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?
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 1808
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Wore od green fatigues ran pt in combat boots did your pt test in fstigues and boots with a 20 lb ruck sack did 5 t0 10 miles every morning for pt in fatigues and boots in sand .
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If you still have your dress green somewhere, But your ETS date was in the 1900's well need I say more.
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Enlisted for 4 years in Combat Arms for the $2,500.00 bonus.
Traded C-Rat Cigarettes for Pound Cake or John Wayne Bars.
Celebrated when Tuna Fish was added to the C-Rat menu.
Refused the Fruit Cake no matter how hungry you were.
Did PMCS on a 113 (in the Regular Army, not Reserves).
"Turned Blue" in Infantry AIT...at Ft Polk La...and got to wear a Web Belt with your cotton Fatigues unili Graduation.
Did a Road March having to carry the 90mm Recoilless Rifle.
Did time with 10th Group on Ft Devens.
SOT-A's were SODs
Had a Candy Stripe.
Got to go to Mott Lake for SOT.
Went to "Flintlock" when it was in Germany.
Remember when there were 05H and 05D MOSs.
You were in the ASA before "CEWI" units existed.
Were a 96C before they were 97E...before they were 35M
Were an E7 with 14 Years before you were Selected for Warrant Office School.
Traded C-Rat Cigarettes for Pound Cake or John Wayne Bars.
Celebrated when Tuna Fish was added to the C-Rat menu.
Refused the Fruit Cake no matter how hungry you were.
Did PMCS on a 113 (in the Regular Army, not Reserves).
"Turned Blue" in Infantry AIT...at Ft Polk La...and got to wear a Web Belt with your cotton Fatigues unili Graduation.
Did a Road March having to carry the 90mm Recoilless Rifle.
Did time with 10th Group on Ft Devens.
SOT-A's were SODs
Had a Candy Stripe.
Got to go to Mott Lake for SOT.
Went to "Flintlock" when it was in Germany.
Remember when there were 05H and 05D MOSs.
You were in the ASA before "CEWI" units existed.
Were a 96C before they were 97E...before they were 35M
Were an E7 with 14 Years before you were Selected for Warrant Office School.
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Breaking Starch! Qualifying with the M-14. Spit shining your black boots and shoes.
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SFC Ssg Sabin
Breaking Starch! How funny that seems now, but back in the day of the 'peacetime' Army, it was one of the requirements to be considered a 'STRAC' soldier! (STRAC - with Strategic Air Command and our 'A' and 'B' bags we were ready to deploy worldwide within 72 Hrs.!) I think our 'Micky Mouse' boots were in the 'B' bag? This was prior to our major commitment in the RVN, early 1960's for me. Of course, breaking starch and spit-shining just about everything was not being combat ready, however, it did play a role in individual training and discipline.
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SGT Randall Smith
I wanted to make Sgt E-5 and by looking at some of the other Sgt's I thought I had to be STRAC. So I had seams sewn into my Fatigue shirts to always look pressed. I got razzed by some of the other pvts and spec. but they were still pvts and Spc4 16 months later when I made Sgt E-5. They were making $110.00 a month and I was pulling down the big bucks,$175.00.
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Strached your OD Green fatigues
Wore white T shirts on duty
Ate C rations 3 times a day
Mandatory commande's call every month
Beer thirty at the NCO Club
BBQ Fridays
Eating at the Chowhall a week prior to pay day
Making sure all issue items line up in your foot and wall locker
Polishing you service hat ( the bus driver's hat)
Going to the Commissary on pay day for steaks
Snackbar runs on Friday nights for munchies
Claiming your favorite chair/sofa in the day room
Wore white T shirts on duty
Ate C rations 3 times a day
Mandatory commande's call every month
Beer thirty at the NCO Club
BBQ Fridays
Eating at the Chowhall a week prior to pay day
Making sure all issue items line up in your foot and wall locker
Polishing you service hat ( the bus driver's hat)
Going to the Commissary on pay day for steaks
Snackbar runs on Friday nights for munchies
Claiming your favorite chair/sofa in the day room
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When your fine dining experience means you open a box of C- Rations and separate your dinner entrée and desert cans to include your gum, matches, toilet paper and 5 cigarette (Single) pack from each other, yeah, you might be old school.
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Just because some new piece of technology comes along to replace the old, doesn't necessarily constitute the definition of "old school ". There has to be a cut off date, or perhaps a war or conflict to separate new and old.
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MAJ (Join to see)
It's all relative to who is reading the post. When I first enlisted in 1972, I was the Newbie, Newf, and other choice terms. At some point, I made a transition to "old school" relative to all of the newer Newf's. One of my friends is a retired Gunnery Sergeant, now 84 years old, who was definitely "Old School." My son, an 18D SSG, with only 7 years, thinks I am "Old School," because I remember when Fort Campbell was mostly wooden barracks.
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Heating water for C Ration coffee a in metal canteen cup over a burning piece of C4.
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If you were part of the drafted Army you can claim "old school" and really back there if you qualified with a Garand, m1919A6 or a .30 Carbine (I did), wooden barracks, gang showers, coal yard detail, carried live ammo on guard duty and had a basic load of ammo and food on your APC. Did you deploy to an alert position with full kit and live ammo when Kennedy was shot? OH by the way no pt uniform and only combat boots allowed
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SFC Ssg Sabin
I was a PFC in Medic school at Ft. Sam Houston San Antonio TX when Kennedy was assassinated. It was a regular tng. day and we were confined to barracks. A couple of kids had 'transistor radios' that we followed the news on that day, each one speculating on the events. I remember the sinking feeling that things would never be the same after that.
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LTC John Bush
I was in Bavaria on aggressor detail to 10th special forces. The notice came at night and all we had was short wave radio and it sounded like a soviet decapitation operation. The 10th moved out but my company was 100 miles from our home station with no transport. Very uncomfortable 24 hours.
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