Same engine packs on the Whiskey Cobras as the H-60: the beloved T700-GE-401s... well, when they weren't rolling back. (womp womp womp)
Plenty of torque, though, I'll give 'em that! (Single engine HOGE for the win).
We used to get your old engines, borescoped and then put into our Cobras.
Thanks for stopping by! (And if you're interested in seeing someone attempt to explain the deadman's curve, check out Aviation Mishap Story Time 6. You can fix me up in the comments section).
Sebastian Junger, authour of Tribe talks about this. He notes that from the time of stone age hunters chasing hippos to modern soldiers in trenches, men formed groups where you're willing to die for the other guy even if you think he's an arsehole.
But before they take you out onto the savannah to face lions or into the mud among the barbed wire and shellfire, they'd like to know if you really are that guy who'd die for people he doesn't even like much.
To do that, they test you by putting you through apparently pointless suffering. So the African tribes had their making scars on the torso, and armies around the world have people doing pushups in the rain while being shouted at.
"I have heard many people talk about how they would kick the DI’s ass if he said X or Y to them, or they would never put up with that, and -"
Me too. Interestingly, in a decade in uniform I never saw it happen, and I have never ever heard even the vaguest rumour of it ever happening. And the military is absolutely chock-full of bullshit rumours. But somehow never that.
Love Sebastian Junger - his book "War" (and the associated documentary "Restrepo") rank among the greatest war memoirs of all time.
I have a very good friend who served a tour as a DI at Parris Island and he has some of the funniest stories imaginable about recruits. According to him, only one boot ever came close to doing anything and he wound up getting out on a psych discharge. Turns out the kid stole his older brother's identity in order to hide the fact that he had previously criminally institutionalized as a teen for taking a hatchet to his neighbor legs while the guy was working on a car. With that slight caveat, as you note, in 27+ years around the Marine Corps I've never heard of a recruit going after a DI.
Of course, there was the occasional guy who went crazy. Like there was one who early on was asked by a Corporal, “Where are you from?”
“I’m from my mother’s tummy.”
“No, I mean where do you live?”
“I live in my skin.”
The Cpl moved on. A week or two later the recruit disappeared - and at the time, we kept our rifles in our lockers, though ammunition was of course only issued on the range, which we hadn’t been to yet. His rifle was gone, too - but none of his uniform or personal items.
Everyone was turned out to look for him. He showed up the next day in a ditch, in t-shirt and underpants, with his rifle, taking up sight pictures on other recruits on the parade ground, and saying quietly “bang!” and then giggling.
He was taken away by MPs and I have no idea as to his subsequent fate.
But for some years from then on, simply saying the words, “I live in my skin!” could evoke, “shut the fuck up!” from NCOs.
Yeah - the guy I'm talking about didn't hit my buddy either. Very similar kind of thing to your story. They caught him just before range week because he was telling other recruits he was going to save rounds and kill my buddy. So he got called up to the head shed and the DIs poked and poked at him until he snapped and started screaming about how he wanted to kill my friend because he had been removed as a squad leader before drill comp - evidently he couldn't drill for squat. They sent him to "the wizard" and it all came out - the stolen ID, criminal conviction, etc.
Though come to think of it - in the 1980s there was this guy at the Royal Military College Duntroon who got jealous when the sergeant cracked onto some chick at a pub one night, and stabbed him.
He was given a choice: “Resign now, and we’ll put “never to be readmitted into the Defence Force” on your file, and nothing more will be said. Or else you can go to court-martial, serve two years at the Defence Force Correctional Establishment, be given a bad conduct discharge and then transferred to a civilian prison to serve another two years, after which of course you will never be able to get a job in government at any level ever again, not even rubbish collector.”
He chose to resign, and because he didn’t have a criminal record, could legally acquire firearms. Which didn’t turn out well for everyone else.
So it has happened… once. But the guy was very, very disturbed.
Haha...I read the first one, but I missed a few after that, so I know I need to get caught up! Not sure I want to re-live the full auto to the beach in the UAE, with only the fuselage remaining, but hey, I lived, so why not!??? :) Peace to you and yours, bro...
Thanks, brother. I will do the same to you later today... I'm currently in Colorado Springs for a family visit...yes, Byrdman saved my life, by keeping the skids straight as we slid it onto the beach, west of Abu Dhabi.
.. most excellent & bodacious .. ‘smashcut is visual.. ain’t heard it deployed for decades ! 🦎🏴☠️🎬
I continue to show my age all the time in ways i hadn’t considered.
Yut.
OORAH! I knew there was a reason I liked the cut of your jib... talkin' all that sense on your 'Stack. (Love your 'Stack, btw.)
Coming to love this one myself!
Excellent write up Marine.
YUUUT - er, excuse me, "Hooah!" (RLTW).
;-)
RLTW! I’m an infantryman turned retired Blackhawk driver. Im lucky to work with a few Marine 46 guys now.
Same engine packs on the Whiskey Cobras as the H-60: the beloved T700-GE-401s... well, when they weren't rolling back. (womp womp womp)
Plenty of torque, though, I'll give 'em that! (Single engine HOGE for the win).
We used to get your old engines, borescoped and then put into our Cobras.
Thanks for stopping by! (And if you're interested in seeing someone attempt to explain the deadman's curve, check out Aviation Mishap Story Time 6. You can fix me up in the comments section).
We’re flying A-139s. Bad ass. PT-6 engines. Love the OEI/OGE charts!
Oh, wow. Yeah - that's some kind of aircraft.
Nice engines, too.
Sebastian Junger, authour of Tribe talks about this. He notes that from the time of stone age hunters chasing hippos to modern soldiers in trenches, men formed groups where you're willing to die for the other guy even if you think he's an arsehole.
But before they take you out onto the savannah to face lions or into the mud among the barbed wire and shellfire, they'd like to know if you really are that guy who'd die for people he doesn't even like much.
To do that, they test you by putting you through apparently pointless suffering. So the African tribes had their making scars on the torso, and armies around the world have people doing pushups in the rain while being shouted at.
"I have heard many people talk about how they would kick the DI’s ass if he said X or Y to them, or they would never put up with that, and -"
Me too. Interestingly, in a decade in uniform I never saw it happen, and I have never ever heard even the vaguest rumour of it ever happening. And the military is absolutely chock-full of bullshit rumours. But somehow never that.
Love Sebastian Junger - his book "War" (and the associated documentary "Restrepo") rank among the greatest war memoirs of all time.
I have a very good friend who served a tour as a DI at Parris Island and he has some of the funniest stories imaginable about recruits. According to him, only one boot ever came close to doing anything and he wound up getting out on a psych discharge. Turns out the kid stole his older brother's identity in order to hide the fact that he had previously criminally institutionalized as a teen for taking a hatchet to his neighbor legs while the guy was working on a car. With that slight caveat, as you note, in 27+ years around the Marine Corps I've never heard of a recruit going after a DI.
Of course, there was the occasional guy who went crazy. Like there was one who early on was asked by a Corporal, “Where are you from?”
“I’m from my mother’s tummy.”
“No, I mean where do you live?”
“I live in my skin.”
The Cpl moved on. A week or two later the recruit disappeared - and at the time, we kept our rifles in our lockers, though ammunition was of course only issued on the range, which we hadn’t been to yet. His rifle was gone, too - but none of his uniform or personal items.
Everyone was turned out to look for him. He showed up the next day in a ditch, in t-shirt and underpants, with his rifle, taking up sight pictures on other recruits on the parade ground, and saying quietly “bang!” and then giggling.
He was taken away by MPs and I have no idea as to his subsequent fate.
But for some years from then on, simply saying the words, “I live in my skin!” could evoke, “shut the fuck up!” from NCOs.
Even that guy didn’t hit the Sgt, though.
LOL.
Yeah - the guy I'm talking about didn't hit my buddy either. Very similar kind of thing to your story. They caught him just before range week because he was telling other recruits he was going to save rounds and kill my buddy. So he got called up to the head shed and the DIs poked and poked at him until he snapped and started screaming about how he wanted to kill my friend because he had been removed as a squad leader before drill comp - evidently he couldn't drill for squat. They sent him to "the wizard" and it all came out - the stolen ID, criminal conviction, etc.
Too funny.
Semper fi, brother.
Though come to think of it - in the 1980s there was this guy at the Royal Military College Duntroon who got jealous when the sergeant cracked onto some chick at a pub one night, and stabbed him.
He was given a choice: “Resign now, and we’ll put “never to be readmitted into the Defence Force” on your file, and nothing more will be said. Or else you can go to court-martial, serve two years at the Defence Force Correctional Establishment, be given a bad conduct discharge and then transferred to a civilian prison to serve another two years, after which of course you will never be able to get a job in government at any level ever again, not even rubbish collector.”
He chose to resign, and because he didn’t have a criminal record, could legally acquire firearms. Which didn’t turn out well for everyone else.
So it has happened… once. But the guy was very, very disturbed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Knight_(murderer)
This is some excellent writing, Dale. Thanks for the reminiscing...Semper Fi, Deeter
Deeter! Great to see you, Brother!
If you have some time, check out the Aviation Mishap series.
You'll have some laughs and recognize a few names. Plus, you'll get to relive your dual engine failure experience vicariously. Semper fi, my friend.
Haha...I read the first one, but I missed a few after that, so I know I need to get caught up! Not sure I want to re-live the full auto to the beach in the UAE, with only the fuselage remaining, but hey, I lived, so why not!??? :) Peace to you and yours, bro...
With the Bird-Man, as I recall. Yeah, this is my own form of therapy, I suppose. Raising a glass to you, Mark.
Thanks, brother. I will do the same to you later today... I'm currently in Colorado Springs for a family visit...yes, Byrdman saved my life, by keeping the skids straight as we slid it onto the beach, west of Abu Dhabi.