Requirements to be a Good Soldier

[C-Mag]

I looked up Petawawa, there must have been more Soldiers than citizen there in the 80s

[Smitty-48]

I looked up Petawawa, there must have been more Soldiers than citizen there in the 80s

I didn't get there until the 90's, in the 80's we were still on the inner German border. When I first got there, I didn't like it, but after I started dating my girlfriend and having her family as my surrogate family, it turned out to be pretty nice, I just went with the flow, city boy living in the country.

I mean, beautiful nineteen year old girlfriend pretty much made everything nice at that age, but her mom was really good to me too, they took me in, they let their home be my home, and so I can still think of Petawawa as home, even now.

Used to sleep at my girlfriends house more than I slept in the barracks, my roommate started to complain that he was lonely without me around. He'd say "hey, you wanna play Sega hockey tonight, Leafs vs Devils rematch?" and I'd say "nah, I'm staying over tonight" and he'd look at me like a sad puppy.

Even tho my girlfriends father was a Sergeant-Major, he didn't bring work home with him, he left the army at the army, and when he got home he was just dad, so it was nice, nice work life balance, able to get completely away from it, just ten minutes down the road from it.

He wasn't infantry, he was an Engineer, so we didn't see each other much at work, it wasn't like he was my boss, so he didn't need to be the Sar'Major around me, although, we weren't that close, I was closer to her mom, her mom was cool, and she was pretty hot too, for an older broad, mind you, I'm older now than she was then.

[C-Mag]

West Germany was a blast back in the day. I was never stationed there full time, but did extended training there. I've never been so close to being and alcoholic. And being able to grab a bunch of fuel coupons, rent a Mercedes and cruise around Europe with the guys was awesome.

[Smitty-48]

Yeah, back then, all I cared about was the army, partying, and chasing tail.

The downside of having a steady girl and surrogate family in Petawawa, was that suddenly I had something to be homesick for when we were on deployment, but back in the 80's it was just one big party, in between exercises and alerts.

[Smitty-48]

On block leave, me and my buddies just went to Spain, Andalusia, best party place on the planet, bar none.

[C-Mag]

Yeah, back then, all I cared about was the army, partying, and chasing tail.

The downside of having a steady girl and surrogate family in Petawawa, was that suddenly I had something to be homesick for when we were on deployment, but back in the 80's it was just one big party, in between exercises and alerts.

I spent the first 3rd of my career unattached, other than the occasional GF. The other 2/3 rds married. Being deployed as a single guy is no big deal. But when you got a solid gal its different, especially when in a leadership position where you have to keep the mission and your troops first.

Back then it wasn't that hard, because there was no communications on deployment other than letters. Now, on deployments troops are pretty well in contact with home, news, everything. Personally it's harder mentally because you are not as singularily focused on the mission

[Smitty-48]

Yeah, back then, all I cared about was the army, partying, and chasing tail.

The downside of having a steady girl and surrogate family in Petawawa, was that suddenly I had something to be homesick for when we were on deployment, but back in the 80's it was just one big party, in between exercises and alerts.

I spent the first 3rd of my career unattached, other than the occasional GF. The other 2/3 rds married. Being deployed as a single guy is no big deal. But when you got a solid gal its different, especially when in a leadership position where you have to keep the mission and your troops first.

Back then it wasn't that hard, because there was no communications on deployment other than letters. Now, on deployments troops are pretty well in contact with home, news, everything. Personally it's harder mentally because you are not as singularily focused on the mission

Yeah, it was a shock when I went on deployment for the first time since I started steady dating, when we started dating we were in a garrison phase, even when we went to the field, it was out on a Monday and back in Thursday night, but the first time we deployed for weeks, I suddenly got a taste of missing that sweet stuff, and that was hard up city, no doubt.

[C-Mag]

On block leave, me and my buddies just went to Spain, Andalusia, best party place on the planet, bar none.

That's the shit right there.
It was actually really cheap to travel around Europe as a GI. Gas coupons, plot out a course, stay at a local allied base for cheap in lodging.

We were in Pirmasens Germany for a couple months. Working with Germans on the local Kaserne. Drinking with the locals as well. Got to drinking with an old timer, later found out he was an old Nazi, kinda hardcore too. Told us great jokes and spoof songs.

Nazi Christmas Karol......
Over the hills we go
Killing Lots of Kikes
Rat, tat, tat, tat
Rat, tat, tat, tat

[Smitty-48]

Spain was so great before the Euro, the Euro ruined everything, Spain was so cheap when we used to go here, a liter of beer for 50 pesetas, that was 50 cents.

Andalusia, the land of tapas, you just sit on the patio and order 50 cent beers, and with every round they bring you free food, something different every time, just to keep you drinking.

You don't eat supper until 2100, you don't get to the club until midnight, and the party goes right through to dawn, then you go for breakfast, then you crash, then you wake up around noon to the see the sights, and start the cycle all over again.

[Smitty-48]

In Andalusia, they're crazy for motorcycles, everybody's gotta bike, they have a hospital dedicated entirely to motorcycle accidents, you need a bike to pick up, the chicks expect you take them out on a bike, but you could rent them cheap, and then you could bomb off into the mountains, there's barely anybody on the roads up there, whipping through the mountain roads, then back to town to roll around chasing tail, blazing sunshine all the time, it was bliss.