Apologies to all officers

[Gil Boyd]

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[Seaspriter]

I know this apology must be intended for all Army Officers. US Marine Corps Officers would never be characterized like this. And I rather doubt any enlisted would think of their officers in either the Royal Navy or U.S. Navy this way. We were all trained (at least in the old days) in celestial navigation. Try "shooting the stars" with a sextant from a rolling bridge deck in heavy seas to get your star sights, then having to go below and take out the star tables with all the complex angles and calculations to plot a point on a chart in the middle of the North Atlantic.

Now everyone in the younger generation uses a GPS today, can't read a simple map, and have joined the ranks of the "fugawwee" tribe (as in lost tribe that was always asking "where the fugawee?") And this is the generation that's supposedly going to be leading the world a generation from now?

I always love having a little fun poked at anyone who can take a joke and laugh at themselves - we all need a little more humour.

[vintage hunter]

the "fugawwee" tribe

Known as the werdafuhkawi tribe in these parts.

And this is the generation that's supposedly going to be leading the world a generation from now?

Already got some, ain't we?

[Aussie48]

Why apologise Gil a very true pictorial representation

Dick

[Gil Boyd]

The Parachute Regiment and the Royal Marines have a close relationship here in the UK on the battlefield and in major competitions such as Rugby and Boxing, however, we often poke fun at each other in many differing areas of Military challenges and prowess.

One such challenge was landing craft of Her Majesties Royal Marines doing a night exercise and supposed to assault the beach on Gibralter (thats a massive rock you can't ignore as you enter the Meditteranean sea on the left for those who don't know it).

Well even after the Officer being told he was headed in the wrong direction by several of his men, the attack or landing went in very effectively but on the wrong country, it was on the Spanish Coastline, totally missing the silouette of the rock.

Result: They were all arrested by the Guardia Civil, now I bet that exercise debrief was one to be at

Map reading is an art and personally I find it more interesting then reading many books. The story a map holds in my view is incredible. Compass work in close conjunction with a map is phenominal especially when you get the results of pinpoint accuracy everytime.

Just returned with some vets from Borneo/Brunei where we have a Jungle Warfare school, and the maps the guys get after being dropped off by heicopter or truck is simply marked with what can be seen from above through the canopy of foliage and trees which is ever changing in the tropical heat. a single blue line in many cases signifiying the river and a grid reference...........thats when you know you have to rely totally on your training.

[villiers]

Of course it´s true! What else are NCOs for?

[Beerhunter]

"The most dangerous thing in the army - an officer with a map."

[muffett.2008]

.........but if you give the compass and map to a SNCO, you always seem to end up at a pub

[Gil Boyd]

and...............................:great map readingclap:

[Aragorn243]

I never had a problem with a map or a compass thank you very much.