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I Hate Reflective Belts


Toro

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Have a friend who was there when they medivac'ed him out after getting hit on the convoy in Iraq that swears he's the real shit.

Who knows, maybe it was the Ranger training. Some Army friends tell me that the Ranger school in a lot of ways is almost an indoctrination into "ears on & brain off" discipline. While maybe that "don't ask questions" / "go take that hill" thing is necessary in the Army (or with Air Force cops?), I like to think that since we recruit from at least a little closer to the top shelf we might as well use some of the brains that the Air Force always brags about us having. Then again he's been trying to beat SP's into line for twenty-plus years, and that's got to take a little objectivity out of you...

That's always been my argument whenever this topic comes up. Guys with hard ons for AFIs tell me that I'm not allowed to make judgment calls about when/where to follow regulations but isn't that exactly why I have two fancy degrees and the AF keeps paying for me to go to school? Aren't we at some point supposed to use that extremely expensive education that we've been given?

If you want me to be a mindless robot then stop making me go to school and I'll gladly just turn my brain off.

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Signs at ORKK were replaced in the last 48 hours to clarify. It now says something to the effect of "All US military, civilians, and contractors will wear a reflective belt between the hours of 1700-0700".

Even the Sierra Leone "security" guys are wearing them. I guess even though we're still getting rocketed and sniped at on a daily basis that's no incentive to not be reflective.

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He put on E-9 4 years ago, he's been a chief longer than many members of this board have been in the air force. Being an E-9 and not eventually drinking the kool aid has got to be like being the only sober guy at the party-- after long enough, you're going to want to give in.

There are some that thankfuly resist the urge to drink (E's AND O's)they are too few and far between though.

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http://airforcemedicine.afms.mil/sg_newswire/apr_04/LeadStoryAPRIL.htm

"During vehicle maneuvers in the midst of the firefight, Parsons' elbow was dislocated and he sustained bruises to his ribs and hip."

There is the purple heart and bronze star with valor.

I would be curious as to how this injury happened. Bruises to ribs and hip sounds like he took a bullet to his jacket...but dislocated elbow? That sounds like he fell out of his vehicle...

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I don't know this guy but I have a couple thoughts for perspective wrt Ranger training.

Going to Ranger school does not make you a Ranger. FWIW, if you've spent time around Ranger you know there are of douchebags there, too. Fewer than the normal population but they exist, just like anywhere else.

There is a halo effect for special schools/qualifications. That includes FWIC. The halo effect can be dangerous for everyone.

We always taught the students that the patch (or tab or badge or medals) was nothing but a piece of cloth. You should be able to walk into a room and have credibility even when you're not wearing a patch (or tab or badge or medals) based on your actions and intellect. The day you depend on your patch (or tab or badge or medals) for credibility is the day you stop becoming a weapons officer (or ranger or pilot or whatever).

Technique only.

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He got hit by a vehicle while not wearing a reflective belt. duh.

First he was targeted by the enemy because he was wearing e reflective belt...then he took it off and was hit by a friendly vehicle. The enemy knew he was a leader...kind of like having a bunch of antennas sticking out of your vehicle. Must've been a nightmare scenario.

Just goes to show, it's better to have the bad guys shoot at you because they are shitty shots than be unprotected against the precision friendly vehicles who cannot PID you in a weapons free scenario, especially when lack of reflective belt meets hostile/imposter PID criteria.

Get those belts on!

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As reported from Afghanistan by a friend of mine:

We have a NEW reflective belt initiative. Apparently a bus (driven by some lucky deployer) now drives around base at night with the sole purpose of finding people without reflective belts. Not to run over them, but to instead collect these non-reflective malcontents, paddy wagon-style, and bus them to a holding cell from which only your unit commander can rescue you. I am not joking... Is this real life?
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Apparently a bus (driven by some lucky deployer) now drives around base at night with the sole purpose of finding people without reflective belts. Not to run over them, but to instead collect these non-reflective malcontents, paddy wagon-style, and bus them to a holding cell from which only your unit commander can rescue you.

...and people wonder why they make fun of the AF...and the next time someone in the AF says "I don't have time to do that" just think about how many man-hours are completely flushed on this idiotic waste of time.

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Rumor was that a long time ago, an unnamed ATC base commander was known for driving around base with a bus in tow to snag people for not saluting his staff car. Once he rounded up a sufficient number of offenders, he'd take 'em all back to his office and make their supervisors come pick them up (after a proper "bollocking" for all, of course).

I say "rumor" as I never experienced it firsthand, but the same asshat about ran me over in a crosswalk one day outside of the Club. I still remembered to salute the douchebag, though; and using all five fingers! :salut:

Cheers! M2

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I don't know this guy but I have a couple thoughts for perspective wrt Ranger training.

Going to Ranger school does not make you a Ranger. FWIW, if you've spent time around Ranger you know there are of douchebags there, too. Fewer than the normal population but they exist, just like anywhere else.

There is a halo effect for special schools/qualifications. That includes FWIC. The halo effect can be dangerous for everyone.

We always taught the students that the patch (or tab or badge or medals) was nothing but a piece of cloth. You should be able to walk into a room and have credibility even when you're not wearing a patch (or tab or badge or medals) based on your actions and intellect. The day you depend on your patch (or tab or badge or medals) for credibility is the day you stop becoming a weapons officer (or ranger or pilot or whatever).

Technique only.

Well said...standard!

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Guest schwabbeau

DId I understand the chief's post correctly in that the one real fire-fight he was in he left his M4 in safe the whole fight? Did I read that correctly?!? Someone please tell me I'm wrong! That would mean he was unable to accomplish the mission at hand because of his amazing muscle memory. I'm sorry, receiver. I didn't mean to call a breakaway at the end of the track but that's how we always do it at Altus and, you know, muscle memory and all...

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And not all sky cops are warriors.

I thought we were all warriors?

Including the people who serve food at the chow hall DFAC. At least, that's what my previous (thank god) ABW/CC told me.

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Yeah and I think for the most part everyone that wasn't a warrior was okay with not being a warrior. Most people don't choose the Air Force to be warriors. Those people choose the Marines or the Army. Not a dig on our true warriors in our service. Just saying IMHO a lot of people don't get into the Air Force for the "Profession of the Arms." Now they have leadership telling them they are warriors so whatever, they arm themselves with the only thing they have, a stack of travel vouchers or reflective belts.

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DId I understand the chief's post correctly in that the one real fire-fight he was in he left his M4 in safe the whole fight? Did I read that correctly?!?

I understood it as: after every round fired, he immediately put the weapon back on SAFE, and didn't switch to SEMI until he was on the verge of firing another round.

Which, in the midst of a no-shit firefight, is still fucked up as a football bat.

edit: clarity

Edited by JarheadBoom
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Guest Hueypilot812

I understood it as: after every round fired, he immediately put the weapon back on SAFE, and didn't switch to SEMI until he was on the verge of firing another round.

Which, in the midst of a no-shit firefight, is still ed up as a football bat.

edit: clarity

OK, this guy wants to act like he's Mr. Bad-Ass-Warrior....I was in the Army Guard. Part of that time I was an enlisted engineer. Although we were engineers we still practiced some basic infantry stuff from time to time. At no point was I ever told to continuously switch from safe to semi while engaging the enemy. Once the lead went downrange and/or you were receiving lead your direction, the switch went to whatever let you fire, and stayed there until it was over.

When engaging the enemy in a firefight, safety and ORM kind of go out the window. At that point, it's about surviving and killing the mother ers that are shooting at you. No body gives a shit if you have the muscle memory to switch your weapon to safe, or the muscle memory to tuck your shirt...they care if you have the muscle memory to put a round in the other dude's center of mass.

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