Comments for REMFs.

REMFs.

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:51:37 -0600

In my war, we coined a term to describe the guy who lived in Saigon in an air-conditioned trailer with access to clean water that didn't smell or taste like bleach, who worked in an area where the greatest danger was spilling a drink at Happy Hour, who took PX breaks four times a day to see if his new TEAC stereo system had arrived, who exchanged his boots for new ones whenever his spitshine was scuffed, who spent his days tweaking his Efficiency Reports to achieve maximum promotability, who had starch lines *sewn* into his jungle fatigues to nullify...

Comment from SangerM on 2009-09-26

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:52:32 -0600

Grimmy, thank you for the history lesson! My ex-marine step father used a bunch of Marine slang: bug juice, SOS, pogey bait, etc. I never knew there was a reason behind that last one. Cool!

Comment from Grimmy on 2009-09-26

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:35:03 -0600

While with grunts, REMF can be applied to anyone who aint a grunt, and, somewhat, even to other grunts (mortar doods, for example, since they're usually a couple hundred yards behind the fighting edge of holes), in truth, REMF is a mindset.

In the Corps, they're called Pogues. Pogue is shortened from Poguee, old Tagalog slang for a prostitute.

The term was picked up by USN and USMC personnel during the Philippine Insurrection. Poguee bait was slang for candy, since that was often the payment of choice for prostitutes in that era.

In the 20's and through the '40's, Pogue meant queer or weak. Later it came to mean everyone who wasn't infantry. And, it is often a derogatory term tagged onto others within the infantry as either an insult or in jest.

Comment from Grumpy on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:31:45 -0600

To all: There are rare qualities in the craft of writing on display on display here. These would also include the links, including Mike Yon's article. There is the appropriate balance of not too much or too little. Those qualities are being "tact full and subtle".

Comment from fdcol63 on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:28:36 -0600

I always made it a point to hob nob with the support folks. They typically worked hard and without them, you'd have nothing. With them on your side, everything was much easier .... especially with maintenance for dispatching your vehicle, the armorer for weapons check in & out, commo, cooks, and supply.

Comment from FbL on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:52:24 -0600

It's not that he didn't go outside the wire, Twin -- it's that he had disdain for those who did.

Bingo. Our SGT B didn't go outside the wire, but he had the utmost respect for those who did... and wished very much he could've been with them instead of in the TOC.

Comment from BillT on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:17:01 -0600

It's not that he didn't go outside the wire, Twin -- it's that he had disdain for those who did.

Comment from AFSister on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:43:43 -0600

Colin-
I was going to point out the same thing Bill did, but he beat me to it. Remember- the Major in Yon's story had never been outside the wire, unlike your supply/support battalion.

Comment from BillT on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:20:05 -0600

Colin -- there is a clear distinction between support troops and REMFs.

Comment from 11B40 on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:03:09 -0600

Greetings:

In my neck of the Viet Nam woods, there were the combat arms, (infantry, artillery, armor) and the rest were collectively referred to as "clerks & jerks".

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:26:21 -0600

Dusty - two words: Courtney Massengale.

Comment from Colin on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:23:31 -0600

I used to have snide comments about our Service Battalions until I worked with 1 Svc Battalion in Germany. Not only were most of the soldier ex-combat arms who transferred as their bodies began to wear out, these guys worked their butts off to keep supplies moving. It certainly changed my attitude. Now with the same units doing all the resupply in theater and suffering the costs of IED’s and ambushes. My respect is even higher. There will always be base plugs that either don’t care or are locked in a peacetime mentality.

Comment from Attila on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:10:16 -0600

Eliminating REMFs is like stopping the tides. Can't be done, unless you nuke the moon (apologies to Frank J)...and then we'd only get rid of the tides.

Seems the higher I got in the USAF, the more I ran into these types. The only thing that made it bearable was that many of them were lesser beings harassing my lesser beings, at which time I was able to complicate the formers' lives more than they were used to.

Must.

Control.

Fist.

of

Death...

Comment from SangerM on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:55:21 -0600

REMF... Funny, Bill. The moment I read your title, I had a flashback to the same emotional feelings I had in the early 70s when I first joined the Army and learned two new 'cuss words from the Vietnam Vets: REMF and Lifer. Now the terms seem prosaic and tame, but I remember well that calling the wrong person one of those could get you laid out in a hurry....

I guess there will always be those folks...

That was a great essay by Yon on BS Bob too. I would hate to have him PO'd at me.... Ouch.

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-09-25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:35:14 -0600

If they didn't like the taste of chlorine in their water, how bout some taste of UREA and AMONIA?