Military Memes

Mine was brand new and shrink wrapped when I boarded the kearsarge.

Just a tip, make sure it’s locked before you climb in or somebody may come by and lift it locking you against the wall.

Yep!

Never happened to me, but it's been known to happen to others! With the rack pan fully open and propped, there's only about a 4 inch gap.
 
Our lockers were actually the back wall of our rack, so middle rack was the optimal. Every time someone left the ship that had a middle rack, rank and seniority for time on board let someone else move to a middle rack. I got my crow pretty quick and put me ahead of many for a middle rack.

I'm 6'1" and I think the rack was 6'0", but home for 2 years.
 
One of the best racks I had was in Bow, Lower Level on the USS Narwhal (SSN-671).

The bottom, center racks in that compartment had DEEP rack pans. The average rack pan was what...about 6 inches deep? The bottom, centerline rackpans were deep enough that I could, literally, drop my entire seabag into without unpacking it...and STILL had tons of room. The rack pans were, in fact, fitted around the ship's frames, right down to the hull itself. I kept my clothing in one section, divided off by a frame, and the other section was completely stuffed out for deployment with books and goodies...and by goodies, I mean I had POUNDS of beef jerky, stacks of gum, bags of hard candy...the works!

People quickly learn to maximize their rack space on subs. I typically had all my civilian clothes and dress uniforms very neatly folded up and layered under my mattress, which left more room in my rack pan for my working uniforms, underwear, etc.
 
I hate hats. Hated having to wear them in the Navy, except maybe the watch cap when it kept my ears warm. I still don't wear a hat, but will wear a Carhart watch cap, when the weather dictates.

I love wearing hats, and of the military stuff I still have, something I wear all winter long is my black wool watch cap.

One of the hardest transitions for me was going from unit to unit with the Marines, with reconnaissance and to an extent infantry generally they couldn't care less what you wore. When I was with a FSSG unit, our company first sergeant was a real dick and stickler and 100% about uniform Regs, so even in the field he was all up in your face about hands in pockets and bloused boots and proper headgear.
 
I love wearing hats, and of the military stuff I still have, something I wear all winter long is my black wool watch cap.

One of the hardest transitions for me was going from unit to unit with the Marines, with reconnaissance and to an extent infantry generally they couldn't care less what you wore. When I was with a FSSG unit, our company first sergeant was a real dick and stickler and 100% about uniform Regs, so even in the field he was all up in your face about hands in pockets and bloused boots and proper headgear.
Because that is how lifers roll. When my roommate and I were etsing, we brought our clearing packets to the brigade retention NCO. He goes into his spiel about reenlisting, yada, yada. I looked at him and said. You people dicked with us for four years. Just sign the paperwork so we can go home.
 
I hate hats. Hated having to wear them in the Navy, except maybe the watch cap when it kept my ears warm. I still don't wear a hat, but will wear a Carhart watch cap, when the weather dictates.

I went to boot camp at Great Lakes in December 1985. Being from Indiana, and quite used to cold winters, I learned some new things at that time.

Not only was it not permissable to put your hands in your pockets, but you specifically wore your watch cap ABOVE your ears. (With the ear muffs over the ears, fortunately.)
 
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I went to boot camp at Great Lakes in December 1985. Being from Indiana, and quite used to cold winters, I learned some new things at that time.

Not only was it not permissable to put your hands in your pockets, but you specifically wore your watch cap ABOVE your ears. (With the ear muffs over the ears, fortunately.)
I thought the navy called it penny loafer camp.

And you can’t put your hands in your pockets but putting your hands in your buddies pockets was cool right?
 
I went to boot camp at Great Lakes in December 1985. Being from Indiana, and quite used to cold winters, I learned some new things at that time.

Not only was it not permissable to put your hands in your pockets, but you specifically wore your watch cap ABOVE your ears. (With the ear muffs over the ears, fortunately.)

I was at boot camp at Great Lakes in March and April. It ended up not horrible, but when I started in March oh my gosh it was cold and snow was piled everywhere.
 
I went to boot camp at the end of June 1975. I was allowed to choose where I wanted to go, Orlando, San Diego or Great Mistakes. I chose Great Mistakes. And it was.

Terry
 
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