Fidel Castro Steps down........what does this mean for us?

[Genxx]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

well as a staff sergent with the u.s.m.c. stationed in camp quantico, va- i keep my ears peeled for what's new. my father as a lt. general in the army is a big plus for info. stop haten and stop running off at the mouth buddy

Please you started the running off at the mouth. SSG you are hearing nothing at that level unless from your Dad. I was at your level years ago as a SGT. and not much big picture info being given out.

Haten please.

I will run my mouth as I please in the OT same as every one else around here.

[Genxx]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

i think you smoke too much skin flute and don't give enough reach-arounds

Come on is that all you got. You can do better. Its odd how you keep resorting to name calling.

Back up all this great info you think you have.

[CMR22]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

well as a staff sergent with the u.s.m.c. stationed in camp quantico, va- i keep my ears peeled for what's new. my father as a lt. general in the army is a big plus for info. stop haten and stop running off at the mouth buddy

How long have you been in the service?

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by t3sn4f2

You can understand why that is right?

I can visit Viet Nam, I can visit China, I can visit a ton of other places. I didn't say I didn't understand why it's illegal (because the State Department says so) but why do we treat China, Viet Nam, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and a ton of other really nasty dictatorships that treat people much worse than Cuba ever did and yet we treat them differently than Cuba (Parade magazine did a top 10 worse dictators and Cuba wasn't in there, but a ton of our "allies" were).

So if your trying to imply I just don't understand the situation, my undergraduate degree is in Latin American Studies (two of my college professors wrote extensively about Che Guevarra, revolution in Latin America, and military dictatorships in Latin America (Brian Loveman and Tom Davies Jr.), so I have an understanding of the players, what happened, what brought it about.... (uh, a corrupt US backed dictatorship who oppressed its people....), and why it doesn't really accomplish anything outside of getting Florida's electoral college in the bag on election day. Did the regime in Havana do bad stuff? Sure. Did it do stuff worse than Pinochet, the Juntas in Argentina, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala, Panama under Noriega, Iraq under Saddam (oh, I went there), China, Pakistan, etc. (all allies that we dealt with and/or continue to deal with), I would say no.

The US government tried assassinating him how many times? So you are surprised they reacted the way they did? I mean, we pushed them into the hands of the USSR. The sad thing in that whole mess with Cuba and the civil wars in Central America is the fact that we couldn't afford another Cuba, but economically, neither could the USSR (Cuba was a subsidized money hole, getting subsidized oil and supplies and selling sugar at above the market rate). We spent something like $10 billion in Central America and didn't really produce any wins (they didn't defeat the Nicaraguans, or the guerrillas in Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador.... that should have been an omen considering how small Central America is for Iraq... or ask the Colombians who have spent 60 years fighting the FARC.

So frankly, I could go to visit Cuba tomorrow and come back and sleep like a baby at night if the State Department dropped the rules today.

And don't worry, at some point there will be a demographic shift in Miami anyway... and the number of "back in when I was in Cuba" people will be replaced by "my parents talked about the old country" people and that next generation isn't going to be as pissed. Those people might start realizing that spending more time making sure Miami, Dade County and Florida are being better run, versus worrying about how things work out with Cuba which has less impact to them.

Juan

[Genxx]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

a pencil pushing frat boy... back deeeeeeez up

Sorry was never in a Frat, bet I missed out on alot of Sorority Girls though.

If I could have penciled pushed better I could have gotten better grades.

What else you got.

Jezz I have almost as much time in Iraq as you do in Military total.

[CMR22]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

2 1/2 years.... gettin ready to go back to iraq. can't wait!!!!!

Which would mean you enlisted around September 2005?

[Genxx]

Juan-Very well said.

[CMR22]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

delayed entry program, boot camp in april of 2005

Interesting.

From 05/27/06

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

dude i've been in prison for almost 2 years- just got out. back in the day i would never run mb quart- even though im part german i just dont see myself paying 1000 bucks for their of the line comps- cool crossovers though.

your answer...no

[Rudeboy]

Originally Posted by Genxx

So please Don go roll your eyes at some one else.

Awink or wry smile may have been more appropriate, but not by much. Nipplelumps presents a magic world that only he can see and you counter claiming knowledge you can't specify to prove him wrong. Seems to me you are both citing sources who shouldn't be sharing the information you claim to have in the first place. I guess I'm wondering what the point is.

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

as a son of a lt. general i hear alot about foreign policy and war games. united states absolutely hates iran with a passion. in reality we hate muslim fundamentalism. this a holy war... it's just a matter of time before israel invades iran. and you know we got israel's back. in reality iran doesn't want this. israel alone could kick the snot out of any jackass country in the middleast.... hell, all of africa!

The US hates Iran? Thank you captain obvious. George HW Bush was VP during Iran Contra, and now his kid shares some of the same views, why are we surprised. The fact we didn't have the intelligence on the ground to figure out "hey, we should empty out that embassy before it gets overrun" leads me to believe while we hate Iran, we don't know shit about what is going on there, then or now. Come on, we sent a rescue mission assuming they wouldn't move or split up the hostages.

Please. Israelis are for the most part like Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse. not the guy starting the fight, but willing to put up one hell of a fight when the time comes.

You do realize the demographics in Israel, right? Pretty much everyone serves in the military at some point, its a small country, so any casualty is a big deal. They aren't going to pick a fight with Iran any time soon. And Iran would be foolish to start one (sure they have tons of talk, but its really just leadership pandering to their religious base).

The big issue there is some radical nutjob taking it into their own hands on either side (hell, they assasinated the Prime Minister in Israel because he wasn't right wing enough).

So lets say Israel invades Iran. What about the Chinese and the Russians? Where do you think they are getting some of their weapons and technology?

People on every side would discourage either of them to get involved in any hot war at this point.

Juan

[CMR22]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

dude, your stupid as hell... you must have alot of time on your hands. i knew you were poking your nose somewhere. in that post i was just bullshitten. who in the hell brags about going to prison on a forum?

The same person who claims to have inside knowledge from being in the military and having a high ranking father.

[Genxx]

Originally Posted by Rudeboy

Awink or wry smile may have been more appropriate, but not by much. Nipplelumps presents a magic world that only he can see and you counter claiming knowledge you can't specify to prove him wrong. Seems to me you are both citing sources who shouldn't be sharing the information you claim to have in the first place. I guess I'm wondering what the point is.

I am just having fun messing with him, I am not even putting thought into half what I am writing to him. Many of us could put together some great info to deny or refute his info but the guy will never get it. He will only resort back to name calling.

However, Juan is laying down some info. I am waiting for the name calling to start.

So I figure why not just make him angry while I sit here and read his stuff and laugh.

We had to many guys say something someone felt was to much info either to a wife, relative or on the internet. They are no longer serving in the Military.

So yes I have to watch what I say or I will find myself in the same situation. So I give little to no info at all.

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

dude, your stupid as hell... you must have alot of time on your hands. i knew you were poking your nose somewhere. in that post i was just bullshitten. who in the hell brags about going to prison on a forum?

Depends on the forum I guess...... wink wink (or is that twink, twink)........

swmlookingforsame.com/forum

Juan

[t3sn4f2]

Originally Posted by OldOneEye

I can visit Viet Nam, I can visit China, I can visit a ton of other places. I didn't say I didn't understand why it's illegal (because the State Department says so) but why do we treat China, Viet Nam, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and a ton of other really nasty dictatorships that treat people much worse than Cuba ever did and yet we treat them differently than Cuba (Parade magazine did a top 10 worse dictators and Cuba wasn't in there, but a ton of our "allies" were).

So if your trying to imply I just don't understand the situation, my undergraduate degree is in Latin American Studies (two of my college professors wrote extensively about Che Guevarra, revolution in Latin America, and military dictatorships in Latin America (Brian Loveman and Tom Davies Jr.), so I have an understanding of the players, what happened, what brought it about.... (uh, a corrupt US backed dictatorship who oppressed its people....), and why it doesn't really accomplish anything outside of getting Florida's electoral college in the bag on election day. Did the regime in Havana do bad stuff? Sure. Did it do stuff worse than Pinochet, the Juntas in Argentina, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala, Panama under Noriega, Iraq under Saddam (oh, I went there), China, Pakistan, etc. (all allies that we dealt with and/or continue to deal with), I would say no.

The US government tried assassinating him how many times? So you are surprised they reacted the way they did? I mean, we pushed them into the hands of the USSR. The sad thing in that whole mess with Cuba and the civil wars in Central America is the fact that we couldn't afford another Cuba, but economically, neither could the USSR (Cuba was a subsidized money hole, getting subsidized oil and supplies and selling sugar at above the market rate). We spent something like $10 billion in Central America and didn't really produce any wins (they didn't defeat the Nicaraguans, or the guerrillas in Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador.... that should have been an omen considering how small Central America is for Iraq... or ask the Colombians who have spent 60 years fighting the FARC.

So frankly, I could go to visit Cuba tomorrow and come back and sleep like a baby at night if the State Department dropped the rules today.

And don't worry, at some point there will be a demographic shift in Miami anyway... and the number of "back in when I was in Cuba" people will be replaced by "my parents talked about the old country" people and that next generation isn't going to be as pissed. Those people might start realizing that spending more time making sure Miami, Dade County and Florida are being better run, versus worrying about how things work out with Cuba which has less impact to them.

Juan

I didn't state what I was feeling correctly, I meant to say you can understand why someone would not be seen as doing the right thing by wanting to go there NOW. Time heals all wounds but we haven't even started this clock yet.

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by t3sn4f2

I didn't state what I was feeling correctly, I meant to say you can understand why someone would not be seen as doing the right thing by wanting to go there NOW. Time heals all wounds but we haven't even started this clock yet.

Let me rephrase that. I've been wanting to go to Cuba for a decade, dating back to when I was getting my degree.

The same thing applies today that applies 10 years ago (my last post). The only aggrieved seem to be a very vocal minority of the US population (lets even guess there are 2-3 million Cuban-Americans, that like what, 1% of the population?), a small minority I really don't give two craps about, who I don't think should be driving US policy anywhere.

As soon as the US State Department says its cool, or I can get a gig to go under educational or journalistic purposes (the two loopholes I guess), I'm going. I'm not going to wait until they put a Starbucks on every corner, and a McDonalds, or they take down all the portraits of Che and Fidel and replace them with Joe Camel and Ronald McDonald.

Juan

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

your not really stating facts that everybody doesn't already know about. yes... israel will invade iran in a heartbeat if they knew for sure i ran is nuclear capable. they stated that several times. russia and china will completly step away if israel started some shit. israel is pretty much the united states kid brother.... they will go through every measure to protect it's own... gurantee that!!!!

What was the last offensive war that Israel entered in unprovoked? Their military play book is full of defensive moves, and the occasional preemptive strike (they already bombed the Iranians building a nuclear facility before).

They don't have the stomach for starting a war. They took a few dozen extra casualties in their last war (during the negotiations) and they are having a ton of shit fly for a relatively small amount of casualties. War with Iran would be much bigger.

Your big brother isn't going to let you get into a gun fight if he can take both guns away (which is what they are working on now).

Juan

[MiniVanMan]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

delayed entry program, boot camp in april of 2005

Boot camp, April of 2005. That gives you less than 3 years. As an E-6 you need a minimum of 48 months time in service, and 24 months time in grade (E-5). There is no way in hell you're an E-6 in the United States Marine Corps.

Stop tainting the good name of "MY" Marine Corps with your pathetic, sorry ass.

If you are in the Marine Corps, at "Camp Quantico" which is complete bullshit as it's actually not a camp, but called Marine Base Quantico, tell me your unit.

I'm sure they would love to know about a Marine there that's spewing racist dribble, and violating Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (Impersonating an Officer, Warrant Officer or NCO).

In other words, you are full of shit. Genxx, please do not refer to this scumbag by any military rank.

[CMR22]

Originally Posted by MiniVanMan

Boot camp, April of 2005. That gives you less than 3 years. As an E-6 you need a minimum of 48 months time in service, and 24 months time in grade (E-5). There is no way in hell you're an E-6 in the United States Marine Corps.

Stop tainting the good name of "MY" Marine Corps with your pathetic, sorry ass.

If you are in the Marine Corps, at "Camp Quantico" which is complete bullshit as it's actually not a camp, but called Marine Base Quantico, tell me your unit.

I'm sure they would love to know about a Marine there that's spewing racist dribble, and violating Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (Impersonating an Officer, Warrant Officer or NCO).

In other words, you are full of shit. Genxx, please do not refer to this scumbag by any military rank.

Maybe he is including the time he spent in prison?

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

exactly... that's why the united states is really in iraq... to defend israel and prevent any bullshit

Dude....

Before we got involved, Iraq and Iran were at each other's throats. We supported Iraq during their war with Iran for similar reasons. Saddam at some point asked "if we go after Kuwait, would the US intervene" and was told no. After the first Gulf War, the US and Iraq weren't BFFs anymore.

Iran was the fundamentalist in this whole mess, Iraq was much more pragmatic. Iran was the fundamentalist regime, Iraq more of the Kleptocracy (or Kleptatorship I guess).

Why would we go after Iraq when Iran was more of our enemy than Iraq was? When there was a vacuum in power, who sent over their nasty guys into Iraq? Iran.

Iran has been funding a bunch of the guys who cause terrorism in Israel and it's neighbors anyway (Syria, Lebanon).

So outside of maybe playing some Risk, not sure where your getting your geopolitical ideas of what is going on in the region.

Juan

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by CMR22

Maybe he is including the time he spent in prison?

First, wouldn't you call it a brig, not prison?

Second, would they count that towards your pay scale? And wouldn't they demote you for getting convicted of anything while serving?

Juan

[t3sn4f2]

Originally Posted by OldOneEye

Let me rephrase that. I've been wanting to go to Cuba for a decade, dating back to when I was getting my degree.

The same thing applies today that applies 10 years ago (my last post). The only aggrieved seem to be a very vocal minority of the US population (lets even guess there are 2-3 million Cuban-Americans, that like what, 1% of the population?), a small minority I really don't give two craps about, who I don't think should be driving US policy anywhere.

As soon as the US State Department says its cool, or I can get a gig to go under educational or journalistic purposes (the two loopholes I guess), I'm going. I'm not going to wait until they put a Starbucks on every corner, and a McDonalds, or they take down all the portraits of Che and Fidel and replace them with Joe Camel and Ronald McDonald.

Juan

I guess I just don't understand how you would have the desire to visit a land where the people who run it and a large majority of the population consider where you are from to be the enemy. I guess its too complicated for me.

[Genxx]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

dude, your a totall idiot!!!! i went in as an E-3. want even go there with you about my unit

I does not matter what you came in as. I came in the Army in 1995 as an E-3, big deal.

I have guys making E5 in about 24months and 6 months later they can attend the E6 board. They only get promoted if they have the points though. It is still a rare occassion that you see someone make E6 in 30months.

I speak only from the Army side of the promotion system.

I have some buddies in the Marine Corp still from years I spent at Schofield from K-Bay, also a couple good Marine Corp Officer(MAJ and LTC) buddies at Quantico.

I still think this kid is full of shit. Hell he might be a hard charger, unless he runs his mouth at work as much as he does on here.

Where have you been in Iraq?

[MiniVanMan]

Originally Posted by NEPHYLUM

dude, your a totall idiot!!!! i went in as an E-3. want even go there with you about my unit

So, what did I say that was wrong? Quote me, then refute me with concrete evidence. You're just a kid trying to get a rise out of people. You're getting the rise, but you're still just a kid. I don't care how old you are, you're acting like a kid.

Let me guess you're part of the Force Recon attachment at Quantico?

You are full of shit. I left the military as an E-6 in the Army. I did my first six years in the Marine Corps, then another nine in the Army. You might fool others, but you're not fooling me.

It doesn't matter what rank you enter as. You can waive one, but not both time requirements to make rank. You're saying that both were waived. Maybe you made E-5 in 6 months. That would explain things. Oh, wait, you couldn't do that either because of time requirements.

I'm not an idiot. Actually, I am, because I'm arguing with one.

[MiniVanMan]

Originally Posted by Genxx

I does not matter what you came in as. I came in the Army in 1995 as an E-3, big deal.

I have guys making E5 in about 24months and 6 months later they can attend the E6 board. They only get promoted if they have the points though. It is still a rare occassion that you see someone make E6 in 30months.

I speak only from the Army side of the promotion system.

I have some buddies in the Marine Corp still from years I spent at Schofield from K-Bay, also a couple good Marine Corp Officer(MAJ and LTC) buddies at Quantico.

I still think this kid is full of shit. Hell he might be a hard charger, unless he runs his mouth at work as much as he does on here.

Where have you been in Iraq?

The Marine Corps does things a bit differently. They have a points system, but time in service, and time in grade accumulate points as well. The rest is pretty much the same. You have your PFT, marksmanship qualification, and secondary education. You do have MOSs that promote very quickly in the Corps, but you are considered a STELLAR, and I mean top notch if you make E-5 in under 4 years. 3 years, and you can damn well rest assured you're getting pulled for some kind of special duty, like drill duty.

The points, and board process in the Corps starts at E-4, unlike the Army which is E-5. So, a Corporal is a true NCO. You make Corporal in under 2 years and you're doing fantastic, regardless of what rank you came in as. E-5 gets harder, because unlike the Army, your promotion points don't roll over. So all your secondary education points zero out, and you start all over.

So, that all being said, there is no way this kid is an E-6, when he can't even get the baseline points for time in service, and time in grade. Yeah, you can get meritoriously promoted to Cpl, or even Sgt, should you win a board, but not SSgt. Staff Sergeants are considered Staff NCOs. Where in the Army the upper echelon of NCO starts at SFC (E-7), in the Marines, it's E-6. So, now you can understand why I call complete bull shit.

[OldOneEye]

Originally Posted by t3sn4f2

I guess I just don't understand how you would have the desire to visit a land where the people who run it and a large majority of the population consider where you are from to be the enemy. I guess its too complicated for me.

I said I wanted to go to Cuba, not Saudi Arabia.

I think the percentage of people in Cuba who hate Americans is probably proportionate to the number of Americans who hate Cubans (and notice I said Cubans and Americans, not Cuba and the United States).

Juan