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What is the purpose of helmet netting?


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Kind of reminds of a funny story. My unit was doing our Annual Training up in the woods. One of my NCO's came back with his squad after practicing their camoflage techniques. One of the training NCO's, who new something about the woods, was standing there when they returned and asked them, what they were doing with all that poison oak stuffed in their helmets.

Tony

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Ahh, that good old army stories. When i was in the german army some years ago we recieved brand new winter camouflage suits for a maneuver. We took them on and the whole company was ordered to make a "dress show" for our Company Leader ( Hauptmann Likus, will never forget the name of this bastard). He made his inspection but was quite unhappy as the helmets were still in this ugly Bundeswehr olive colour and didn't fit well with the look our new suits. So he ordered us to improvise some helmet camouflage which fits to our new look. The whole process take at least two hours: We tried to improvise something, he made his inspection ( all with this typical german PanzerGrenadier Drill), was still unhappy and the whole procedure was repeated.

Then some Gefreiter Schuggerbaby was really pissed off to this senseless military dress show and took one of this long white underpants (?), we call them "Liebestöter", and put it on his helmet. All the Comrades sayed: "Hey Schuggi, are you crazy? You're getting into deep trouble!" But Gefreiter Schuggerbaby didn't take care of the well meant advices and reports as the only one of his company with an ugly white underpant and a big grin on his face in front of his Hauptmann.

Does anyone guess what happened? biggrin.gif

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Es gibt Tage da verliert man und Tage da gewinnen die anderen.

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Yeah, army stories. This happened on the last week of our basic training. I was on a leave at the time but a lot of my battery pals swore it really happened. We had a roll call each night at nine o'clock and usually the nco-on-duty would announce it and specify what clothes we should be wearing. That evening he just called "come with whatever you have on right now". One man had anticipated that and came wearing underpants, 4 leather straps over his upper body, water-proof leggins in his arms, a helmet, and a gas-mask. The roll call was not too quick that night...

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The net is indeed for foliage and things. It's actually to break up the outline of the helmet. "Camouflage" in the sense of blending into bushes and things is an indirect benefit. Smooth and straight lines stick out like a neon light, even in the brush.

Now, for the barracks tales... wink.gif

I always believe this one is probably a barracks myth, but the tale was widely spread of the cherry looie who marched his men around the same bit of bush for the better part of a day, looking for that trail so clearly marked on the map -- and when he finally allowed his 2/IC to view the map, was discreetly informed that that was a contour line...

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When I die I want to go peacefully, like my grandfather, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car

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This may or may not be true. One of our corporals told that it had happened on their first "forest session". We still use WW-II model tents here in Finland (they are really good tents, so why replace them..). The tents are big enough to accommondate 10 men comfortably, 16 (half-platoon) if necessary. The tents are heated by a metal stove in the middle of it. Throughout the night there is one additional guard, called "spark guard" whose job is to see that there is fire inside the stove and not outside it. There are two methods in use to chose the turns. Either the squad leader (usually there's one tent for each squad) makes a list that is posted on a visible spot, or a "rotating spark" is used, where the guard wakes up the next one clockwise. Also, the best spots are directly opposite the "door" of the tent since then no-one walks over you when going to guard. In this occassion a corporal decided to use "rotating spark" and went to sleep on his usual spot. However, the regimental commander's sauna evening

had stretched longer than normal and he was too tired (and possibly slightly intoxicated) to drive his home and he decided to sleep in a tent. So he entered this particular tent after everyone but the spark guard were sleeping and took a place besides the corporal. After a couple of hours had passed, one private went to wake up the next man without noticing that it was the Colonel. He noticed his error quickly and apologized, but the Colonel decided that he would sit his turn at the stove. When he had sit his turn he went to wake up the next guy, who happened to be the corporal. The corporal's first reaction was:

"Look what I have on my collars and think again". Well, the Colonel looked and saw only two stripes, so he answered:

"Sir corporal, what if you reconsidered that". Well, he woke up, reconsidered, and maintained the fire until morning.

- Tommi

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Speedy:

Congratulated for his initiative?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You hit it! But not even that, he was so impressed that he ordered the whole company to use the underpants as helmet camouflage.

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Es gibt Tage da verliert man und Tage da gewinnen die anderen.

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Guest Germanboy

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Schugger:

You hit it! But not even that, he was so impressed that he ordered the whole company to use the underpants as helmet camouflage.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Schugger - er ist kein Mensch, er ist kein Tier, er ist ein Panzergrenadier...

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Andreas

The powers of accurate perception are often called cynicism by those who do not possess them. (forgot who said it)

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Ok, even though I've never been in the service, I've got to share one of my dad's Vietnam stories...

He was in the AF and worked munitions, working with bombs, etc. In fact, he was one of the few certified to work on the high-drags... if you put those together you had to sign your name on them so they'd know who to get if one failed. Anyways, that's just background material wink.gif

My dad and his crew would head out to their huge concrete bunker (which was WAY away from the base in case one of the bombs accidentally... well... blew up smile.gif ). They took a bus out to their worksite every day. Now regulations said that while you were out and around you had to wear your floppy hat. My dad at the time was just an airman and he walked to the bus early one morning without his hat on. Unfortunately, on the way to the bus, he met up with a brand new Lt. who asked him immediately where his hat was.

"In my pocket," dad told him.

"Well, why don't you have it on?"

"Cause I couldn't fit my head in my pocket..."

Well, dad was escorted promptly to the company comm. who just told him not to bother the new Lt's. smile.gif

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