Balog plays with machine guns

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Balog

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...or, how I got sent to 29 Stumps.

When last we heard from our daring young grunt, he was in the middle of training at the School of Infantry in Camp Pendleton, CA. After graduating with honors as an 0351, he was sent to the desolate hell-hole that is 29 Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. There, he joined the fabled Third Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment; in mil-speak known as 3/7. His home in this happy little family of homicidal jarheads is Weapons Company, CAAT White. No, they don't play with kittens all day. It stands for Combined Anti-Armor Team, and basically consists of Humvees with TOW's, M240G's, M2HB's, and MK19's mounted on top.

Which brings us to the part where I get to play with machine guns. Since almost all of the new Marines are from MOS's other than machine gunner, the CAAT's spend a lot of their training sched familiarizing us with the various machine guns. Since I'd considered being a machine gunner I must say I'm pleased with this. And may I just say that John Browning was a freaking GENIUS! The M2 is an amazing weapon.

Enough about all that. Since Roundtable went away I had to throw a little "gun" content into this, but I basically just want to let all my friends here know how I am doing.

I'm stuck in a barracks right now. The waiting list for base housing is 2-3 months, and it's difficult to find an apartment in the area. However, my lovely wife should have got the process in motion for an apt today (I'm calling her as soon as I'm done here) and God willing we'll be moving soon. I've spent the last 7 or so months away from her; in August-September I'm going to Iraq for at least another 7-8. Even a weeks delay has me hating life. I can't wait for the weekend, even tho I don't care for moving.
Other than that annoying little situation life is pretty good. 3/7 is a locked on place to be; Wpns Co and especially CAAT White are the pick of the litter. I couldn't ask for better training.

Well, time is getting away from me and I need to go. Should anyone care to send me mail my addy here is
Pfc Handley, John D.
3/7, Wpns Co, CAAT White
29 Palms, CA 92277
 
Good to hear from you, and I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Be a good boy, now - all that neato stuff you're shooting was paid for on our dime(s)! :D

Hope your wife can get down soon. If not, apply to the Corps to issue you a replacement... ;)
 
Don't be suprised when they ask you to help carry that stuff dismounted... ;)

Have fun! :D
 
Balog you rule, I'm proud of you and your service, enjoy playing with uncle sam's goodies and come back safe from your future assignments wherever they may be.
 
I spent enough time at that desolate place when I was in Comm school and in multiple CAX's. Wait 'till you're outside for your first sandstorm... ;)

Semper Fi hard-charger.

-Teuf
 
Balog, enjoy your training with the toys that the rest of us bought (but aren't allowed to play with), and come home safe. Thank you for your service - it is because of you and your fellow "homocidal jarheads" that the rest of us can sit around wasting time at work, drooling over the toys that you get paid to play with, among many other large and small pleasures that we old, fat & lazy civilians have.
 
John!!! Great to have some news - been a while. Well, sounds like things are beginning to get ''interesting'', at least :)

May not have much time to write yet awhile but will try and draft a few lines later - give you some of my boring local gossip :p
 
Enjoy the sweet deserty-burning-junkyard smell of the Stumps, Marine, cause it's just practice for the deserty-burning-junkyard smell of the Sandbox. At least they've got a couple pool halls in Twentynine Palms...

Thank you for doing what you are doing, remember to tell your wife you love her and thank her for all she has to put up with.

Semper Fi,

Farnham

PS: I remember being a PFC, enjoy it while it lasts! ;)

PPS: Screw that, make Sgt ASAP, a Marine Sgt is one step down from a horseman of the apocalypse... :D
 
As a former tread-head M1 tanker, I must enter a pro-forma objection to your current career path(anti-armor) - you know why we call you guys "crunchies," doncha? ;)

Now that we've got that out of the way, a heartfelt congratulations to you, John!

As Lt. Rasczak or Sgt. Jelal would say, "Have fun, use up all your ordnance, and don't go hunting any medals."

Best wishes,

Phil
 
Gotta love the Stumps

take it easy on Co. K. Kilo 3/7 was my unit in the first go round in the sand box.




Only good thing about 29-Palms was leaving, enjoy.
 
Ah, nothing like getting turned to liberty and spending the hours until my lovely bride arrives chatting with my old friends on THR.

Rather than do the "cut and quote" thing I'll just try to respond to as many of the messages as I can.

So far most of our training has been on the .50. It's far more lethal than a 240, and much less dangerous to us at close range than a MK19. We did a hike w/ the crew-served today, tho; old Ma Deuce gets a little heavy around the tenth mile or so. :uhoh: :)

Kor, please believe me when I say I'm only into the anti-armor stuff because it's the only infantry MOS that gets trained on demo. Lord knows any armor we may face will almost certainly get destroyed by either air support or another tank before I get a shot at it. From what I hear about the only use the AA weapon systems get other than taking out buildings is for their thermal sights.
Telcom: last time around CAAT White was tasked with supporting Kilo. Do you know a SSgt Lasater by any chance?
Teufelhunden: one of the things that I was a bit surprised by until I stopped to think about it is the huge amount of respect shown to our Comm bubbas. They're the only p.o.g.s who go out with us day in and out.
Doc: the more I get to know about CAAT, the more I love it. I couldn't ask for a better, more seasoned bunch of senior LCpl's and NCO's. I'm excited about deploying, even tho the picture of what things are like over there gets clearer and nastier every day. I hate to speculate, but word from the Bn CO is that we're going to Ramadi. Now that we annihilated Fallujah, it's about the worst place in Iraq. Apparently 3/7 was picked because of our previous success.

I'll try to keep in touch and let everyone know of any changes in my situation. Great to hear from everyone again.
 
1. Get cross-trained on the TOW's if they're still using them. The knowledge will serve you well.

2. Keep up with your 0311 skills; they'll serve you well when you (inevitably) go to some other unit. It's easy, in a CAAT Platoon, to forget that you're still a crunchy. Don't forget.

3. Enjoy the benefits you have in a CAAT Platoon.

4. The Corps isn't for everyone, and you don't always know that before you join. If it isn't for you, do your time and get out, but don't bitch and moan and ruin it for the boots, when you aren't one anymore.

5. I'll surely remember some little pearls of wisdom later. Stand by to copy. ;)

D. R. Zinn
Sgt USMC
 
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