Posted on Nov 16, 2014
CPT Senior Instructor
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I find this to be humorous and also a legitimate issue. Recently I was at large training compound with multiple units there, basically a "mock up" of a FOB. So while in the latrine some soldiers, that must have been in one of the support units there were talking. They were complaining about the soldiers from the infantry unit calling them "POGs." And without missing a beat someone yells from a stall in the same building "Shut up POG." I couldn't help but to laugh.

I usually don't care what you do in the Army as long as you are doing your job and are maintaining your professionalism. These units that we were running into were far below the expectations of maintaining professionislism. There were so many uniform violations our CSM had to wear blinders where ever he walked so he could make it there without correcting every soldier on the way. If he did he would never make where ever he was going. I was just wearing ACUs. It was a bit chilly but I saw a soldier with the ECWCS gen III level 7 jacket, aka the marshmallow jacket. With some sort of toboggan cap that was not anything to do with the army. There was no uniformity and it seemed like no one in their unit cared.

I am not calling anyone a POG in this post. I have our support personnel in our unit that we view as peers. They were harder than anyone in that other unit. They act like soldiers just like we do.

What is your take on this? Do you think they are asking for it by they way they are? Should anyone be called a POG? Should they be expected to maintain the same standard as everyone else in the Army? And what is their CSM doing when this is happening?
Posted in these groups: Dra60033 2 Combat ArmsImages 3 Support
Edited >1 y ago
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SFC Jason Porter
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Lol the new military, all it is a new Social Program! This is too funny.
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SFC Brigade Career Counselor
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When was the last time a war or battle was won by infantry alone?
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SGT Stephen George
SGT Stephen George
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Cannowhoopass
SGM Brooks,

I will piggyback on your comments by suggesting, in my opinion, nobody is sleeping well because the thought of the cooks & clerks doing their jobs is easing their minds ... .

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

George Orwell
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SGT Stephen George
SGT Stephen George
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Be lucky you were only told to put your "big girl panties on ... ." My experience with male on male berating usually included the senior NCO leadership telling you to "RANGER THE F@CK UP ...or QUIT ... ." Of course, that was back in the good ole days when they could threaten to kill ya if you slept on guard duty ... .
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SFC Royce Williams
SFC Royce Williams
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Exactly why I chose to stay Infantry and not reclass. I don't think I'm strong enough to handle being a soft skill. I would have probably been on the cover of Army times with so many others for offending someone's sensabities. Besides being the tip of the spear is much more fun than being in the rear with the gear. And as far as intelligence levels are concerned, as a Drill Sergeant I trained everyone from the lowest iq level to men with PHD's to be Infantry Soldiers. Very few of them joined the Infatty because that's the only thing they were smart enough to do. Most of them joined the Infantry because they wanted to kick ass.
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SGM Retired
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That's the best line George Orwell ever wrote.

And I really wasn't trying to harass SGT Jarrett. But if you are going to whine, people are going to assume you are a baby, and tell you to grow up. Obviously, sometimes this is told more forcefully, as mentioned by SGT George.
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SPC Kel Rowland
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It doesn't make sense, didn't you pay your dues while in training? Why call people out in a deployed environment? If they are in training I have no problem with kicking sand in their faces, but deployed places are a whole different story...
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MSG Parachute Rigger
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CPT (Join to see) 2008, Kandahar afghanistan. 2-2 MEU Advon came in to set up shop for the main force. We offered MOD rooms for the Advon. One of their sr NCOs said, "bud, were the marines, we came to kick ass and take names" I quote that! So they elected to stay in palomino tent city. The three day rain season came in. Saw this Sgm at the DFAC. He was busy with his major trying to get the thirty pounds of mud off his boots that was up to his knees. In Afghanistan, it's powdery and when it's wet, it's like cement. He asked if those mods were still available to my major, without skipping a beat, take a little guess what I told him???

Be tough all you want on this feed, grunts. But I've been with you guys in some instances. Thankfully not as long. And while I appreciate what you guys do, those days I was with you, you bitched and complained like the rest of the MOS's. I was fortunate to be considered one of you for that short time. That may be why I saw it.

That being said, there's a fine line between hard and stupid. That day in Afghanistan, well, that remark and declination of a better living arrangement was just plain stupid. I applaud the essence of grunts not complaining, but that's the biggest load of manure I've ever heard. Lol.
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CPT Senior Instructor
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I would have took the rooms.
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MSG Parachute Rigger
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cant say i did. i went to almost every FOB, COP, AF in RC South and RC W. i was charged with delivering goods by means of air drop to personnel that were in bad locations. the marine CH53 pilots were the best. they would fly anywhere. got to even test fire the GOW/minigun. that thing was awesome. spin boldak sounds familiar, but i dont think i ever stayed there. i usually got sutck up in the mountains for days with the grunts because the army ring route didnt want to go back to pick me up. always "maintenance" issues. lol.
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PV2 Abbott Shaull
PV2 Abbott Shaull
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Being an Grunt all I can say is shit load of Karma hit him. Like I said the culture is something that too many people have drank the 'Cool-aid' for too damn long. It nice to rough it, but when you given the chance not to, take it. The offer may not be extended again so freely.
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SSG Small Group Leader
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As a former Scout (Desert Shield/Storm) and current Transportation Coordinator, I am proud to be a POG. So when the Infantry starts throwing around the word 'POG', I politely remind them that I may be a POG, but that freedom bird scheduled to fly them home could suddenly break down and be a couple days late.
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SGT Stephen George
SGT Stephen George
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spoken like a true POG ... .
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SSG Small Group Leader
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SGT George, done my time in the trenches. Let the young guys do all that hooah shit. Besides, everybody knows Infantry is the queen of battle..........but it's the Cavalry that keeps her from getting raped. And if Infantry were really all that, why do they always call for close air and indirect fire when they get in trouble................LOL
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SSG Global Service Manager
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I have seen one upset POG, this individual initiated the dreaded "Death" transaction in the old SIDPERS system against a Combat Arms soldier. Talk about screwing up a guy's records!!! Wow....
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CPT Senior Instructor
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I had a buddy stop getting paid. When he went to finance they said they had no record that he was even in the Army. He had to bring back a copy of his contract to get put back into the army. I wonder who he pissed off.
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PV2 Abbott Shaull
PV2 Abbott Shaull
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Yeah it happens, the lovely let screw with guy records. I think almost everyone has suffered that indiscretion once upon time during their career. Sometimes it not matter who pissed off, but who you might of pissed on without knowing it. It one big organization, lot of shit goes on in higher HQ, and as they say it all goes down hill. Some times the hill never makes it down to Joe in question, but stops somewhere above in the chain of command, in some far flung corner office that PFC Smoltz didn't know existed, from his Company area. Yet come the 1st he will not get paid, and he will have to go up to HQ and drag his Sergeant and figure out why? I think we all seen it happen at least once while we were in, in one form or another to someone. Can it happen in today Army, shrug, not sure would have to be lot more creative than one use to be, in the good old pen and paper day, or for that fact in the early transition over to computers.
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PO1 Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialist
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Yeah....I saw the "no pay, not in the military" routine happen to a sailor I was TAD with. I looked at him and said - "sh!te! If you're not in the military then you don't have to shave, you don't have to wear uniforms anymore, you don't have to muster....you got it good!" So, this sailor changed into his civies and stopped being a sailor for a day. The COC tried to get into his face, but the personnel officer confirmed; per HQ he was not in the service and was not to get paid. Odd fact (at the time of the event - not sure if current); if you're no longer in the service and are forced to remain onboard a warship, the Nav was supposed to pay you some outlandish amount of money per day, plus per diem, etc. Messages were flying back and forth for almost 2 weeks until someone miraculously determined there had been an error had occurred and all was fixed. But the COC let him walk around in civvies for the entire time........
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PV2 Abbott Shaull
PV2 Abbott Shaull
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Wonder if he got the outlandish amount of money per day while he was supposedly 'out of the navy'...lol
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SPC Motor Sergeant
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If I were in the marines, Id be considered a pog. besides the point, I am a support personnel. If i were a mechanic in the Marines I would probably say "look MF, if it werent for my MOS you wouldnt be functional. No vehicle, which means ur ass would be on foot." Therefore my MOS is just as important as yours.
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SPC Motor Sergeant
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Im not sure.
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SPC Motor Sergeant
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either way id be helping maintaining vehicles for some unit.
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PV2 Abbott Shaull
PV2 Abbott Shaull
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Amen MSG Greg Kelly. A ride was always better than a walk. No matter who was driving. Regardless if you Airborne, Air Assault, Airmobile or Light Infantry you basically at the end of the day Light Infantry. So anytime we could get a ride it was good thing.
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SSG Maurice P.
SSG Maurice P.
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CPL JIMENEZ Roflmao back in the day 1970's Marine Corps Motor T' along with Maintenance were the baddest marines in the corps fistwizs roflmao
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Lt Col Instructor Navigator
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CPT Senior Instructor
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O the irony of it all.
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PO3 Purchasing Manager
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Infantry wins battles...

Logistics wins wars. :)
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
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And medics gives all of you band-aids and lollpops when you have an owie.... ;)
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PV2 Abbott Shaull
PV2 Abbott Shaull
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If it wasn't for Logistic, the Squirrelly Intel guys, Aviation, Medic, Engineers, and Artillery. There would be no Infantry left to win the battle.
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SSG Broadcast Nco
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Do not forget about the PAOs. Someone has to win the 'hearts and minds'!
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SFC Equal Opportunity Advisor
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Being in the Army I have the upmost respect for our sister services. They all bring a piece of the pie for the big picture...
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