Mail Call, Part II.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

I figured I'd revive this because Odie's promotion thread has been kinda hijacked by all the questions about Military ranks. so, please, feel free to ask away. I'll answer as best I can, and I also want to open it up to other active (Reserve too, Gary) Military and Veterans to answer questions, too.

 

So, fire away.

[ussacclaim 0]

Ok, I'll take the maiden question:

 

I've seen a few episodes of Band of Brothers and in some of them they talked about the points system. So, what's that? Does it have something to do with getting shipped home?

 

Oh, and since you are conducting this thread can we affectionately call you "gunny" like the History Channel's Mail Call or would that be a breach of regulations?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Oh, and since you are conducting this thread can we affectionately call you "gunny" like the History Channel's Mail Call or would that be a breach of regulations?

282218[/snapback]

 

Wouldn't be technically correct. "Gunny" is short for Gunnery Sergeant which is a Marine Corps noncommissioned officer rank. Phaserman is a Navy commissioned officer. I think the closest endearment is "Super Squid".

 

R. Lee Ermey, the "Gunny", obviously got his role on Mail Call for playing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket. He was a Staff Sergeant in real life during Vietnam before he took to acting, although I don't know if he was also a Drill Instructor or not. However, he did recently receive a post-retirement promotion to Gunnery Sergeant.

Edited November 19, 2004 by Lt. Van Roy

[Matt 0]

Are promotions mandatory after a certain amount of time? If you're going career that is.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Yes and no. I can only speak for the Army. However, promotion to E-2 (Private "2nd class") was automatic after 6 months and to E-3 (Private First Class) after a year. Beyond that nothing is automatic. If you are a Specialist (E-4) and serve in a leadership role (Fire Team Leader or above) for I believe 2 months the Army is supposed to automatically promote you to Corporal (also an E-4 but it is an NCO position while Specialist isn't), but I have seen this happen many times without such a promotion.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Ok, I'll take the maiden question:

 

I've seen a few episodes of Band of Brothers and in some of them they talked about the points system.  So, what's that?  Does it have something to do with getting shipped home?

 

Oh, and since you are conducting this thread can we affectionately call you "gunny" like the History Channel's Mail Call or would that be a breach of regulations?

282218[/snapback]

 

the "Points system" was a system in place following WWII to determine which soldiers would be sent home (and likely discharged from the military) things that would help points would be medals, time in service, promotions, and wounds in combat. as for calling me Gunny, before I got my commision, I was a Gunner's Mate 2nd Class, and several people did call me "Gunny", but the term Gunny is reserved normally for a Marine Gunnery Sergeant.

 

Oh, and since you are conducting this thread can we affectionately call you "gunny" like the History Channel's Mail Call or would that be a breach of regulations?

282218[/snapback]

 

Wouldn't be technically correct. "Gunny" is short for Gunnery Sergeant which is a Marine Corps noncommissioned officer rank. Phaserman is a Navy commissioned officer. I think the closest endearment is "Super Squid".

 

R. Lee Ermey, the "Gunny", obviously got his role on Mail Call for playing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket. He was a Staff Sergeant in real life during Vietnam before he took to acting, although I don't know if he was also a Drill Instructor or not. However, he did recently receive a post-retirement promotion to Gunnery Sergeant.

282224[/snapback]

 

He was a DI, which helped with his role in FMJ. he said he would sit down with in front of a microphone and rant, and they'd take the juiciest bits and put it in.

 

Yes and no.  I can only speak for the Army.  However, promotion to E-2 (Private "2nd class") was automatic after 6 months and to E-3 (Private First Class) after a year.  Beyond that nothing is automatic.  If you are a Specialist (E-4) and serve in a leadership role (Fire Team Leader or above) for I believe 2 months the Army is supposed to automatically promote you to Corporal (also an E-4 but it is an NCO position while Specialist isn't), but I have seen this happen many times without such a promotion.

282315[/snapback]

In the Navy, 3rd class through 1st Class petty officers have to take tests for promotions. also, a large part of it is your Evaluations, refered to as Evals. Several grades can be awarded in Evals, including Do Not Promote, Promotable, Early Promote, Must Promote.

 

Certain Navy Ratings (your job specialty, where terms like QM1 and GM2 come from) include an automatic promotion to 3rd Class Petty Officer after all schools are completed. this is due in part because the Navy has alot of advanced job specialties. Now, for the most part, there are time limits for promotions. For example, normally an Ensign has to wait about a year and a half before he or she is eligable to make Lieutenant Junior Grade. the time depends on rank. For example, an E-7 must meet a 3 Year Time In Grade requirement before being eligable for E-8. (I am pretty sure it's 3 years, though it may be 4.) however, a Commanding Officer may "Cap" someone to a rank, where the officer or NCO was close to, if not in the zone, for eligability, and would be fulfilling the job of someone of a higher rank. when an Officer or NCO is capped, they are authorized by their commander to wear the insignia and are addressed as that rank. Ex: an Ensign is capped to Lieutenant JG, they are paid as an Ensign still, but wear Lieutenant JG insignia, and are addressed as Lieutenant Junior Grade or Lieutenant.

[Matt 0]

Thanks for the answer, I'd been wondering about it for a while.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Here's a picture of the Army's newest armored vehicle, the Stryker...

 

Click For Spoiler

 

Stryker is a very mobile 8 wheeled vehicle capable of carrying many different weapons loads, and capable of various mission profiles, including Ambulance. among the weapons tested on Strykers are M249 SAW Light Machine Guns, M240/M60 Machine Guns, and M2 .50 Caliber Machine guns, as well as the Mk. 19 40mm Grenade launcher, and a 120 mm smooth bore cannon, the same gun used on the larger, heavier M1A1 Abrahms.

[HRH The KING 0]

That's awesome!!!!