Back In The Hood

 

That'd be Fort Hood, of course, for my eldest's official promotion to Sergeant. It'd been a while since I visited the Great Place so first things first, go to the Visitor Center and get a pass, it's not hard, then check into one of the post's hotels. I chose the Holiday Inn Express, just around the corner from the main gate, and lo and behold, it was full of soldiers. It's also cheap, clean, and friendly, so there you have it.

Next step, set up by the pool of this former transit barracks (?) and enjoy a glass of wine while waiting for the acting Sergeant to arrive, and then go out for dinner and drinks. Easy. Or not. I'd foolishly thought there'd be a congenial NCO Club or some kind of restaurant open in the evening  on post where I could take the kid out for a pre-promotion ceremony celebration. But no, there wasn't. So we got an Uber to something called the Twisted Kilt, which is a kind of sports bar where the waitresses wear kilts and Killeen's ne'er do wells look for fights.

Still, it was fun, in a sports bar kilt kinda way and we made it back to the Hood safe and sound. Word to the wise, if you're going out for a drink or two, get an Uber as opposed to going through the Bernie Beck main gate in your truck and getting a DUI. This happens a lot, curiously.

Next morning, pull on a suit, I went two button, and drive over to Brigade for the promotion ceremony. It wasn't desperately formal but it was moving, at least for me. What happens is this: 

After a brief introduction to Company Command, "Fine body of men you have here, Sarn't," line up before the troops with the two men about to be promoted. Listen to valedictory acclamation from assorted leadership and then, when the time is right, face your son, take his corporal's hat off, replace it with one adorned with sergeant's chevrons and then do the same thing for chest rank. Take the old rank off, put the new rank on, and thump it in. 

For Goodness Sake, LSP, Stand Up Straight

As I understand it, the chest rank replacement used to be a bit of an ordeal because of actual, literal, metal pins. These days it's all about velcro, but you can still put the thing on with purpose. That done, stand aside before falling out. So there you have it.

Later that evening, take the newly pinned NCO out to Tanks because there's nowhere to eat and drink, apparently, on a Wednesday evening at the Great Place, huh. Stand outside Tanks and ask yourself, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" Damning the torpedoes you stride through the dark portal of this dive bar only to discover you can smoke there, great result, and that it's significantly better than the nasty Twisted Kilt. Not unlike Detroit in the mid/late '90s.

Tanks - I Recommend It

Pleased by this, we shot a few games of pool, which I embarrassingly won, enjoyed a few G&Ts and then headed back to Hood via Uber. All good, until disaster struck at the gate, "Do you have any firearms in your vehicle," asked security, sensibly, "Yes, a pistol," replied the driver, honestly. Hey, if you were driving Uber in Killeen you'd have one too. Whatever, he got detained, while the Sergeant and I walked back to the hotel through the long grass of Hood's fields. Well done, mission accomplished, and what can I say?

First: It's no small thing to take part in your son's promotion. Well done, boy. Second: I was impressed by the demeanor of the troops and command at B Company 57 ESB. Intelligent, well they are techs..., respectful, switched on and full of youthful vigor, patriots to boot. Third: This is very, very different than UKLF as I knew it, back in the mists of time.

Ahem, where's the starch, why is there not an hobnailed boot in sight? Why does a Platoon Sergeant have his hands in his pockets? Are there no rifles with shiny bayonets to Pre...Sent... Arms! Apparently not, and I brought this up with the boy over pool at Tanks. "Dad," he said, I know what you mean," he drilled with the Calgary Highlanders as a Cadet, "But, when this thing gets moving it's like an unstoppable machine." Hey now, I can believe it.

Huh, This Is Still Allowed

Back at the Compound now and all is well. Good work, son, proud of you.

Semper,

LSP

T 55s in Ukraine

 

All you tank heads may have noticed Russia's been pulling Cold War relic T 55s out of storage and sending them, apparently, to the front. Will they be upgraded with thermal sights and reactive armor? Who knows but we do know this.

The T55 is the most-produced tank in history, with >96,000 made, of which Russia has approximately 2,800. The tank features a 100 mm gun (rifled), as opposed to the 125 mm smoothbores employed on later tanks. According to the appalling Wikipedia:

The T-54/55 tanks are mechanically simple and robust. They are very simple to operate compared to Western tanks, and do not require a high level of training or education in their crewmen. The T-54/55 is a relatively small main battle tank, presenting a smaller target for its opponents to hit. The tanks have good mobility thanks to their relatively light weight (which permits easy transport by rail or flatbed truck and allows crossing of lighter bridges), wide tracks (which give lower ground pressure and hence good mobility on soft ground), a good cold-weather start-up system and a snorkel that allows river crossings.

 

All well and good, against Pattons or Centurions, but what about now? A German combat engineer fighting with the Ukrainians has this to say, (worth the click) in sum:

The Russians have changed their tactics and increasingly use tanks for indirect fire (out of line of sight), effectively turning their armor into assault guns/mechanized howitzers. And more tellingly, "In my opinion there is no obsolete weapon as long as you use them tactically."

For example, the trebuchet artillery system was maximal Medieval tech and it's so outdated now. But imagine a battery of those catapults raining down flaming hell on, say, Mexia when every modern, chip driven gun has been taken out along with GPS and satellites themselves. Fearsome prospect and perhaps a presage of things to come. Hi-tech ineluctably to lo-tech, sort of thing.

In the meanwhile, Russia has a fair few T55s and vast stores of Soviet era 100 mm. It'd be foolish, surely, for them to ignore such resource. Speaking of which, Europe has disarmed itself and has few tanks, old or new, much less ammo. But that's OK, 'coz America's their Army. Until it isn't.

Panzers roll,

LSP

Broumas Memorial Park

Well it's all fine and dandy until a literal TANK starts rolling. I know you know, but there it is, these massive beasts, rolling on, and utter respect to LT. COL Broumas. He died in '69 with a chestful of medals and grateful vets set up a memorial park in Fort Hood. Look, here's a Priest:

And a tank. Note the Fiddy

Low Pro? Yet another Fiddy (above) and some typical Sov rubbish from Iraq. Check it out:

 Jagdpanzers in UKR? Still, what a massive beast. But I like this little fella, handy range taxi, eh?

Panzers roll,

LSP