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Ok, I have an US friend (who I actually met in person and happened to spend a lot of time with him when I went there doing general tourism) who for some fucked up reason decided that instead of getting a career or something he'd enlist in the Marines. Now he's being shipped to Iraq and I really have no idea what's the deal with that.

In other words, I guess I understand what you feel about it Zaia, I'm a bit confused, not sure if he's going to do a lot of paperwork or be in the staging area of the end of the world (doubtly).

On the other hand, though, it's just a remote friendship and don't really give a much, so there. Kisses

*hic* sorry, national alcoholic beverage day today. C Ya.

As for F. Hipper: That shot glass is probably not a shot glass. It's more likely for drinking Coffee in, which in the Mid-East is made exceptionally strong and unstrained, almost like a "coffee syrup", and imbibed from rather small glasses as such. Normally they're porcelain and have a handle, called a demitasse in Turkey, but I suppose the Saudis could be different. I've never been to Saudi Arabia and will never go there. OTOH, it could really be a shot glass; that would be silly and typical of the more enervated Sauds.

I've had Turkish coffee before, this glass contains about 2 1/2 fluid oz., is made of glass, and has a gold rim with gold stenciling. I really can't imagine what else it could be used for. I drank toasts to the ill-health of Osama bin Laden from it, a delicious irony that I'm sure isn't lost on you, Duchess.

(edit) Just had a thought. Could it be for tea?

[hugz Z] It'll be OK, babe, promise.
Let us know any news.

Don't worry, Zaia. Just believe that he'll be fine and let nothing shake that conviction.

Whats his name? Maybe I might run into him

sorry to hear about that

what´s that reactivation thing about?
is it like this:
after you´re finished with your army service you get a normal job, such as postman or engeneer, but you stay on some list for a certain amount of time in which you can be called back into the army, in case you´re needed. during that time you have to attend trainings every once in a while, and during that time you get money from the army.

HemlockGrey wrote:I hear Kuwait is a nice place...

It is, my family lived in Kuwait for 3 years just after the Gulf war, and well, it was quite the adventure for me! They were still rebuilding and things were understandably a bit tense, but all things considered I loved my time there.

Zaia, your friend will be fine, but all the same I'll send you 2 my best wishes. And ahh, oh yeah... *hugs Zaia*

I hope your friend is safe, Zaia, and I hope that you will be okay in his absence, also.

In terms of the "shot glass," Saudi Arabia has banned such things. It is almost certainly designed for drinking coffee. I used to live there, and I never once saw anyone with a shot glass, and one of my friends who collected them had to surrender his at the airport when he was coming in (along with a couple bottles of Jack Daniels).

That, and I split the thread.

Your friend is safer over there in time or war than he is in the U.S. There are no drunk drivers in Kuwaitt or Saudi.

salm wrote:sorry to hear about that

what´s that reactivation thing about?
is it like this:
after you´re finished with your army service you get a normal job, such as postman or engeneer, but you stay on some list for a certain amount of time in which you can be called back into the army, in case you´re needed. during that time you have to attend trainings every once in a while, and during that time you get money from the army.

Basically thats it. With Reserve and National Guard units you complete the same training you'd get for an active unit, but then return to your civilian life. You however conduct training on some weekends and generally there's a two-week refresher period each year. You however can be activated at any time during you time within the reserves.

This is often done not just for wars, but also for peacetime duty to take the strain off active army units on deployments. During the mid 1990's one US national guard division was mobilized and deployed to Bosnia for a time.

With Air National Guard Units deployed to Iraq, it has more to do with giving the pilots and ground crews more training then they'd normally have time or funding for and too to give them operational experience. That’s why the deployment periods are generally only a few months.



Reserve and National guard Units may be independent, will no active units. But many will be joined up with a larger active unit for deployment. Generally a period of training s conducted before this deployment.

A number of US Army divisions only have two brigades, with a third being National Guard. On the other hand some national guard units are so big, such as that of Texas, they can field a complete armored or Mech division on their own. On the other hand, small states might only supply a few MP or logistics battalions, or combine with several others to form a brigade.

Wicked Pilot wrote:Your friend is safer over there in time or war than he is in the U.S. There are no drunk drivers in Kuwaitt or Saudi.

There are however tens of thousands of Pakistani's driving trucks who get paid by the mile not the hour. During the Gulf war Saudi Arabia provided swarms of heavy trucks and drivers to help move troops west to prepare for the flanking attack into Iraq and there where a great many comments about safety with 80 mph convoys of ammo. You find this all across the peninsula.

Kuwait cleared large areas of mines by hiring thousands of Pakistanis to walk across the desert poking the ground with rods at an angle. In theory this should let them find any, and then allow for them to be marked for later destruction.

In reality when you poke for mines while standing up your more likely to hit the top then the side, as you would doing it more slowly on your knees or belly.

I assume, given the nature of their job, the Pakistini minesweepers did not get paid very often.

Zaia, what does your friend do? Most of my friends are going to fill positions as drivers and cargo handlers, for example, and have minimal chance of encountering any action. Even the front line troops are going to be well taken care of; the Air Force will see to it that any Iraqis are suffeciently unnerved and ready to surrender before anything starts.

We've got a-number-one training and equipment, I myself would feel no hesitation about going. I have great confidence if our training and gear, and even in the worst-case scenario our ability to evacuate and treat any wounded is top-notch.

Big ol' Coyote hug, Zaia, and I'm sure you'll see your friend back safe and sound.

Zaia wrote:Like I've mentioned in a couple of threads, my friend Rob is in the Marine Reserves and got 'the call' 2 weeks ago. He was given one week to get his things in order, left home last Sunday and was supposed to spend a few weeks (six, I believe, starting this past week) at a training facility to get him ready to go fight.

Plans changed. Apparently he's very good at what he does.

He left for Kuwait today.



Just felt like talking about it a little... That's all.

Zaia, I understand how you're feeling. I have a friend heading over as well.

I'm not especially worried about him though, he has a remarkable knack for getting his ass out of bad situations.

Sr.mal wrote:*hugs* worry not. For the U.S. has a technological adavantage. However, if it goes urban that advantage is nil. My circle and shall do what we can to help.

No, we wait it out or bomb them too a age imvolving stone or ice.

We've got a-number-one training and equipment, I myself would feel no hesitation about going. I have great confidence if our training and gear, and even in the worst-case scenario our ability to evacuate and treat any wounded is top-notch.

While I believe that her friend is as safe as it is possible to make him, I also know that it is very difficult to be away from one's family and friends.

Well, I wish him luck.
I know what it's like to be going off to war, and missing family and friends.

I can't sympathize, really, but I know how hard it is to have a loved one go off to a place of war.. my dad went to Somalia, and the Prsian GUlf the firsttime. My uncle went to the Persian Gulf the first time.. I can't imagine someone I love going out this time, in this day and age.

All we can do is wish her friend good luck, or perhaps more accurately, wish him not to have bad luck.

If things go well, this will be the Mother of All Ass-Kickings Part 2, and he won't get a scratch.

I hope all goes well for your friend.

Zaia wrote:Like I've mentioned in a couple of threads, my friend Rob is in the Marine Reserves and got 'the call' 2 weeks ago. He was given one week to get his things in order, left home last Sunday and was supposed to spend a few weeks (six, I believe, starting this past week) at a training facility to get him ready to go fight.

Plans changed. Apparently he's very good at what he does.

He left for Kuwait today.

Just felt like talking about it a little... That's all.

Don't worry about it, if he's good at his job then the chances are better he'll come home in one piece (besides his name is Rob, and we tend not to get damaged in firefights ). The best thing you can do is remember to keep in contact with him, as he can reassure you better than we can (plus it never hurts to get calls from women you know when you're stationed abroad and surrounded by hairy-arsed men ).

Coyote wrote:Zaia, what does your friend do?

Here's his info:

Lance Corporal
5711 Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense Specialist
B Company, 4th Light Armored Reconaissance Battalion

Big ol' Coyote hug, Zaia, and I'm sure you'll see your friend back safe and sound.

*hugs back* Thank you, Coyote, and the rest of you who have been sympathetic and understanding. I know there isn't much to do other than be positive and wait, but it helps knowing I can talk about it and, for the most part, get the support I was seeking. Thank you.

Zaia wrote:

Coyote wrote:Zaia, what does your friend do?

Here's his info:

Lance Corporal
5711 Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense Specialist
B Company, 4th Light Armored Reconaissance Battalion

NBC specialist, he's pretty safe no matter what happens. Give him a call when he gets out there and make his day.

Hi Zaia, I won't tell you not to worry about your friend because you will any way. I myself have friends and even family getting activated. However, take comfort in the fact that he is where HE decided to be and that the US does not skimp when it comes to training our troops. Especialy Marines.

He will probably be over there no more than a year. There are unit rotations that will make him homebound in under a year with or without hostilities. Even if we occuppy Iraq, he will be subjected to rotation and will come home. Also being a pog, he will most likely be far away from any hostilities. So worry as you may, he should be fine and you'll have a complete blast, catching up when he comes home.

Zaia wrote:Like I've mentioned in a couple of threads, my friend Rob is in the Marine Reserves and got 'the call' 2 weeks ago. He was given one week to get his things in order, left home last Sunday and was supposed to spend a few weeks (six, I believe, starting this past week) at a training facility to get him ready to go fight.

Plans changed. Apparently he's very good at what he does.

He left for Kuwait today.



Just felt like talking about it a little... That's all.

May the Gods watch over him