Famous military sayings
- Thread starter DAB
- Start date
here's a bunch more for you guys. Some have already been covered but enjoy.
# Friendly fire - isn't.
# Recoilless rifles - aren't.
# Suppressive fires - won't.
# A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you to slow down.
# If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.
# Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo.
# If at first you don't succeed, call in an air strike.
# If you are forward of your position, your artillery will fall short.
# Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.
# Never go to bed with anyone crazier than yourself.
# Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
# If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush.
# The enemy diversion you're ignoring is their main attack.
# The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions: a. When they're ready. b. When you're not.
# No OPLAN ever survives initial contact.
# Five-second fuses always burn three seconds.
# There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.
# The important things are always simple.
# The simple things are always hard.
# The easy way is always mined.
# Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy other people to shoot at.
# Never draw fire; it irritates everyone around you.
# If you are short of everything but the enemy, you are in the combat zone.
# When you have secured the area, make sure the enemy knows it too.
# Incoming fire has the right of way.
# No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
# No inspection ready unit has ever passed combat.
# If the enemy is within range, so are you.
# The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
# Things which must be shipped together as a set, aren't.
# Things that must work together, can't be carried to the field that way.
# Radios will fail as soon as you need fire support.
# Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather, and especially during both.
# Anything you do can get you killed, including nothing.
# Make it too tough for the enemy to get in, and you won't be able to get out.
# Tracers work both ways.
# Professional soldiers are predictable, but the world is full of dangerous amateurs.
# Military Intelligence is an oxymoron.
# Fortify your front; you'll get your rear shot up.
# If you can't remember, the Claymore is pointed towards you.
# Air defense motto: shoot 'em down; sort 'em out on the ground.
# Napalm is an area support weapon.
# Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
# B-52s are the ultimate close support weapon.
# Killing for peace is like screwing for virginity.
# Interchangeable parts aren't.
# It's not the one with your name on it; it's the one addressed "to whom it may concern".
# When in doubt, empty your magazine.
# Combat will occur on the ground between two adjoining maps.
# If the Platoon Sergeant can see you, so can the enemy.
# Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep.
# A bad ride is better than a good walk.
# The most dangerous thing in the world is a Second Lieutenant with a map and a compass.
# Exceptions prove the rule and destroy the battle plan.
# The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.
# Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss. Whenever you are low on ammo, you can't hit the broad side of a barn.
# The more a weapon costs, the farther you will have to send it away to be repaired.
# The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of the weapon's operator.
# Field experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
# No matter which way you have to march, it’s always uphill.
# If enough data is collected, a board of inquiry can prove anything.
# For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
# Air strikes always overshoot the target, artillery always falls short.
# When reviewing the radio frequencies that you just wrote down, the most important ones are always illegible.
# The tough part about being a leader is that the troops don't know what they want, but they know for certain what they don't want.
# To steal information from a person is plagiarism. To steal information from the enemy is gathering intelligence.
# The weapon that usually jams when you need it the most is the M240B.
# The perfect officer for the job will transfer in the day after that billet is filled by someone else.
# When you have sufficient supplies & ammo, the enemy takes 2 weeks to attack. When you are low on supplies & ammo the enemy decides to attack that night.
# The newest and least experienced soldier will usually be awarded the Medal of Honor.
# A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.
# Beer Math --> 2 beers times 37 men equals 49 cases.
# Body count Math --> 3 guerrillas plus 1 probable plus 2 pigs equals 37 enemies killed in action.
# The bursting radius of a hand grenade is always one foot greater than your jumping range.
# All-weather close air support doesn't work in bad weather.
# The crucial round is a dud.
# There is no such place as a convenient foxhole.
# Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and don't ever volunteer to do anything.
# If your positions are firmly set and you are prepared to take the enemy assault on, he will bypass you.
# If your ambush is properly set, the enemy won't walk into it.
# Density of fire increases proportionally to the curiousness of the target.
# Odd objects attract fire - never lurk behind one.
# Odd objects attract fire. You are odd.
# The more stupid the leader is, the more important missions he is ordered to carry out.
# The self-importance of a superior is inversely proportional to his position in the hierarchy (as is his deviousness and mischievousness).
# There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work.
# Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when the General is watching.
# The enemy never monitors your radio frequency until you broadcast on an unsecured channel.
# Whenever you drop your equipment in a fire-fight, your ammo and grenades always fall the farthest away, and your canteen always lands at your feet.
# As soon as you are served hot chow in the field, it rains.
# Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
# The seriousness of a wound is inversely proportional to the distance to any form of cover.
# Walking point = sniper bait.
# Your bivouac for the night is the spot where the CO got tired of marching that day.
# What gets you promoted from one rank gets you killed in the next rank.
# If orders can be misunderstood they will be.
# Your mortar barrage will put exactly one round on the intended target. That round will be a dud.
# The weight of your equipment is proportional to the time you have been carrying it.
# If you need an officer in a hurry take a nap.
# The quartermaster has only two sizes, too large and too small.
# When a front line soldier overhears two General Staff officers conferring, he has fallen back too far.
# If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you.
# Any ship can be a minesweeper . . . once.
# Whenever you lose contact with the enemy, look behind you.
# If you find yourself in front of your platoon they know something you don't.
# The more stupid the leader is, the more important missions he is ordered to carry out.
# When the pin is pulled out of Mr. Grenade, he is no longer your friend.
# When accused, admit nothing, deny everything, and file counter-accusations.
# Murphy was a grunt.
# Friendly fire - isn't.
# Recoilless rifles - aren't.
# Suppressive fires - won't.
# A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you to slow down.
# If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.
# Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo.
# If at first you don't succeed, call in an air strike.
# If you are forward of your position, your artillery will fall short.
# Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.
# Never go to bed with anyone crazier than yourself.
# Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
# If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush.
# The enemy diversion you're ignoring is their main attack.
# The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions: a. When they're ready. b. When you're not.
# No OPLAN ever survives initial contact.
# Five-second fuses always burn three seconds.
# There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.
# The important things are always simple.
# The simple things are always hard.
# The easy way is always mined.
# Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy other people to shoot at.
# Never draw fire; it irritates everyone around you.
# If you are short of everything but the enemy, you are in the combat zone.
# When you have secured the area, make sure the enemy knows it too.
# Incoming fire has the right of way.
# No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
# No inspection ready unit has ever passed combat.
# If the enemy is within range, so are you.
# The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
# Things which must be shipped together as a set, aren't.
# Things that must work together, can't be carried to the field that way.
# Radios will fail as soon as you need fire support.
# Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather, and especially during both.
# Anything you do can get you killed, including nothing.
# Make it too tough for the enemy to get in, and you won't be able to get out.
# Tracers work both ways.
# Professional soldiers are predictable, but the world is full of dangerous amateurs.
# Military Intelligence is an oxymoron.
# Fortify your front; you'll get your rear shot up.
# If you can't remember, the Claymore is pointed towards you.
# Air defense motto: shoot 'em down; sort 'em out on the ground.
# Napalm is an area support weapon.
# Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
# B-52s are the ultimate close support weapon.
# Killing for peace is like screwing for virginity.
# Interchangeable parts aren't.
# It's not the one with your name on it; it's the one addressed "to whom it may concern".
# When in doubt, empty your magazine.
# Combat will occur on the ground between two adjoining maps.
# If the Platoon Sergeant can see you, so can the enemy.
# Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep.
# A bad ride is better than a good walk.
# The most dangerous thing in the world is a Second Lieutenant with a map and a compass.
# Exceptions prove the rule and destroy the battle plan.
# The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.
# Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss. Whenever you are low on ammo, you can't hit the broad side of a barn.
# The more a weapon costs, the farther you will have to send it away to be repaired.
# The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of the weapon's operator.
# Field experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
# No matter which way you have to march, it’s always uphill.
# If enough data is collected, a board of inquiry can prove anything.
# For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
# Air strikes always overshoot the target, artillery always falls short.
# When reviewing the radio frequencies that you just wrote down, the most important ones are always illegible.
# The tough part about being a leader is that the troops don't know what they want, but they know for certain what they don't want.
# To steal information from a person is plagiarism. To steal information from the enemy is gathering intelligence.
# The weapon that usually jams when you need it the most is the M240B.
# The perfect officer for the job will transfer in the day after that billet is filled by someone else.
# When you have sufficient supplies & ammo, the enemy takes 2 weeks to attack. When you are low on supplies & ammo the enemy decides to attack that night.
# The newest and least experienced soldier will usually be awarded the Medal of Honor.
# A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.
# Beer Math --> 2 beers times 37 men equals 49 cases.
# Body count Math --> 3 guerrillas plus 1 probable plus 2 pigs equals 37 enemies killed in action.
# The bursting radius of a hand grenade is always one foot greater than your jumping range.
# All-weather close air support doesn't work in bad weather.
# The crucial round is a dud.
# There is no such place as a convenient foxhole.
# Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and don't ever volunteer to do anything.
# If your positions are firmly set and you are prepared to take the enemy assault on, he will bypass you.
# If your ambush is properly set, the enemy won't walk into it.
# Density of fire increases proportionally to the curiousness of the target.
# Odd objects attract fire - never lurk behind one.
# Odd objects attract fire. You are odd.
# The more stupid the leader is, the more important missions he is ordered to carry out.
# The self-importance of a superior is inversely proportional to his position in the hierarchy (as is his deviousness and mischievousness).
# There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work.
# Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when the General is watching.
# The enemy never monitors your radio frequency until you broadcast on an unsecured channel.
# Whenever you drop your equipment in a fire-fight, your ammo and grenades always fall the farthest away, and your canteen always lands at your feet.
# As soon as you are served hot chow in the field, it rains.
# Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
# The seriousness of a wound is inversely proportional to the distance to any form of cover.
# Walking point = sniper bait.
# Your bivouac for the night is the spot where the CO got tired of marching that day.
# What gets you promoted from one rank gets you killed in the next rank.
# If orders can be misunderstood they will be.
# Your mortar barrage will put exactly one round on the intended target. That round will be a dud.
# The weight of your equipment is proportional to the time you have been carrying it.
# If you need an officer in a hurry take a nap.
# The quartermaster has only two sizes, too large and too small.
# When a front line soldier overhears two General Staff officers conferring, he has fallen back too far.
# If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you.
# Any ship can be a minesweeper . . . once.
# Whenever you lose contact with the enemy, look behind you.
# If you find yourself in front of your platoon they know something you don't.
# The more stupid the leader is, the more important missions he is ordered to carry out.
# When the pin is pulled out of Mr. Grenade, he is no longer your friend.
# When accused, admit nothing, deny everything, and file counter-accusations.
# Murphy was a grunt.
funny pic for ya too.
Adm. David Glasgow Farragut
From Boy Midshipman To Mobile Bay Hero, 'Old Salamander' Spent His Life Aboard Navy Ships
By Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Military.com Contributing Writer
All the highest ranks in the Navy -- rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral of the Navy -- were created for just one man, the inimitable David Glasgow Farragut, hero of the Battle of Mobile Bay and other sea encounters. Farragut's rise to the post of admiral in 1866 was the crowning moment in a career that began before he was a teenager and lasted for more than five decades.
Son of a Scots-Irish pioneer woman and a Spanish father, the Revolutionary War hero Jorge Farragut, young Farragut grew up hearing tales of sea adventure and derring-do. When his mother died, family friend Commodore David Porter adopted Farragut. Porter secured an appointment as midshipman for his 9-year-old charge. Cadets were educated and trained at sea -- the U.S. Naval Academy was not established until 1845 -- and before long, Midshipman Farragut was on the USS Essex.
During the War of 1812, the Essex sailed to South America, where the precocious Farragut took a captured British ship into Santiago, Chile. By all accounts, he conducted himself with calm courage during his ship's defeat. After this excitement, 45 years of routine naval duty followed.
At the start of the Civil War, Farragut was nearly 60, a naval captain living with his wife in Virginia. A Southerner by birth, Farragut nonetheless pledged his allegiance to the Union cause and was given command of a heavy fleet. His orders: to open the mouth of the Mississippi by taking New Orleans. This Farragut did in April 1862. For his accomplishments, on July 16 of that year he was made the first rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. He had already earned another title, "Old Salamander," when he ran his ships under heavy enemy fire between New Orleans' forts
Sixteen months later, he took the last Confederate stronghold on the Gulf of Mexico in the celebrated Battle of Mobile Bay. The heavily guarded bay entrance was filled with mines, then known as torpedoes. Farragut's cry of "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" is now the stuff of legend, but it was also good tactics. All but one of the fleet's 18 ships passed safely through the channel, and in August 1864, Mobile Bay's forts fell. "Old Salamander" returned to Union territory a hero.
I try to forget that one Gunny. That and AT&T reach out and touch someone.
JWRICH4
Registered
I will obey my general orders and perform all my duties in a military manner.
I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post when properly relieved.
I will report all violations of my general orders and anything not covered in my special instructions to the commander of the relief.
<!--EDIT|JWRICH4
Reason for Edit: None given...|1142371235 -->
I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post when properly relieved.
I will report all violations of my general orders and anything not covered in my special instructions to the commander of the relief.
<!--EDIT|JWRICH4
Reason for Edit: None given...|1142371235 -->
5th to quit my post only when properly relived, or as we all know it "the going home gen order".
Similar threads
