What is Calibre?

[PHO127]

When one has their wits about them and not under the duress of combat there is a defined set of rules by which radio transmissions are supposed to progress. Over and Out is the classic Ronald Regan war movie method of ending a transmission.

Over is used by itself as is also Out. not in combination with each other. Over means you have ended your portion of the conversation and expect a reply from whomever you are talking to. Out means that you have ended your portion of the conversation and have gone back to whatever you were doing prior to being rudly interupted.

HOWEVER, transgretions do occur in radio procedure when under the duress of combat. One of our more popular members here was known as "The Screamer" due to the excited nature of his voice under fire. I managed to get chewed out royally by the Commanding General of the 25th Division for leaving my radio mike on in a chopper while directing artillery fire from two different artillery batteries, a forward Air controller bringing in 2 F4 Fantoms, 2 Cobra Gunships, talking to the helicopter pilots to coordinate an artillery prep on a hot LZ while bringing in a platoon on slicks to reinforce the troops already in contact with the enemy and engaging the enemy with my CAR 16 and several expletives, rude comments, discussions of their parentage and expected lifespan. All of which were recorded by an unknown private in some operations center who wanted to let mom and dad back home listen to what a real combat action sounded like. It seems that somehow the recording (or a copy) made it to the brigade briefing and subsequently to the Division briefing. My presence was requested in front of MG Bautz who managed to start at my left boot heel, work all the way up to the back of my head, zig zag across by back several time, cut several circles around my ass and eventually stop at my right boot heel in discussing my obvious lack of radio dicipline and training in radio procedure, and did I know what would happen if Walter Cronkite had got ahold of the tape. I stayed very aware of radio procedure from then on. (with a few minor infractions such as threating to kill a major by shoving a grenade down his throat)

[SuperScout]

Verily, it is written, sometimes in the clouds, sometimes in gazing upon the lent in grasshopper's navel: sharing wisdom from varietal sources of inspiration can frequently impart quantum leaps of learning. Good Maestro PHO has spoken well.

Feline fingernail sounds emanating from the celestial blackboard is a Zen thing. Keep gazing upon said blackboard.

Maestro PHO: your delightful story about questionable RTO procedures brought back many good memories! I can only imagine the gasps of horror from the REMF's at division hq, hearing your rather impassioned requests for fire, reinforcing troops, and a few other combat multipliers. Personally, I was in frequent "discussions" with the ASA pukes about what I could and couldn't say out in the jungle on the radio.

[BLUEHAWK]

Hey Scout-
You musta been an officer. Maestro Pho did your work for ya Emperor! But it got done. Thanks to us all...and him especially.
I have another friend, if I may so designate, this one in personal form, who behaves as you do with my questions. Of course, he was and shall ever be, a Marine, and a captain (ret.).
I must say, however, when I saw TV images of our Marines being landed in Kuwait in a sandstorm absent any shelters some months ago... I complained vociferously that this was NOT a good beginning for the men. I repeated this complaint a number of times to the captain. Whereupon he quietly unholstered his cell phone and made a direct call to the Marine Commandant, relaying my displeasure with logistical malfeasance, asking that the matter be dealt with pronto. It was.

Pho -
- Thusfar I am able to obtain the VIETNAM ORDER OF BATTLE only on DVD, which exceeds my serfly mental capacity at the moment. However, as you see I am learning, many things. A way will be found.
- Neither of you has as yet said exactly what the letters RTO stand for. I guess Radio Transmission, but then what?
- That mom and dad back home who heard your open mike probably did a lot more to convey the meaning of battle than much else that could have been done. Your commander should have given you another medal, or perhaps another stripe.
- Ronald Reagan was it? Now you know how truly antique I am, and from where I have gotten what little I knew up to now.

You guys are great, and grasshopper would make a bothersome but VERY valuable member on any patrol.

[PHO127]

A person that operates a radio or telephone I.E. Radio/Telephone Operator. I was a captain at the time and they did give me a medal, a small piece of shrapnel from hits on the chopper or bullet cut the left side of my face along the cheek. PH #3 and Air Medal with V.

[BLUEHAWK]

Pho -
No wonder the mike was left open...

If I may say so, Welcome home, Sir.

[phuloi]

"must say, however, when I saw TV images of our Marines being landed in Kuwait in a sandstorm absent any shelters some months ago... I complained vociferously that this was NOT a good beginning for the men. I repeated this complaint a number of times to the captain. Whereupon he quietly unholstered his cell phone and made a direct call to the Marine Commandant, relaying my displeasure with logistical malfeasance, asking that the matter be dealt with pronto. It was."
Forgive me for being so blunt here,Hawk.You are full of shit!

[BLUEHAWK]

Griz,

I suppose I am full of it, like most of us... it was a joke Griz, between myself and Scout. But the capn' DID fake a phone call to the Commandant, just to shut me up. It worked.

Hafta say though, I did not see any more images of Marines without shelter halves, on TV, after that.

[revwardoc]

[quote]Originally posted by BLUEHAWK Dan -
> If there is just so much room in a cartridge, then in what manner can one add too much of something, and what is that something that one adds which would knock you on your butt and lay weeds down ahead of the shot?


You'd have to ask another member that question. Personally, the only loading I've ever done is the paper cartridges for my musket and there is an obvious difference there regarding powder quantitiy and quality. But that's a whole other ball of wax as opposed to contemporary ordinance.

[BLUEHAWK]

Thanks Dan - I'm not an especially slow learner, but it can get tough to ask the right questions at times...

[Gunner Carvo]

When it comes to big guns, the bore is the common name: The 5", The 16s. The caliber on these guns is measure not only by the bore of the rifle but also the length. To find the length of a 5" gun multiply by the caliber. 5" X 62 Caliber = 310 inches in length.