For PanzerJaeger, comparing the armies of WW2

[rotorgun]

To point into this, my instructor when i was at petty officer school, put it like this:
"Motti, starts from a single individual soldier, if the enemy who you are facing cant predict your next move, you have the advantage, then its up to you how you use it. Out manouvering many men starts from out manouvering one man."

A very astute observation. I shall pass this on to my fellow NCOs and soldiers.

The second and more important reason in my mind was the early success in defensive victories. When a individual or group, no matter if its a squad, platoon, Battalion or a division, is successful, they start to think they are good in what they do and when a group thinks its good (in case its not hybris, but they have a reason to think so), suddenly it starts outperforming itself and indeed becomes better. When you combine, rugged training, with open atmosphere of inspirational thinking, with high self esteem and will to fight, such group is hard to beat, not impossible, but hard.

This reminds me of the mindset of some of our more famous units, such as the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. They have a sort of never quit attitude that makes them difficult to defeat.

But what i know for fact is that the "teräsmyrsky", steel storm like Finns call the fourth strategic offensive left a mark to every man who was there. As a little story i can mention my own grandfather, who fought both in Winter War and Continuation War. Before the war he liked to hunt, but when he came back from Continuation War he dismissed his hunting rifle and since then there wasnt any firearms in his farm. I guess he had shot enough for one life time. Also when i was a child i can still remember when some nights, in middle of the night suddenly he yelled in his dreams and that sounded like a yell of a wounded animal, not like a man yelling. I guess from that experience i think nothing creates pacifist like war, its just a shame that in this world we are, one can only hope for a peace, but have to prepare for war.

Retired Major Dick Winters, of Band of Brothers fame, says he prayed after his first day in Normandy that if God would let him survive the war, he would "find a little piece of land someday and live out his days as a man of peace". This is exactly what he did, and a more gentle soul one rarely meets.
He and your Grandfather would have something in common.

And about ASL, nope i havent played it. As Finland has still a citizen army,my experiences of Finnish infantry come from my military service in Karelian Jaeger Brigade as Sergeant of mechanized Jaeger infantry. Novadays im staff Sergeant in reserve, one more re-rehearsal and promotion to Warrant officer in reserve might take place with some luck.

Congratulations! I too started in the Infantry many (too many) years ago. Now I am a Staff Sergeant as well in a National Guard Aviation Squadron. I hope to retire in 6 years. One or two more deployments should see me to the day.

[Kagemusha]

Retired Major Dick Winters, of Band of Brothers fame, says he prayed after his first day in Normandy that if God would let him survive the war, he would "find a little piece of land someday and live out his days as a man of peace". This is exactly what he did, and a more gentle soul one rarely meets.
He and your Grandfather would have something in common.



Congratulations! I too started in the Infantry many (too many) years ago. Now I am a Staff Sergeant as well in a National Guard Aviation Squadron. I hope to retire in 6 years. One or two more deployments should see me to the day.

Thank you for your kind words. My hat is off to you good sir, its one thing to talk the talk and another thing to walk the walk. (Hopefully i never have to walk the walk, because in that case the situation in world has changed drastically.)I have nothing but appreciation about the ones like you, who are ready to put their lives on the line, protecting their countries. I hope that you and your men will stay safe and one day when the time comes you can have your earned retirement and can pursuit other things in life.

[rotorgun]

Thank you for your kind words. My hat is off to you good sir, its one thing to talk the talk and another thing to walk the walk. (Hopefully i never have to walk the walk, because in that case the situation in world has changed drastically.)I have nothing but appreciation about the ones like you, who are ready to put their lives on the line, protecting their countries. I hope that you and your men will stay safe and one day when the time comes you can have your earned retirement and can pursuit other things in life.

That is most kindly said and gratefully received Sir! Thank you very much indeed. It's an honor to me to be able to serve my country. I wish it were for a better cause sometimes, but that can't always be helped. We fight for much more tangible things-the respect and love of our fellow soldiers. I wouldn't miss that for the world. We'll try to keep our heads down. With any luck, this will be our last deployment.

PS: I really enjoy our discussions.