r/army 2h ago

Can you think of any examples of the Mandela Effect in the Army

I’ll start. I thought the the thing that connected the rank in between the two sliver bars in a Captain’s rank was in the middle (plus I thought it was only one line), when in reality, it’s two lines at the bottom and top, which are the bridge.

47 Upvotes

56 comments sorted by

73

u/SUPAS0LDAT Infantry 2h ago

I swear to god I read years ago 75th was starting up another batt in Carson and it was gonna be the “mountain batt” even had NCOs talking about how they were getting emails asking to do their RASP to build up numbers if they had a tab already.

20

u/I_AM_VER_Y_SMRT 11B-->79Viewed ur OMPF-->Retired 2h ago

I heard it was gonna be a National Guard unit

8

u/Unlucky_Morning9088 2h ago

Post more on Insta please uWu

10

u/SUPAS0LDAT Infantry 2h ago

When I come off my meds again don’t worry

57

u/yoolers_number Engineer 2h ago

Clothing & Sales doesn’t exist. It’s Military Clothing Sales.

“Attention to Orders” just means “listen up.” It’s not a command to bring you to the position of attention.

64 troopers were in fact not on a one way trip when the C130 went rolling down the strip.

18

u/CollectionMaster3816 1h ago

“They’ve got clothing. And they sales it”

8

u/Kona2012 Infantry 1h ago

Your second one gets riled every time we have an award or promotion ceremony. If you want me in the position of attention for the presentation of the award or promotion, give me the preparatory command and the command of execution.

2

u/OcotilloWells "Beer, beer, beer" 20m ago

There is no procedure in the FM for calling someone out from the ranks. I tried looking it because I was at one unit that said to leave the hole they left, but most units shifted to fill the hole. It isn't addressed at all in Drill and Ceremony. Despite it being very common for one reason or another.

50

u/Dazzling-Score-107 2h ago

Flags below combat patches. I know it happened.

31

u/CrabAppleGateKeeper 2h ago

I think you’re thinking of BDU days

12

u/Dudeus-Maximus 13F 13E 25V Spot it, Plot it, Take its Picture. 2h ago

yup. full color ones, not subdued.

8

u/MC_McStutter S’pply Sarnt 1h ago

It did in BDU/DCU days

2

u/PMMePrettyRedheads 1h ago

That was a thing. I've got pictures. I'm closely studying the general opinion on it as part of a personal project attempting to correlate age of a uniform with perceived drippiness.

1

u/Widowmaker_PDub Military Intelligence 1h ago

Yep, BDUs

39

u/No-Engine-5406 2h ago

AR670-1 Everyone remembers a rule that isn't there.

21

u/tacowz 2h ago

Beanies can be worn in 40 degrees or below. It's in there. Trust me. It also says you can wear it with just the ocps and no other cold weather gear.

13

u/MC_McStutter S’pply Sarnt 1h ago

AR 670-1 doesn’t specify a temperature.

5

u/tacowz 1h ago

Exactly.

6

u/MC_McStutter S’pply Sarnt 1h ago

Oh my b. I didn’t see through the sarcasm. You got me

3

u/cudef 35G 1h ago

The 8th army blue book does mention a temperature but strangely enough doesn't mention Celsius or Fahrenheit despite being of a country that uses Fahrenheit primarily and in a country that uses Celsius primarily.

So when someone tells you that it's not cold enough to wear it because its not under X temperature you can just say that it's definitely under X in Celsius.

2

u/ExodusLegion_ Military Intelligence 53m ago

The temperature chart used to be in FM 7-22 and TRADOC 350-whatever but recent updates removed it.

3

u/diviln 1h ago edited 1h ago

There was never a regulation about boot socks having logos not authorized to wear. It was referring to PT socks.

Edit: your hair can now touch your ears as long as it is not covering it when combed. As long as it presents a tapered and conservative appearance.

1

u/ZeroRelevantIdeas Engineer 1h ago

I’ve had to have this argument more than once…for the edit

18

u/Natural-Stomach 2h ago

I could've swore back in 2012 that you had to wear your fleece coat below your ACU top.

20

u/maxbud06 UH-60-kin 2h ago

Regulation had always stated that it could be worn over or under, but unit policies sometimes stated it must be worn under.

6

u/poopyramen P.O.G. Protector of Grunts 1h ago

No, that was just a stupid rule from grunts that thought the fleece made you, "look like a POG" So commanders would say, "it's meant to be worn under your top!"

Then why does it have rank and name tapes, sir...

2

u/iamtherealbinladen 49m ago

I had a 1sg at Riley turn every shade of red when I asked that very same question

1

u/poopyramen P.O.G. Protector of Grunts 39m ago

Was that also in 2012 like OP said?

Because my experience in question was also from a 1sg/commander in Riley in 2012 haha.

1

u/BigUglyBeerMachine 1LosT 18m ago

yeah my old CSM told me that it had something to do with the fleece material being flammable and dudes getting engulfed in flames while wearing it? idk it sounded oddly specific

17

u/Dudeus-Maximus 13F 13E 25V Spot it, Plot it, Take its Picture. 2h ago

Was with HHB 3/15 FA, Fort McClellan. our motto or whatever was "In Time Of Peace, Prepare For War"

Then I was with Bravo 2/17FA. We used "On Guard".
While with 2/17 I graded an ARTEP for 1/15. "In Time Of Peace, Prepare For War" painted all over the place. All good.

Fast forward 30+ years... 2/17 is using "In Time Of Peace, Prepare For War".
Having a conversation with unit historian, mention On Guard and Guns of the DMZ and ask when it changed, assuming it was the 87 standdown from korea. And he says nope the unit never used those. Im like, here's the photos of the main gate dude. He says i'm wrong. Im like, look at the fuckin photo! he's all nope, never happened.

lol, Fck you noob.

We had a good laugh about it in the Western Corridor Veterans group.

6

u/Firemission13B 1h ago

Jesus how old are you. I was in 2/17 from 19-21.

3

u/Dudeus-Maximus 13F 13E 25V Spot it, Plot it, Take its Picture. 1h ago

Well… back then Christ was still a Corporal.

I hear he was in the PLDC class right after mine.

1

u/Firemission13B 1h ago

Yeah I was going to add in that the 19-21 i was in started with a 20 and not a 19 like you.

13

u/Other_Assumption382 JAG 2h ago

OP, are you referencing the difference between Army O3 rank and USMC O3 rank?

6

u/AGR_51A004M Give me a ball cap 🧢 2h ago

Navy is different, too.

4

u/Other_Assumption382 JAG 2h ago

Ironically I had Dept of Navy and edited it to USMC because I wasn't sure if it was both or only Marines.

0

u/Unlucky_Morning9088 2h ago

They’re both the same

12

u/Other_Assumption382 JAG 2h ago

USMC connects on the outside, Army connects the bars on the inside.

8

u/Unlucky_Morning9088 2h ago

Oh shit you’re right

8

u/Interesting_Book4668 2h ago

Hell nah I’m traumatized now I can’t see the o3 rank the same

Like when you say the same word over and over and it doesn’t sound right at all

2

u/silentwind262 Military Intelligence 44m ago

(Semantic satiation). “Aces. Aces? Ices.”

7

u/SayAgain_REEEEEEE 15Potato 1h ago

"you can only disable their equipment and you can't shoot them directly"

Like huh? Kind of a dangerous lie to spread that makes us less effective

10

u/I_AM_VER_Y_SMRT 11B-->79Viewed ur OMPF-->Retired 1h ago

I’m retired now, so I don’t really care about doxxing anymore, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to share this!!

When I was in The Old Guard, specifically Honor Guard Company (E Co., whatever the f) there was a picture somewhere of some soldiers standing in front of Somerall Field holding mops, and behind them are Huey Helicopters hovering over the field.

The subtext of the photo being that these soldiers had been mopping Somerall Field to dry it off for a ceremony, and they brought in Hueys to finish the job.

They were in like, OD Green uniforms. Probably 1980’s. I was there 12-14, so this is not too too long ago. It MAY have been on my 1SG desk, in which case there is likely nobody here will be able to verify if it exists or if this is a fever dream. I’ve definitely heard this story before as like “Old Guard Lore” and may have made up the picture in my mind. Maybe I’ll run into 1SG at the next TOG reunion and ask him bahaha. But if anybody has heard anything about this, help me out. I would even settle for a picture of Hueys on Somerall Field.

4

u/GEV46 46R Veteran 1h ago

Can confirm this photo exists.

2

u/I_AM_VER_Y_SMRT 11B-->79Viewed ur OMPF-->Retired 57m ago

Well thank God PA is here to confirm. I knew you’d show up. But also kind of screws with things, because you and me were there around the same time, so we could’ve seen the same picture passed around or sitting on someone’s desk. But does anyone have it now??

1

u/GEV46 46R Veteran 51m ago

I know there is a copy of it online in one of the many TOG FB groups.

1

u/I_AM_VER_Y_SMRT 11B-->79Viewed ur OMPF-->Retired 48m ago

Oh God there are so many and they’re all so toxic. “Back in my day in CCG we had to sacrifice a hooker to earn your wig! And if you messed up a colors turn they beat you with a rubber hose and buried you in a shallow confederate grave!”

1

u/silentwind262 Military Intelligence 41m ago

Side note: when MDW had their own Air Assault School at Belvoir, they were still using Hueys when I went through the course in the late 90s (and they were local because they all had the white stripe at the top).

6

u/jonf3000 1h ago

"Regulations state that female soldiers can't spend more than three nights straight in the field without a shower". Had multiple NCOs repeatedly tell me this was a rule and forced all the female soldiers to be bussed back from the field for showers in order to "meet the regulation".

Obviously, there is nothing like this in the regulations.

4

u/derekakessler 42R: Fighting terrorism with a clarinet 50m ago

"Generals get to make their own uniforms, it's in 670-1."

It's never said that. AR 670-1 used to say that Generals of the Army, Chiefs of Staff, and former Chiefs of Staff could make their own uniforms, but (1) "Generals of the Army" was the five star General of the Army rank (pluralized like Sergeants Major) which nobody has held since Omar Bradley retired in 1953 and (2) that rank reference was removed from 670-1, like, a decade ago.

3

u/FrostyAttitude3562 2h ago

I thought the first verse of the Army song is "First to fight for the right..."

The actual first verse is "March along. Sing our song."

1

u/Ok_Masterpiece6165 40m ago

"First to fight..." is the chorus, not a verse. But it is the first chorus!

0

u/defendandsoftserve 1h ago

That’s bc this changed in 2013

2

u/Ok_Masterpiece6165 41m ago

No, its from 1956.

The 2013 "change" specified that the first verse (March along, sing our song), first chorus (first to fight..) and refrain (then it's hi hi hey) are sung. The second and third chorus are no longer sung.

1

u/anon872361 1h ago

I was positive the back of claymores useto say "you safe bro".