Oh yes, sitting in the airport playing "spot the GI"?? I have done that. When I was in Korea 92-93 AFKN (Armed Forces Korea Network) was running a "propaganda commercial" that talked about blending in with the people in your host nation. It featured an Italian-American blending in with Italians. I'm German and Irish, and in the ROK. Me and another guy flying out the same day decided to blend in with American tourists was the way to go. We still looked like GIs...
Kind of how I felt when I got out of the army and the evening news had a segment on the KH-11 satellite. (which I have no Knowledge of)
"Milsurps!"
Dang, I was going to post that.
I've started laughing at people that use the expression "military grade".
Project built to the minimum specification necessary to do the job, built by the lowest bidder.
You mean to tell me that it applies to guns too?
But "milspec" means magical fairy dust in . . . some language . . . Estonian maybe . . . but it's magic.
You guys/gals may get a kick out of this.
The other night the pizza guy shows up and I'm walking around the house wearing t-shirt and shorts while looking like a dork breaking in new boots. The guy sees me and asks what branch/mos. We talked briefly and he was nice, but then tells me all about how he didn't make it through boot camp because he got hurt, is still considered a veteran, and will have a flag on his coffin some day. I'm not really sure, but I think you have to graduate basic/boot/AIT/school or whatever before you're officially "in" and considered a veteran. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash the guy and I appreciate that he went to try outs, but I don't think he was running on all cylinders. My wife never even saw the guy and when I walked in the pizza she was asking me about that guy.
KellyinAvon comment made me remember somethings I'd seen on deployment. An E7 with a Little Mermaid blanket over this sleeping bag. His daughter wanted him to have good dreams like it gave her. The pictures kids drew and sent to us, even if we didn't know the kid would be hung up with care. Of course the guys and gals that had pictures of their kids inside their K pots, or next to the humvee ignition switch.