What constitutes being "old school" in the military?

I am getting a kick reading about the “old school” definitions. I was in AIT at Fort Ord during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Many of my instructors were Korean War vets, and their stories and photos were eye opening. I felt that we were still involved in the aftermath of WWll. Our training was old school with garand M1, pineapple grenades, and the old “rifle knife”. The M14 was new, uniforms were AG 44 in color. And all the other things that were old school, so long ago now.

Though I may have said this elsewhere, if you were in the military service before political correctness was instituted in the early 1990's, then you are truly, "od-school." You actually LEARNED what it meant to be part of the branch you joined. Today, our military undergoes sensitivity training.

Old School? Training with M1 Garands, "Pineapple Grenades", 30 caliber, air cooled, machine guns, antipersonnel and anti-armor rounds, launched from your M1, exercising in your fatigues and boots, running in your fatigues and boots, sleeping in your fatigues and boots and eating C-rats!

Carried a muzzleloader, wore a coonskin cap, ate bear meat, and shit in the woods like a wild animal.

Saying I'm old school is bullshit. Things change every day in the military. You change with them or get left behind.

Line up and report to the Company Pay Master for Monthly pay. USARMY 74-95 Essayons!

If you had a crush on a WAC or a Donut Dolly

Old School means anything that has changed since your first unit. Everyone gets used to how thing are and any change triggers, I’m old school, that’s not how I learned or how we used to do it. It’s a compliment both ways, you learn the way it was and the other person the way it is now. Regardless we are all one, Veterans.

GOING THROUGH BASIC/AIT, AND ALLOWING YOUR MOTHER TO BE TO BE SPOKEN OF IN THE MOST HORRIBLE WAYS, INCLUDING MENTION OF DONKEY DICKS (FLASHLIGHTS WITH COLOURED CONE REFLECTORS) BEING USED AS A SEXUAL DEVICE.

BESIDES THAT, AND INTO YOUR PERMANANT STATION, HAVING LEARNED A NEW VOCABULARY OF THE UTMOST PROFANE, BLASPHEMOUS, AND DESCRIPTIVE STORY LINES, THEN SHARING WHAT YOU LEARNED PERSONALLY (DURING AND AFTER SERVICE).

NOT THAT THIS FELL AWAY WITH THE NEW ARMY (ALTHOUGH I'VE HEARD STORIES AND SEEN VIDEOS), THE CONTINUING TO PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE IN YOUR MOS (13-BRAVO) SOP, AND BECOMING PROFICIENT IN ALL WEAPONS SYSTEMS. THUS REPRESNTING YOUR COUNTRY TAX PAYER AND CHAIN OF COMMAND AS A STRIKE SOLDIER, A TRUE GUNBUNNY.

BUT WHEN EVENING FORMATION ENDED, SHOWERING AND USING WHAT PITTANCE OF YOUR MONTHLY PAY TO HEAD DOWNTOWN TO ZIRNDORF AND BEYOND TO PARTY WITH YOUR BROTHERS AND GERMAN NATIONAL FRIENDS. SEEING THE CITY AND COUNTRY, GOING TO ROCK CONCERTS, TAKING MANY PHOTOS.

WHEN DAMN NEAR PENNYLESS OR PHENINGLESS, HANGING WITH YOUR BROTHERS IN PARTICUAL SECTION ROOMS DRINKING BEERS FROM THE BATTERY POP/BEER MACHINES AND SMOKING, AND SHOOTING THE SHIT, TAKING MANY PHOTOS THAT HAD TO BE PROCESSED (NO MOBILE OR DIGITAL DEVICES THEN (OLD SCHOOL.

ALTHOUGH I SERVED DURING THE COLD WAR (APRIL 1977-JANUARY 1980) AND SAW NO COMBAT, WE HAD ONGOING PREPARATION AND SHIT TONS OF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FOR THE EVENT OF SOVIET CZECH'S CROSSING INTO SOUTHERN GERMANY,. WE CONFIDENT OF OUR TRAINING AND READY TO ROLL AT ALL TIMES.

AS AN M-548 TRACK DRIVER, NUMBER 1 MAN (LOADER FIRER FOR THE M-109A1 155MM HOWITZER (OLD SCHOOL), I ALSO BECAME THE PROTECTOR OF MY PRIMARY WEAPON (NOT THE M-16), MY MA DEUCE. THE M-2 BROWNING 50 CALIBER HEAVY MACHINE GUN WAS WHAT I LOVED FIRING MOST NEXT TO MY HOWITZER BECAUSE THE TRACERS GAVE ME INDICATION AS TO PATH AND RANGE. ANYWHERE IT WAS FIRED, ANYTHING THAT HAD BEEN GROWING (TREES, BUSHES ETC.,) DISAPPEARED.

I WAS AWARDED A LETTER FROM OUR DIVISIONAL COMMANDER FOR MY EXCELLENCE WITH THE M-2 AS A RESULT OF OUR PINDER BARRACKS GERMAN/AMERICAN CELEBRATION WHERE THE FOLKS IN TOWN CAME ON POST TO EAT, DRINK, AND OF COURSE ADMIRE OUR HARDWARE.

AT THIS EVENT I CAME ACROSS AN M-2 MOUNTED TO THE TRI-POD (ALMOST LIKE UNTO A CARNIVAL ATTRACTION) ON THE GROUND. THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY HAVING A COMPETITION OF FULL DISASSEMBLY/REASSEMBLY, INCLUDING DETACH AND REATTACH TO TRI-POD, SPACE/TIMING OF WEAPON.

I GUESS MY MUSCLE MEMORY KICKED IN (AND SOLDIER PRIDE) AND 1 MINUTE 36 SECONDS LATER MY BARREL WAS SPACED AND TIMED. DONE!!! NOW I AM SURE THERE'S OTHERS THAT COULD BEAT THAT TIME, BUT I WAS LOVING IT START TO FINISH. I WAS READY IN THE EVENT OF A CONFLICT, AND WOULDN'T BE LEFT WANTING WHEN THAT BALL DROPPED.

LAST THING I HAVE TO SAY IS THIS, THAT OLD SCHOOL ATTITUDE THEN AMONG MY ARMY BROTHERS NEVER, EVER, INCLUDED POLITICAL JARGON OF ANY KIND, EVEN WHEN I BECAME DISHEARTED ABOUT DRAW DOWN IN SPENDING FOR DOD, WHICH MADE PARTS ORDERS LENGTHY.
IN THE END, I GOT MYSELF A BRAND SPANKING NEW M-548 TRACK VEHICLE OUT OF THE MOTHBALLS AS WE USED TO SAY LOL!

ONCE A BRIG-GENERAL GAVE US WISE COUNSEL DURING A NATO EXERCISE IN 1978 WHEN HE SAID BLUNTLY, "YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU SPEAK AGAINST CONGRESS AND THE POTUS, YOU ARE VERBALLY SPEAKING AGAINST YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND, SO..." DON'T RECALL HIM SAYING, SO STFU! OR DON'T BOTHER, BUT I GOT THE POINT.

LOOKING BACK ON Y RETURN TO "THE WORLD" (ANOTHER OLD SCHOOL TERMINOLGY FOR OUR GREAT NATION) I THOUGHT I SHOULD HAVE RE-UP'D DUE TO THE POOR ASSED ECONOMY AND JOBS AVAILABLE.

I ENDED UP IN AN OFFICE JOB FOR CUYAHOGA COUNTY WELFARE DEPT, DUE TO MY MILITARY TIME AND BEING PUT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE FOR OPEN POSITIONS. THAT HELPED ME FINALLY GET A YES FROM MY WIFE TO BE AND ALSO A JOB WITH MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR WHEN OUR TWO CHILDREN CAME A FEW YEARS LATER.

YEAH THE POST VIETNAM ARMY WAS POORLY PAYED AND IN MANY WAYS ILL SUPPLIED, BUT I KNEW THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO FOUGHT PREVIOUSLY IN SOUTH ASIA WERE PAID EVEN LESS AND WERE WOUNDED AND DIED, SO I STFU!

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED SERVICE BEFORE AND SINCE. WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT WAS/IS TO SERVE AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AMEN!

I learned to shoot an M-1. However, never had an M-1 thumb. Guess that makes me old school.

Can field strip an M-1 Garand.