I'm looking into the gear I'll want to buy myself before I go to Iraq. I already know I'll need to get myself a camelbak (water pouch) special ballistic goggles, knee and elbow pads, a "drop pouch" to hold ammunition magazines and a load-bearing vest. Any ideas on some good stuff?
Just get your thoughts together. Uncle Sam will take care of the gear. Take a bunch of http://www.louislamour.com/shortstory/index.html]Louis Lamour] books in paperback of course. They are great and small fit comfortably in your cargo pocket. Learn all those useful acronyms like all the points of information needed in an eight point relay, "SMEAC" O' Yeah almost forgot a really good one "BRASS" remember your "BRASS" "guns and eyeballs". There will be a few shitbirds in every platoon and a few dozen per unit. Stay away from the shitbirds.
True, smurf. Camelbacks, goggles, knee and elbow pads, LBV, etc should be issued to you as will your protective vest and insert plates. Don't pack a lot of toiletries in your footlocker as all that stuff is available in country. You may bring along a "starter kit" until you can get to a PX, but the facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan are well built up now. If you have a laptop (especially with a DVD player) bring it. Combatting boredom goes with the job as well. Have DVDs and books to fill the down time and maintain your sanity (Barry may say that's a stretch). The weather is moderate this time of year through March. Good luck.
Oh yeah another thing make good friends with supply. A lance corporal with a good network of contacts can get a coffee pot in the winter time or a 50 pound bag of ice in the desert by making a few well placed phone calls. More clout than a Lieutenant who cannot seem to get shit for the platoon. Supply people can be your best friend. On the other hand piss them off and you might end up the most ridiculous marine wearing BDU's three sizes to big or two sizes to small.
just take a suitcase full of acid.. don't take smack or coke though.. tread on the cias toes and you'll disappear
You don't think they'll wonder why I have a suitcase full of pieces of paper with colorful Buddhas on them?
as long as you don't go for the blotters with cnd symbols stamped on them (filthy peacenik!!) you'll be fine
BTW Joe what the hell is a shitbird? Just the nerdy guy or what? The guy who'll pull the grenade and throw the pin?
Urban Dictionary says: A completely useless individual who is unaware of his/her own complete uselessness.
There is a time to be serious and a time to goof off. Shitbirds just skate along going through the motions doing the minimal. Bitching about their time and talking about how much time is left till they are out. Just think of Pimp in the military. Or that curly headed fag guy that did the Army movie. I can't think of his name ... like sounded like Molly? or Holly?
joe, i would never be in the military... but if i was i'd have gone the commissioned route and probably reached OF-5...
