Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Serve.
ARAB AND ISRAELI MILITARIES
As someone who has directly trained with IDF and Arab militaries. On the most basic level of training the IDF will outstrip any Arab military. For example, on the individual zeroing weapons was a trial. These Arabs did not believe it was useful and neither did the commanders. Some of the Arab country soldiers thought that basic geometry was like magic. Yes, one millimeter movement of your sight is really one meter at one thousand meters. It works. Does anyone believe I had to make any IDF soldier believe that? This is just an example and indicative of the problems I would encounter in Arab countries on the individual level. Yes, your Arab soldiers need water and food. Believe it or not I had to tell Arab commanders these things. I believe it was systemic because almost everyone I encountered had this attitude. At the company and battalion level the leadership was just lacking. Follow through with even any basic job just was not there. When conducting combat operations, planning was unrealistic, not timely, or just plain bad. We normally just utilized my plan. A lot of the Arab soldiers’ leadership did not and would not lead their soldiers in combat during major operations. They would either want to utilize the radio from base or take annual leave. I wrote this part in another post but it is relevant. When we were setting up basic combat training for the Jundi in Habbiniya, the Iraqi Army had virtually a blank check to train the Jundi how they wanted. Unlimited funds really. I said, “You can train them like the United States Marine Corps, Army, French Foreign Legion, Royal Marines,” I showed them videos of entire boot camps and basic training, the follow-on training they received. “Nope, we’re going to train in the dirt and not utilize any technology or experience from modern militaries. Because that training worked against the Americans.”
By Johnathon Mackin5 years ago in Serve
Marine Corps Stories: The Drone Plan
The spinning blades of the drone whirred with intensity. The cerulean brilliance of the morning sky was only enhanced by the presence of some small, pure-whte cumulus clouds. Each of the blades reflected the sunlight as the device raised up from the ground. Anyone looking up at the Yuma Marine Corps Air Base in Arizona couldn’t help but see the drone.
By Skyler Saunders5 years ago in Serve
A Fallen Soldier
A Fallen Soldier Olivia Crowe She jolted upright in a cold sweat. On high alert from the gruesome flashbacks, all she could hear was rapid machine guns and screams. Her nose was assaulted with a memory of gunpowder and iron seemed to be filling the air. She looked around frantically and after a moment she realized she wasn't on the battlefield. It had been three weeks since she was given her honorable discharge. After five years of service it seemed like her life was back to the beginning. Five years she had known everything she needed to do with her life. Where to be and when. Now she was lost. Her life seemed over. She wasn’t able to start her intern year for residency until the therapist her corporal assigned had her cleared for practice. So here she was. Twenty-three and trapped in the house her mother left her. No family in Seattle anymore and no friends since she grew up in Atlanta. Looking at the clock she sighed. Three in the morning and with no hope to fall asleep again she rolls out of her bed. Into the kitchen to start coffee she gently pats her dog. A two year old retired military dog named Atlas. He was retired at the same time she was. His handler had been shot down in an ambush in Iraq. They were going to put Atlas down after he had been brought in with a shattered leg and a bullet wound. Everyone told her that he wasn’t worth saving but she saw a kindred spirit in him. He had seen and survived the drums of war. He helped her recover in the rehab facility and she put in the request to take him home with her. Her impeccable record allowed approval of her request immediately then it seemed her and Atlas were on their way home. They settled into what has become their routine very quickly. She would have a therapy session at seven but before then she decides to start breakfast.
By Olivia Crowe5 years ago in Serve
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
In this article, we will be looking at 2019’s book “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” and going through each film in a random order that I have chosen. We will be looking at what constitutes this film to be on the list and whether I think this film deserves to be here at all. I want to make perfectly clear that I won’t be revealing details from this book such as analyses by film reporters who have written about the film in question, so if you want the book itself you’ll have to buy it. But I will be covering the book’s suggestions on which films should be your top priority. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that everyone reading this article has probably watched many of these movies anyway. But we are just here to have a bit of fun. We’re going to not just look at whether it should be on this list but we’re also going to look at why the film has such a legacy at all. Remember, this is the 2019 version of the book and so, films like “Joker” will not be featured in this book and any film that came out in 2020 (and if we get there, in 2021). So strap in and if you have your own suggestions then don’t hesitate to email me using the address in my bio. Let’s get on with it then.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Serve
Marine Corps Stories: Perfect for Cleaning
Vinegar and lemon juice both squeezed into the thirty ounce bottle. The one who had ordered both of these liquids together stood with his hands on his hips and legs spread apart. Gloves covered his hands and a smirk curled around his mouth. He paced. Then he stopped.
By Skyler Saunders5 years ago in Serve
RAF Days Pt 6
More escapades from my RAF days as recounbted in my biography "Do or do not". In the sticky hot summer of 1972 I had a very close call one day when an emergency exercise was called. Every Nimrod had to be airborne as soon as possible and my assigned place was with one of the engine Sergeants who would start the engines on the aircraft, then go to start another as I waited for the crew to arrive from the mess on the main camp at which point I would put on my ear defenders, pick up the marshalling bats and guide the aircraft from the pad to the taxiway. Mine was the last aircraft in the row and as I waved it on I would normally have left my ear defenders on until they were clear, but it was so hot and sticky that I took them off early only to hear the sergeant shouting “Davies Hit The Deck”, so training kicking in I dived for the ground as the aircraft I had just marshalled opened up its throttles full sending waves of heat over me. Had I been standing I would probably have been blown head over heels, but I survived with only a few scratches. On debrief the pilot claimed that he felt a vibration and wanted to test the engines, but was disciplined as he should only do that at the end of the runway so I was informed. On a positive side the aircraft were all up in 11 minutes, and the sight of 11 Nimrods taking off one after the other was unforgettable.
By Len Davies5 years ago in Serve
Ash Butterflies
Ash Butterflies 1. “Love you, have a good day,” Bulluck said to his daughter as she shut the door to their Ford Escape. She did not say anything in return, but that was the standard for her. She did smile back to her father, then turned and crossed over the old crumbling sidewalk onto the tar-covered parking lot of her school. A gentle rain was falling from the drab gray sky, just another 4th grader’s school day in West Seattle.
By jason rummer5 years ago in Serve
RAF Days Part 5
More teenage memories of my days in the RAF from my biography 'Do or Do Not'. 1971 only had 8 weeks to go as I settled in and I was to experience my first Christmas away from home, which really hurt, but I must admit the mess did a good job on Christmas dinner, which must have been bittersweet for them as they no doubt wanted to be home too. As 1972 came in I discovered the RAF St. Mawgan radio station that was piped into every billet and selectable on a speaker above the door in every room. I didn’t have much of a private life so I decided to check it out and was doing regular radio shows pretty soon. The station controller was a guy called Keith Oliver who had a strong love of American radio stations and used to get as many radio jingles as he could from them. I had a ball as musically there was so much good stuff coming out and we used to get a lot of the latest music provided into the radio library. My musical tastes have always been a huge mixture from Classical through Soul through pop to hard rock, and this year saw some of the best music around. Argent, The Sweet, The Detroit Spinners, Carole King, The Strawbs, T Rex, Electric Light Orchestra, The O’Jays, The Osmonds, The Jackson Five, Alice Cooper, the list just goes on, and even to this day the music of the time brings back totally sharp memories of every event. I can still see the layout of the radio station with its antequated turntables and slipmats, old fashioned mixer and typical RAF Microphone and headphones, but I loved it. I even opted to do the breakfast show one day at 6am, and thought “If they wanted to be woken up this should do it” and promptly opened with ‘Schools Out’ by Alice Cooper. People left the radio switched on if they wanted it to be used as an alarm so I guess a few people got a rude awakening that day.
By Len Davies5 years ago in Serve
I owe my life to Tootsie Rolls
As a little girl, one of my Daddy's pet names for me was Tootsie Roll. He loved Tootsie Rolls and it was always the candy he chose when he had a choice. It was not until many years later that I learned the significance of these little candies to him and his fellow Marines who fought in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.
By Kathleen Hoffmann5 years ago in Serve
