Yeah, I think the culture shock would be something.  I can tell you I was pretty shocked at the equivalent of a "beer tent" being errected just the other side of some of the small arms ranges during a range week with Australian troops (part of my earlier comments with DropBear)

Dropbear, I wasn't calling  you an idiot at all (#1). My point is that we aren't secondrate infantry or below the average French/British infantrymen. Darth is way out there...I don't really agree with him. I would argue that Western militaries are extremely professional and very close in standards to each other, and that we all specialize a little according to our current military doctrine. I would even say that if you took 1 squad from 2 different western nations (say, the US and Australia), and they swapped armies, there would be very little difference if any between the 2 (kind of a weird comparison, I know).

I wasn't suggesting you were calling me an idiot. However, others were merely giving an opinion on their respective forces in the same way you and other Americans were about yours. Not one person here has given any proof that would stand up in court/academia anyway.

 

Don't agree with your swapping example. Aust Army has been centred around light infantry for most of our history. American forces are more mechanised even down to smaller units. I am not even sure if the US Army has Assault Pioneers like Oz does. The tactics/doctrine would be quite different for both swappers.

Also, comparing the entire combat arms side of a Western army to another is completely useless. Soldier A from the US Army with 6 years experience who has served a deployment in Afghanistan and 2 deployments in Iraq is probably a better soldier than Soldier B from the British Army who has 1 years experience with no deployments...etc, etc.

I would be surprised if a soldier from either the Pommy army or an Aussie Digger would have any less combat experience than an American one and vica versa. All three nations are involved in the exact same theatres of Ops anyway.

 

All I would add is that the Regimental system of Commonwealth nations is an unbeatable system and this is one reason why I think we are able to keep longer service/shorter turnovers compared to equivalent foreign army structures. Territorial Reg Units have a higher level of esprit de corp IMO.

 

You are right, I shouldn't have used the word idiot at all...but FAMAS gave absolutely no proof in his argument. That kind of opinion shouldn't be very highly respected in my opinion.

As far as the US being more mechanized, that is true...but that brings more combat power to defeat the enemy (not a knock on Australia at all)...the swapping example was definitely not the most accurate example, but I thought it was close at the time.

 

I wasn't saying that the British or Aussie army as a whole was more or less experienced, my point was that the soldier from whichever army with the most experience is probably the better soldier.

 

I'm not sure about the second part, I don't know much about the structure...I am sure it is better than ours.

Answers to your questions -

1) As I recall, it was maybe a platoon sized tent.  I beleive they were using it for "multiple purposes" out on the range.

 

2) This particular exercise was at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  We had a series of exercises with Aussie troops.  They came to Hawaii for a train up with us prior to a rotation at JRTC in Fort Polk, Lousiana (they were attached to the battalion we sent).   Later on we made a short trip down to Darwin, in Oz.

 

3a) For that particular range exercise we were forbidden from "fraternizing" with the Australians. I think someone senior in my chain of command was in state of culture shock that your fellows were actually having a good time. **sigh**  Unfortunately we didn't get to compete as far as shooting went.  Personally, I found the Steyrs interesting and was dissapointed I didn't get a chance to live fire one.

 

3b) Diggers must have their blood replaced with alchohol at basic. I mean it's not like the US infantry are a bunch of light weights in this department.  I knew guys that could start drinking on Friday night and finish drinking a few hours before PT formation on Monday morning and then go out and run 8 miles.   But by and large I have to say this is simply something you guys have us beat at.  I'm guessing that its in part to the crap / cheap American beer that troops on a budget are more likely to drink.  We are just under trained in that department.  While we might match you fellows in quantity, your training with stuff that has more kick (and certainly better taste)

 

3c)  We did have one direct competition.  A rugby match.  The problem there was I think we had one person in the entire battalion that understood the game (the 6 foot 5 commander of our Bco who played in college) and NO ONE that knew how serious the diggers were about it.  Let's just say the game got called on of the number of "casualties" on both sides threatened to overwhelm the medics.   Technically, I beleive your fellows were ahead on points though when the game was called off. 

 

Even if you didn't get to fire one, did you get to be up close and personal (actually handle it) with an F88 Steyr?

 

Sounds like a good time was had by all.

 

"Even if you didn't get to fire one, did you get to be up close and personal (actually handle it) with an F88 Steyr?"

 

Can you get a rifle lighter than an M16? The things are weightless.

 

I have seen a few SA-80's appearing in sci-fi films of recent too.

 

I never said the M16 was heavy, just that the Steyr "looked" lighter.  Hey, maybe that works out better. I always thought the toughest part of rucking all over the place was the psychological aspect (over the physical).  Maybe if you think you carrying less weight it makes it easier

Yeah, I've caught the SA-80's in few sci-fi flicks as well.

the language thing can drive a person nuts alrighty.  a fellow i knew used to relate a tale where he was for some reason sitting in a bar in new orleans watching a friend of his from quebec trying to talk to a guy from somewhere in west africa.  they both spoke french but had a terrible time actually communicating with each other.