Do you remember this recruiting brochure? This is the Army I joined in 1985. Trigger discipline wasn’t a “thing”.
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I remember this. I came in 1983 when the BDU was being phased in from OD. We wore the BDU initially with sleeves up like the Marines and white T-shirts before the brown.
12B OSUT at FLW seems like yesterday.
Shining boots and shoes was an art back then. RIP M16A1 🙂
11b OSUT at Benning July ’85, Harmony Church, none of that starship horseshit- No AC, probably less kennel cough. Still remember the s/n of my H&R ‘A1.
I remember picking up the pamplet with this one at our small town post office. My friends and I loved it.
Mid-90s, trigger discipline was “either index or put all four fingers around the pistol grip.” For some reason, the most aggro DS preferred the four fingers method, which is what stuck with me until I had to reprogram myself.
I was issued half that stuff in 90-91!!!
And a whole lot more, first duty station was Ft. Richardson AK, just as they were starting the transition from old cold weather gear to the Gore Tex and polypro kit, we got issued both sets!
And yes was not issued an M16A2 till I went to Ft. Campbell in 94
Me to. I was also dragon qualified along with humping the M-60 in 1991.
I picked that up at the recruiter’s in 1987 and still have it in my collection!
AF Security Police here and ABGD up at Ft Dix in ’95 we still had the PRC77 and 68’s before SSII halted any and all comms. We still used the TA312’s when I got out in ’06 and they still do as far as I know. They work so whatever. It’s always weird to see BDUs and the old TA50.
Tracking? …Like a Dragon…
What’s fire and forget?
LOL! This is basically what the Marine Corps was still using when I EAS’d in early 2001 (all the personal gear that is)
That advertisement got me through High School.
I was in 4th grade when I picked that up at the local recruiting office. I miss the Cold War.
Man, that thing is ten years older than me, look at how far the gear has come. Wait a second… some of that gear looks way to familiar…
I picked that up from my high school guidance councilors office in 1985. I think it might still be in a box upstairs.
Chocolate Nut Bar! In a can!
PRC-77!!
Thanks for the memories SSD. I don’t remember that brochure – I joined up in December 1982 and got out in December 1986 – but I certainly remember all of that kit!
#21- TA-312 ring down phone to the SB-22 switchboard – good times. P-38?
Brave of you to mention your brief service on a site where have many have done 2 or 3x the time in combat.
I picture you the dude in public with his DD214 on his hat and shirt… And clogging up the lines in the PX, Commisary, Pharmacy. Thanks for your service.
Are you referring to a deleted post? Because I don’t see anything written above about someone’s brief period of service. Unless you think Strike-Hold’s 4 years is…brief.
His dad could probably beat up your dad though. He toed up and volunteered. Respect that at least. I’m sure someone up the ziggurat could call you a REMF.
I know, right? WTF is this guy trying to say? I served 10, should I look down on someone who ONLY served 6 or 4? Hell no! And those people “clogging the lines” are retirees who served 20 or more or got a medical retirement. They can take all the time they need.
This was the pamphlet that I got at my recruiting office in 1988 when I joined. Wow! Memories.
Ah the dragon….one of my favorite, weirdest missile systems….all those little rocket motors are a pain.
In 1975, and for a number of years after, the Vietnam vets at Basic Training and AIT (no OSUT then) taught “finger on the trigger” as SOP to all of us new 11Bs at Ft Polk, La. In fact we road marched that way with weapons at port arms (which is a very uncomfortable way to hold the M16A1 for any length of time). Slings were cinched down (not used) or removed except for D&C.
FYI, at the time Ft Polk actually trained more infantry than Ft Benning, Ga. All of our Drill Sergeants were combat vets and appeared “grizzled” to us…but were mostly very young E5s and junior E6s. Most had no more than 4-5 years in service and one tour in Vietnam as E2-E4s.
As I recall they also taught that the point man should already have his selector on full auto. The quote I remember (and still use) is that “there is no sense dying with a full magazine”.
Later on as I gained more experience I came to realize that some of the things I had been taught weren’t as “tactically sound” – even for jungle warfare – as they might appear to a cherry trooper.
I’ve seen that history repeated today by some of our young NCOs and junior officers who have experienced combat…but don’t really have much combat experience. Then it was “this is the way we did it in the Idrang”…now it is “this is how we did it in Anbar”.
I’m not putting down the experience of the Vietnam era guys or the GWOT vets. But I am saying that “seeing the elephant” usually means you experienced the trunk or the tail or the leg depending on where and when you served. We all still have a lot to learn. Something to think about as we train for the next event.
C’est la guerre.
Almost 30 years old but still better individual equipment than most second and third world country soldiers.
Yep, And there’s my PRC-77 and M-203. Oh and those tasty C-Rations – Yum!
Thanks for posting that, it brought back a lot of memories. I joined in April 1985. Infantry OSUT at Fort Benning Ga. I remember when we got picked up by our drill sergeants and being told we were “going to the church”. That didn’t sound bad going to church. We soon found out that Harmony Church was not a church. The old WW II barracks, no air, etc. In retrospect I’m really glad that is where I went.
In some respects I think the Army I joined in 1985 was better than the Army of today. No political correctness, no endless power point briefs or online training, cammo that actually worked, and Soldiers who were mentally tougher than many are today. Oh, and almost everyone could pass the APFT and height/weight.
I firmly believe that basic/AIT in 1985 did a far better job producing tough, disciplined Soldiers that what happens today There may be more than a touch of nostalgia in my views but when Soldiers show up in my formation today, I often wonder what the hell they learned in basic training because most are sorely lacking in basic Soldier skills.
This is the pamphlet that lured me into the Army instead of the Marine Corps…especially the pages that had the differences in combat arms, etc!!! Does someone have the old pamphlet that had the Rangers patrolling through the swamp?
…eff yo’ poncho liner…
The good old days! We had a REAL CinC in the White House and you were trained to kill. No PC and no out of the closet soldiers! Be all you can be!
…Aaaand there it goes. Well, we made it over 30 posts without someone going political, not too bad.
I remember this brochure though I didn’t put the uniform on until late ’89. And we were still using some of the same gear when I got out almost fifteen years later…at least that’s changed for the better by now!
Just a little more insight on that brochure. I am one of the SF team members in that same brochure. I remember the production team telling us that they wanted our fingers on the trigger. When we mentioned the problem, it was dispatched quickly. We were just finishing up the Q course so everyone just shut the hell up. We didn’t even know exactly how it was going to be used, if I recall. I’ve slept since then tho.
’83 HELLZ YEAH issued a steel pot at my first duty station, TDC!..Dont give a shit…still loves me an M60
All I can say is WOW, thanks for the memories!
Ft. Sill OSUT 1987, got out in 2003 and while my hearing may be gone, my fond memories remain.
I remember this in a different way than most. I knew the PFC here, and was in the same at Ft. Stewart with him when he posed for this picture. I remember the Army gave him a token check for only a few bucks which was required by law. We all got a good laugh over it and the paltry amount. We gave him a lot of shit for it as well. 😉 2/34 Inf, 24th ID, FSGA. Thanks for the memory.