Avatar of Gunther

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Recent Statuses

23 days ago
Current Summer break begins today!
1 like
3 mos ago
I will continue to be one of the oldest members of this community in August.
12 likes
5 mos ago
If you are a fan of Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar, let me know. Maybe we can put together an RP. I play Ironjawz & Kruleboyz in AOS and Salamanders & Drukhari in 40K.
1 like
2 yrs ago
Happy holidays, everyone!
6 likes
2 yrs ago
Summer break is almost over. Back to work/school and all that non-fun stuff.
5 likes

Bio

I am a veteran of the United States Army and the US Army National Guard. I spent three years on Active Duty serving in the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Ft. Carson, CO, and the 3rd Armor Division at Kirch Göns, West Germany. I spent 18 years in the Army National Guard with the 26th Infantry Division "Yankee" and 29th Infantry Division (Light), "The Blue and the Gray". I was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 29th ID (L) in 2001 - 2002. I have also been reading military history articles and books since I was 10 years old. I do prefer Military Role Plays over all other genres, primarily because I have a vast knowledge of the subject including personal experiences. At the very least, my characters are always veterans.

I have been writing for pleasure for at least 35+ years but only got into forum-based Role Playing about eighteen years ago. I do enjoy Nation Role Plays and get into minute detail when designing my military. The only reason I enjoy excruciating detail in my militaries is because for me, it is fun. My education and experience on this subject afford me the insight to see the depth of the structure. It is not just a General and a large pile of soldiers. If someone wants assistance in designing an army, navy, or air force, please send me a PM. I will help. Please specify what level (echelon) or depth you would like me to go. When I say echelon, I mean Army, Corps, Division, Brigade/Regiment, Battalion/Squadron, Company/Troop/Battery, Platoon, and Squad/Section.

When I was a student in High School, I used to play Dungeons & Dragons. Recently, I have been DMing a 5e campaign of my creation for my son and his friends. 5e is so much less cumbersome than earlier editions of D&D. I do have an interest in Tolkien-esque fantasy-styled Role Plays as well. Time travel has always been a fun genre for me, but to do it well, one must have a firm grasp of historical facts.

There are only a few fanfictions I will participate in; Star Wars and Star Trek are two of them. I want to do an exclusively Klingon RP one of these days. I also avoid Canon characters.

I have real-world martial arts experience. I would love to write an RP about hand-to-hand combat, no fantasy magic chit, just hands elbows, knees, and feet. Maybe the occasional head butt thrown in to mix things up. I trained in Krav Maga for six and a half years. I earned a first-degree black belt in Krav Maga on 3 June 2017.

Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art form that employs practical self-defense techniques drawing forms & techniques from Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Taekwando. It is very brutal, demanding, and aggressive. During the seven years I trained, I have bruised two ribs, sustained several muscle pulls, and various lacerations and bruises over my body. I have received a sprained ankle and a fractured wrist. Before the first black belt test, I received a bone bruise to my right shin; where my roundhouse kicks impact. Yet, I am stupid enough to continue training. [Regardless of the physical pain, it is more fun than any other physical activity I have engaged in. Fortunately, the bone bruise healed up prior to the third and final test. EDIT: I did leave the sport over five years ago. :(]

Over two years ago I completed my first novel, a science fiction set in the 24th century. It focuses on a Private Military Corporation solely employed by the earth government. I started a second book in November 2022 and hope to work on that this summer when I have more time.

Send me a PM for a Role Play or if you would like to see what sort of an army I could build for you.

--Gunther (AKA: Old School)



Gunthers Cast of Hooligans

Most Recent Posts

I've spent a few years in an Infantry Platoon...Several actually. People do move around. No one stays in the same slot for very long. But, you got to start somewhere.

I like socks.


Due to its plurality, "socks" is spelled with five letters.
@Gunther I was born that Septmber.
September, 1987, I was a brand new Rifle Platoon Leader, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 104th Infantry. If you live near 32nd Infantry Division veterans from WWII, then you must live in Wisconsin. ;)

I might be interested.
I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1987. Were you alive then, @Foster?
@Foster I know we have met before; chatted in some RP OOC thread. I just can't recall what it was about or when. :/
I'm more a fan of the McGuire rig, myself... at least for emergency through-canopy extractions of entire fireteams.

It's not the safest way to lift a person, but sometimes it's better than waiting for something perfect to show up in the form of a box.


Can't say I've ever seen the McGuire rig before. We had this nylon webbed harness that went over the shoulders and between the legs with a belted piece around the mid section with a chest harness. Two D-rings were mounted on the shoulder portion. The 100' length of rope dangling off the Blackhawk was split as a Y at the bottom. Each end of that Y-shaped portion had a snap hook, which was then tied into the D-rings on our shoulders. Additionally we had a length of rope that tied all four of us together. In case one man's rope was cut, the other three would pick up his weight. Since it happened about 30 years ago, I have no idea what the name of the harness. The only suggestion we were given was to stuff a towel inside our trousers between our legs because the weight of the world rests on your nuts. It was true and even though with the towel between our legs it was not comfortable, but I'm sure it was better than having just the nylon webbing down there.

I read your second link about the LRRSD NCO going on an Aerial recon with the Bird Dog pilot. That was a good read. Best line in that article is right here, "I squeezed my testicles out of my boots and back into place as he came around for a landing." I laughed when I read that.

I'm sure the SF community still uses the STABO rig I used 30 years ago, but they tend to use the fast rope more often than the ladder as described in that article. If you have watched, "Blackhawk Down", that was the technique the Rangers used to insert at their Cordon points. PFC Blackburn exited his Helo without touching the rope. Hard to believe he survived that op.

In the video below, a detachment of green beanies execute a fast rope insertion from the back of a CH-47 "Shit Hook" at an elevation of 10' during the daytime (3:45) and at night (5:50) then again from a UH-60 at night (7:00)



I have never done fast roping from a helicopter.
I forgot to mention. One time I did a STABO insertion/Extraction training/familiarization event that was pretty fun. That was beneath a UH-60. The pilots dunked us in the Chattahoochee River for fun. LOL

Watch this video. STABO is the second half of the video (0:50).



Due to a children's show (1987-1991), it is nearly impossible for a UH-60 landing to impress me.
(AH-64s and OH-6s tend to pick up the slack, though)

Actually, I'm only assuming it was a children's show because I watched it when I was like... four.


I hear ya, brother! I've been on 15 Air Assault operations on UH-1 and one on a UH-60. All training Ops. I once watched a pair of AH-64s and an OH-58D shoot up some targets in a Capabilities Life Fire Exercise (CALFEX).
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