Ask a soldier absolutely anything.

[Bad Infinitum]

I had one of these a while back, and it was lost in the archives of a forgotten forum somewhere. I recently resurrected the idea in a dying region's forum, and it was fairly popular for a while, but as the region is dying, it probably won't get too much farther. So I'm extending it here, mostly because I need something to do, also because I'm going to begin teaching my trade in January and I need practice explaining things.

So here goes. For those of you who don't know (there are a lot of new faces since the first go-around), I'm a captain in the US Army. I've served a combined total of 22 months of combat between Afghanistan, Iraq, and a number of security details in other various countries. I was a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne for the initial invasion of Iraq, where my platoon and I performed assorted combat operations ranging from assault of and security for the Baghdad International Airport to the firefight with Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay.

My forte is my marksmanship. I'm a certified long-range sniper, but a majority of my combat duties have required me to jump down to the less glamorous but more difficult medium range duties of a Designated Marksman. This means that rather than working solo or with a single partner, I operate as just another member of my infantry unit, providing effective, accurate midrange fire when the target is out of range of the standard assault rifle or too close to justify a sniper. I specialize in counter-sniper operations and small unit tactics, keeping the likelihood of a promotion that would take me from the field and put me behind a desk very slight.

I've given you some background information, now hit me up for details. Or ask me what my favorite type of pasta is, or whether I wear boxers or briefs, or my alcoholic beverage of choice. Just don't ask for specific times or places, and don't ask me for a "kill count", because I can't tell you and I won't tell you (respectively). I'll try to answer all questions in a timely and accurate manner with perfect spelling and grammar all the way...I know how you Taco Island dwellers hate that.

Fire away.

[Enigmatic]

What kind of gun did you carry?*
What's it like to be a sniper?
How about a rough overview of your experiences? What did you learn while being in Iraq? Did the experience change you in any way?

*That question is an in-joke. Several years ago a good friends older sister returned from Iraq and we organized it for her to come and speak at our school and do a question an answer session much like this. As an illustration of the unparalleled heights of intellectual achievement that is evidenced at my alma mater (I jest most of those guys are pretty bright in one way or another, this was mostly the younger kids) she was asked repeatedly, sometimes several times in a row, what kind of gun she carried or "did you carry *insert weapon here*?" Others of her family and others that were present have since gone to Iraq so when they returned we were pretty much required to ask "what kind of gun did you carry?" I thought I'd continue the tradition here.

[Strange Hermits]

Where you ever shot?
Did you die?

[0scar Wilde/ATT]

What types of books do you read? Don't say you don't read. If you have to, lie. I just cannot find it credible to hear people say they don't read. Humanity has been churning along for thousands of years, and only in the past century has reading been so widely taught a skill, and I refuse to believe people when they say they can't read. So, that is my question, and rant.

[Bad Infinitum]

enigmaticnation said:

What kind of gun did you carry?

This, and "were you ever shot", is easily one of the most common questions people ask me. Only fitting that it be the first of this thread. I carry a customized M21 SWS, which is basically an old M14 with pretty much every part rebuilt. It still retains the original 1968 front sight, and as long as I have any say, it always will.

enigmaticnation said:

What's it like to be a sniper?

Same as anything, I suppose. More fun than when I worked at McDonalds in high school, less fun than when I was a radio DJ in college. The firing range is therapeutic to me, so asking me what it's like is like asking a prostitute what it's like to have sex...in a way.

enigmaticnation said:

How about a rough overview of your experiences? What did you learn while being in Iraq? Did the experience change you in any way?

I learned plenty. I quickly found out what I was and was not capable of, as a leader, as a soldier, and as a person. The very first man I ever fired my weapon towards was in my crosshairs literally five minutes after boots on the ground in Iraq, I knew from that moment on that I wasn't the sweet choir boy my mother always thought I would be. Not a killer, but more... uh... morally flexible than your average citizen.

strangehermits said:

Where you ever shot?
Did you die?

My armor was hit dozens of times, and my shoulders and arms have been grazed a few times. There was one time, immediately after entering a small room, I took a ricochet bullet under my armor and into my left side, just under the rib. The bullet made it about two inches in, and I lost enough blood that I honestly should have died. There have also been scores of times that a bullet would find my helmet strap, or some grenade shrapnel would harmlessly make it's way into my boot.

according said:

What types of books do you read? Don't say you don't read. If you have to, lie. I just cannot find it credible to hear people say they don't read. Humanity has been churning along for thousands of years, and only in the past century has reading been so widely taught a skill, and I refuse to believe people when they say they can't read. So, that is my question, and rant.

I'm with you. It really really bothers me when people just straight-up say "I don't read." Anywho, I'm big into Hemingway. I've read his complete works, everything from The Old Man and the Sea to the unpublished short stories they found in his desk in Spain. The writing seems boring as hell, but anyone with patience can find the story remarkable in every way. Aside from Hemingway, I enjoy fantasy (not sci-fi) and history books. I also carry a copy of the New Testament and The Art of War with me basically everywhere.

[Lichto]

Sun-Tzu FTW.

I feel awkward and a bit giddy about reading and posting in this thread. I've already heard a good bit of what will probably be asked in the coming days and weeks. It's funny to see how differently you respond, Dom.

So, for my next question: I noticed something in the intro about security details; whose?

[Bletheropolis: the cat sleeps]

so do you know the Art of War by heart already?
how relevant has the treatise been to your work as a sniper?
do you practise Sun Tzu's maxims in daily life too?

[Bad Infinitum]

lickto said:

I feel awkward and a bit giddy about reading and posting in this thread. I've already heard a good bit of what will probably be asked in the coming days and weeks. It's funny to see how differently you respond, Dom.

So, for my next question: I noticed something in the intro about security details; whose?

Da, I was probably more open with the RIA crowd, but it is a much smaller bunch of people and I'd probably be more willing to share with them. I won't be shortchanging the XKI people by any means, but don't expect any emotional heartbreaking stories on here.

Anywho, about security details. Just various diplomats on various diplomatic missions. You always see the Blackwater fellas with their cargo pants and fleece jackets and plain black baseball caps escorting assorted heads of state around in third world countries, but you never see the Army boys on the rooftops providing overwatch.

bletheropolis said:

so do you know the Art of War by heart already?
how relevant has the treatise been to your work as a sniper?
do you practise Sun Tzu's maxims in daily life too?

Not by heart. I can quote certain passages, and occasionally do, when they apply. With relevance to being a sniper, the "know your enemy as thyself" passage is shockingly relevant. As a specialist in counter-sniper tactics, I have to know exactly what my opponent's next move is going to be, assuming he is a better sniper than I am, even if he's just a teenager with an AK. As for daily life...that's what the New Testament is for. There's a place for war, and I try not to take that place home with me.

[Al-Hajjistan (Busy - College)]

Pick up any Dari in Afghanistan?

What kind of treatment did you get from people in Iraq?

[Bad Infinitum]

alhajjistan said:

Pick up any Dari in Afghanistan?

Just the basics, like "no" and "stop" and "drop the weapon". I had a translator for most of my time in Afghanistan, the time that I didn't I really didn't need one.

alhajjistan said:

What kind of treatment did you get from people in Iraq?

My first tour, I was an invading militant in a warzone. I didn't expect ticker tape parades, and I didn't get any. People did a lot of yelling, and there was the occasional stone throwing party, but unless the Iraqis thought they had a bigger gun than I did we were left alone. The second tour was significantly nicer, people didn't run and hide from me at first sight, which was a pleasant change.

[repaxan]

prestobrendochango said:

I performed [...] the firefight with Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay.

Please elaborate?

prestobrendochango said:

unavoidable and completely unrelated circumstances

Please elaborate?

[Enigmatic]

prestobrendochango said:

This, and "were you ever shot", is easily one of the most common questions people ask me. Only fitting that it be the first of this thread.

Yeah it is common. Even though it was mostly joking I'm glad I asked. No one has ever gone into detail about their weapon before, but no one I know has the familiarity with weapons that you do as a combat veteran. They're truck drivers or cable dogs. So on and so forth.

It still retains the original 1968 front sight, and as long as I have any say, it always will.

Any particular reason why?

[Bad Infinitum]

repaxan said:

prestobrendochango said:

I performed [...] the firefight with Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay.

Please elaborate?

How in-depth do you want me to go? I was in the second wave of infantry for the first night of the war, then advanced to the front where my platoon and I remained until April, where we assaulted and took control of Baghdad International Airport. We stayed there for about a week before moving to clean up hotspots in Basra and outside Baghdad, as well as support the invasion of Tikrit. The next several months were spent either making raids or on patrol in northern Iraq and Baghdad.

For more information, look up Task Force 6-26 and Task Force 20.

repaxan said:

prestobrendochango said:

unavoidable and completely unrelated circumstances

Please elaborate?

The President's Hundred tab is awarded to the top 100 scoring competitors in an NRA rifle/pistol competition, and I know for a fact that I can out-shoot a number of people who do have the tab. So I should have it, but I've never had the opportunity to compete for it. Just various events have prevented me from competing...I was deployed for a couple, my uncle was in a car accident for another, I had a wedding to go to for another. Petty things like that.

enigmaticnation said:

It still retains the original 1968 front sight, and as long as I have any say, it always will.

Any particular reason why?

I'm a classicist. I guess. As liberal as I am when it comes to politics or finances, I utterly fear change when it comes to combat arms. I can't stand the new prototype OICW assault rifles the Army has planned for us sometime this decade...I still have problems with the M4 replacing the M16. It's one of many reasons that I carry a forty year old rifle instead of something newer that's lightweight, easy to clean, and more "reliable". I just wish I could have fought in a "real" war like my grandfathers did.

[Boltor]

If you could have any weapon which one would it be?

and why?

[Lichto]

You plan on competing in the future for the President's Hundred, assuming no extenuating circumstances arise?

[Bad Infinitum]

boltor said:

If you could have any weapon which one would it be?

and why?

Well I'm not sure, I have pretty much every weapon I've ever wanted. I've never used an M14 in combat without the scope, I think that would be fun to try. Also, I've never fired a number of WWII weapons, like the BAR or M1. I have tried out a Springfield, but that was pretty much the same as any other bolt action.

lickto said:

You plan on competing in the future for the President's Hundred, assuming no extenuating circumstances arise?

Hell yeah! It's one of the most distinguished and exclusive awards a soldier can receive. Knowing my luck, though, I'll never get the chance, so we'll see.

[Lichto]

I'm sure you'll get it one day. I'll keep an eye out on the charts.

What's the most absurd/complex acronym used in the Army?

[Bad Infinitum]

lickto said:

What's the most absurd/complex acronym used in the Army?

Well, in the infantry, we like to keep things simple. The IT crowd has all the long ones, there's a different acronym for every type of computer terminology you can possibly think of. The longest acronym that I use semi-regularly is "BTDTBTTS", or "been there, done that, bought the tee shirt". The longest serious acronym I use is "LRAMRP", for "Long Range Army Materiel Requirements Plan".

My all time favorite, however, is "AAAAAA", or the "Association for the Abolition of Abused Abbreviations and Asinine Acronyms". I'm a member.

[Enigmatic]

How do you define a "real" war?

[Bad Infinitum]

enigmaticnation said:

How do you define a "real" war?

One military force engaged with another. I'm talking about something with front lines, strategies, brilliant commanders clashing and pushing little figurines across maps in dimly lit rooms and bossing around orderlies. What we're doing now in Iraq and Asscrackistan is police work, not much more.

[Estayland]

Is there an Area 51?

[Bad Infinitum]

estayland said:

Is there an Area 51?

Are you trying to get abducted?

I knew a guy in the AF once that was assigned to a "training installation" in Arizona once, haven't heard from him since. I looked him up once, no trace whatsoever. I can only assume he could answer your question, though.

[repaxan]

I can probably answer that...

[Lichto]

See? Not playing WoW frees up time for looking up random information about the US Military!

Dom, what's the furthest distance you could hit a dime, given the weapon and scope of your choice?

[repaxan]

I hold [...] a rating with every American, Russian, or British weapon made in the past 65 years

Can you prove that?

I have seen and used one type of MRE bomb before, one that involves capturing the hydrogen gas released by the packet used to heat the MRE

What is in the packet used to heat the MRE?

the FRH (flameless radiation heater)

Does that use electricity to generate radiation?

a 360 degree two-way firing range that's loud as balls

Does being in a war give you hearing damage?

I heard a single gunshot I immediately identified as Soviet made Dragunov SVD mid-range designated marksman rifle. About a second later I heard a sound I shortly found out was that of the impact of a 7.62mm armor-piercing slug on the metal exterior of a strike aircraft.

How many different sounds can you recognize?

I had what was left of the forward stock of his Dragunov shipped back home, it's on my wall.

Why not the entire firearm, other than the obvious reason of being a public danger?

Being an officer, and an active one at that

How do you become an officer, and can the enlisted ranks become promoted to an officer?

spent some time in Germany hitting on nurses

Please describe what you mean by 'hitting on nurses' and why you were treated in Germany and not in Iraq.

[Lichto]

I could answer a fair few of those for him, but I doubt it would be to your liking, coming from a guy with no military background.

[Bad Infinitum]

Well, looks like Repaxan wants his money's worth...

lickto said:

Dom, what's the furthest distance you could hit a dime, given the weapon and scope of your choice?

My long-range rifle of choice is the CheyTac Intervention series, model M200. With ideal conditions, a three shot zero check, and a little bit of luck, I could probably hit a dime at anywhere from 2800 to 3000 yards. With no zero check, meaning first shot behind the rifle that day, I could probably at least nick the dime's edge at about 1600 to 1800 yards.

repaxan said:

I hold [...] a rating with every American, Russian, or British weapon made in the past 65 years

Can you prove that?

Do you want scans of the documentation? I can't really think of a way to prove it without demonstrating.

repaxan said:

What is in the packet used to heat the MRE?

Chemicals. I'm not sure exactly, but they remind me of those little "do not eat" packets you get with a new pair of shoes, only bigger and greener.

repaxan said:

Does that use electricity to generate radiation?

Nah, it's chemical tablets. I don't know how it works, other than "a chemical reaction". I almost failed high school chemistry.

repaxan said:

Does being in a war give you hearing damage?

I'll probably have some sort of long-term hearing damage somewhere down the line. It is definitely very very loud downrange, and earplugs do little but muffle your buddy's speech. Grenade blasts have been known to deafen people semi-permanently, but it takes an extreme lack of tactical awareness to get close enough for that to happen.

repaxan said:

How many different sounds can you recognize?

I can distinguish British from American rifle fire, sniper fire from AR fire, and several different pistols. Handguns make more distinct sounds, in my opinion, and are easily identifiable sometimes by manufacturer. The AK family has a distinct rotating bolt that makes the rhythm of fire very unique, and if you're close enough you can tell for sure by the sound of the exceptionally loud mechanism. The Dragunov, like the one in the story, has a uniquely sharp sound of it's own, unlike any other weapon on the battlefield.

repaxan said:

Why not the entire firearm, other than the obvious reason of being a public danger?

It was mostly destroyed by my bullet. I salvaged what remained for a trophy.

repaxan said:

How do you become an officer, and can the enlisted ranks become promoted to an officer?

I got my commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corp through college. Enlisted men can do the same, so long as they're in the Guard or Reserve and have time to attend college, or they can go to Officer Candidate School and get promoted that way. The most rare of occasions is the battlefield commission, when a high-ranking NCO would get a promotion to 2LT, but as far as I know no one's got one of those in decades.

repaxan said:

spent some time in Germany hitting on nurses

Please describe what you mean by 'hitting on nurses' and why you were treated in Germany and not in Iraq.

I needed surgery. I was bleeding into my stomach, apparently that's bad news bears. They patched me up well enough to travel in a field hospital in Iraq, but it was just a temp fix until I could get better (cleaner) surgery.

[0scar Wilde/ATT]

Explain your view of good and evil.

Explain your view of the social contract.

Discourse at length on the evils of American beer. Seriously. (excepting microbrews, Alaskan Amber, and Samuel Adams. I'm probably leaving a couple out.) As an aside, if the beer that you are drinking has rice in it, it isn't beer. It is some horrendous aberration against the laws of man and God. Just my opinion though.

[Bad Infinitum]

Gettin' a little deep, there, professor.

according said:

Explain your view of good and evil.

In my opinion, an evil person is one who deliberately oppresses the rights and freedoms of another for personal gain. A good person is not exclusively the opposite, but one can not be both good and evil.

according said:

Explain your view of the social contract.

Like Rousseau, John Locke, all that? It's a scary idea in theory, but necessary for keeping society from collapsing under the weight of it's self. [pompousfrenchaccent]It's all because of the bourgeois corporate machine that is the American capitalist society...[/pompousfrenchaccent]

according said:

Discourse at length on the evils of American beer. Seriously. (excepting microbrews, Alaskan Amber, and Samuel Adams. I'm probably leaving a couple out.) As an aside, if the beer that you are drinking has rice in it, it isn't beer. It is some horrendous aberration against the laws of man and God. Just my opinion though.

I feel ya. The only domestic beer I've ever actually enjoyed was an improvised microbrew at an after hours shindig. Sam Adams is alright, granted, but it's still garbage next to the myriad of Irish imports, from the popular Guinness to my personal favorite, Kilkenny. I'm of primarily Italian/German ancestry, but my liver was born on a tiny island off the cost of England.

The problem I have with American beers, among several, is that my stomach tends to get upset before the alcohol hits my brain. I'm sick from the hops before I get a buzz. Since I intend to get intoxicated when I drink, it only makes sense that I actually get intoxicated. Bud, Busch, Miller, all those can cut an evening short if I'm lurching from the flavor before what alcohol it actually has takes effect.

Imported brews...not the case. They generally taste good (not just better, but actually good), they're easier going down, and they tend to pack more of a punch than American beers do. As a loyal scotch enthusiast, the higher alcohol content in a beer the better. The stuff we have here just doesn't cut it.

[0scar Wilde/ATT]

As to the social contract- Often times people say,' You have to do that, it says so in the rules'. Or other nonsense gibberish in the same vein. It seems to me that they entirely forget the nature of rules. For instance, Prohibition. A law that is not accepted by the vast majority of a people becomes a tool of selective persecution instead of a tool to enforce shared values. Prohibition was repealed, because it ignored the social contract.

What is your view of the intersection between the rules of men, and the wills of men. To what extant are you a believer in radical freedom, and the social contract as it applies to governments and society? Clearly some people have more power, and some people have less. What is the relation between the social contract and the power of individuals and governments? Explain your views on the relation between the social contract and morality.

Thank you very much.