HOOAH!

After I ragged on W. Thomas Smith Jr. over at The Tank he was gracious enough to say hello in the comments section of the post below.

Today he has a post about the Marines cry of OO-RAH! He also mentions the Army habit of saying HOOAH! Additionally he posts his puzzlement at the expression and wonders about it's origins.

Personally, I am repulsed by that expression. I once entered a test of wills with a Battalion commander who was talking to me about something...I forget what it was, I don't really think it was that important. It usually isn't.

The conversation went like this:
LTC: ...and then we will go out and execute blah, blah, blah (he actually said that!), HOOAH?
Me: Yes sir.
LTC: HOOAH?
Me: Yes sir, we'll do that.
LTC: HOOAH!
Me: I don't say that word sir.
LTC: HOOAH?
Me: exactly
LTC: HOOAH!
Me: To me, that word is the sound the mind makes when it slams shut...sir.
LTC: HOOAH!
Me: I'll see you later sir.
LTC: HOOAH!


Seriously, I've been in the Army 20 years now. When I was in flight school never heard that expression. Air Assault school never heard it. In the 90's it started creeping its way into the mainstream Army culture, I seem to recall hearing that it's beginnings were from somewhere near a place called Fayetteville, NC. There's always a paratrooper to blame if there's stupidity involved.

No matter, for once I'm with the Marines, they can have their OO-RAH. I don't care to be HOOAH. I don't care to hear HOOAH. For the life of me I can't understand why the Army with rich traditions (especially the CAVALRY) wants to invent crap like HOOAH and then turn around and ban REAL traditions like STETSONS and SPURS. HOOAH!

Army Strong!

I've posted all sorts of humorous, and other stuff about the Army...maybe it's time I put something in here that is reafriming.

I saw this video, the basis for the Army's new recruiting campaign, while I was in Kuwait, waiting to go North into Iraq.

Some people might think the things expressed in the video are corny or trite.

The cynic would say that only a fool would believe this stuff and we're idiots for buying into the Army's BS. Some might HAVE said that the only reason anyone joins the Army is for the money or a way to get out of their bad situation.

Well, I can say that for this Soldier, if you stay in the Army for any length of time at all...you HAVE to believe what is in here. We're not here for the MONEY, and there certainly is no GLORY...so what is it? Watch and learn...




Nice Apache shot toward the end too!

Great Speech, Great Soldier

In case you missed it on BLACKFIVE

This is the best speech I have had the pleasure to hear in quite sometime...LTC White is the MAN!



A couple of quotes...

...THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST ARE NOT NECESSARILY ON CAMPUS OR IN THE CORPORATE BOARDROOM RIGHT NOW. THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST ARE YOU MEN! …YOU OUT THERE ON THE PARADE FIELD. DON'T EVER THINK THAT THE KIDS RUNNING AROUND ON SOME COLLEGE CAMPUSES PROTESTING AND WHINING HAVE ANYTHING ON YOU. YOU ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE THE ONE ADVANTAGE THAT ALL COVET... YOU WILL KNOW MANY OF LIFES TRUTHS – YOU'LL KNOW ABOUT THE GOINGS ON IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, DJIBOUTI, THE PHILIPPINES, THE BALKANS AND MANY OTHER PLACES. YOU WON'T HAVE TO GUESS OR BASE AN OPINION ON SOME BESPECTACLED SO CALLED EXPERT, OR HOLLYWOOD “PROFESSIONAL PRETENDER” WHO DEFINES DANGER AS CROSSING THE STREET, LEAVING CAMPUS, OR HAVING A DECAF LATTE INSTEAD OF A REGULAR. YOUR HEAD WILL NOT BE FILLED WITH THE EMPTY THEORY OF THE OLD PATHETIC SLACKERS WHO TEACH ON MANY CAMPUSES... THE ONES WHO RAN TO CANADA, OR HID OUT IN EUROPE, WHILE MANY OF THE VETS WITH US HERE TODAY PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE IN A PLACE CALLED VIETNAM. THE SNIDE ARROGANT CROWD WHO SPEND THE DAY BLAMING AMERICA FOR EVERY WRONG IN THE WORLD BEFORE GOING HOME TO SLEEP AT NIGHT UNDER THE BLANKET OF FREEDOM PROVIDED BY BETTER MEN! ...BETTER MEN SUCH AS YOU STANDING ON THE GRADUATION FIELD...

...A DECISION THAT YOU MAKE UNDER DURESS; WITH LITTLE TIME FOR REFLECTION OR THOUGHT, MAY QUITE LITERALLY IMPACT THE ACTIONS OF POLICY CUSTODIANS IN OUR NATION'S CAPITOL. - - - - - THAT'S NOT HYPE FELLAS…IT'S A FACT. you're the latest band of brothers miles away from “the flagpole” and making things happen in the very best way that you can…SOMETIMES MAKING IT UP AS YOU GO. THE TECHNO WANNABEES IN THE CORPORATE WORLD CAN'T BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE VAST RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU HAVE ACCEPTED. YOU WILL BE scrutinized like no warriors before YOU. Expected to eradicate our enemies, pacify the critics, and abide by the rules of land warfare as we ARE committed to doing. YOU'LL hold more responsibility and do more in the NEXT few years than most people will do in an entire lifetime. High expectations to be sure...but YOU will succeed...BECAUSE YOU ARE THE 21 ST CENTURY SPARTAN....SOMETIMES ALONE, BUT NEVER AFRAID...YOU'LL QUELL ANY STORM AND ALWAYS RIDE THE THUNDER, YOU'LL BE GREAT DAILY, AND ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT WHEN FACED WITH ADVERSITY...THE STEELY EYED, KNUCKLE-DRAGGIN, FLAT BELLIED, OAKLEY WEARING, DOOR BUSTING, AND WHEN APPROPRIATE --- COMPASSIONATE AND KIND UNITED STATES INFANTRYMAN.