# how do you feel when equipmet you trained on is a museum piece now



## FormerHorseGuard (7 Apr 2006)

i went to the Canadian War Museum yesterday and looked around at various parts of the collection. Then I started to see pieces in the collection that were on display and they were pieces i learned to operate and was trained on.

no special order here

1) the FN family, C1A1 and C2 ( both i trained on and used,)
2) M113 saw then drive by me lots in Petawawa
3) cougar ( unit used them as tank trainers and as tanks)
4) grizzly used when the cougar was not available in required numbers
5) Ilits ( how did john and his driver live thru that  i do not know, lucky stars i think)
6) LEO the tank C1 and C2 version. 
7) C6 machine gun
8) C8
9) C5 in various displays and various mods
10) C9
11) helments, and uniforms
12) some of the trucks 
13) radio equipment
14) Kiowa helicopter ( did a few weekend exercises with the air unit in Toronto and got a few rides in them)
15) not sure of the stock number but did see a 105mm gun, guess it was time for those to start going on display.

i looked around and started to think boy i am old and need a retirement home soon, only 36, and been out 10 years now

I did notice that  the cougar and the grizzly were in the worse state of repair, think the army  needs to loan good examples of those, not ones that  could not make decent looking without a lot of spare parts
the older gentlement a retired sigs man was showing me fresh damage to the various pieces of equipment casused by staff being careless when moving stuff around, fresh dents and stuff on the cars and loight skinned apcs.

it was a very interesting display and was happy to see it. wish they  would put up more display info signs on some of the stuff.
nice to see some of the equipment on display in one place and being cared for. I had a great afternoon there.


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## chrisf (7 Apr 2006)

Considering more then half that equipment is still in service 

(The first radio I ever trained on was the AN/PRC-77 despite having joined well after the institution of TCCCS. Also enjoyed learning to drive an MLVW in a truck that was almost as old as I am... no... seriously... the ML should be replaced with an updated ML)


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## chrisf (7 Apr 2006)

Oh, P.S. I know there was a lot of controversy surrounding the Canadian war museum, but you've got to love them for their display on Hitler's limo...

"Originally captured by American forces, it eventually made it's way into Canadian hands"

After reading that, I immediately interpreted that based on my own experiences with the forces to mean that a half dozen Canadian troops got on the beer one evening and decided "Hey, you know what would be a laugh? Let's steal Hitler's car."


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## pbi (7 Apr 2006)

I actually trained wth the old 3/4 ton truck family, the old GMC "deuce and a half",  the 3.5 inch  rocket launcher and the WWII-style jeep (flat head six cylinder) when I joined the Militia in 1974. In Cadets, a couple of years before, I was taught to strip and assemble the Bren Gun. Imagine how old *I * feel!

Oh...wait...I _am_ old.



Cheers


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## JBP (7 Apr 2006)

I've always wanted to go to the War Museum, worth the drive I take it then? 

Even though I'm new and 1/2 the equipment listed there I've even still been trained on or used!

I've also heard there's an incredible amount of other museums in Ottawa to go to, like Museum of History etc... etc..

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Joe


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## William Webb Ellis (7 Apr 2006)

I am surprised  

Some of the M113 we had in Yugo in the early 90's were older then me then, I was only Early 20's.

You missed one sweet piece of kit.  I took my first driving course on a CJ Jeep.


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## parkie (7 Apr 2006)

yes,It does seem strange to go to the museum,and see something you trained on .It's feels even stranger when your in the museum with it, and your grand daughter says grandpa isn't that you in that old picture,firing that gun.  Good lord, I've become a museum piece.

                                                                                                                       parkie


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## pbi (7 Apr 2006)

A while back my 16 year old daughter asked me what the round thing on top of our old stereo was. When I told her it was a turntable for playing records, she asked me "what's a record?".

Cheers


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## Journeyman (7 Apr 2006)

R031 Pte Joe said:
			
		

> I've also heard there's an incredible amount of other *museums in Ottawa*.....Anyone have any other suggestions?



No tour would be complete without stopping into NDHQ - - it's where they display the fossils of Cold Warriors  >

The "NDHQ museum guide" tells us the real hard-core ones can be identified by having an UNFICYP ribbon in addition to their CD (with many rosettes).


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## DG-41 (7 Apr 2006)

Try realizing that your fresh crop of privates wasn't yet born the day you first put on a uniform.

Or dropping by the CMR museum, and seeing your picture (as part of a group) on the wall...

Oi, and I'm still only 35 (for a few more days yet at least)

DG


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## axeman (7 Apr 2006)

try working on a Bren gun carrier... well itr actully was a museum piece.. it was just like working on a tractor . the on a open house we had it running and a few  ww2 / korea vets showed me what one could really do ...


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## parkie (7 Apr 2006)

yes,you certainly can't beat the bren,having fired one in combat a couple of times an amazing weopon,take the worst kind of punishment,and ready to go in a moments notice,And very accurate.
all in all ,it is nice that someone takes the time to reflect on canada's war history,more from the point of all the volunteer work it must require,I would imagine for some of you a bit younger,it must give you a feeling of pride too,being a part of it.

                                                                                                  parkie


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Apr 2006)

I'm a little leery about listing the stuff I started with, and worked on 

C-42 (vehicle radio)
510 (manpack)
sten gun
bren gun
Browning .30 cal
3.5" rocket launcher
FN
APC's & Lynx (that were brand new)
Centurion 
Ferret
3/4 ton
deuce and a half

Aircraft:
Voodoo CF101
CF5
104
T33
Tracker
Argus
Huey
Kiowa

Just to name some. Retired those, and then got this stuff

C5 GPMG
Sterling SMG
5/4 ton
Leopard (never worked on it though)
524 radio
77 set
Cougar
Grizzily
Iltis (still got some)

and retired those too. I'm going to have to pull pin soon before I retire a third set of equipment.


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## parkie (7 Apr 2006)

Just wondering how does the bren relate to the newer weapons?

                             parkie


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Apr 2006)

It was extremely accurate, maybe to much so, for an area weapon. If you didn't stagger the rim on the .303 British casing, when loading the mag, it would jam. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't have a chest rig for the mags though, we used to hump them around in a metal box.


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## Danjanou (7 Apr 2006)

Guys I know the feeling well, When I went through the CWM last fall and noticed the stuff  FormerHorseGuard lists I felt old until I realized that the two other guys with me (both army.ca regulars) were even older than I am ( George W and I loved teasing Edward about the really old stuff)

Back in the mid to late 1980’s several of us had finished a course in Aldershot (SLC IIRC) and gone into Halifax for the weekend. Between bar hopping we went up the Citadel and were touring the army museum there, which is another excellent one or at least it was then. 

One of the guys was staring at one of the FNC1 on display and did a double take. We asked him about and he said the rifle on display was the one he had been issued on his small arms coaching course years earlier, he remembered the serial number.

Not sure if he was joking or not, but I did remember that story when I was at the CWM and spent a lot of time carefully checking all the FNs on display there… you never know  ;D


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## parkie (7 Apr 2006)

yes ,you had to be careful loading the mags,last thing you want to hear is click.if you didn't stagger your rounds in the enfield they jammed too.big mags too.big banana shaped buggers.lots of guys liked them for sniping.most of the war I used a thompson,not an accurate weapon by any means,but those .45 rounds would do terrible things to a man at close range.
                                                                                           
                                                         parkie


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## parkie (7 Apr 2006)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Guys I know the feeling well, When I went through the CWM last fall and noticed the stuff  FormerHorseGuard lists I felt old until I realized that the two other guys with me (both army.ca regulars) were even older than I am ( George W and I loved teasing Edward about the really old stuff)
> 
> Back in the mid to late 1980’s several of us had finished a course in Aldershot (SLC IIRC) and gone into Halifax for the weekend. Between bar hopping we went up the Citadel and were touring the army museum there, which is another excellent one or at least it was then.
> 
> ...




so ,the fnc ,would that be the belgium,fabrique nationale,not sure if i spelled coorrectly,
                                                                                     parkie


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## Garry (7 Apr 2006)

Recceguy, I feel your pain...

In the UFI column, I remember going to Halifax and bringing back three brand spanking new Leopards. Man, they were fast. 

I also remember retiring the Centurion- good parade that.

Feeling old....garry


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## Danjanou (7 Apr 2006)

Of course we also have to make mention of those still serving living, breathing museum pieces some of whom have posted in this thread.

Recceguy what was it like having Noah as a fireteam buddy? ;D


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## muffin (7 Apr 2006)

FormerHorseGuard said:
			
		

> 13) radio equipment



When I was doing my RadOp course at CFSCE the C&E museum was new in K-town, and they had a lot of the equipment we were trainging on in the museum... we used to joke "if it breaks down go get the spare fromt eh C&E museum" - for things like field phones etc.

muffin


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## orange.paint (7 Apr 2006)

From one of the guys here at the school that Leo c2 is from 2 tp b sqn rcd 2000.it was the one who a cetain someone bent the hull on.Couldnt keep track on it after!


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## Fishbone Jones (7 Apr 2006)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Of course we also have to make mention of those still serving living, breathing museum pieces some of whom have posted in this thread.
> 
> *Recceguy what was it like having Noah as a fireteam buddy?* ;D



Pain in the ass! Always talking to someone no one else could see or hear and carrying on about that damn boat of his. He did hold some pretty exotic BBQ's though.


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## George Wallace (7 Apr 2006)

rcac_011 said:
			
		

> From one of the guys here at the school that Leo c2 is from 2 tp b sqn rcd 2000.it was the one who a cetain someone bent the hull on.Couldnt keep track on it after!


Just a quick point.  That is NOT a Leo 1 C 1 in the CWM.  I wish they could get out to Pet and pick up a C1 Turret to make it more authentic.


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## orange.paint (7 Apr 2006)

Yep is that the one with the MRS slot on the barrel? havnt been to the new war museum yet.

did they move all the stuff up from the old train depot also?


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## Pikache (7 Apr 2006)

pbi said:
			
		

> A while back my 16 year old daughter asked me what the round thing on top of our old stereo was. When I told her it was a turntable for playing records, she asked me "what's a record?".
> 
> Cheers


Turntables are still in fashion... if you're a DJ.

Ah, the black wax. Lugging that stuff around is good PT. 

PS: Some of you are really, really old!

-A young whippersnapper.


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## Glorified Ape (7 Apr 2006)

I can see the next War Museum exhibit - a plexiglass cube with old grizzled CF members milling about, on display for the visitors.


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## George Wallace (7 Apr 2006)

Glorified Ape said:
			
		

> I can see the next War Museum exhibit - a plexiglass cube with old grizzled CF members milling about, on display for the visitors.



Where have you been....it is already there...


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## Danjanou (7 Apr 2006)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Where have you been....it is already there...



It's actually George, He's spending WAAAY too much time there these days. ;D


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## Glorified Ape (7 Apr 2006)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Where have you been....it is already there...



Edit that to add: "I'm posting from inside it right now".  ;D



			
				Danjanou said:
			
		

> It's actually George, He's spending WAAAY too much time there these days. ;D



Hehehe... old people are a source of endless humour.


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## geo (7 Apr 2006)

pbi said:
			
		

> I actually trained wth the old 3/4 ton truck family, the old GMC "deuce and a half",  the 3.5 inch  rocket launcher and the WWII-style jeep (flat head six cylinder) when I joined the Militia in 1974. In Cadets, a couple of years before, I was taught to strip and assemble the Bren Gun. Imagine how old *I * feel!
> Oh...wait...I _am_ old.
> Cheers


1/4 ton jeep.... was a flat, straight 4 (not 6)
3/4 ..... dodge.... another straight 4
2 1/2 GMC...... that was a straight 8


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## geo (7 Apr 2006)

parkie said:
			
		

> Just wondering how does the bren relate to the newer weapons?
> parkie


the Bren and the C6 have a lot in common actually....... 
mechanism is similar but Bren was Mag fed & C6 is only belt fed.
both can be mounted on a tripod 
both are really accurate...... Bren, being only mag fed, did not have as much of a problem with hot barrels and it's becoming "flexible".... VS the C6 which has a respectable rate of fire.


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## geo (7 Apr 2006)

Hmmm.... old kit not mentioned yet:

Comms: 
26 set,
25 & 125 set
2 tincans on a string 

Vehicles: 
three quad (3.4) gin palace
1/4 ton jeep ambulance (tippy)
Queen Mary Command APCs
Cargo carriers

weapons: 
SS11B guided missiles (that were on a launcher in the back of the 3/4
L5 "pack" howitzer and the 2 1/2 that used to carry it in it's box (big A frame on the front bumper and cable that ran thru the cab (ramps stored on the vehicle's side) remember seing cable "give" while in tension (trail arms were jammed against the tailgate  - cable came whipping back & left a satisfying dent in the hood & driver had unsatisfying brown streak in his underwear)


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## Old Sweat (7 Apr 2006)

At least we have seen the last of the 19 Set and AN/PRC 509 and 610 Sets which were in service when I qualified as a Signaller RCA Group I in 1959. In 1962 the 19 Set was replaced by the 42 Set which was a giant leap forward into the 1950s and then in the late sixties along came the 524 system in the M113s and manpack such as the 25 Set.


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## geo (7 Apr 2006)

hehe.... 19 set with the Cyrilic characters - marconi sets destined for T34s......
yeah - the sigs section still had one of those up & running in the early 70s

had to laugh - when the ground plane antennae went on the fritz - we wandered into the museum and asked the curator to loan us his 1942 edition.... now - that was built tough


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## dynaglide (7 Apr 2006)

geo said:
			
		

> 1/4 ton jeep.... was a flat, straight 4 (not 6)
> 3/4 ..... dodge.... another straight 4
> 2 1/2 GMC...... that was a straight 8


Actually the 5/4 was a V8 350 c.i. not a straight 8.


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## geo (7 Apr 2006)

uhhh.... where do you see "5" quad?
1976 5/4s had a V8


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## dynaglide (7 Apr 2006)

You're right, read too fast I guess...


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## Trinity (7 Apr 2006)

Better to have your equipment in a museum.... than you end
up in a museum..

oh  ..

wait..

sorry tess   ;D ;D


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## Danjanou (7 Apr 2006)

Glorified Ape said:
			
		

> Edit that to add: "I'm posting from inside it right now".  ;D
> 
> Hehehe... old people are a source of endless humour.



Bugger off whippersnapper :tsktsk:

Padre you're right I forgot Tess is on display there, or was at one point.


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## the 48th regulator (7 Apr 2006)

They were to cheap to put the plexiglass around me,

Just a tired old rope from the basement... :'(

dileas

tess


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## geo (7 Apr 2006)

(frayed a bit around the edges Tess)
(JK)


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## axeman (8 Apr 2006)

a piece of kit that hasnt been posted the 106 mm recoiless,, with the old "man portable mount" man portable my A@@,,,


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## Sig_Des (8 Apr 2006)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Padre you're right I forgot Tess is on display there, or was at one point.



Wait, was that the glass case that said "Open only in case of war?"
 ;D


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## geo (8 Apr 2006)

axeman said:
			
		

> a piece of kit that hasnt been posted the 106 mm recoiless,, with the old "man portable mount" man portable my A@@,,,


you're right....  forgot!
to be in a 106 det... riding along on one of the suicide seats
oh the memories - driving out in -40 temperatures without superstructure (but heater going full blast


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## reccecrewman (10 Apr 2006)

When the day rolls around that it gets retired from service, the LSVW should not be placed in a musuem. Anywhere. It should be stricken from all memory and we just pretend that sorry pile of #@!* was never cursed upon the CF.


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## George Wallace (10 Apr 2006)

The LSVW is Canada's Lada.  It will live forever as a ornament at the side of roads, on lawns, in gargage dumps, even in museums; as it won't decay to the ravages of Rust as only Fiberglass can.   ;D


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## parkie (10 Apr 2006)

That's not fair. George! I have a Lada quietly rusting in the corner.
                                                                  Parkie


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## George Wallace (10 Apr 2006)

parkie said:
			
		

> That's not fair. George! I have a Lada quietly rusting in the corner.
> Parkie



Would you like a matching set of LSVW's?   ;D


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## Sig_Des (10 Apr 2006)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Would you like a matching set of LSVW's?   ;D



How bout and LSVW that's been on "Pimp my Ride!"

"We gonna give it some rims, a sweet ass pain job, and a 27 inch monitor in the back!"


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## Franko (10 Apr 2006)

Yeah....I went to the museum, and did I ever have a laugh.

Noticed the Leo...and pointed out that little factoid to the gent who was volunteering there that day. The hull, oddly enough was one that used to be in A Sqn 8CH in Gagetown that had a hull crack and was brought back to 202 for repair.

Obviously it never re-entered service.

Pretty sad when I looked closer and all the amoured protection shutters were all welded up...the turret was a A2 / early A3.

Oh the humanity!!!!!

Then proceeded to look around....in utter shock at all the vehicles that I still have on my 404s.

Mind you it was pretty cool to see a salvaged Valentine.....whodathunk it?

Regards


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## Robbie (12 Apr 2006)

I'm in Borden right now on my 6A's.  As I was heading in to base I saw a Ilits out on base as a museum pice.  Only been in 10yrs, but made me feel old.....lol


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## pbi (12 Apr 2006)

reccecrewman said:
			
		

> When the day rolls around that it gets retired from service, the LSVW should not be placed in a musuem. Anywhere. It should be stricken from all memory and we just pretend that sorry pile of #@!* was never cursed upon the CF.



I have a better idea. Let's take them all out on a range and blow the sh*t out of them, then get drunk.


OK...well....not get drunk _on_ the range, actually....


You know what I mean.


Cheers


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## DG-41 (12 Apr 2006)

What the hell, let's just skip the "range" part.

 ;D

DG


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## William Webb Ellis (12 Apr 2006)

pbi said:
			
		

> I have a better idea. Let's take them all out on a range and blow the **** out of them, then get drunk.
> 
> 
> OK...well....not get drunk _on_ the range, actually....
> ...



I would add that any and all persons involved in their purchase should be taped to the hood during "disposal".


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## TN2IC (12 Apr 2006)

axeman said:
			
		

> try working on a Bren gun carrier... well itr actully was a museum piece.. it was just like working on a tractor . the on a open house we had it running and a few  ww2 / korea vets showed me what one could really do ...




We got a Bren gun at our unit.... hehehe... still running..


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## FormerHorseGuard (13 Apr 2006)

i was last in borden in the 94ish visiting the base museum, the ilitis on dispaly was one of the test platforms. then the company got a hold of it and did the required mods.

such fun places to visit


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## TCBF (13 Apr 2006)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> No tour would be complete without stopping into NDHQ - - it's where they display the fossils of Cold Warriors  >
> 
> The "NDHQ museum guide" tells us the real hard-core ones can be identified by having an UNFICYP ribbon in addition to their CD (with many rosettes).




- This particular Cold Warrior would be more than happy to discuss the merits of our respective generations at your convenience.

 8)

Tom


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## Journeyman (13 Apr 2006)

TCBF said:
			
		

> This particular Cold Warrior would be more than happy to discuss the merits of our respective generations at your convenience.



a) not much of a discussion - - we're actually the _same_ generation; it would quickly devolve into a heated agreement - - "oh ya?"  "ya!"  "ya?!"  "dam right, ya!!"

b) the Tyrannosaurus Rex was pretty kick-ass during it's time too. I'd be willing to bet we could flesh out another deployable Battle-Group or two just by thinning out the ranks of NDHQ still clutching desperately to the hope that the Russians will be rolling across northern Germany (preferably before a Thursday, given the long-weekend 'rights' of all the hotel-living 101 Colonel By denizens on Imposed Restriction). Afghanistan isn't what they _know_...although you can bet they all want to do a 31-day Staff Annoyance Visit - - for the ribbon. Don't get me started on the Directorate tasked with standardizing punctuation across various Commands...or the other telephone sanitizers.

It's just a minor rant though. The initial comment was meant tongue in cheek  (an "NDHQ guide" implies a structure that can be pointed to, and explained     )


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