The military tattoo has a long history within the various branches of service in the United States. Soldiers have come to view the tattoo as a sign of commitment to their fellow soldiers and as an identifying mark.
Divisions and brigades take pride in their own symbols and characters and soldiers look forward to the day when they can wear that symbol and hold their head high.
The United States Navy has the longest and richest military tattoo tradition. The anchor symbol has become one of the most easily recognizable tattoos in the world.
The sailors introduced the practice of tattooing to the other military branches in the early 1900's when they would return from voyages that had literally taken them around the world.
As the sailors traveled to distant places and saw that the art of tattooing was alive and well, they began to create tattoos that represented who they were as a group.
The Army soon noticed the practices of the Navy. Many Army tattoos currently utilize some variation of the American Flag. Whether the flag is integrated into an eagle's wing or into the shape of a heart, the red, white and blue usually plays a prominent role.
Another theme commonly found in a military tattoo, particularly in the Army, is that of the POW-MIA theme. These tattoos pay homage to the prisoners of war who are missing in action.
The United States Marine Corps has it own versions of the military tattoo. Though not as wildly popular in this branch of the service as in the Navy and Army, the Marines still have a long history of tattooing within certain regiments and brigades.
One of the most popular Marine Corps tattoos is of a bulldog. Marines are typically the first strike in a United States Military campaign, and they pride themselves on toughness, tenacity, and stubbornness. The bulldog is a perfect symbol for what they represent.
Those who serve in the Air Force typically sport tattoos with wings incorporated in them. Pilots may include numbers or details of a certain fighter. The history of Air Force tattoos is still being written, but as the practice of tattooing becomes more popular, it is growing within the ranks.
Amongst people who have fought side by side, tattoos are much more than just ink and pictures. A military tattoo is a constant reminder of the hardships and struggles that were endured as a team, and of those who may have been left behind.
Even once some people have left the military, they choose to get a new tattoo in order to remember a fallen comrade or other momentous event.
Showing posts with label world military classifieds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world military classifieds. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Army Officer Rank
To begin, there are ten levels of officer rank in the United States Army. (An eleventh rank level is possible, but rare in military history.) Rank begins with the Second Lieutenant, and ends with the General of the Army. Along with each proper rank name, is an abbreviated rank identifier and an officer grade, or pay grade. The officer grades also start at O1 and end at O10.
It is easy to distinguish officers, who wear ‘brass’ on their collars, from enlisted soldiers, who wear ‘stripes’. From bottom to top, the Army rank structure is as follows:
Second Lieutenant, 2LT, O1 – This is the lowest rank for the general-type officer. A soldier becomes a 2LT either through the ROTC program, attendance at a US Military Academy, or direct appointment. The 2LT wears a single gold bar on his collar, hence the nickname of ‘butter bar’ for these inexperienced officers. The grades of O1-O3 are known as ‘company grade officers’.
First Lieutenant, 1LT, O2 – The First Lieutenant wears one silver bar on his collar. Usually, First Lieutenant’s will serve as Platoon Leaders or Company Executive Officers. Advancement to First Lieutenant occurs after completion of 24-month time in grade as a 2LT.
Captain, CPT, O3 – The Captain wears two silver bars, side-by-side on his collar. The bars are referred to as ‘railroad tracks’ because of their visual similarity. Captains are generally assigned as Company Commanders, though they may also serve in a number of capacities, such as Logistics or Personnel Officers.
Major, MAJ, O4 – The Major wears the insignia of a gold oak leaf on his collar. Duty positions vary, though a Major could be assigned as a Battalion Executive Officer, Operations Officer, or Intelligence Officer. The grades of O4-O6 are known as ‘field grade officers’.
Lieutenant Colonel, LTC, O5 – The Lieutenant Colonel wears the insignia of a silver oak leaf on his collar. Known as a ‘light Colonel’, the LTC is generally in command of a battalion sized unit.
Colonel, COL, O6 – The Colonel wears a silver eagle on his collar. The wearer of such rank is often referred to as a ‘full bird’ or, less often, a ‘full bull’. Generally, a Colonel is in charge of a Brigade sized unit.
Brigadier General, BG, O7 – The Brigadier General wears one star on his collar. Brigadier’s are usually positioned as Assistant Division Commanders. The grades of O7 and higher are known as ‘general grade officers’.
Major General, MG, O8 – The Major General wears two stars on his collar. The duty position is generally that of a Division Commander, Post Commander, or any number of Commandant, Deputy Chief or Chief positions.
Lieutenant General, LTG, O9 – The Lieutenant General wears three stars on his collar. LTGs might fill a duty position such as a Deputy Commander of a major command, like Northern Command.
General, GEN, O10 – The General wears fours stars, side-by-side, on his collar. Four-star’s occupy major command billets like Central Command, or might serve as a Chief-of-Staff.
General of the Army, GOA, O11 – This special rank consists of five stars in a pentagonal pattern, with star points touching. No officer has held this rank since World War II, when Omar Bradley was promoted to the position. By regulation, any officer holding the position of General of the Army will remain on active duty for life. Dwight Eisenhower, who also held this position, resigned his Army commission so that he might serve as President of the United States, because the office of President can not legally be filled by any active duty U.S. military officer.
General of the Armies, GOA, O11 – The General of the Armies is the highest ranking officer position in the military. Though it is sometimes considered a ‘sixth star’ rank, the insignia of the General of the Armies is the same five-star formation as that of the General of the Army. Promotion to this rank places the service member as the overall commander of all United States forces. This special rank and position has only been authorized for two people in our nation’s history: George Washington and John J. Pershing. (By executive order of President Gerald Ford, George Washington will always remain the most senior commander, and can never be outranked by any other officer of the U.S. military.)
Each of the aforementioned ranks is special in its own way, and holds a valuable place in the military hierarchy. Though their ranks, duties and responsibilities may vary, soldiers serving at every level of the military order are equally as important as their fellow service members.
It is easy to distinguish officers, who wear ‘brass’ on their collars, from enlisted soldiers, who wear ‘stripes’. From bottom to top, the Army rank structure is as follows:
Second Lieutenant, 2LT, O1 – This is the lowest rank for the general-type officer. A soldier becomes a 2LT either through the ROTC program, attendance at a US Military Academy, or direct appointment. The 2LT wears a single gold bar on his collar, hence the nickname of ‘butter bar’ for these inexperienced officers. The grades of O1-O3 are known as ‘company grade officers’.
First Lieutenant, 1LT, O2 – The First Lieutenant wears one silver bar on his collar. Usually, First Lieutenant’s will serve as Platoon Leaders or Company Executive Officers. Advancement to First Lieutenant occurs after completion of 24-month time in grade as a 2LT.
Captain, CPT, O3 – The Captain wears two silver bars, side-by-side on his collar. The bars are referred to as ‘railroad tracks’ because of their visual similarity. Captains are generally assigned as Company Commanders, though they may also serve in a number of capacities, such as Logistics or Personnel Officers.
Major, MAJ, O4 – The Major wears the insignia of a gold oak leaf on his collar. Duty positions vary, though a Major could be assigned as a Battalion Executive Officer, Operations Officer, or Intelligence Officer. The grades of O4-O6 are known as ‘field grade officers’.
Lieutenant Colonel, LTC, O5 – The Lieutenant Colonel wears the insignia of a silver oak leaf on his collar. Known as a ‘light Colonel’, the LTC is generally in command of a battalion sized unit.
Colonel, COL, O6 – The Colonel wears a silver eagle on his collar. The wearer of such rank is often referred to as a ‘full bird’ or, less often, a ‘full bull’. Generally, a Colonel is in charge of a Brigade sized unit.
Brigadier General, BG, O7 – The Brigadier General wears one star on his collar. Brigadier’s are usually positioned as Assistant Division Commanders. The grades of O7 and higher are known as ‘general grade officers’.
Major General, MG, O8 – The Major General wears two stars on his collar. The duty position is generally that of a Division Commander, Post Commander, or any number of Commandant, Deputy Chief or Chief positions.
Lieutenant General, LTG, O9 – The Lieutenant General wears three stars on his collar. LTGs might fill a duty position such as a Deputy Commander of a major command, like Northern Command.
General, GEN, O10 – The General wears fours stars, side-by-side, on his collar. Four-star’s occupy major command billets like Central Command, or might serve as a Chief-of-Staff.
General of the Army, GOA, O11 – This special rank consists of five stars in a pentagonal pattern, with star points touching. No officer has held this rank since World War II, when Omar Bradley was promoted to the position. By regulation, any officer holding the position of General of the Army will remain on active duty for life. Dwight Eisenhower, who also held this position, resigned his Army commission so that he might serve as President of the United States, because the office of President can not legally be filled by any active duty U.S. military officer.
General of the Armies, GOA, O11 – The General of the Armies is the highest ranking officer position in the military. Though it is sometimes considered a ‘sixth star’ rank, the insignia of the General of the Armies is the same five-star formation as that of the General of the Army. Promotion to this rank places the service member as the overall commander of all United States forces. This special rank and position has only been authorized for two people in our nation’s history: George Washington and John J. Pershing. (By executive order of President Gerald Ford, George Washington will always remain the most senior commander, and can never be outranked by any other officer of the U.S. military.)
Each of the aforementioned ranks is special in its own way, and holds a valuable place in the military hierarchy. Though their ranks, duties and responsibilities may vary, soldiers serving at every level of the military order are equally as important as their fellow service members.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Dolphins for Military Purposes
Despite many years of its existence, there continues to be much opposition to the Navy's marine mammal program, called NMMP. It is now mainly based in San Diego, and uses dolphins and other mammals for military purposes. The dolphins are trained to locate and mark floating sea mines; locate and mark mines on the ocean floor; or ones that are buried; and to determine safe paths for troops coming ashore. The dolphins also stand guard to protect harbors and ships against unauthorized swimmers. When an enemy is detected, the dolphin allegedly bumps an object connected to a buoy into the enemy's air supply. The buoy then rises to the surface, alerting the Navy of the enemy's presence .
NMMP dolphin teams have been used in combat zones in both the Vietnam and Iraq wars. Dolphins were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2003, and the Navy claims they aided in detecting more than 100 underwater mines and booby traps. There are ongoing hearings on the subject, where opponents strongly air their views. The most controversial part of the program was called "Swimmer Notification," whereby dolphins allegedly were trained to drown people, but that was not effective. Also small CO2 cartridges were connected to a big hypodermic needle, and placed on the dolphin's fiberglass nosecone.
The dolphins are trained in San Diego Bay, and small boats transport the dolphins from their pens to where they are trained. From its beginning in the 1960's, the program has been very controversial, and strongly objected to by animal rights organizations. The Navy, however, contends they only use positive reinforcement, and follow regulations of the Marine Mammal Protection, and the Animal Welfare Act. Opponents also object to the stress caused the mammals, especially when confined, and object to the muzzles used which prevent the dolphins hunting for food. Opponents feel that this food deprivation gives the handlers control of the mammals, while the Navy states it is so they do not swallow objects which might harm them.
The program was classified in 1967, and since has been re-classified, but opponents feel that not enough about the program has been de-classified, especially to do with dolphin training. The Navy has acknowledged that besides the bottlenose dolphin, the following mammals have been used in the program, either for study or for projects: beluga; common dolphin; false killer whale; killer whale; Pacific white-sided dolphin; pilot whale; Risso's dolphin; rough-toothed dolphin; California sea lion; common seal; elephant seal, fur seals. gray seal, Stellar's sea lion; and sharks. Today the Navy mainly uses bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions.
The Navy assembles the mammals into teams which are marked in military terms as MK's. The dolphins are in three military classifications, MK 4, MK7, and MK8. The dolphin uses its echolocation sonar ability upon a cue from the handler, and communicates in a particular way to the handler when an object is found. (Echolocation is a skill dolphins create through listening to echoes of sounds they make, which allows them to determine the size and location of objects}. If the object is a mine, the dolphin marks the location by releasing a buoy. The ships avoid the area of the mines, or the mines are disarmed by navy divers.
Bryan Johnson of KOMO=TV recently wrote of members of the Greater Bainbridge Senior Center in Washington knitting sweaters for dolphins who are going to be used by the U.S. Navy on patrols for Homeland Security. One of the women even bought regulation Navy buttons for adorning the sweaters. This knitting project is gaining popularity across the country.
NMMP dolphin teams have been used in combat zones in both the Vietnam and Iraq wars. Dolphins were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2003, and the Navy claims they aided in detecting more than 100 underwater mines and booby traps. There are ongoing hearings on the subject, where opponents strongly air their views. The most controversial part of the program was called "Swimmer Notification," whereby dolphins allegedly were trained to drown people, but that was not effective. Also small CO2 cartridges were connected to a big hypodermic needle, and placed on the dolphin's fiberglass nosecone.
The dolphins are trained in San Diego Bay, and small boats transport the dolphins from their pens to where they are trained. From its beginning in the 1960's, the program has been very controversial, and strongly objected to by animal rights organizations. The Navy, however, contends they only use positive reinforcement, and follow regulations of the Marine Mammal Protection, and the Animal Welfare Act. Opponents also object to the stress caused the mammals, especially when confined, and object to the muzzles used which prevent the dolphins hunting for food. Opponents feel that this food deprivation gives the handlers control of the mammals, while the Navy states it is so they do not swallow objects which might harm them.
The program was classified in 1967, and since has been re-classified, but opponents feel that not enough about the program has been de-classified, especially to do with dolphin training. The Navy has acknowledged that besides the bottlenose dolphin, the following mammals have been used in the program, either for study or for projects: beluga; common dolphin; false killer whale; killer whale; Pacific white-sided dolphin; pilot whale; Risso's dolphin; rough-toothed dolphin; California sea lion; common seal; elephant seal, fur seals. gray seal, Stellar's sea lion; and sharks. Today the Navy mainly uses bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions.
The Navy assembles the mammals into teams which are marked in military terms as MK's. The dolphins are in three military classifications, MK 4, MK7, and MK8. The dolphin uses its echolocation sonar ability upon a cue from the handler, and communicates in a particular way to the handler when an object is found. (Echolocation is a skill dolphins create through listening to echoes of sounds they make, which allows them to determine the size and location of objects}. If the object is a mine, the dolphin marks the location by releasing a buoy. The ships avoid the area of the mines, or the mines are disarmed by navy divers.
Bryan Johnson of KOMO=TV recently wrote of members of the Greater Bainbridge Senior Center in Washington knitting sweaters for dolphins who are going to be used by the U.S. Navy on patrols for Homeland Security. One of the women even bought regulation Navy buttons for adorning the sweaters. This knitting project is gaining popularity across the country.
Military discount
Military discount
As you read this, there are American soldiers overseas right now who are wishing that they were safe and sound in their own homes. There are families surviving without their loved ones because they are deployed for an extended amount of time. Life isn’t easy for those families right now. Finances may be suffering to certain extents. Sure, the military gives a paycheck and helps out, but sometimes, there are struggles that go beyond that assistance.
Many companies recognize the dedication and sacrifices of those military personnel and their families. They have started to offer a military discount for many, many different things. Not only are those generous companies showing support for our military and our country, they are lifting some burdens for those individuals. A military discount can be found on almost anything nowadays – from buying a car to going on a vacation. Simple everyday purchases may also qualify for a military discount – if you are willing to ask. Just like any other form of discounts or specials, if you speak up and inquire about it, they may offer them, just not advertise them. Certain vehicles will offer a military discount or cash incentive to purchase a new vehicle. It may not seem like it is making a huge difference, but offering a $500 downpayment for a vehicle can be helping out a family or individual incredibly.
A lot of vacation resorts and hotels also offer a military discount, encouraging families to spend more quality time together. Disney offers a military discount for admission tickets, making an expensive vacation quite a bit more affordable. Certain restaurants now offer a military discount as well.
Recently, I heard a family in our church complaining about the fact that our church has been assisting a woman who has three small children and whose husband is serving in Iraq. Yes, he’s getting paid, but since his absence, she’s been forced to lessen her working hours in order to be with her children. She never had to pay for daycare before when she had her husband at home. Suddenly, she’s only working part-time and paying for daycare for 3 children. That is a huge financial burden for her. The church has been trying to assist as much as possible. I took it upon myself to confront this disgruntled family and tell them what I truly thought. After the service was over, I saw the man approach the woman and give her a twenty dollar bill. She hugged him, bringing tears to his eyes. Sure, that was only $20 for him, but could be quite a bit for her. A simply military discount isn’t helping her. Others need to reach out to assist while our family members are serving our country.
If you own a business and don’t currently offer a military discount, consider implementing one. No matter how little the discount is, you just never know how much you could be helping someone out. Plus, supporting your country is never a bad concept.
As you read this, there are American soldiers overseas right now who are wishing that they were safe and sound in their own homes. There are families surviving without their loved ones because they are deployed for an extended amount of time. Life isn’t easy for those families right now. Finances may be suffering to certain extents. Sure, the military gives a paycheck and helps out, but sometimes, there are struggles that go beyond that assistance.
Many companies recognize the dedication and sacrifices of those military personnel and their families. They have started to offer a military discount for many, many different things. Not only are those generous companies showing support for our military and our country, they are lifting some burdens for those individuals. A military discount can be found on almost anything nowadays – from buying a car to going on a vacation. Simple everyday purchases may also qualify for a military discount – if you are willing to ask. Just like any other form of discounts or specials, if you speak up and inquire about it, they may offer them, just not advertise them. Certain vehicles will offer a military discount or cash incentive to purchase a new vehicle. It may not seem like it is making a huge difference, but offering a $500 downpayment for a vehicle can be helping out a family or individual incredibly.
A lot of vacation resorts and hotels also offer a military discount, encouraging families to spend more quality time together. Disney offers a military discount for admission tickets, making an expensive vacation quite a bit more affordable. Certain restaurants now offer a military discount as well.
Recently, I heard a family in our church complaining about the fact that our church has been assisting a woman who has three small children and whose husband is serving in Iraq. Yes, he’s getting paid, but since his absence, she’s been forced to lessen her working hours in order to be with her children. She never had to pay for daycare before when she had her husband at home. Suddenly, she’s only working part-time and paying for daycare for 3 children. That is a huge financial burden for her. The church has been trying to assist as much as possible. I took it upon myself to confront this disgruntled family and tell them what I truly thought. After the service was over, I saw the man approach the woman and give her a twenty dollar bill. She hugged him, bringing tears to his eyes. Sure, that was only $20 for him, but could be quite a bit for her. A simply military discount isn’t helping her. Others need to reach out to assist while our family members are serving our country.
If you own a business and don’t currently offer a military discount, consider implementing one. No matter how little the discount is, you just never know how much you could be helping someone out. Plus, supporting your country is never a bad concept.
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