Posted on Jul 1, 2014
What constitutes being "old school" in the military?
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I'm hearing/reading people saying "I'm old school, therefore..." So out of curiosity's sake, where is that ever-moving line?
Tradition
Humor
Memories
Military History
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 1808
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20 years from now:
Actually sitting down to a meal instead of swallowing protein wafers.
Wearing body armor and knee pads in the days before Kevlar exoskeletons
Firing actual lead bullets from my M-4 instead of electrons from my M-99 Rail Rifle
Having to carry a basic load of ammunition
Driving in wheeled vehicles instead of air cars
Flying in an aircraft that required a pilot
Not being able to navigate by GPS on a cloudy day
Serving with a Bush or Clinton in the White House
Actually sitting down to a meal instead of swallowing protein wafers.
Wearing body armor and knee pads in the days before Kevlar exoskeletons
Firing actual lead bullets from my M-4 instead of electrons from my M-99 Rail Rifle
Having to carry a basic load of ammunition
Driving in wheeled vehicles instead of air cars
Flying in an aircraft that required a pilot
Not being able to navigate by GPS on a cloudy day
Serving with a Bush or Clinton in the White House
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SFC Greg Bruorton
SFC Ron Gitzendanner - I was nearing completion of my training at the 3rd Army NCO Academy at Fort Jackson when we got that news. We were on the drill pad being bona-fide non-coms.
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LCDR Mike Morrissey
Served under
LBJ,
Nixon
Ford
Carter
Reagan
Bush
Retired in 1989 and the Wall fell....hmmm
LBJ,
Nixon
Ford
Carter
Reagan
Bush
Retired in 1989 and the Wall fell....hmmm
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Fresh water came in a canvass bag strapped to three tent poles in the field
MREs didn't have heaters.
Coffee was so thick and strong you could grease a track with it.
Marlboro Reds were less than a $1.00 a pack.
Gas was less than a $1.00/gallon
Potbelly or Yukon
If you never saw your CSM, that meant you hadn't screwed up...yet.
SQTs determined if you should be promoted...no automatic promotions.
The Army ran on post housing, and you mowed your own grass.
MREs didn't have heaters.
Coffee was so thick and strong you could grease a track with it.
Marlboro Reds were less than a $1.00 a pack.
Gas was less than a $1.00/gallon
Potbelly or Yukon
If you never saw your CSM, that meant you hadn't screwed up...yet.
SQTs determined if you should be promoted...no automatic promotions.
The Army ran on post housing, and you mowed your own grass.
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Lt Col Paul Maxwell
The water bag was a LISTER BAG. Washing messkits in series of 3 galvanized garbage cans full of hot water heated by gas burning heaters, that 'usually' don't explode...
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SPC Paul Eiden
MSG John Wirts - This was the same for state side maneuvers as well. Had Swift strike in the Carolina's and Desert Strike in the Mohave Desert Arizonia and California as well as maneuvers in Fort Hood .....
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All purpose insect repellent aka bug juice. 100 percent straight deet in oil. Also started fires and could serve as break free in a pinch.
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LTC Jason Mackay
Actually had to find a battle to match your 2 poles, 4 stakes, and a shelter half with in the field, GP Tiny.
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SSG David Stafne
We used Bug Juice during NBC Training to demonstrate was a “positive result” for a Nerve Agent looked like on the Test Strips; because it was a mild nerve agent!
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If you have appurtenances on your NDSM you are old school. Let's keep it simple.
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SSG Kenneth Hammes
YUP!! I remember a FNG asking me how I got my "bronze star" and my first thought was "Did I get the wrong ribbon?" He thought the second award appurtenance on my NDSM meant I had been awarded a Bronze Star! lol
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SP5 Dennis Dorsey
Remember the ice chests made from flatten beer cans. Each day, one person was assigned to keep ice and beer in it. Off work, went to the hooch and drank. Short time girls, beer on the trails. They followed you everywhere.
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SGT Connie VanHouten
Beer in the soda machines at our Barracks in Germany. Those were the days... Grab a beer for 50¢ and go do laundry.
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Basic training using the old steel pot, "Nam drill Sgt's, and using the good old mess kits.
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CPT William Jones
SPC (Join to see) - My Engineers made your water safe to drink(potable) sometimes it came from low grade sources the requirements were safe to drink after testing. It was processed and pumped into tanks then your buffaloes. but safe to drink does not mean any of the following: clear ,odorless, taste good. Those things are just nice to have,not required for potable water.
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SPC (Join to see)
MSG John Wirts - All my orders have other people's SSN's on them. I still have those orders in the bank safe. They probably don't do that anymore or putting our SSN's on all of our mail when out of the country. Identity Thieves weren't born yet during that time.
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SPC (Join to see)
I found a chart once that shows what the serial numbers at the beginning stand for. I think it was the first three.
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Sgt Ron Harris
Yeah, me too. I spent almost 3 years trying to get in for Agent Orange Exposure. Then one evening I get a call from a VA rep. He told me there was nothing showing for me under my SS#. I asked if he ever tried my service number. He asked if I remembered it!! I rattled it off faster than he could respond! I then gave it to him s-l-o-w-e-r. He entered it and SURPRISE! there it was!
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1. Remember when the Computer and the Crypto were Seperate pieces of equipment.
2. Familiar with a "Quick Brown Fox Test, Reversals ryryry and remember synching up Crypto with BIs.
3. Held Chad Parties for your shipmates (Dump Chad (Holes punched out of Teletype Tape) on your coworkers)
4. Completed your quals for E-6 on a Mod 28 Electro Mechanical Teletype.
5. Know how to do an emergency destruction Degause of a UYK-20 Computer by running the disk drive up to full speed and smacking it in the side with a Sledgehammer.
2. Familiar with a "Quick Brown Fox Test, Reversals ryryry and remember synching up Crypto with BIs.
3. Held Chad Parties for your shipmates (Dump Chad (Holes punched out of Teletype Tape) on your coworkers)
4. Completed your quals for E-6 on a Mod 28 Electro Mechanical Teletype.
5. Know how to do an emergency destruction Degause of a UYK-20 Computer by running the disk drive up to full speed and smacking it in the side with a Sledgehammer.
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I'm old school..enlisted in 66. Been through 6 presidents, 4 uniform charges, 3 different families of tanks 3 different families of utility vehicles, two different families of radios and wore out more duffel bags than most have worn out GI socks.
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MSG John Wirts
I was responding to your initial post, I was asking if you trained on the M1 first or the M14. I took basic Training with an M1 and familiarized on the M14 in basic. In the California Cadet Corps I handled the 1903, the 1903A3, the 1917 Enfield. My family owns 2 30-40 Krag Jorgensen army rifles from the 1880's. But in the Army I started with the M1.
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MSG John Wirts
CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025 - That was a little before my time, I did see brown cap toed boots and WW II OD can Crats with OD and Black back lucky strike packs. But this was in Europe 1962-1965.
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
Pickle suit? Herringbone Twill, ‘aka HBTs’
is where I came in, I left with cotton fatigues with buttone cuffs! BDUs became the duty uniform after my retirement function.
is where I came in, I left with cotton fatigues with buttone cuffs! BDUs became the duty uniform after my retirement function.
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MAJ Bruce I.
1SG Michael Blount - This is the first time I saw anyone mention the steel helmet.
1. C-rats with cigarettes.
2. Khakis (short sleeves) with blousers going to your socks.
3. Full cotton OG-107 fatigues without cuffs.
4. Platoon bays in the barracks (OK, ROTC summer camp).
1. C-rats with cigarettes.
2. Khakis (short sleeves) with blousers going to your socks.
3. Full cotton OG-107 fatigues without cuffs.
4. Platoon bays in the barracks (OK, ROTC summer camp).
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