(Part 2) Top products from r/Military

>Was that it? That's the way I saw it, but I was in the minority.

Yep, that was the plan for South Vietnam. The eventual end goal of U.S. troops there was to fight off the North Vietnamese invasion/insurgency, and allow the government to build up its military forces and civil society enough to allow South Vietnam to permanently defend itself against North Vietnam's efforts to take over the country. This is what "Peace With Honor" refers to. South Vietnam was basically intended to be a carbon copy of the situation we have with South Korea.

Both Korea and Vietnam had a DMZ and were backed by essentially the same powers. The only difference was South Korea only has oceans on either side of it, whereas South Vietnam had the weak "neutral" nations of Laos and Cambodia next to it. The North Vietnamese had already invaded and stationed multiple divisions worth of troops in "neutral" Cambodia and Laos, using them to conduct cross-border raids deep into South Vietnam well to the rear of the official North-South DMZ. This contrasts with the Korean peninsula, where Kim Il-sung was not likely to be successful in his efforts to station several divisions of troops in the oceans next to South Korea.

The overall national interest in helping South Vietnam was to resist the communization of mainland Southeast Asia, in order to show the Soviet Union that it couldn't bankroll and foment violent communist civil wars around the world willy nilly at low cost, because the U.S. would confront them and impose a high price on Soviet actions.

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>Thanks for liking my stories. I am in remarkably good health lately, considering. Can't find the cause. The only change seems to be getting those damned stories out of my head. I feel better. Thank you for reading. Couldn't feel this good without you.

You know, you could get them turned into a book. Check out something like Reflections of a Warrior, which is a collection of bar stories from a Green Beret who was in Vietnam. Someone got a ghost writer to interview him and put his stories into words, and format it as a collection of stories. I was under the impression all the proceeds went straight to a SOF charity but I could be wrong about that. Anyway, just something to think about.

Six Frigates

It’s about the early years of the US Navy’s first Frigates. A really great read, especially if you enjoy American or Naval history. It manages to hit that perfect balance of delving deep into subjects like ship building while still being very entertaining. Plus the audiobook is narrated by Stephen Lang, who played General Longstreet in Gettysburg and the scar dude in Avatar.

If you're looking to start investing, I'd recommend The intelligent Investor to help learn how to save.

If you like what you enjoy, then you'll certainly like this watch.

Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1V Men's Watch

I'm a swimmer and a jogger. It does not fail me.

I read this book a while back. It's got a ton of information about being a good military leader. I highly recommend it if you are interesting in learning some leadership skills.

The Mission, The Men, and Me

I am not sure about any Canadian Forces specific books. But some standard military officer books that in my mind are good to read about leadership and wisdom would be:

• The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester
  
• Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
  
• The Art of War by Sun Tzu
  
• Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
  
• [The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell]
  (http://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342986110&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Tipping+Point+by+Malcolm+Gladwell)

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History 6-part podcast on WW1 is something you should listen to if you’re interested in this part of history. Also, the audiobook for A Storm of Steel is really good at portraying the Western Front from a German conscript’s perspective.

https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-50-blueprint-for-armageddon-i/

https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Steel-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe/dp/0143108255

If you want to read some bad ass stuff on Tripoli, more on the US navy itself not so much on the marines but it talks about the Tripoli campaign a lot. It is called Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy an amazing book.

Platoon Leader by James McDonough is about the author as he's placed in charge of a platoon in Vietnam when, if I remember correctly, they were trying the Strategic Hamlet Program. It was one of my favorite books when I was younger, and one of the few I've read multiple times. Come to think of it, it's about time for me to dig up my old copy and read it yet again...

If you're looking for something more contemporary, you might check out This Man's Army by Andrew Exum. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but I liked his blog back when he was writing one.

https://www.amazon.com/Thank-You-Service-Mat-Best-ebook/dp/B07Q3NMVHY

​

And this is where Mat Best jumped the shark from being a slightly goofy youtuber hawking cringey t-shirts into the patron saint of bro vet douchebaggery.

THIS. The one I have lights up when you flick your wrist. Its great for early runs and has lasted through field training.
Here

[Mastery by Robert Greene] (http://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Greene/dp/014312417X)

Amazing.

try outlaw platoon. awesome and very challenging read. Parnell pulls no punches.

http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Platoon-Renegades-Brotherhood-Afghanistan/dp/0062066404

This one

I'm not sure if it is true mil-spec or military surplus, but it sure is comfy.

There were a few articles written about it, and a journalist that was embedded with the Marine unit they were supposedly "saving" wrote a book on an entire operation that was happening at the time of which Red Wings was only a small part. He definitely lays out a bigger picture than Lone Survivor which shows how reckless the SEALs were being. I'll see if i can find those links for you.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001V6P16U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o06?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Take this article with a grain of salt, it sounds like the guy has a bone to pick with Luttrell
https://www.newsweek.com/2016/05/20/mohammad-gulab-marcus-luttrell-navy-seal-lone-survivor-operation-red-wings-458139.html

Have a Suunto, much prefer the Casio G-Shock 5000 series. They're simple, cheap, they work, they're damn near indestructible and you can bring them anywhere. I've had mine (5600E) for 5 years, abusing the shit out of it and sometimes going weeks without taking it off, including swimming and shower. It looks like it's covered in smegma. I haven't even had to change the battery.

Either http://www.amazon.com/Casio-DW5600E-1V-G-Shock-Classic-Digital/dp/B000GAYQKY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449451001&sr=8-3&keywords=casio+5000

or
http://www.amazon.com/Casio-GWM5610-1-G-Shock-Solar-Watch/dp/B007RWZHXO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449451001&sr=8-2&keywords=casio+5000

-The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

-Halsey's Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue

-Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

-In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors

Reflections of a Warrior. This book is bad-ass, I've read it like ten times.

I honestly have no idea why it's so expensive. Casio makes other solar and atomic G-Shocks that are cheaper. I assume the guts are higher quality and it might be lighter and smaller.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0097LKJ90

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RWZHXO/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009P8E252/ (I own this one. I have had it for about 4 years now.)

You're looking for a poncho liner. "Woobie" is the nick name for it.

Genuine US Military All Weather Poncho Liner Blanket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001L0VX2W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_eW2SzbKFMKF3Y

If you want to get real fancy, you can get one with a zipper.

1. Angel from Hell
   
2. Just Another Soldier
   
3. My War
   
   

Not so much an infantry memoir, but the men, the mission, and me is something every leader should read.

Generation Kill by Evan Wright

There's a book for that: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Atheist-Spirituality/dp/0143114433

Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell

I have a few books collecting dust if you're interested...

Hunting the Jackal
http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Jackal-Soldiers-Frontlines-Terrorism/dp/0060564105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293764592&sr=8-1

Brotherhood of Warriors
http://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Warriors-Behind-Commando-Counterterrorism/dp/0061236160/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293764614&sr=1-1

Generation Kill
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Kill-Evan-Wright/dp/0425224740/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293764637&sr=1-1

Legion of the Lost
http://www.amazon.com/Legion-Lost-Experience-American-Foreign/dp/0425210154/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293764668&sr=1-1

I'll mail em to you if you want em... I didn't participate in the secret santa so think of it as a late gift. Let me know if you want any of em.

The book on Operation Red Wings is a real eye-opener into the hubris and arrogance displayed by the SEAL team.

The original plan called for a Marine battalion, used in conjunction with navspecwar aviation (primarily for delivery IIRC)...though Navy said naw, we got these four dudes that can handle it.

After which a book was written by the lone survivor blaming the liberal media for the failure of the operation.

Lots and lots of masturbation.

Speculating if latest teenage pop star is legal yet.

Find dangerous insects. Pick up dangerous insects with crude dangerous insect trapping device. Force dangerous insects to fight to the death. Disregard the fact that you're in a war zone in one of the oldest areas of the World, and that a camel spider and scorpion fighting it out is more exciting.

Masturbate more.

EDIT: I recommend you read Kaboom and/or My War. Both portray a really good, typical combat deployment. Read This Man's Army for the Afghanistan version of those two (be warned - as impressive as Exum's accomplishments are, the guy shows off too much for my taste. Still a good read).

EDIT 2: Also read House-to-House if you want to know what a real major combat operation is like.