Among us GI's

It is kind of like an older sibling teasing a younger sibling. That is accepted within the family but let an outsider do it and the older sibling will come to the younger one's defense.

 

We are all part of the combined arms team and the ribbing is all in good fun. Look, I (Air Force) had to help a Marine on Okinawa one night who was crying like a baby after falling down a hill. Are all Marines wimps? No, just this particular one was. (LOL)

 

My oldest son was a Navy Chief when he retired.

a BUBBLEHEAD (a submariner) .

 

Okinawa. Kadena AFB. 6990th Electronic Security Group.

 

I was a Radio/Nav tech there for 18 months starting in 1976 and I believe it was the 44th TFS I was assigned to. (Hard to remember, it's been awhile). I had a great time there and got some TDY's over to Korea. I had been there earlier in 1975 on a TDY from the states. The incident I described happened at a concert being held at Shuri Castle.

 

Nearly a quarter century ago, I worked with Navy guys, who had served in the nuclear sub fleet. I did not tease or disparage them. Like those who fly, the underwater folks must do what is right, or the consequence can be deadly. If we blundered, and we did, we went home in less than 12 hours, and so those who wore the belt buckle had earned my respect, PRIDE RUNS DEEP.

 

When I was in the corps we did not care for the Navy dispensary guys.. We found them to be lazy slobs. We had great respect for the SeaBees. Those guys were powerhouses and worked hard and fast.

Didnt care for the Airforce knuckleheads who thought they were special forces.

 

One of favorite pictures is of a Gemini capsule, floating on the ocean, with two smiling astronauts, one whose name was Neil, surrounded by Air Force PJ's. They are special in my book.

 

I once visited the "Punch Bowl" in Hawaii. At the top were several murals depicting WWII in the Pacific. In the first rows of obelisks, the names of those buried from that conflict were engraved. These marble obelisks had turned to gray. At the right of the murals were newer ones, depicting Korea. And the associated obelisks were lighter, having only begun to turn gray.

But as you walked away from the murals, there were rows of new white obelisks. But no murals depicting Vietnam. Many of those names had been Marines.

 

Air Force Pararescue personel are "Special Forces" in my book. The training they go through is second to none among the elites of the military. One should not discount Air Force Combat Controllers either, they are right there at the front lines with just a few comrades directing airstrikes on the enemy.

 

Many Marines, soldiers, and sailors owe their lives to Air Force P.J.'s. These men land in hot LZ's, perform emergency field surgery and extract wounded personnel while under enemy fire. I tried out for the PJ's halfway through basic training. I failed because I got a stitch up my side during the swim test and was only able to kick with one leg. I was still swimming but the instructor ordered me out of the pool and back to my training flight. It would have been a great honor to be a P.J.

Combat Controller school is nearly an exact replica of Green Beret training, with the addition of field air traffic control operations. These guys have been leaned on heavily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their ability to fight in addition to their air traffic control duties is a great force multiplier.

Each branch of the military depends on each other. We have our "sibling rivalries" but in the end we wear the same flag on our shoulders.

 

I am well aware of their training

 

I wasn't even aware the Air Force had such units until I got in and some "Sky Cops" (Security Police) units have in-depth infantry training (another thing I didn't know about). Face it, even some Marine or Army Paratrooper who once he has completed his initial training does nothing but sit in an office somewhere punching a keyboard or works in a kitchen cooking. As you said, we are all in it together.

 

Gooooooooooooooooooolly!... Didn't join the Navy or Coast Guard... Can't swim... Didn't join the Air Force... Scared of heights... Didn't join the Army, Dad would have disowned me, he served in WWII in the Corp... I guess the main reason I joined, I wanted me a set of those fancy dress blues and I earned them... WHOA!... They sure are pretty and were a chick magnet too... Brother Glen