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What the hell is maneuvers,circa1943. 1943 I circad No. Africa then Italy.
CaptO just having a little fun.
Hey, I'm up on my history! While the 82nd Airborne (4 days older then the 101st) tromped around the Med with you guys, the first combat for the 101st was Operation Neptune (the Normandy landings. I shy away from using the term "D-Day" as I believe you gents had a few of those yourselves.)
It seems this could easily turn into a referendum on training. The one thing I will say is that the Army did you guys no favors sending you into battle with little training. I have heard you say that combat is the only real training. Whereas this is, of course, the best training possible, I think that with difficult, consistent, and realistic (as can be possible) training you can much more effective in combat. Then you can take those standardized TTP's (tactics, techniques, and procedures) and hone them into what people would commonly call being "battle hardened". Taking the Marines for example, the units that landed on Iwo Jima were more effective at the beginning of the campaign than toward the end. The replacements that filled the rapidly growing holes in the lines were only given minimal training, and many did not have the time to learn what they needed to survive. I'm sure this is the same as what you folks encountered over there. The fact of the matter is that you guys that were sent over for Operation Torch didn't have time for much training in the same way that replacements didn't later in the war. That was just the reality of the situation at the time.
To surmise, combat is the best training you can get. The amount of training you get up to that point will help you survive long enough to learn those lessons that keep you alive.
What do you think?
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NEVER,NEVER,NEVER, ARGUE, QUESTION, OR DISCUSS WHAT A CAPT. SAYS
ONLY SAY YES SIR, SIR YES SIR.
Capt. the only thing I can say is in combat you don't stop to think,( what
did I learn in basic trng.) Your head and your ass goes down on instinct.
When under fire. I was a PFC, guess where I wuz. PFC by act of Congress.
Hey JOE watcha think ??? Rocky
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NEVER,NEVER,NEVER, ARGUE, QUESTION, OR DISCUSS WHAT A CAPT. SAYS
ONLY SAY YES SIR, SIR YES SIR.
Come on now! You're the "Sir" to me!
in combat you don't stop to think,( what
did I learn in basic trng.) Your head and your ass goes down on instinct.
True enough. That's why extensive training is so important. Assuming you are being taught things that are tactically sound, it keeps you from having to "stop and think" when you are on the two way rifle range. Instinct, in the form muscle memory from training, can take over and you and your compadres can act in unison in a way that can accomplish the mission and increase your chance of living. Sammy Sosa didn't stop to say, "O.K., here comes the ball. Now when it gets to about there I'm going to swing this thing on my shoulder." He just did it as he had done thousands of times. Unfortunately, combat involves lots of skills that probably can't be done "thousands of times" but constant rehearsals can help prepare you for when you don't have time to think.
I've only been shot at once and my firefight was done in about 45 minutes. I can't speak authoritatively in comparison to someone who faced Fallschirmjager troops day after day. What I have espoused are the concepts that pervade military training doctrine today. Perhaps I can show this to some of the infantry folks I know and see what they think.
Thanks for your input guys.
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CaptO., Did you ever get the book, (Dogfaces Who Smiled Through Tears) ?
It is indeed a pleasure talking with you. We do have a different view
on training. QUESTION--How many D.Is' have been in combat , that are
instructors. In my time, none. My training came from my platoon Sgt. that
was K.I.A.. My suggestion would be, GIVE YOUR D.Is', A LITTLE TASTE OF
COMBAT THEN WOULD WOULD HAVE AN A-1 TEAM. Rocky
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The problem, as I see it, with training during WWII was that all of the top quality guys were shoulder to shoulder to you in the rain, mud, and bullets. Especially in your case, because you left so early in the America's involvement, there weren't a lot of battle tested vets to go around (most of the WWI vets were senior enlisted vice Sgt's and Cpl's, yes?) and we were in a rush to get guys over there. The Marines were fortunate that we had a lot of guys who had experience between the wars, and especially in jungle fighting (Central America, Philippines, China). Aside from the Army presence in the Philippines, I don't think the US Army got out much in the inter war period, as a result of America's isolationism (unfortunately to the Army's detriment.)
During my time in Boot (1995, I know - a young pup!) there weren't many battle vets either. A few had been in the Gulf War but not many. And the ground aspect of that didn't even last very long. Right now, there are a lot of guys who are combat vet Drill Instructors and Drill Sergeants. Hopefully what they are made to instruct are useful TTP's.
And I haven't gotten the book yet, but I got the information from your contact at the association you gave me.
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