View Full Version : PCS Tactics - SF Style
There used to be a classified class on Smoke Bomb Hill entitled PCS Tactics. The class was designed to keep SF people from being subjected to the Big Army BS during a PCS.
The class lasted about three hours and included subjects such as:
Not wearing a fatigue shirt with any SF patches or your real name tag.
Standing in formation and answering the roll call but not reporting for details when the sergeant took down your name by looking at your (phoney) name tag.
If a senior NCO from SF was present at formation, He would have a clipboard and a list of SF personel in formation and he would deliver the list to the 1st Sergeant & tell the 1st Sergeant that those listed were his "detail". He would the march the "detail" to the bowling alley to while away the time until the next formation.
I guess that CRS has me in its grip because that's all that I can remember, Join in if you can remember any other tactics.
mark46th
06-23-2009, 16:28
I never got that class but I used similar tactics at Ft Lewis when my buddy and I were headed to Vietnam in 1972. My future brother in law was an Air Force captain at McChord AFB. Each morning he would come by the transient barracks, tell the duty NCO that we were assigned to him. Off we would go...Also, when our orders were cancelled the day before we were to leave, we made the call to Mrs A and got assigned to 46th Co...Thanks Mrs A, we will always be indebted to you...
ZonieDiver
06-24-2009, 16:21
"Ghosting" used to be an SF "art form." What do they call it today? :)
The Reaper
06-24-2009, 17:13
I don't know. Maybe you guys are smarter than me, or things changed.
I was so happy to be serving in Special Forces that I just showed up and did what I was asked to, to the best of my abilities. I had a ball, and would not change a thing.
I don't think hiding in the barracks would have been as much fun as a day on the range, but again, that is just me.
TR
ZonieDiver
06-24-2009, 17:21
I don't know. Maybe you guys are smarter than me, or things changed.
I was so happy to be serving in Special Forces that I just showed up and did what I was asked to, to the best of my abilities. I had a ball, and would not change a thing.
I don't think hiding in the barracks would have been as much fun as a day on the range, but again, that is just me.
TR
I'm sure things changed - for the better. The fourth straight day of KP, or cleaning the restrooms of the "puzzle palace," quickly lost its luster - as did the other after duty hours "ODO" details, or visits to the "slave market" over by 2nd Bn HQ for assignment to whatever detail they had.
I'd have been first in line for a day at the range, even if only to pick up brass.
mark46th
06-25-2009, 20:57
I think F50Lrrp was referring to times when SF personnel were assigned to units other than Group. When in Group, I never hid from work or details. I stood guard, was a "Smoke-eater" at Gabriel, drove the ambulance for the snuffies at MacKall, anything I was told to do. At non-SF schools, I always took responsibility for my performance, studies and leadership. I would never do anything to disgrace the Regiment. But, in transit, I had some issues with NCO's who took special delight in ordering a green beanie around...
Utah Bob
06-26-2009, 07:40
I think F50Lrrp was referring to times when SF personnel were assigned to units other than Group. When in Group, I never hid from work or details. I stood guard, was a "Smoke-eater" at Gabriel, drove the ambulance for the snuffies at MacKall, anything I was told to do. At non-SF schools, I always took responsibility for my performance, studies and leadership. I would never do anything to disgrace the Regiment. But, in transit, I had some issues with NCO's who took special delight in ordering a green beanie around...
When I was in the 10th in '68, Mike Laufer and I were sent to 7th Army CBR school in Vilseck. We were in a class made up mostly of Armor 2Lts wearing their new spitshined Tanker Boots. When they asked for 2 volunteers to show the effects of Mustard agent, guess who stood up? None of the tanker boyz.
I still have the scar on my forearm from that dang Mustard blister. The only "tattoo"I ever got.:eek::D
blacksmoke
06-26-2009, 08:53
"Ghosting" used to be an SF "art form." What do they call it today? :)
Shamming.
greenberetTFS
06-26-2009, 12:39
I think F50Lrrp was referring to times when SF personnel were assigned to units other than Group. When in Group, I never hid from work or details. I stood guard, was a "Smoke-eater" at Gabriel, drove the ambulance for the snuffies at MacKall, anything I was told to do. At non-SF schools, I always took responsibility for my performance, studies and leadership. I would never do anything to disgrace the Regiment. But, in transit, I had some issues with NCO's who took special delight in ordering a green beanie around...
I guess I'm lucky ,I never served in a SF capacity other than in an SF Group.......:rolleyes: Can't imagine what it would be like if an NCO(not SF) would be screwing with me because I wore a green beret. I think I would do what I've read as a response from BMT and "punch him in the neck"........;)
Big Teddy :munchin
I think those tactics are acceptable when SF soldiers are being fucked with by non-SF personnel during pre-PCS, pre-ETS post clearing and replacement detachment days.
Under the heading: You know you are an old fart if you remember:
E-7's and E-8's picking up pine cones on Smoke Bomb Hill.
Of course, as an officer (1st LT) I didn't have to pick up any pine cones ... I
got to hold the big bag the pine cones were dropped in.
Back in my day, you PCSed through the "Big Army". It was usually the case that you would be assigned to a replacement company at Fort Dix, or Fort Lewis or the Oakland Army or such and you would be at the mercy of some fat bellied 1st sergeant for a couple of days up to a couple of weeks. These 1st sergeants typically loved to F--- with SF soldiers.
I remember cutting lawns at the JFK Center. The junior NCOs got push mowers, the senior NCOs got power mowers and the oficers got riding mowers.
Under the heading: You know you are an old fart if you remember:
E-7's and E-8's picking up pine cones on Smoke Bomb Hill.
Of course, as an officer (1st LT) I didn't have to pick up any pine cones ... I
got to hold the big bag the pine cones were dropped in.
After OCS, I returned to the 7th SFG where I was the only 2LT DET CDR. One day while doing police detail with my ODA, our BN XO saw me working and pulled me aside for a chat about officer duties and NCO duties. I was agreeably polite as I listend and thanked him for his sage advice - and from then on made sure I kept a better lookout whenever we had such details to do. ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
You ain't seen nottin' till a Red Cycle rolls around and you're the one with a 5 Ton Tractor/Trailer License.
Got the 45PAX and some French Oil Cooled Beast stamps also.
Ambush Master
06-26-2009, 17:34
"Ghosting" used to be an SF "art form." What do they call it today? :)
'69-'70 we referred to it as being "Casper Qualified"!!
I recall the short time I spent at SWC as some of the best times I had in the Army. Especially when compared to the C.F. involved in / outprocessing from a Regular Army base.
During my stint as a slave, I got detailed out to a couple interesting schools (SERE & O & I) and got to do a final hollywood jump from a DC3. Note to Jumpmasters: When you go about hunting down bodies for the manifest, do not fail to ask "Are you CURRENTLY on jump status?" ("Who wants to jump tomorrow?" may draw out participants from a larger pool than intended)
I also had the dubious honor(?) of outprocessing FBNC in gray "PT" uniform. I had a great time in The Final Hour convincing the leg E6 at XVIII Corps finance that I was due one months' jump pay for the above event, lack of jump orders was not MY problem... Having successfully negotiated that obstacle, DD214 and $100 "bonus" burning a hole in my pocket, and sitting in traffic heading off base, an 82d O-5 and I about got greased by a semi on Bragg Blvd. :eek: He laughed when I offered to buy him a "Missed us by >< that much" Beer.
Cliffs Notes: A 20 year career on the SWC slave market would be better than one day (unless it was the last day) at a R.A. repo-depot.
'69-'70 we referred to it as being "Casper Qualified"!!
I have that ribbon somewhere:)
Of course, as an officer (1st LT) I didn't have to pick up any pine cones ... I
got to hold the big bag the pine cones were dropped in.
Aahh, the good ol' days!
Anybody recall "Whisperin' Sam's slave market, SFTG, 1967?
After company morning formations between cycles, leftovers were sent there for shit details.
It was run by an older Ssg who only spoke in a whisper.
Sometimes good deals, often real bad ones.
I don't believe any of us "disgraced the regiment" by ducking out on some of these.
Sometimes there were more bodies than details and the unspoken command was "From front to rear--Disappear!"
I saw to E8s in 6th grp duke it out over which one had to use the push mower.
Stoopidest one I ever was on involved re-applying a bunch of pinecones we had policed up for a post inspection.
We had hauled off several truckloads and during a prelim inspection some inspired ass-head decided the area looked unnatural so we went and retrieved a load and distributed them in our best military manner.
[QUOTE=Mike;275769]
Sometimes there were more bodies than details and the unspoken command was "From front to rear--Disappear!"
QUOTE]
I remember that command being spoken several times after leaving the slave market. That was on the good days.
Most of my ghosting was done between phases in SFTG. Alot of us didn't see that swinging a swing blade did much to honor SF.
I never lost hold of the fact that I was a soldier, 1st and foremost.
I knew that all was not glamour or heroics.
I did lots of KP, Guard, wax scraping, weed pulling, whatever was demanded or assigned.
I always did these as best I could. I bitched, pissed and moaned, but never shammed or shirked any of them.
Later that atitude paid off living in a border A Camp with the bare necessities and getting along with the locals.
cat in the hat
06-23-2010, 02:07
I had to go through CRC at Benning for my current assignment (as an individual augmentee). while there, lots of people seemed to be in awe of the tab and i used it to my advantage. some of the overly long briefings were easy to avoid if you could get someone to sign your name on a clipboard. everyone wanted to do favors for the few SF forced to be there.
develop some assets and have one guy cover two or three names, then another and next thing you know, you don't have to sit through any of the big army BS.
of course, avoiding Benning is even better.