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bassbuckeye
10-19-2013, 08:30
I used the search function and I couldn't find anything that totally covers this topic. I am curious about the suckiest field environment you have been in during training or combat....This would be aside from the enemy...I'm talking about pure sucky environment, whether its arctic training or horrible humidity while fighting off a parasitic infection or just shit garbage heaps in the street...raining for days, no sleep, no food etc.

What is the worst environmental and physically challenging environment you have experienced?


This topic was inspired from reading the Q course experiences

SF_BHT
10-19-2013, 08:52
I used the search function and I couldn't find anything that totally covers this topic. I am curious about the suckiest field environment you have been in during training or combat....This would be aside from the enemy...I'm talking about pure sucky environment, whether its arctic training or horrible humidity while fighting off a parasitic infection or just shit garbage heaps in the street...raining for days, no sleep, no food etc.

What is the worst environmental and physically challenging environment you have experienced?


This topic was inspired from reading the Q course experiences

The one I was in. All environments have their challenges and they all have the potential of major SUCK......

Hell had some major suck back at the homestead but that is another part of the life;)

Trapper John
10-19-2013, 09:03
Hmmmm! If I don't count the mountains on Iraq/Iran border, I would have to say the first night in Philly when I was looking for a restaurant. Found what looked like a nice place, walked in, was seated, place a drink order, and realized it was a Gay bar. :eek:

bassbuckeye
10-19-2013, 09:06
The one I was in. All environments have their challenges and they all have the potential of major SUCK......

Hell had some major suck back at the homestead but that is another part of the life;)

Haha....you don't even need a tab to go there...can be a very challenging environment indeed

Pete
10-19-2013, 10:20
NW of Omdurman in the summer time.

Richard
10-19-2013, 10:29
NW of Fairbanks in January.

Richard

bassbuckeye
10-19-2013, 10:41
Sudanese desert and Arctic Alaska sound horrible....I would imagine the lack of light would exacerbate the deep freeze NW of Fairbanks

longrange1947
10-19-2013, 11:17
Above the Arctic Circle. You can do everything right and still wind up with a snow nap. :D

Box
10-19-2013, 11:26
Peacetime: Bundasi, Ghana
Contingency Operations: Thiotte, Haiti
Combat: Helmand, Afghanistan

MR2
10-19-2013, 11:41
Mother-in-laws house.

18C4V
10-19-2013, 11:50
Mother-in-laws house.

That's the best line in this thread.:D

Cobwebs
10-19-2013, 15:08
Coming home at 0300 on a Sunday morning and asking my wife (in all sincerity) how her day was....Not a good place to be....:D

2018commo
10-19-2013, 16:45
JRTC April of 93, rained for 11 days. It did keep the OPFOR holed up...

Dusty
10-19-2013, 19:06
Recon operations at Ft. Polk, LA in the middle of August, 1980. 113 degrees.

bravo22b
10-19-2013, 20:20
JRTC April of 93, rained for 11 days. It did keep the OPFOR holed up...

You must have been on the rotation after me, I was there in March of '93. I don't remember it raining for 11 days, but I do remember it being 13 degrees and freezing rain on our first night "in the box". We were coming from Hawaii, most of us were wearing jungle boots, and we were only carrying one sleeping bag for every three guys. Good times.

It might not have been the absolute suckiest time in the field, but it definitely wasn't the best.

SF_BHT
10-19-2013, 21:18
Being married to my ex wife

And when did you graduate the Q Course?:eek:
QP's are being asked questions here!!!!:munchin

SF_BHT
10-19-2013, 21:23
You must have been on the rotation after me, I was there in March of '93. I don't remember it raining for 11 days, but I do remember it being 13 degrees and freezing rain on our first night "in the box". We were coming from Hawaii, most of us were wearing jungle boots, and we were only carrying one sleeping bag for every three guys. Good times.

It might not have been the absolute suckiest time in the field, but it definitely wasn't the best.

Your BDE Cdr was SF qualified. I took my team to Hawaii to be your SOF liaison team. Your unit did not have a clue what we could do and did not want any liaison as they were way behind the power curve. We did enjoy the beach each day......

BMT (RIP)
10-20-2013, 10:47
Dusty Duc Co VN!!
DAMN dust got into everything.
We only had 110 gallons of water a day for showers and 10 or 15 guys.
Gave new meaning to a "Whores Bath"!!

BMT

bassbuckeye
10-21-2013, 14:54
Recon operations at Ft. Polk, LA in the middle of August, 1980. 113 degrees.

Impossible...they didnt have global warming back then

2018commo
10-21-2013, 18:14
You must have been on the rotation after me, I was there in March of '93. I don't remember it raining for 11 days, but I do remember it being 13 degrees and freezing rain on our first night "in the box". We were coming from Hawaii, most of us were wearing jungle boots, and we were only carrying one sleeping bag for every three guys. Good times.

It might not have been the absolute suckiest time in the field, but it definitely wasn't the best.

We were the "SOCCE" Team, had a wild time on infil threading our way on foot between the OPFOR shooting Stingers at the Rangers. With the weather being TU, the bad guys disappeared, so we split into thirds and had eyes and fire missions on both DZs when the OPFOR jumped in. Best part time job ever.

spottedmedic111
10-22-2013, 18:30
Hohenfels, Germany January 1985.

FYI....field jackets suck.

Team Sergeant
10-22-2013, 22:52
Training: Dugway Proving Grounds in Jan sleeping/freezing in a bomb crater.

Combat: Staying at the Kuwait International Airfield for a day or two, it was completely destroyed.

TOMAHAWK9521
01-03-2014, 09:35
Benedict DZ, Bad Toelz, Germany, September 1987: while trying to make it the assembly area in the wee morning hours with a broken back. Either too stupid to realize how badly I was injured or too worried about getting smoked by my gunner and PSG for being late.

x SF med
01-03-2014, 10:06
Recon operations at Ft. Polk, LA in the middle of August, 1980. 113 degrees.

I agree, the entire summer of the 1980 heatwave at Ft Benning and Ft Riley, Jump School at 112 degrees or being in an M113 APC in that kind of heat truly sucked.

Although being snowed on while in a recon position and not being able to move for 6 hours without compromising the position is right up there.

As has been said, each environment has its own challenges.

The Viper
01-07-2014, 16:29
I agree, the entire summer of the 1980 heatwave at Ft Benning and Ft Riley

It has been a couple hot dry years for working on the farm in Kansas recently but I'm always reminded by my dad if I complain about the heat that of a long list of places not to be in the summer of 1980 (outside for one thing) ;) Kansas was pretty high on the list.

MtnGoat
01-07-2014, 19:15
Training: Winter Exersice Training (WET) in the Colorado Flat Top Wildreness. 150Km suckfest!! Yes our TM SGT Goal was to cross country Ski 150K in 5 day. Trying to recreate a Dumbusa JCET or something. I think out of a 9 man ODA, only 3 of us didn't hit the "wall."

Combat: Helland, AFG December a time frame, GMVs doing a RON and is just pissed down cold, near sleeting rain.

Utah Bob
02-14-2014, 17:53
Hmmm....Several klicks from Toelz up in the alps. Nothing but a poncho liner, trying to sleep in the spring rains.
Mountain training in Pinkham Notch in the winter.
Winter warefare training at Camp Drum.
The entire freaking monsoon season in III Corps in '70!:munchin

WarriorDiplomat
05-11-2014, 19:17
Ft Lewis,

Doing the 12b Sapper stakes annual TPU field re-cert.

Squad re-cert miserably wet doing an 11 row wire obstacle @0200 the night was so dark no nods, we would have someone hold the pickett at the bottom place the picket pounder on the pickett and then adjust where the hands were clear so we could pound the pickett into that rocky ass ground. Fingers got so cold, wet and throbbing and trying to tie the barbed wire with the 3 wraps.

Then doing a triple standard wire obstacle once we got into Platoon as we shaped the battlefield and had to build a kilometer's worth. And again pounding picketts, tying wire and stringing out concertina.

The work is hard enough but with full battle rattle no night illum, raining, cold, fatigue, burning traps and back, M16-A2 slapping around, and a fence or obstacle that seems to never end.

Been colder in the Mountains and midwest and have been in inhospitably hot places in Africa and Iraq but there is something about those field problems in the Pacific Northwest.

mark46th
05-12-2014, 08:11
Thailand. It was awful. Great food, cold beer and beautiful women...