M.O.H for (living) marine

Wicklowrider

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/09/medal-of-honor-marines-dakota-meyer.html

"Dakota Meyer on Thursday will become the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War for his actions in saving three dozen fellow warriors in Afghanistan."

Bet he is the first to have a beer with the President also....

Well done Sgt Meyer.

who what when

So he managed to kill numerous people who were trying to defend their homeland from an invading army with far superior armour and firearms and he gets called a hero? Im sure the british considered Cromwell a hero too!

Mercenary - yes
Brainwashed fool - possibly
Hero - not a chance

kielmanator

who what when wrote: »

So he managed to kill numerous people who were trying to defend their homeland from an invading army with far superior armour and firearms and he gets called a hero? Im sure the british considered Cromwell a hero too!

Mercenary - yes
Brainwashed fool - possibly
Hero - not a chance

are you playing devils advocate or just trolling?:rolleyes:

Antomus Prime

who what when wrote: »

So he managed to kill numerous people who were trying to defend their homeland from an invading army with far superior armour and firearms and he gets called a hero? Im sure the british considered Cromwell a hero too!

Mercenary - yes
Brainwashed fool - possibly
Hero - not a chance

Mercenary???

He's a marine, not a mercanary!! His regardless of your opinion of their actions and reasons for being there the man saved all those people, put his own life at risk (even more so than he was already at) to save them. That is a Hero!

RMD

who what when wrote: »

So he managed to kill numerous people who were trying to defend their homeland from an invading army with far superior armour and firearms and he gets called a hero? Im sure the british considered Cromwell a hero too!

Mercenary - yes
Brainwashed fool - possibly
Hero - not a chance

I suggest you read into the Taliban, what they stand and what their beliefs are on civil liberties / women's rights before calling the coalitions forces the bad guys. If you're pro-Taliban in this war, you're pro fascism. This isn't a war like the North where the rebels were a group of "freedom fighters" or whatever you wish to call them, the rebels in this case are a group of Islamic fanatics trying to bring Afghanistan under their control so they can enforce their own beliefs. If you wish to refer to a group as "defenders of their homeland", the Afghan National Army would be the most suitable bunch, of which Sgt. Meyer saved 23.

Congratulations to Sgt. Meyer. On an unrelated question, is it just me or do the American armed forces promote to Sgt at a much quicker rate?

who what when

kielmanator wrote: »

are you playing devils advocate or just trolling?:rolleyes:

What i wrote is my opinion. Yes i do realise that opinions like mine are unlikely to be popular in the military forum but its my opinion non the less.

Antomus Prime wrote: »

Mercenary???

He's a marine, not a mercanary!!

Well mercenary in the sense that he's being paid to fight.

RMD wrote: »

I suggest you read into the Taliban, what they stand and what their beliefs are on civil liberties / women's rights before calling the coalitions forces the bad guys.

Im aware of the Taliban and their beliefs. The Afgan National Army are essentially just a puppet of the U.S. Just because a country has laws and beliefs that differ from our own does not give us the right to invade them! Theres other ways and means! And no, im most certainly not pro-Taliban, im anti-war!

iceage

who what when wrote: »

So he managed to kill numerous people who were trying to defend their homeland from an invading army with far superior armour and firearms and he gets called a hero? Im sure the british considered Cromwell a hero too!

Mercenary - yes
Brainwashed fool - possibly
Hero - not a chance

Blinding post that, you must have waited for ages to have all that ammo to throw at one sitting.

Anti-Brit. The Cromell jibe.
Anti-Military. The Merc jibe.
Anti-American. The Marine and Hero jibe.

I take it President Obama is a very bad man as well is he? Is that because its been decided to award this guy, one of only three living recipients the Medal of Honor, or is it because hes been so naughty to the Taliban and their beliefs that you are so aware of?

"Yes i do realise that opinions like mine are unlikely to be popular in the military forum but its my opinion non the less". What ever gave you that impression?

Wicklowrider

who what when wrote: »

What i wrote is my opinion. Yes i do realise that opinions like mine are unlikely to be popular in the military forum but its my opinion non the less.
!

Your opinion is as valuable as anyone else's, at least in my book. Many of us posting in this forum took an oath to uphold the constitution that affords you that right.

If you read the article, and I do realise I am taking it on face value, It says He is being recognised for saving his comrades.
As an ex soldier and ex firefighter I can't help giving a nod to anyone who puts their comrades safety before their own. Apologies if that offends.
I also thought it novel that a Sergeant got to have a beer with the president - don't read that to be anything more than the simple observation is.

Local-womanizer

who what when wrote: »

Well mercenary in the sense that he's being paid to fight.

All them Irish soldiers in the Leb are mercs?! News to me!

discus

who what when wrote: »

Well mercenary in the sense that he's being paid to fight.

So every soldier is a mercenary?

You're a *un*.

goldie fish

Local-womanizer wrote: »

All them Irish soldiers in the Leb are mercs?! News to me!

Using the twisted logic of that "person" every soldier is a merc.

Evade

RMD wrote: »

On an unrelated question, is it just me or do the American armed forces promote to Sgt at a much quicker rate?

It seems that the minimum time to reach Sergeant under normal circumstances is 24 months in service and 12 months as a Corporal. Then promotion depends on a points system.

It does sound fast but they would probably consider spending years as a Private a little slow.

Manic Moran

who what when wrote: »

What i wrote is my opinion. Yes i do realise that opinions like mine are unlikely to be popular in the military forum but its my opinion non the less.

Uhuh. Minority opinions are one thing, but fortunately, I get the veto for trolling. Come back in two weeks.

NTM

muppet01

who what when wrote: »

So he managed to kill numerous people who were trying to defend their homeland from an invading army with far superior armour and firearms and he gets called a hero? Im sure the british considered Cromwell a hero too!

Mercenary - yes
Brainwashed fool - possibly
Hero - not a chance

Love the brainwashed fool bit, he got a beer not 100 virgins in paradise.....
:rolleyes:

Antomus Prime

who what when wrote: »

Well mercenary in the sense that he's being paid to fight.

So does that mean every member of every army, airforce, navy etc are mercanaries??

What about professional boxers? They get paid to fight.... are they meacanaries too?

muppet01

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary
Hope that educates our friend

cyrusdvirus

they're having a field day over on ah about this.

Morpheus

Recce patrol on way to AH.

Morpheus

Ok Recce patrol is back...

JESUS H CHRIST... MY EYES, MY F*CKING EYES

I cant believe some of the stuff I read, hard to tell whos serious and who's smoking hash whilst typing on that forum.... never again am i going AH

cyrusdvirus

Morphéus wrote: »

Ok Recce patrol is back...

JESUS H CHRIST... MY EYES, MY F*CKING EYES

I cant believe some of the stuff I read, hard to tell whos serious and who's smoking hash whilst typing on that forum.... never again am i going AH

I know.

But it's kinda fun to poke some of them with sticks.

RMD

Evade wrote: »

It seems that the minimum time to reach Sergeant under normal circumstances is 24 months in service and 12 months as a Corporal. Then promotion depends on a points system.

It does sound fast but they would probably consider spending years as a Private a little slow.

True, but my understanding for the BA is it takes on average 10-12 years to reach Sgt? And generally anywhere from 3-5 years to reach Cpl at a minimum?

The American system seems to promote through the ranks much quicker.

Evade

RMD wrote: »

True, but my understanding for the BA is it takes on average 10-12 years to reach Sgt? And generally anywhere from 3-5 years to reach Cpl at a minimum?

The American system seems to promote through the ranks much quicker.

Could the more rapid promotions in the US have anything to do with having more enlisted/NCO ranks? There are 13 in the US Army compared to the DF's 9 and the BA's 7.

Manic Moran

RMD wrote: »

True, but my understanding for the BA is it takes on average 10-12 years to reach Sgt? And generally anywhere from 3-5 years to reach Cpl at a minimum?

The American system seems to promote through the ranks much quicker.

Don't forget, the American system also has a lot more ranks to promote through. A US Sergeant performs the same role as a Lance Corporal in the UK. A corporal's position (squad/section leader, of 8-9 men) is filled by a Staff Sergeant in the US. The absolute barest minimum time in service it is possible to have before appointment to SSG in the US is 4 years, and this is under the 'secondary zone' concept which is only available at the discretion of the promotions board. The standard minimum time in service requirement for SSG is seven years, with eight or nine being fairly typical.

NTM

iceage

RMD wrote: »

True, but my understanding for the BA is it takes on average 10-12 years to reach Sgt? And generally anywhere from 3-5 years to reach Cpl at a minimum.

Well that's Bollocks. Relax RMD not having a pop, waiting for the facts n figures crew to turn up.

Evade

iceage wrote: »

Well that's Bollocks. Relax RMD not having a pop, waiting for the facts n figures crew to turn up.

Facts and figures.

RMD

Manic Moran wrote: »

Don't forget, the American system also has a lot more ranks to promote through. A US Sergeant performs the same role as a Lance Corporal in the UK. A corporal's position (squad/section leader, of 8-9 men) is filled by a Staff Sergeant in the US. The absolute barest minimum time in service it is possible to have before appointment to SSG in the US is 4 years, and this is under the 'secondary zone' concept which is only available at the discretion of the promotions board. The standard minimum time in service requirement for SSG is seven years, with eight or nine being fairly typical.

NTM

Ah that makes perfect sense. I assumed Cpl / Sgt was the same across the board for AAF / BAF.

Stovepipe

Hi all,
Promotion often depends on circumstances. I made corporal in six years in Baldonnel because so many people left in '88 to go to Qantas.Otherwise, it would have taken 8-10 in the DF of the time.In tech positions in the DF, the responsibility often demands an NCO as post-holder, which is why techs get promoted quicker, much to the dismay of "real" soldiers.
regards
Stovepipe

Manic Moran

That's why I miss the old tech-sergeant and specialist ranks from the US Army. Extra experience or mechanical skill was rewarded by pay and grade and responsibility over lower-grade mechanics, but that did not necessarily grant authority of rank over field soldiers.

NTM