Us exercise in czech republic

[Erex 0]

I promised to put here some pictures i shot here it goes:

Blackhawk down........eeeh takeoff (i shouldnt watch the movie anymore)

AH-64 Apache on full speed NOE (nap of earth).

Another blackhawk landing.

Me (on the left) covering my mens undercover roping.

Undercover roping II.

Undercover roping III.

Apache waiting on FARP to hot rearm.

Overall shot of base I. Blackhawks and toilets  

Overall shot of base II. Apaches and HQ  

All pictures was taken with Pentax MZ-7, with 300mm scope on Fuji 400 film.

Estimated average distance 300+ m.

[ralphwiggum 6]

WOW!! thanx for great pix Erex!!!!

[theavonlady 2]

So many pics!

Ban him, Placebo!

[Pete 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Mar. 26 2002,10:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So many pics!

Ban him, Placebo!<span id='postcolor'>

lol..hey, i quess he also exceeded the 100 k limit!

nice pics exex, whats the white thing in that guys mouth in undercover 2...icecream?

[Erex 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Pete @ Mar. 26 2002,10:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Mar. 26 2002,10:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So many pics!

Ban him, Placebo!<span id='postcolor'>

lol..hey, i quess he also exceeded the 100 k limit!

nice pics exex, whats the white thing in that guys mouth in undercover 2...icecream? <span id='postcolor'>

No, its not icecream its light on the ground behind dim (we was on bridge)

[Gorgi Knootewoot 0]

Cool, these pics just make you wanna join the army

[R. Gerschwarzenge 0]

No they don't.

[Stealt Eagle 1]

COOL PICTURES, especially the one with the Apache coming over a hill, quite scary actually

[Gorgi Knootewoot 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (R. Gerschwarzenge @ Mar. 26 2002,11:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">No they don't.  <span id='postcolor'>

Lololololololol,

woehawoeha

[Oligo 1]

The last picture reminds me of all those exercises we had when I was in the army:

A group of tents, lots of wet grass and wet trees, rolling terrain, total overcast. If you add water endlessly pouring from the sky, the feeling of your damp clothes sticking to your skin, the coldness seeping into your bones, the water sloshing in your boots making you feel really icky, the thought 'this sucks more than anything has ever sucked before', the blowing wind chilling your wet hands, the combat webbing eating it's way into your shoulders, the ten centimeters of water on the bottom of the tent, eyes drooping of the lack of sleep, nasty hunger raging in your stomach, the way your rifle feels like it's the thing that has always been missing from your hand, the smell of rain and damp undergrowth, muffled sounds of artillery bombardment in the distance like thunder....

Got to stop, I'm getting a flashback.  

[R. Gerschwarzenge 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,13:21)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">A group of tents, lots of wet grass and wet trees, rolling terrain, total overcast. If you add water endlessly pouring from the sky, the feeling of your damp clothes sticking to your skin, the coldness seeping into your bones, the water sloshing in your boots making you feel really icky, the thought 'this sucks more than anything has ever sucked before', the blowing wind chilling your wet hands, the combat webbing eating it's way into your shoulders, the ten centimeters of water on the bottom of the tent, eyes drooping of the lack of sleep, nasty hunger raging in your stomach....<span id='postcolor'>

Almost like being at a music festival. Except the 'this sucks more than anything has ever sucked before'-part.

[Oligo 1]

I don't know what kind of festivals you have been in, but I doubt you'll experience the feeling of a combat webbing eating your shoulders, the way your rifle feels in your hands or the sound of an artillery bombardment in the background in a music festival. Then again, I've never been to a music festival.

[Pete 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,12:21)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The last picture reminds me of all those exercises we had when I was in the army:

A group of tents, lots of wet grass and wet trees, rolling terrain, total overcast. If you add water endlessly pouring from the sky, the feeling of your damp clothes sticking to your skin, the coldness seeping into your bones, the water sloshing in your boots making you feel really icky, the thought 'this sucks more than anything has ever sucked before', the blowing wind chilling your wet hands, the combat webbing eating it's way into your shoulders, the ten centimeters of water on the bottom of the tent, eyes drooping of the lack of sleep, nasty hunger raging in your stomach, the way your rifle feels like it's the thing that has always been missing from your hand, the smell of rain and damp undergrowth, muffled sounds of artillery bombardment in the distance like thunder....

Got to stop, I'm getting a flashback.  <span id='postcolor'>

not only are we collegues within our military branches..but i also feel that you did your duty somewhere near where i was...i was in Oulu, hiukkavaara.

did you also spend a month in the north oligo?..on that huge mortar/artillery festival?..they have it every second year.

mmmm...memories, to see the sun go down and feel the cold close in, the bugs..mosqutioes, the smell of wet grass, wet tree and burning wood..osmehow, all that is impossible to feel when in civilian life, you really cant feel to the same extent when you know that you can just call a taxi and return home, and then sleep in a comfy bed.

in the army when you are taking cover of the rain under some trees, so cold and so wet..hungry and alone even when surrounded by hundred other guys...have to be there to know the feeling.

[Erex 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,12:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I don't know what kind of festivals you have been in, but I doubt you'll experience the feeling of a combat webbing eating your shoulders, the way your rifle feels in your hands or the sound of an artillery bombardment in the background in a music festival. Then again, I've never been to a music festival.  <span id='postcolor'>

LMAO  

Same by me. I dont have so cool army experienceses but i feel it in same way Oligo

[R. Gerschwarzenge 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,13:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...but I doubt you'll experience the feeling of a combat webbing eating your shoulders, the way your rifle feels in your hands or the sound of an artillery bombardment in the background in a music festival.<span id='postcolor'>

Looks like I should've left couple of more things out.

But the rain sounds like an artillery bombardment in the background when you wake up in your tent with a serious hangover. Good thing I don't drink much anymore.

[LauryThorn 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Almost like being at a music festival<span id='postcolor'>

Except that you don't have to listen to shitty bands.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">in the army when you are taking cover of the rain under some trees, so cold and so wet..hungry and alone even when surrounded by hundred other guys...have to be there to know the feeling.<span id='postcolor'>

Oh yes. And not knowing whether you are allowed to go home next weekend.

I think that the Sundays were most painful.

[Pete 1]

I think that the Sundays were most painful.

they are.

i have thought of a plan tho..was building it in the army but now its near completion....

we should change places with some days...instead of mon, tue, wed, thu, fri sat, sun we should have thu, mon, sun, wed, fri, tue, sat....

not only to confuse people..but there is more to it..

if thursday is the first day, you dont feel the suffering as you would on a monday.

monday is always bad, but knowing that the coming day is a sunday and that you can relax then makes it easier.

sunday is easier also, since you dont have to fear the monday, now you start in the middle of the week instead.

wednesday..mixed feelings, everyone likes it, since its halfway past the week..but now its funnier when you know that you have friday after it..the last day of the week

friday..the best day, the one you quit work and relax a weekend, it makes you so happy that you totally ignore the boredom of tuesday..whish is next in the line .

tuesday..so boring, almost the worst day..but saturday follows it so it goes fast

i have not yet completed it but when i have ill send it to the local politicians and see if we can make something out of it.

[Stealt Eagle 1]

Mondays are the worst days, coz there are just SO long to the weekend

[Oligo 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Pete @ Mar. 26 2002,12:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">not only are we collegues within our military branches..but i also feel that you did your duty somewhere near where i was...i was in Oulu, hiukkavaara.

did you also spend a month in the north oligo?..on that huge mortar/artillery festival?..they have it every second year.<span id='postcolor'>

I served in Pori Brigade. The territory around there was pretty much like they have in the last picture in the first post, give or take a few species of plants and maybe a bit lesser amount of altitude variation.

But of course I spent three weeks in the north in the artillery/mortar festival. Only difference is that I did it during the winter as opposed to your doing it in the summer.

So yes, sun going down between the nice hills (tunturi). The cold grasping you even more when the sunlight dies out. The horizon illuminating once and a while when an indirect fire barrage stikes the target. The beauty of the white-hot shrapnel arching into the sky. And when your mortar fires, the intoxicating smell of cordite filling your nose. Hugging the fire, trying to suck in as much warmth as you can, while you can feel the cold air sucking it out of your back. And the heavenly feeling when you can finally close your eyes and catch a few hours of sleep, totally ignoring the stench of half a platoon of men crammed into a tent. The fireplace glowing red hot in the blackness, you're alone although you can hear the breathing of the service buddy next to you...

The army is a cocktail of extremely ugly and extremely beautiful things/feelings. Like you said, have to be there to know it.

[Stealt Eagle 1]

Damn, that was just *sniff* i've gotta *sniff*......................

[Guest]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,14:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The army is a cocktail of extremely ugly and extremely beautiful things/feelings. Like you said, have to be there to know it.<span id='postcolor'>

Very much extremely ugly and very little beautiful in the army cocktail. The only comfort are the people around you that share the same shitty situation as you.

Well, the bright side of it is that you really get to know all sorts of different people that you would never had known in your normal civilian life.

[Oligo 1]

Well, living in the barracks is almost completely extremely ugly. But when you get to those exercises, well, there is much beauty in there. What I'm talking about is the nature that surrounds you.

Anyway, it seems our army has been kind enough to post some pictures in their website:

There are some troops from Pori Brigade parading around (probably thinking how much it sucks, parading that is).

There is the 120mm bitch we had to tolerate.

Here are some poor recruits firing it out with their rifles.

This is the patch of the mortar troops. Silly isn't it?

These people are showing what all soldiers are constantly thinking.  

This is the mine every grunt learns to hate, because we have to carry them around as punishment and otherwise.

[LauryThorn 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">This is the mine every grunt learns to hate<span id='postcolor'>

Oh yeah, "the" Telamiina..

[Pete 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,15:13)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">

This is the patch of the mortar troops. Silly isn't it?<span id='postcolor'>

heheheh..i tricked a girl i met in a train that it was the symbol of the supply troops, the fishing branch.

that we would be the ones who supply the cooks with fish, we feed the soldiers.

she seemed to believe it, but she could just have been symphatetic....

to be in the forest when in the army is nearly poetic, dont know but others but finland has a very beatifull and harsh nature...its uglines makes it so nice, you hate it just as much you love it.

anyways..to fire a 120 mm mortar with the highest "charge"!!!...its presses ones helmet down, blackens the vision, empties the lungs and brings the taste of blood into your mouth...after a minute or two firing them its like to be on drugs...and then after the firing is the moment of silence, the body is shaken and everything is calm..and your listening to hear the first detonations at the distance, to be within a mortar company was good, very nice memories...plus we got to fire big bombs to large distances without being insulted as the artillery guys are heheh

i was in that camp at summer, as you knew..we didnt need to mortars for warmth then (did later at winter) but they were a effective anti-bug dote...

a few rounds and all the bugs in a few hundred meters were dead or unconsious..giving us some time in privacy (who ever been in the north knows the bug problem there).

[Tydium 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">

(Oligo @ Mar. 26 2002,16:13)

Well, living in the barracks is almost completely extremely ugly. But when you get to those exercises, well, there is much beauty in there. What I'm talking about is the nature that surrounds you.

<span id='postcolor'>

Yes this is true and on the barracks there are allways the same routine. And if you don't have anything to do some officer will soon find some job for you.

But on the exercises you don't usually have to do any extra shit. Well this is true at least in the Signal Corps where I served, because the groups (stations) operate very independently. Groups are usually ordered to go to some location and start operating. Officer(s) usually visit these sites once a day and because it's the army they have to bitch about something so usually it's either the guardpost or the camouflage that sucks and have to be redone or improved. But other than that when you don't have anything else to do you can do whatever you want. Most people choose sleeping.

Of course the disadvantage of this is that you have sleep in the "Sissiteltta" witch is a small tent designed for about 7 people and it's very low so you can hardly sit straight in the middle of the tent.