Tydium
-
Content Count
69 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Medals
Posts posted by Tydium
-
-
-
Pentagon have said that they weren't targeting anything near the residental district that were hit today. They said that they were targeting iraqi surface to surface missile launch sites elsewhere and they were suggesting that while they couldn't be sure that it wasn't US missile it could have been iraqi missile that hit the residental district.
There are also reports that iraqi armored convoy has broken out from Basra and are heading south.
I have been thinking why they are leaving Basra (where they are relative safe) and heading into open desert where they can easily be destroyed by coalition airpower. Well i suppose that they are attempting a counter-attack. If successfull they could threaten coalition supply lines but it sounds pretty doomed from the beginning.
-
Al-Jazeera have broadcasted a video of two dead soldiers and two POW said to be British.
-
More info about alledged uprising in Basra
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Wed March 26, 2003 07:49 AM ET
TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim opposition group said on Wednesday there had been disturbances, but no uprising, in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.A spokesman for the Tehran-based Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) said there were "some disturbances" in Basra. Asked if this amounted to an uprising, the spokesman, Abu Islam, said: "No, there is no uprising."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday he believed there had been a limited uprising in Basra overnight.
<span id='postcolor'>
-
Coalition airstrike missed it's target and hit a residental area instead killing at least 15 civilians.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
US military officials report that Umm Qasr is now in coalition hands while there are still "pockets of resistance" - Reuters
Lol. Wasn't that three days ago?
<span id='postcolor'>
Yes, this is actually tenth time that Umm Qasr is reported to be under coalition control. And because there still are "pockets of resistance" it probably won't be the last time.
-
Sky News reported that four US soldier have been killed.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Four US soldiers are reported to have been killed in central Iraq. It is thought that they were in two lightly armoured vehicles and hit by rocket propelled grenades.
Sky TV's Colin Brazier, who was travelling with the soldiers from the US Third Infantry Division, said the four reconnaissance scouts were ambushed while driving Humvee jeeps at the head of the column.
"Rocket-propelled grenades were fired, one at each Humvee, they killed both sets of occupants," he said in a brief live report on Sky.
<span id='postcolor'>
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
3. Other new countries were created -
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were formed from land lost by Russia.
Czechoslovakia and Hungary were formed out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
<span id='postcolor'>
Finland was not formed from the land lost by Russia. Finland declared independence in 4.12.1917 and it parlament accepted it in 6.12.1917. There was no German troops in Finland and the area was under Russian control. 31.12.1917 just before midnight the Soviet Union lead by Lenin recognized Finland's independence. 4.1.1918 France and Sweden followed. 6.1.1918 Germany recognized Finland's independence.
Civil war began in 27.1.1918 after red forces attempted coup. They managed to gain control of Helsinki and areas in southern Finland. The war ended in 16.5.1918 after the white forces had captured Viipuri. During this war there was German troops in Finland. They were send to aid the white forces. German forces captured Helsinki and other areas in southern Finland.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Pussi makaronilaatikko is the way to go, also i miss pussi italianpata and pussi maksalaatikko. Or maybe they tasted shit but i was so hungry in those days that even pine cone´s would have tasted like honey.
<span id='postcolor'>
Well in the Finnish army the food usually comes from field kitchen. It's usually some kind of soup. But the taste isn't very good. If the field kitchen isn't available then you will get rations. Â These are generally quite good well at least when you compare them to the field kitchen food. The content of a ration varies but it contains canned food and then some Knorr meals. It also contains chocolade, water purification pills, matches etc. One ration is ment for 24 hours. All the food in the ration is available in supermarkets.
Couple of times when we were having an exercise near barracks and the food from field kitchen was shite we ordered pizza. Delivery guy brought it to the garrison gate and we picked them up from there Â
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
I heard they put whiskey or something in the fluid tank to keep it from freezing?
<span id='postcolor'>
No, they didn't waste perfectly good whiskey to the MG Â
They used glycerine or salt water.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
The machine gun's jacket held four liters of liquid. In addition to water the coolant was in the winter composed of two liters of glycerine (freezing point -30 degrees Celsius), of one half liter glycerine and 1.25 liters of salt water (freezing point -27 degrees), or of 1.25 liters salt water (freezing point -20 degrees Celsius). Because salt water corroded the jacket it had to be drained and hosed with clean water as soon as possible. The 1942 manual actually recommends that the crew shoot the first fifty rounds with an empty jacket and then add coolant.
<span id='postcolor'>
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Anyways, SUVs/ light trucks are needed for winter driving.
<span id='postcolor'>
Really ?
I wonder how we can manage without them. Most people in Finland drive normal sedans.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
The problem is that those who are chosen to the NCO and officer school are not necessarily the true leaders of the bunch. A short example:
Our measuring squad was initially trained by the trainer regular officer to be an efficient measuring squad. Then they send us the NCO from the NCO school and the ofiicer from the officer school. It turns out that in the real measuring situation, both of those "leaders" were totally incompetent. So this one private of the squad ends up commanding this whole outfit. In the end they made him PFC. Would it have not been better to send this one private to officer school, since he clearly had the most leadership potential?
<span id='postcolor'>
There have always been incompetent leaders and there always will be. I think that getting two of them in the same squad is simply bad luck.
As I explained in my earlier post it's difficult to get enough competent people to the NCO school because the difference in service times. The gap wasn't so large during your service but it was still there. Was this PFC willing to go in the NCO school ? The army tries to avoid forcing people to the last because it has a huge negative impact to their motivation. And you also need good people on the grunt level.
Finnish army reserve promotion system allows normal grunt to be promoted up to the rank of corporal. This makes it possible for normal grunt to became a squad leader. During WWII there was several cases where grunts was promoted to NCO's and NCO's was prototed to officers because of casualties and their leadership abilities.
It's important for the morale and for the effectiveness of the group that men can trust their leaders. But as I said earlier the army's leadership training is only the begining of the learning process. So then incompetent officers might not be so incompetent when you see them again in refresher training.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Oh, yeah, the lack of initiative also resulted in major pissed offedness factor in the troops. Our fucking platoon leader could not even decide where to put up the fucking tents without asking the regular officer who was our platoon trainer.
<span id='postcolor'>
Sound's like that guy isn't leading your platoon during war time. Regular officer evaluate people during exercises and their evaluations are considered when the war time units are formed.
What comes to the Finnish army leadership training the biggest problem is the service time. Nowadays normal grunts serve 6 months while NCO's and reserve officers serve 12 months. It's difficult to get enough competent people in the NCO school because most people want to get out of the army in the shortest possible time. Of course they could force them to go but that would have serious affect to their motivation.
And of course for those who was trained to squad leaders and reserve officers the army's leadership training is only the beginning of learning process that will continue in reserves.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Ah, isn't that the "caspian sea monster"? Gonna go check the designation . Yep, that is, but the only other designation I can find for it is "KM"
<span id='postcolor'>
Yep. I don't know the designation but I recently saw a document about it in the Discovery channel.
Here are some specs about it and other prototypes. KM seems to be the designation.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Wow, nice ID!
<span id='postcolor'>
I accidently found a website about EKIP earlier today when I was looking info about this:
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Speaking of rare Russian prototypes, good luck in identifying this one:
<span id='postcolor'>
Well that's called EKIP. "Ekologiya i Progres".
-
According to Reuters Britain is sending it's CT team to Moscow.
"Britain said it was sending a team of counter-terrorist experts to help secure the safe release of the hostages, and U.S. ambassador to Moscow Alexander Vershbow said Washington was ready to offer intelligence support."
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
I mean is there finnish people in forum
<span id='postcolor'>
I'm from Finland
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Ack! Those rules are stict as hell! That's about like the privlages you have as a private in AIT (advanced individual training) the school at which you learn you military skill after basic training. On regular active duty you just go home or back to the barracks after your work day. You are not restricted to post, but you need a pass from your CO to leave a 50 mile radius of the area. You get more leave as you go up in rank and years of service. If I were to go active right now I'd make about $1,450 a month plus BHA and subsistence and jump pay.
<span id='postcolor'>
Yes they are strict. But normally there are a weekend leave. From Friday to Sunday. The begining of the leave depends from the garrison but where I served it was 1730 and the leave ended 2400 on Sunday. Sometimes the weekend leave begin on Saturday and end on sunday. Where I server the leave began 1700 on Saturdays. And then every soldier have a certain amount of personal vacations days they can use when they want (well they need the CO's approval witch can be hard to get). And they they can earn extra vacation days with good service (usually these comes from passing and getting good marks from certain tests and so on). And then there are the normal holidays like chrismas and so on witch are normally vacation.
Like you notice I used the word "normally" quite often. Because there are allways some people on the garrison. Their task is to give assistanse to police if they need it. (Usually police ask help to look some people who have get lost in the forrest or if they need to isolate a large area). And of course some longer exercises last trough the weekend.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Ouch! How do you live on that! I couldn't buy lunch at a fast food restraunt here on 1 day's worth of that salary. You can hop a flight for free on any military transport in CONUS, as long as they have room for you.
<span id='postcolor'>
Yep you are right but conscripts live on barracks. They aren't allowed to leave the barracks exept to the evening leave. So the only place they can spend money is in canteen and the price level is very low at there.
So the point is that the conscripts don't pay their living. The money they get is ment for cigarettes and coffee and so on.
And if conscript has a rented apartment the goverment will pay his rent while he's on service.Â
Evening leave is normally from 1800-2100 (2200 for NCO's) exept on Wednesdays when it's 1800-2400 (0100 for NCO's). So because the "salary" sucks soldiers usually goes to the leave only on Wednesdays and they usually go to some bar.
-
USSoldier11B:
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Someone please post a link to a currency converter.
<span id='postcolor'>
Here you go
Denoir:
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
When you do your mandatory military service in Sweden, you don't get too much. The first four months you get about 700 €/month  then the next four months you get 1600 €/month, which is not too bad. The remaning time you get an additional bonus that can be between 400 €/month  and 1300 €/month , depending on your unit, your performance etc. I personally got about 2700 €/month from the 7th month to the 14th.
<span id='postcolor'>
Now that's a f*cking fortune Â
Here in Finland when you are doing you mandatory service you get:
3,60€ /day for first six months (1-6)
5,75€ /day for the next three months (7-9)
8,25€ /day for the next three months (10-12)
and you get certain amount of free tickets for your vacations trips.
Now professional officers:
Fresh 2nd Lt belongs to wage class A16. He get's 1468,81 € /month
Fresh Sr. Lt belongs to wage class A19. He get's 1685,50 € /month
Now this is the basic salary. This doesn't include the bonuses they get when the are on exercises. Junior officers spend a lot of time on exercises so it increases their salary.
Generally officers wages in FDF sucks big time.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
Really? Didn't know that. We have that a cadet is a rank between sargeant and master sargeant. Luckily they are at the military academy and have no or very little connection with normal servicemen.
<span id='postcolor'>
In Finland students from officer academies (We had two when I served, now the system changed and there is only one academy) come to basic units to practise leadership. And because they want to score high marks from the regular officers who evaluate them they are usually tough on conscripts. There are allways some exeptions. (Some people are not so tough on conscripts and these people deserve the higher marks.)
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
In the Swedish military second lieutenants are the ones you fear most. They have to proove themselves to the higher ranking officers and they do it by being tough on enlisted men. To become an officer in Sweden, you have to have done regular military service as an NCO.
<span id='postcolor'>
Yes fresh 2nd Lt's and Sr. Lt's who have just graduated from officer academy are usually trying to prove themselves to the higher ranking officers. But they aren't nearly as bad as students from officers academies.
In Finland you have to have done regular military service and you must be a reserve officer or NCO if you want to become a professional officer.
-
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
I've never been a fan of conscript armies, is your service mandatory in Sweden? or do they pick people at random for service?
<span id='postcolor'>
It is mandatory, but they pick about 30% today based on different tests you have to make. If you are picked you have the choice of doing civil service (firemen, work at hospitals, etc). There is nothing you can do about it. If you get drafted you have to serve.
<span id='postcolor'>
In Finland every male is drafted. Some are of course exempted from serving because of medical reasons. For the rest they have three choices.
1. They can go in to the military.
2. If you don't like military you can go to the civil service.
3. If you refuse to serve at all you will go to jail because you are breaking the law.
More than 80% choose number 1.
Edit:
I posted the basic finnish rank structure to the earlier thread. (U.S. SOCOM).
If you are interested about FDF then I recommend that you dowload this:
Facts about Finnish Defence Forces (English) (3.7 MB PDF)
Facts about Finnish Defence Forces (Swedish) (3.5 MB PDF)
The complete rank structure is in the end.
-
I'm a corporal and I'm in reserves.
The Dogs of War
in OFFTOPIC
Posted
US is denying claims that another apache have been downed. The say that none of its helicopters are missing and that Al-Jazeera are probably showing pictures of the apache that was downed on monday.
Reuters
BTW. There was reports earlier this week that an apache and a blackhawk went missing during those sandstroms. I haven't heard anything from those reports since. So does any of you know have these helicopters been found or are they still missing ?