I just got fired

[KRonn]

Siege, that's pretty worrisome stuff, the conditions you point out. Hopefully it isn't that bad, but even so, it seems the US political and military leadership needs to damn well get a better handle on how the soldiers can fight and get the job done.

[Admiral Yi]

Have you ever taken a close look at your scope Seeb?

[Josquius]

What is your goal anyway Siege?
Sure, you're just in the army to kill Arabs, not as a good career aiming for the top, but you can't do that forever; the government won't let you. Or will you go off and join private security when the US army decides to take you off the front line?

[Martim Silva]

Well, that was the argument, more or less.

Y'know Siege, reading your post I got the impression your platoon got into a "someone annoyed someone of a higher rank" situation.

Who got pissed at you lot? Did the battalion get some new officer recently?

[The Brain]

I'm surprised that they have the guts to do this. You're a Jew with a gun!

[Alcibiades]

Our "Recon" (scouts) were just tools with better scopes in my old battalion.

[Slargos]

What I wish to know is who will take up the mantle and deliver Languish Street Justice to the arabs when Siegy ends his War on Arabism. 

I would go ahead and do it, but since I can't perform it in any legal capacity (yet ) I would probably get caught after in a best case scenario at most 10-12 deliveries.

Unless we set up some kind of rotating shift, I'm afraid the arab-killing gap may widen to an unacceptable degree. 

[Ed Anger]

What I wish to know is who will take up the mantle and deliver Languish Street Justice to the arabs when Siegy ends his War on Arabism. 

I would go ahead and do it, but since I can't perform it in any legal capacity (yet ) I would probably get caught after in a best case scenario at most 10-12 deliveries.

Unless we set up some kind of rotating shift, I'm afraid the arab-killing gap may widen to an unacceptable degree. 

Sorry, I'll pass. I like the food.

[HVC]

Have you ever taken a close look at your scope Seeb?

[Martinus]

did anybody else read the thread title and think "postal" ?

Nah, I read it and thought "Damn. Does it mean he is less likely to be put in the line of fire?"

[Martinus]

The thing is that it is too easy to deal with bad soldiers in Recon. If a guy is a piece of shit and fail to perform, I just kick his ass back to the line. That's why Recon is so high speed, because you have to want to be there to be there. But in the line, there is nothing lower to kick the bad apples to. You have a soldier that fails to perform, and you can't just get rid of him, you have to actually re-train the guy, counsel him, babysit him, and if the guy is beyond help, article 15 and chapter his ass out of the Army, which is a long and tedious process.

So this is exactly what happened to you (i.e. having your ass kicked back to the line), right?

[Siege]

The thing is that it is too easy to deal with bad soldiers in Recon. If a guy is a piece of shit and fail to perform, I just kick his ass back to the line. That's why Recon is so high speed, because you have to want to be there to be there. But in the line, there is nothing lower to kick the bad apples to. You have a soldier that fails to perform, and you can't just get rid of him, you have to actually re-train the guy, counsel him, babysit him, and if the guy is beyond help, article 15 and chapter his ass out of the Army, which is a long and tedious process.

So this is exactly what happened to you (i.e. having your ass kicked back to the line), right?

Indeed. I did last for 4 and 1/2 years, though, the longest run in Recon in this battalion.

[Siege]

Our "Recon" (scouts) were just tools with better scopes in my old battalion.

It depends of how the battalion commander uses his recon platoon. Some battalions even have an sniper section separated from recon/scouts. I have even heard of battalions that have used their recon element as PSD, and others that have used recon as a permanent QRF.  In my battalion recon is a platoon dedicated to raids, air assault missions, and time sensitive targets. Last deployment we killed and captured more enemy combatants than any of line companies, and we are platoon, while they are infantry companies, each with 3 infantry platoons, 1 MGS platoon (Mobile Gun System - Strykers with the 105mm main gun), and the headquarters platoon that includes a mortar section and the company snipers (a 3 men sniper team), plus absorted pogs and worthless officers. We also paid a high price, with 30% of the battalion's cassualties being from my platoon, out of a total of 10 infantry platoons.

Bottom line, it depends of the battalion commander. My BC was a recon platoon leader back in the day, so he loved us and gave us the best missions, and the tools to acomplish those missions.

Also, you have to keep in mine that the line always, ALWAYS hate recon. They call us prima donnas and an lot of other shit.

So, how was recon used in your old battalion?

[Siege]

What is your goal anyway Siege?
Sure, you're just in the army to kill Arabs, not as a good career aiming for the top, but you can't do that forever; the government won't let you. Or will you go off and join private security when the US army decides to take you off the front line?

Goal? What goal?
I'm a childless sefaradi old soldier.
I live for the day, until my end comes.

And private security like Xe Services are crap. They pay a lot, but they are not out there fighting islam. They don't fight terrorists. I know most people have this image that they are mercenaries fighting our wars for money, but in reallity they are just glorified security guards, getting paid to protect some dude or some building.

Mercs are crap, they have always been, and are so more now than ever. At least back during the Cold War and in the early 90s there were outfits like Executive Outcomes that were actually doing something worthwhile back in Africa. But now? Just crap.