Joined: Jan '09
Location: Sweden
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 94
HI guys. In 1 week Im joining the swedish military for 1 year.
Anyone of you guys been in the military? IF so, can you give me any tip or advise which could be usefull for me for the upcoming year.
I wont be able to play poker as much as before which is sad. But my goal is to do good in the military and be able to join the Swedish forces in Afghanistan to help the civilian people down there.
Joined: May '08
Location: Portugal
Age: 33 (M)
Posts: 144
honestly i think afghanistan is a stupid cause, and america just knew how to convince us to attack that country..
but ahead
about the time to play poker, i would say you will have almost none.i have friends in the army and they say that with the physical training and the study they have to do, they have few spare time
Joined: Oct '08
Location: Netherlands
Age: 64 (M)
Posts: 2193
The last war I fort in was The Falklands War ..... and it is not nice to see that guys eye's when you kill him.....but you had to do it ....or else you would be dead... and not him...
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
One thing that is for sure, only young ppl want to sign up to an armed force, and they pray on the young, by going to schools and make killing ppl without choice look fun. But war is a must if we cant all get along, its in our blood, we are human and humans are very strange creatures. Its good you are joining to help the civilian people, but you dont get the choice, you will do as your told. GL to you, live up to your own standards and dont let the basterds grind you down.
Joined: Oct '08
Location: Germany
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 2025
you should watch some vids about soldiers who got back after being in afghanistan/iraq before you decide to go there... i think you need at least 3 years experience (at least in germany) before you have the permission to do foreign operations.
in which way do we help the civilian people down there ? we build 1 single school for 30 kids while in the same time 500 kids step on mines - great help. all we do is exploit this country.
Joined: Apr '08
Location: Finland
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1613
Been in the finnish military for 6 months ... didnt really learn much to war but there was a lot of running . Its a joke compared to eg russian military service , but i think the main idea for the finnish military is that every man shall be able to pick up a rifle, know how the gun works, and know how to shoot/aim. You are very far away a trained soldier if you only "train" 6 months ...
Joined: Aug '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 42 (M)
Posts: 338
Posted by males: honestly i think afghanistan is a stupid cause, and america just knew how to convince us to attack that country..
but ahead
about the time to play poker, i would say you will have almost none.i have friends in the army and they say that with the physical training and the study they have to do, they have few spare time
good luck with your journey
Iraq is a stupid cause. Afghanistan is just if you bother to look at the politics.
Joined: Jan '09
Location: Sweden
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 94
Thanks for the Tip Davoodoo! For all the others. Sweden soliders has the calmest spots in AFghanistan where they dont get attacked or ambushed often. NOt many swedish soliders have died down there. thats possitive. ALso, the civilian people have a much better life down there when the swedish soliders patroll their streets so no Talibans can do all the horrible things to their women..
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 4827
It seems you have your life objectives very defined, which is very good! Good luck for you in the military! My experience with some friends who passed through the military service (one did 6 years payed by the Government and even had time to graduate) is they are great, although you have to follow strict orders from your superiors and wake up soon to make exercise. But, after first two months, it will be your normal day-do-day life and you will arrange to play poker, to go out at night, and to have fun with mates and "matesses", you'll see! Military is great!
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Croatia
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1308
I went through military training and was leader of 5 man team. Believe me vehicle is good only for moving to catch up with faster moving vehicles and not to do battle with it. Those vehicles are made to allow infantry to provide support for fast advancing tanks, by providing support i mean getting actual foot soldiers near the tanks, and infantry can have only one good use for it, to withdraw faster if needed. Once Your entire team is in that vehicle you are much easier and much more valuable target for talibans. Your team have better chances of survival outside of that vehicle, dispersed over wider area, if you as a leader deploy them correctly, and giving your enemy multiple targets to hit and at the same time giving your team good firing position to actually shoot at the attacker. Same reason why it is so hard to defeat insurgents with only difference that they can blend into civilians which soldiers cant.
Thanks for that video and maybe you should see this one too. I checked on that CV90 and found out that it is armoured vehicle class, not a tank, which mean lighter armor protection which talibans can penetrate with this antique weapon and its antique rockets, they dont have need for newer upgraded rockets which can penetrate reactive armor and they have a lot of those and they used them efficiently against the russians and coalition forces.
Joined: Jan '09
Location: Sweden
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 94
Thanks Predobar for youre info. But I never said it was a tank, and also I didnt say that we are going to use this vehicle in Afghanistan. We are going to be trained with them on swedish territory.
Ive never been in the military before because im 19 years old. But I will spend the upcoming year in the swedish army. And it is with this vehicle we are going to trrain with. I know its an easy target and we will fight 95 % of the time OUTSIDE the vehicle. We will only get into it when advancing or retreating because its faster. Also it gives good firepower for cover when we are makin moves ahead or back. Also, this vehecle is weak at the sides and back, but its front is very strong and tanks will find it hard to take it out.
We are more likley not going to use it in afghanistan. 95 % of the time we are infanteries. This vehicle only fights for a few seconds, then give outs smoke and then pull back. Its a really advanced vehicle, one of the best "light tank" or "transport vehicle with firepower" in the world. Its also fast and can drive over almost everything.
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Croatia
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1308
Sorry for not being clear, post is long as it is. I know you didnt say it was a tank, also it is a nice concept to have one chassis for multiple weapon platform at least for producers , I was just pointing that out because RPG`s they use arent that good against most advanced tanks but are still doing great job against light tanks and armored vehicles. About using it, sorry i just presumed. No flaming at all, I was just commenting.
I was not looking to hard and didnt find exact details on its armor protection but if You say that it has weak points on sides, that sucks big time. Nobody, even the ones with basic training, shoot tanks and apc`s from front side because all vehicles, tanks and apcs, have thickest armor on the front and only one shooting other vehcles to front side are tanks against which you wont see any action in afganistan. Also in guerrilla type battle you`ll be getting a lot of action from behind so prepare for it too, put pressure on team members who need to cover your behind not to watch forward too much where rest of the team is looking. It is hard to walk backwards but it is a must, specially in close combat situations against guerrilla.
2, actually 3 advices. For team leader the best practice without actually being in a fight is chess. Second advice, youll be doing a lot of dry training with your team, learn them to take cover before anything and work on team communication with hands only, yeah I laughed too at the beginning. I hope You wont need to use all the stuff you learn but its better to enter some situation where your life is at stake prepared.
May I ask You one more question, how come it is a 8 man team, is it with the apc crew added?
I wish you never see any action at all and stay in sweden for entire year.
Joined: Jan '09
Location: Sweden
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 94
Thanks for the tips PRedobar! YEs. IN the vehicle its 10 or 11 people in. 3 in the front who drives, communicate tank commander etc. ANd in the Back Is me and 7 more. And they will let us out when war start.
. Its a joke compared to eg russian military service , but i think the main idea for the finnish military is that every man shall be able to pick up a rifle, know how the gun works, and know how to shoot/aim. You are very far away a trained soldier if you only "train" 6 months ... 
