Military takes care of their own...

Glad to see my Corps caring for their own...

New center to train Marine motorcyclists - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

 

HDT - Hayes Diversified Technologies, Diesel Motorcycle Manufacturer - Company Information


Lots of poop on military bikes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faE3v34jtc4

This one is kind of funny using the theme music from JAG and not a jet ski in sight.

 

That seems like a real nice facility they got down there. The military did a study a while back and determined that about 90% of the fatal motorcycle accidents involving their troops were on sport bikes. After that, they developed the sport bike course and, as the article states, made it mandatory for all military personnel to take the course. I know that this applies to Navy and Marine, but not sure about the rest. The course I had to take was offered on the base I was stationed at at the time so I was lucky to be able to use my own bike. The other thing is, they provide this service for free to the military. People are paying upwards of $500 for the same classes out in town. I personally think that any type of training to improve your riding skills is good, so those that complain about the "mandatory" thing I just remind them about the good-ol-days. Used to be that in order to ride you had to wear a helmet, hard souled shoes with heels, full fingered leather gloves (or equivalent), a full length top ( one that covers the entire upper body including the arms) and a hi-vis vest. Now the requirements have relaxed a little. Along with taking the class, you have to wear a helmet, a full top (brightly colored at night) and pants. I think the marines are doing a good thing with this training center. Just wish there was more instructors available to cover all the bases that way we didn't have to send people to New Orleans TAD to get the required training.

 

Any other data on this study? Do you have a source? I'm sure there are other factors involved in all sorts of crashes. One is being shitface on a bike.

 

Now question in my mind that there is a lot of truth to that statement BB, but ANY training that lessens the chance of any of us becoming a stat, is money well spent. Hands on first hand experience is the best training, but it can be damned costly. Good on the US military for taking this initiative. I don't doubt that in part, it is self serving for the Military and so be it. But good on them anyways.


PS....
Thank goodness for spell check. I had posted up "many spent" rather than "money spent". Sort of changes the meaning of the statement doesn't it? BTW BB. Shitface is not spelled correctly. it should be shit-face or shit face. But not joined together as you did in shitface.....according to spell check....just saying

 

Aha! You must have the study tucked away somewhere to expound so eloquently. Could you share it with the rest of us?

Military training is good if not great with one notable exception. Many times they send the slicksleeves and 01s out convinced they are indestructable.

Shitface in the absolute context would be expressed not in the present tense but the past. Spellcheck could be Spellcheck, Spell-Czech or I bet it ain't even a verb to start with. The infinitive would be "to be shitface" You have my vote to be the official spelling Mountie here.

 

UNTRUE !! The military abuses their own cuz they signed up for it.

Guess you didn't see that Marine's camp Lejune poisoned the water at the base by illegally ( for civilians) dumping multiple poisionous chemicals and causing an unknown number of cancer deaths and illnesses. Brass knew it, went before congressional investigation and lied. Probably many more bases too. Time to hold the military to the same pollution standards as the rest of us. No more dangerous chemical dumping and claiming national security.

The US military and defence contractors are a corrupt leech sucking the blood out of our economy and killing foreign civilians with impunity......for profit.

People who sign up for military either want to be "heroes" or can't get another job. Anybody who'd kill for what the US government thinks is right should study history.

And I'll buy a 6-pack for Billy anytime.

I'll get banned someday, i know.

 

Cool link, Master Guns. Thanks.
BB: THE HDT BIKES ARE GREAT. Rode the KLR250 (first bike in the youtube vid) when I was in Recon Platoon, But that diesel looks DAMN Interesting. (shit face on a bike)... yeah, likely factor. But you get any group of young and dumb rides I'd wager you would see similar numbers. (Likely guilty of that myself 20 years back)
afpierce489: (about 90% of the fatal motorcycle accidents involving their troops were on sport bikes) Yep, seen many a young paratrooper get home, buy a liter bike or bigger with combat pay burning a hole in his pocket. More bike than they can handle and they still got the "I'm bulletproof" mindset.
Randy: (it is self serving for the Military and so be it. But good on them anyways.) OH HELL YEAH. Any training is a bonus. I went to some STUPID training and schools, most I never used, but damn happy I got it. I even took something away from the dumb ones.

I'm forth gen Army Vet and learned a long time go not to spar with this viewpoint.
This is especially true cause it's squirrelman. The man has allways been there to lend advice and be patient and take the time to learn some of us who are having hard times.
His view may be on the money, maybe it would be a better world if we did'nt have to send young men and women to serve. It's logical. Sadly there is allways someone out there in the world that does not share that view. Every few generations some people like that come along and hugs and kisses fail to stop them. I'm sure in my youth it would have been more pleasant to spend my days just riding the bike, putting flowers in a pretty girls hair, singing kumbaya around some campfire and getting blasted out of my head in search of the meaning of life. But I'm pretty sure if I did, and all the other young men and women I served with did the same, all of us would quickly loose that freedom and too many countless more.
Of all the horrible things me and others in uniform had to deal with, some because of mission and other just stupid stuff forced on us ( like the dirty water crap)
One STUPID NITE stuck in my mind...
I was still 18, youngest solder in a recon platoon as a training spotter on a sniper team. Just comming back into peacetime after the first gulf war. Some drunken asshole took a shit in a hallway at HQ company area (Kinda funny but soon sucked) Well the company First Sergeant blew a fucking gasket, called up the entire company, and had EVERYONE scrubbing and cleaning in the wee hours of the morning. Seinor NCO's, Team leader, clerks, Heavy Mortor guys, even the "elite" Recon and Scout Sniper guys. After several hours of this, following 14 days in the "rain forrest" (used to call it jungle... looked like a jungle to me still) were still there at 3am scubbing some toilet.
Then it happened.... I fuckin snap. I toss whatever cleaning tool I had in hand across the room and yell "FUCK THIS SHIT!" Well that got my Recon squad leaders attention. He walked up to me and said "sit down, sniper" I flop my ass on the we latrene floor. He folded his arms, leaned back on a sink, and stared down at me with a scared up face over his right sholder abouve his 7th Infantry combat patch and said "Say what you think."
So I go off about it all and how stuipid this is. He AGREES WITH ME! and goes off on his own..."damn right! it's dumbass. A LOT OF THE SHIT WE DO IS. Who goes to work at 5am when its raining and stands in formation in the rain when there are perfectly good dry offices right there? Then we go run 8 miles, comeback, eat bad food and stand in the rain again waiting an hour for some fool to wait for another fool to tell him what to do. Then to top it off some retard gets the BRIGHT IDEA that we need to walk 12 miles to an airfield so some chopper pilot can fly us 6 miles from here. Pretty stuipd shit, right?"
I respond "YES, but this is even dumber" He continues "yep, here we are. 3 fucking AM scubbing a shitter cause some clerk thought it was funny to shit on tops floor. And hell, boy, tomorrow we may get the word again, get tossed on a plane, sent to some third world shit hole, again, and have to leave your wife and daughter because some politition got in a pissing patch with some other politition and he expects you to conduct your mission, under threat of death, under fire and NEVER SCREW UP. Right? Is that fair?"
I say "No, it's not, Sergeant". "Private, tonite you're scrubbing a shitter. Tomorrow, we're taking out Zodiacs and we're swimming ashore fom 4 miles out, tomorrow nite we gotta infilltrate 20 clicks before morning so you and the other snipers are in position before sunlight the next day. And next week we may be asked to clean toilets again or be sent to war and maybe not come home. Do you think civilians have to think of stuff like that when they get up for work?!!! Do you think that's fair?"
Me:"No, It's not, sergeant!"
He stares at me for a while and says "You volenteered to do the things that civilians can't or won't. To do the the things that make them sick or scared. All so they can be fat, safe and happy. So they can have the freedoms to do all the useless or wonderfull things as they want when they crawl out of bed in the morning with out the fear that men with guns and tyranny in their hearts will stop them.
That's why it's called SERVICE. That's why you're here."

 

https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/home.html

At least we got a study going on the water. Hopefully none of it will be in that six-pack.

We might all be better informed if "studies" were not tossed around as some nebulous form of evidence to support some personal BS agenda or in many instances, flat out power tripping. Posting a "study" is great but backing it up with the actual study is mo-betta. Back my study of Oprah and the Ouija Board. If time permits I'll condense it all into one sentence so everyone can be well informed. NOT!

IMO, the realization that one is not indestructable comes a-calling about the time one figures out the old man ain't as dumb and was thought. This of course does not apply to those who were, are and will be created via immaculate conception not to be confused with don't ask, don't tell. A subject in need of a whole bunch more study..

 

Billy, don't dis the Jesus cuz it ain't popular to.

 

I think Billy should be himself! He's allways interesting!

 

Thanks troop! I don't think that will bring Norkleboy back though..Unless he's just in a temporary snit.. I ain't gonna ask..

Had an E9 in our outfit. Never saw or heard the man even raise his voice. Worked with a retired E8. Same thing.. Neither top interpreted the book to suit themselves or for some bogus agenda. Good guys..

 

Squirrel your an ignorant ________ I served for 20 years in the US Navy. I have no desire to kill anyone and I am not unemployable. What I do have is a deep belief that this country needs good people to protect it from people who would do us harm. I don't think our military is perfect but they are as good as the civilians who tell them where to go and what to do will let them be.

Don't flatter yourself that you have any idea what the capabilities or motivation of the people who serve our country are.

If you want a better military vote for better government to direct their efforts.

 

x2 I do not feel like I fit into one of those two categories...

I fix jets lane:
-Drew

 

Wow, interesting post...

OK, so first off, I actually agree on the money angle, from a big-picture point of view. There are three "Gods of the Corps", one is Gen. Butler, and he had a very interesting book, which is freely available, called War is a Racket. You can download the pdf here:

War Is A Racket : Major General Smedley Butler : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

Now, that being said, I obviously do not agree with the statement about why people are in or join the military. There are as many reasons as their are people, and some may actually have done it for the reasons you quote, but, obviously I disagree as a generality.

As I obviously have a family history, in my beloved Corps, and other branches by ancestors before that, I believe there are honorable and just reasons to serve in the military, that have nothing to do with what you stated; for the individual.

As for the reason the Military-Industrial Complex manipulates politicians, the press and the people into going into wars, and what they get out of it, I actually agree.

But, the two are not one in the same.

 

You should thank a teacher for your ability to write and misspell. And for it being in English, you should thank your countries soldiers!
Soldiers don't make war, polititians do!

 

Soldiers don't make war, polititians do![/QUOTE]

I agree, but until it's the politicians and their kids doing the dying, things will never change.

 

Someday I want to be want to start a story "Echo3Niner, squirrelman, vfrhusband & Badbilly walk into a bar...."

 

Good idea !! First 3 rounds are on me. :cheersaf:

 

A gay bar?