiful pieces even after taking much abuse, and I enjoyed
doing some of that spinning and fancy stuff with them because of their
balance. Great wood and metal.

--Vic

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 07:32:33 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

On 11/21/2006 7:21 AM, JohnH wrote:
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:25:01 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:11:47 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:

US Navy, so must include boats.
Weapons control we can live with.
http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html
Pfffhhhtt.....

Marine Corps Silent Drill Team is better.

Squids....

The Army's Old Guard puts them all to shame.



I don't understand the purpose of these displays. Are they part of
recruitment programs?

Maybe the audience was parents of graduating recruits. The only time
I saw drill exhibitions was at graduation. Close order marching with
the requisite rifle movement was the order of the day when I was in,
but I do recall one guy in our company who had all the rifle spinning
down pat. I don't remember that he drilled with a separate unit, and
think he picked it up in HS ROTC. And I don't recall seeing rifle
exhibitions when I was in boot camp. Somewhere there's an Admiral
or Captain who likes this stuff, and it's his pet project.

--Vic

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:08:34 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:



Oh, I do understand Rangel's purpose and why.

He's building a social engineering program in a left handed manner. If
anything, the current military is exactly the opposite of what he
thinks it is.

Uh, maybe he just liked "Stripes?"
Social engineering?
There is no better example of that than the military itself.
Rangel just wants the full attention of the all "patriots" who
wouldn't think for a moment of putting their own lives on the line.
He knows that the volunteer military is best.
And I've got a feeling that Rangel will do more to see that our
volunteer military is going to better treated/paid, and our vets
better treated than his predecessor did.
Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see how it comes up in black and white.

--Vic

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
On 11/21/2006 9:46 AM, Jim wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
On 11/21/2006 8:50 AM, Eisboch wrote:
The
Navy also has air squadrons, pilots, maintentence staff, etc. plus
numerous shore based facilities for communications and other purposes.
You couldn't possibly train civilians to handle those tasks in any
practical sense.
Most would quit after a week.

Eisboch

Why is that? Bad management, poor working conditions?

Probably the lack of union representation to coddle and protect them.

Yes, well, since most employers don't give a tinker's dam about their
workers, and since OSHA under Bush has about given up on worker safety,
it's good that some organization is looking out for workers.

Thanks Harry. I needed a good laugh.

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 10:05:27 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:



Pomp and circumstance, I guess.

Exactly.

--Vic

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:36:13 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:


Maybe the skill is handy for big funerals. Analogy: Hidden among the
population like terrorist cells are legions of bagpipe players. They come
out of the woodwork for police funerals in some cities. I have no idea why.
My best theory is that having to listen to bagpipe music should make other
cops do a better job of looking out for their partners.

LMAO

--Vic

Harry Krause wrote:


I don't mean those sailors specifically. I mean, members of the armed
forces. But if sailors are not soldiers, then why do they have a
small-arms drill team.


Tradition?

Back in the days when naval combat routinely involved boarding or being
boarded, every man aboard was expected to be at least proficient with
close quarter weapons. Rifles wouldn't have been much use once at deck
level once the enemy was aboard, but snipers up in the rigging were
instrumental in bringing down enemy officers, enemy sailors on either
ship, and of course the enemy's own snipers up in the rigging.

As everybody knows, these naval riflemen were often called "marines"
and that explains why the Marine Corp was (still is?) a department of
the Navy.

The drill exercise promotes discipline, attention to detail, precision
of execution, and suppression of individual will, opinion, and attitude
in favor of the mission or function of the unit. All highly useful in a
military environment.

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:36:13 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:


Maybe the skill is handy for big funerals. Analogy: Hidden among the
population like terrorist cells are legions of bagpipe players. They come
out of the woodwork for police funerals in some cities. I have no idea
why.
My best theory is that having to listen to bagpipe music should make other
cops do a better job of looking out for their partners.

LMAO

--Vic

I knew you'd like that. :-)

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:39:25 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

You raise an interesting point. If we have 2 million in uniform, why is
the military rotating the same troops and guard units back to Iraq over
and over? Why do we have 2 million in the military? If a majority of
them are not "fighting" soldiers, sailors, marines and airforce, maybe
most of those non-fighting billets should be handled by civilians.

Haliburton maybe?
Maybe I'm wrong, but I see the increasing privatization of the
military as a bad move. An Arab food worker blowing up himself
and some of our guys in a green zone mess hall was an eye-opener
for me. Having large deployments of military not be self-sufficient
allows for too many vulnerabilities.
My experience is navy only, and a while back, but the only civvies I
ever saw on ship/base was yardworkers. And frankly, I always had
an odd feeling seeing yardbirds on my ship. It made me a bit
uncomfortable to think I was depending on them - in this case
boilermakers - for my safety. I knew these guys were specialists,
but it still gave me an odd feeling.
BTW, I would sometimes grab a hardhat, apron and safety glasses of
a yardbird after they broke for the day, put them on and walk around
the ship goofing on crewmates, like showing them a big wrench and
mumbling, "where is the ASROC launcher, I need to fix the nukes."
Even guys who knew me for years didn't recognize me.
Somebody should have arrested me.

--Vic