We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:14:41 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification The Budget of Argghhh! currently not supporting acquisition of chemical-powered armaments, I have been indulging other tastes in adding to the Character of Castle Argghhh! - and with a Castle Blogmeet on the horizon, some thought to making that experience apropos to the place we have collectively built. Though, sadly, the Great Chandeliers of Argghhh! will have to remain a metaphysical construct, absent someone wanting to spend the dough to build an artifact in the Bailey that we could suspend a chandelier from... and then build the chandelier... Where was I? Oh, yeah - *stuff*. As long-time readers know from... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html Wed, 28 Dec 2005 08:57:05 -0600 That has happened to newbie *aviators*, too. "Sir, may I borrow the Jeep?" *wrinkling nose* "Only if you put a poncho on the seat, first. Come to think of it, use *two* ponchos..." http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37298 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37298 Sat, 31 Dec 2005 23:54:11 -0600 Newbies worn the crewsuit for their first exercise, then switched to proper combats. Although I avoided the problem by exercising due care and close attention to details, there were known unfortunate incidents where individuals, wearing crewsuits, suffered from neglecting some of the aforementioned details when executing field sanitation techniques under time constraints. Cheers JMH http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37261 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37261 Sat, 31 Dec 2005 00:44:20 -0600 Aha--I always wondered who'd gotten my hand-me-downs. They were cut 'way too small in the crotch, too... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37175 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37175 Fri, 30 Dec 2005 08:19:32 -0600 We had an Armoured Corps Mess Dinner in the field during RV 83, complete with silver from the mess. And our Regimental Field Mess Kit (Mess Kit is one of our uniforms up here): Armoured Vehicle Crew Suit with Regimental Ascot and Stable Belt. The Crew Suit is similar to a Flight Suit, but with fewer do-dads which might catch on significant bits such as Breech operating Levers and Triggers. Mine had a 26" zipper, but I'm much less tall than Bill, and younger. Cheers JMH http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37170 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37170 Fri, 30 Dec 2005 01:20:08 -0600 I remember eating off of our issued mess kit in basic training then having to stand in line to clean them in a series of trash cans filled with boiling soapy water. Then came the MRE." Which tasted like it had just been fished out of a garbage can filled with *cold* soapy water...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37090 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37090 Thu, 29 Dec 2005 09:46:54 -0600 I remember eating off of our issued mess kit in basic training then having to stand in line to clean them in a series of trash cans filled with boiling soapy water. Then came the MRE. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37083 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37083 Thu, 29 Dec 2005 09:08:35 -0600 A little Vegemite goes a long way. Bread, lotsa butter, a touch of Vegemite. Mmmmm. Never assimilated to the point where I could slather Vegemite like butter... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37081 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37081 Thu, 29 Dec 2005 08:27:04 -0600 Geez, Vegemite really *is* black. My memory's not as shot as I thought. Although there *are* certain things I wish selective memory would de-select... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37074 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37074 Thu, 29 Dec 2005 00:58:13 -0600 We're working getting that way, via SWWBO's employer or mine. The upcoming ABCA 06 exercise offers the current best chance. I've still got some Vegemite left (a little goes a long way, and besides serving as emergency axle grease, it will last forever) - but I'll keep you in mind when it runs out. Yes, I *like* Vegemite. Now Marmite, being Pom-made, ick. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37070 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37070 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 19:50:12 -0600 Vegemite. (It also comes in a Traveler's Tube now. When we were travelling around Europe with our friends for a month, the French, Germans and Italians would wonder what the hell we were putting on our bread!) Anyway, if you are still coming to Australia at some time, I might be able to get you a meal at the Melbourne Victoria Barracks Officer's Mess, using the finest silver! ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37069 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37069 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 19:38:58 -0600 So, Geoff, gonna bring some Vegemite to the Blogmeet? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37068 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37068 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:35:03 -0600 So, when is our infamous...er...notorious...umm.. exciting blogmeet to occur? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37066 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37066 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:30:41 -0600 aluminium (I am an Aussie!) is a nobler metal than steel, and puts you in the same class as Napoleon III (The Emperor's cutlery) ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37065 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37065 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:19:40 -0600 See, now that is good information - I can return the gift of a Soviet hat with that sort of stuff and not run into (more) questions from the RCMP and the customs folk like I did with that tank I had my eye on for you. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37054 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37054 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:34:02 -0600 Nice post on the Officer's Mess Kit. I haven't seen one of those in a dog's age but the photo was unmistakeable. The Mess can really make the Morale. There is something about us humans and taking our food together. It can be a powerful bonding agent in a unit. Some of my best recollections are of great meals with the men, even in the pouring rain under a tanker's tarp. SGM (Ret.) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37053 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37053 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:30:15 -0600 Portion control is not a new concept, but when Post consistently shorted the entree and "made up the difference" with sundries, you just kind of sucked it up and drove on. Usually, my Field First and the senior Drill wound up with bread sammidges, too. On the plus side, my kids lost all semblance of pickiness, except for the creamed parsnips. And don't get me started on that... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37052 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37052 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:17:06 -0600 I never ate off the OMK, either. In fact, I think I actually used it 3, mebbe 4 times. But each one was fun. I also did the eggs to order in the MKT when duty allowed. In the field almost *no one* skipped breakfast, and it was a way to look everybody in the eye and see how things were going. But we had better portion control than you did, Bill. There was always *something* left besides bread. But the OMK was really only intended for those times you were encamped, vice "in the field" Like in the TAA, when we'd set up the GP Mediums for a mess tent. You can do that stuff in an Brigade HQ. In the firing battery, we never took it to the field. Of course, the whole Mess paradigm is different now - and I'm still not convinced it's better. You can do a hell of a lot with (and to) morale if you own your own Mess. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37051 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37051 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 11:59:11 -0600 Looking at that picture of the redleg, I would almost have to say that he looks French. Then I saw that he was solving a problem and I realized that he was an American. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37045 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37045 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 11:05:04 -0600 Heh...don' need no steenkeen' mess kits. I followed the field dictum that the troopies ate first, NCOs second, Ossifers last. And since I was the only ossifer in the Company, and everything was usually *gone* by the time everybody else had chowed down, it made my menu real simple: a bread sandwich, i.e., a slice of white between two slices of whole wheat. Or, for variety, a slice of whole wheat between two slices of white. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37044 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/the_militaria_of_argghhh.html#comment-37044 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 10:59:51 -0600