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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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Military Fun on April Fool’s Day
Category: Friends
Being in the military is a tough and stressful job but there is one day during the year where pranks, fool's errands and practical jokes seem to be tolerated and encouraged. This day is "April Fool's Day".
A fool's errand in the Military involves sending the new guys to fetch nonexistent items, tools or having them do unreal tasks, such as getting a left-handed screwdriver or wrench, a can of squelch for the radio, a can of striped paint, fallopian tubing (a popular prank in hospitals), an alternating current battery, an unipolar magnet, a tube of elbow grease, a box of bubbles or box of holes, Fake tasks include changing out the winter air to summer air in tires, change the blinker fluid in vehicle turn signals, check muffler bearings, use a hammer to look for soft spots on the APC , or a 'round tuit'.
A US Army variation is to send a soldier in search of a Priky-7, a non-existent object that sounds like an older military slang term for a radio (PRC- is part of the nomenclature for many radios). After being sent to several non-commissioned officers (i.e. sergeant), he is finally sent to a Sergeant First Class (an E-7 pay grade). That sergeant explains why he isn't looking for a prick E-7, but a Priky-8, and is sent looking for the company's First Sergeant (an E-8 pay grade). This can sometimes turn real ugly but you will always find a few soldiers laughing their a** off behind some closed door.
In addition to being sent for a non-existant item, sometimes the entire staff will be in on the joke. In the Navy, for example, the rookie may be told to go down to the engine room for 30 feet of fallopian tube. Someone in the engine room will tell him it's in the kitchen, a kitchen worker will say it's on the deck, and so on, and so on. Another variation is for "keys to the ship" so that CO can get underway. The golden rivet (was supposedly the last rivet installed and located in the shaft alley) is a favorite in many navies around the world, as are radar contacts. A bucket of propeller pitch is also popular.
In the Air Force a variant involves new airmen being sent to the commissary to purchase a bottle of prop wash (prop wash is turbulent airflow coming from the aft end of a propeller). Other military snipe hunts include sending someone for keys to a drop zone, box of grid squares, a length of flight line, blinker fluid, lanyard grease, winter air for tires, sparkplugs for a diesel engine, canopy lights, BA-1100 November (= Balloon) type batteries, TR-2E (= tree) or ST-1 (= stone) weapons equipment, "afterburner flints," and lightstick batteries. Sometimes commissaries will get into the act and prepare things like bottles labeled "prop wash", and so on to sell to unsuspecting victims.
So all in all the military has its fun with the new guys on this one special "fool's" day of the year.
www.lovethetroops.com
Always in Support,
And wishing you a peacefull, prankless and foolishly fun day!
Kim
10:13 AM
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Thursday, January 05, 2006
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Poems
The Soldier's Spouse Creed
I am in love with a United States Soldier. I will support him in his defense of the Constitution of the United States of America. And I will understand that he must obey the orders of those appointed over him. I represent the true backbone and fighting spirit of the Army. And for those who have served before me I salute you with all the strength and loyalty my heart can muster. I proudly stand by the one I love with Honor, Courage and Commitment. I am committed to support my soldier and the United States Army.
Recipe for a Military Spouse
1 1/2 cups Patience
1 cup Courage
3/4 cup Tolerance
dash of Adventure
1 pound of Ability
To the above ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons elbow grease and let stand alone for one year. Marinate frequently with salty tears. Pour off excess fat and sprinkle ever so lightly with money then Knead dough until payday. Season with international spices. Bake 20 years or until done. Makes unlimited servings
SERVE WITH PRIDE
The Silent Ranks
I wear no uniforms, no blues or greens.
But, I am in the military, in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But in the military world is where I live and am rarely seen.
I am not in the chain of command, orders I do not give or get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I am not the one who fires a weapon, Who puts his life on the line.
But my job is just as tough, I’m the one who is always left behind.
My husband is a patriot, a brave and pride filled man.
And the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines, I see things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do my kids and me.
I love the man I married. The military is his life.
So I pledge to support my hero and stand among the silent ranks known as
THE MILITARY WIFE.
Heroism and Bravery
"Why is it so cold?"
An innocent girl asks
She wouldn't understand
It's what the world masks.
She doesn't know why
Why everyone seems to cry
It's something few understand
Why men must be sent to die.
In a desert far away
Heroes stand strong and tall
Though dirtied with life
The men are brave through it all.
Perhaps this is what is needed
A little discipline and war
To make some people realize
Life won't be like before.
Brave men die far away
Protecting us from harm
A young man looks down
He forgot his good luck charm.
In an instant his life is gone
Torn away from the ground
In the distance a man lies fallen
With his hands and feet bound.
In a world far from war
People cannot see
What these men do
Their heroism and bravery.
So when the girl asks
"Why is it so cold?"
It's because of the men
That we can no longer hold.
~By Heidi Hinkle~
A Military Wife in the Army of One
You aren’t issued with the uniform, boots and weapon,
But you are one lady no one should step on.
It usually goes “With this ring, I thee wed,”
But add in “Even if it means me in an empty bed.”
“and the weeks in the field with many late nights,”
“which will at some point lead to fights.”
Yes, a military wife is courageous and strong,
Even when the days seem so long.
When you feel like you’re at your wits end,
You “Suck it up” and start to mend.
You learn the Army language,
All those acronyms, “How can I manage.”
PX, AAFES, LES, MOS - the list goes on and on,
All those letters would make an ordinary woman yawn.
But those letters are part of your life,
The life of a proud military wife.
You move too much and decorate too little,
Because you always seem to leave in the middle.
Don’t get too settled and make lots of friends
Because home is wherever the Army sends.
And then one day the orders come down,
Your husband soon will be leaving town.
“Up to 365 days or until mission complete”
You know your heart just skipped a beat.
You stare at the orders in front of you,
This was a possibility you always knew.
Now life takes on new meaning
And the tears start streaming.
You hug each other tight and kiss farewell,
How you feel, words could never tell.
You go back to an empty home,
And try not to sit by the phone.
You wait, wonder and worry,
And hope this year goes by in a hurry.
Things are different now.
You’ll do things you once did not know how.
Yellow ribbons are a new accessory,
You make your outfit match- it is a necessity
You cry when the National Anthem is played,
And you get your child that much needed band-aid.
You have your daily chores, as always,
Except now you’re the only one to sweep the hallways.
You’re “IT”- the only one
But you do it and try to have fun.
You say your prayers and wish on a star in the sky,
When he’s back in your arms, you’ll forget the year that went by.
And you’ll think how strong you had become,
When you were truly the army of “one.”
~Letisha E Wheeler October 16, 2005~
11:37 PM
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