No105_Archie

There is one bit I don't undertsand about this. In one place it says the weapon weighs 18lbs but if you look at the linked adrticle/description it says the weapon weighs less than 8 lbs ??? Which is correct ? The specs seemed very impressive to me.

Hmmm....Canuck, Rumplehardt.......Von Hess shows up now & then........maybe Jg52 is going to spring a snealk attack

Coffee will stunt your growth Geg.........stick to beer

I have a suspicion that he may be an "expat" Englishman who used to play the "tinny" in the Boys' Brigade

The last one is an old chestnut. The verison I knew was set in WW II and had a Newfie standing in the raod taking on a bunch of Germans

hail hail the gangs all here

Good information gents: I agree fully that if you join the reserves and there's a war you have no right to grouse about being called up. I was just surprised that these guys were put into the front lines. I always assumed ( wrongly ) that they would be used "in the rear". Around here, it used to be quite popular for young fellows, to join the local militia go out for a weekend a month get paid a few bucks , drive around in jeeps and have good time. After all the crap that has gone on in the Balkans and Middle East it's not so popular any more. Cheers

Well Canuck....like I said .... I don't know much about the US Military but I do know a little bit about our reserves and agree that the training is similar to the regs but is much shorter. That being said...reserve units don't often get put into front line combat situations. I had a few mates that "almost" went over in the previous Gulf war. It's not as popular to be in the reserves as it used to be. The thing that amazed me about the National Guard show was the age of some of the guys they were sending over. There was one case of a father & son...the son got rejected ( he was a bit of a weirdo ) but the father was sent over ...he had to be well over 40 .... and then the poor sod got blown up to boot.

There was a documentary on CBC last night that told the story of a bunch of poor sods from Arkansas who were in the National Guard and ended up as front line infantry in Iraq. I know very little about how the US military works but it seemed to me that the these guys were not very well prepared for what thay had to face. I always figured that reserve troops like these would be used "behind the lines" and not as combat soldiers. Listening to some of these guys gave the impression that they assumed this as well. A very thought provoking program. Some of them also said they had 18 month deployments. I have a couple of mates in the regular US Navy and they generally get 6 month deployments ( one is in the middle east now) . Why would career military guys get shorter stints overseas than a "part time" fellow ?

Is that a cigarette he's smoking ?

It would be if your wife knew about it

I say we start a petition to Doug to allow one political/religious/name calling/mud slinging/you mother wears army boots, flame war per week

Oh crap......if Oleg Maddox sees this we'll probably need one to play BoB !

I think I am going to survive the flu. It's +1 today so the snow is starting to melt a bit.

Still have the %^%&&* Flu. Had 50cm ( 20" ) of #$@$%^ snow over the weekend. I am not a happy camper.

Been working in construction for 30 years. Air nailers, & Hilti/Ramset guns are dangerous things when used by people who are not WELL trained. Also safety gear is a must. I saw a guy shoot a Ramset pin right through 3/8" thick steel beam web and embed it into a plywood panel about 8' away because he picked the wrong charge colour for the gun. The guy in the article is lucky he's not dead.

Bad FLU........dark rum & Neo Citran....still have flu but don't care as much

Battle of Britain Tora Tora Tora Saving Private Ryan and I always liked Sink the Bismark in black & white no less !

Got the flu and it's snowing......but at least its Friday

Four RCMP officers have been shot and killed during the investigation of dope growing operation in northern Alberta. From the local news: -------------- " A very dark day for the RCMP. Four Alberta RCMP officers were shot and killed by a lone gunman at a marijuna grow-op. The gunman was also found dead at the scene but it's not clear how that happened. One of the four R-C-M-P officers killed was a young constable who had been on the job for only two weeks. Another was a 33-year-old ace marksman who entered the service with his twin brother.Police have not officially released the names of the officers but family members confirm 29-year-old rookie Constable Brock Myrol and sharpshooter Constable Leo Johnston are among the dead. Area residents identify the gunman as 46-year-old Jim Roszko, who is described by his father as ``a wicked devil". ------------------ I worked for the force in a civilan job back in the late 70s. Fine upstanding young men who were very professional at their job and cared about making their nation a better place. S! to the fallen.

Don't all fighter pilots look like Tom Cruise or Ben Afleck ????

Excellent read for the second time OG....may I suggest that when Chet finds the downed plane you change the word "limbs" to "branches" or something. My mind conjured up "arms & legs" and not foliage . He could hear the others thrashing through the brush behind him. Ahead, the T-6 lay upright, or nearly so. The engine cowl was gone and he couldn't see any of the tail. (Limbs) (BRANCHES maybe ?? ) and airplane parts littered the ground. Stepping with care, Chet approached the still figure slumped in the cockpit. He touched the half-open canopy.

Live long and prosper ( makes funny V sign with hand )

1940: The US secretary of state, Sumner Wells arrives in Berlin at the start of a PEACE TOUR of the belligerent countries. ????????? You are kidding right ?

Don't get any ideas there Chet ......er I mean Stans