I am 27 years old, and now considering whether I should join the Air Force on an intelligence track in order to improve my chances of getting a job at State, or just improving my career options in general. Is this a wise decision?
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posted by masterisosceles
on Feb 18, 2013 -
9 answers
There's a character in the 1955 movie "French Cancan" who wears a very fancy uniform. He wears a light blue double-breasted jacket with white braid and bright red pants with stripes on the sides. I think it is some kind of old fashioned military dress uniform. You can see the outfit
0.26 seconds into the trailer (warning:there are 26 seconds of cancan dancing first). My question is:
(1) What sort of uniform was this? Or is it just a costume they made up for the movie?
(2) Where/how could a modern person most affordably get a similar outfit of sufficiently good quality to wear around town at fancy occasions that are not Halloween?
posted by steinwald
on Jan 13, 2013 -
9 answers
Help me identify uniforms worn in an antique pencil watercolor. And maybe a guess as to where it was recorded.
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posted by WickedPissah
on Dec 14, 2012 -
9 answers
Why do US Navy submarines operate on 18-hour schedules, with 6 hours on watch and 12 hours off? How did this start? Is there independent justification, or is this some hold-over from old traditions? Why did someone think this was a good idea?
posted by cthuljew
on Dec 7, 2012 -
4 answers
Help me remember the title of this genre novel about a military nurse named Honor?
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posted by phoenixy
on Oct 7, 2012 -
1 answer
A researcher at my workplace has asked for help finding examples of his topic, early examples of "GIS (Geographic Information Systems) or GPS (Global Positioning Systems) technologies in film and TV", "examples of early precursors to map related technologies". I found someone else's Ask from earlier this year that hits on some likely ones, but he's on the lookout for older and more diverse instances if you can think of any. More details and examples below the fold!
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posted by theatro
on Jul 23, 2012 -
9 answers
Where can I purchase faux Victorian Aristocratic-Military Dog portraits such as those that were featured in last night's episode of The Big Bang Theory?
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posted by Hanuman1960
on Apr 27, 2012 -
5 answers
Can soldiers in US accept awards/rewards beyond those within the military structure, such as cash rewards and such, for actions pursuant to their military duties? (I'd be interested in other Anglophile or closely-allied nations, too.)
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posted by scaryblackdeath
on Feb 16, 2012 -
7 answers
Should I leave the National Guard after 18 years, or should I finish up the last two so that I can retire at 20?
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posted by KillaSeal
on Jan 24, 2012 -
22 answers
An older gentleman who comes to our local often enjoys singling me out for loud and overbearing criticism, even when he isn't part of the ongoing conversation. I need a good turn-off phrase to de-fuse his little bombs.
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posted by halfbuckaroo
on Dec 14, 2011 -
24 answers
What should I expect in terms of opportunities to communicate from a boyfriend looking to enter the medical side of the U.S army in the next few months?
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posted by crackerz
on Nov 8, 2011 -
8 answers
One of my relatives has a secret military and/or intelligence job. Help me deduce what he does?
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posted by BlahLaLa
on Oct 7, 2011 -
20 answers
Looking for military stories, but that do not center solely around combat. These can be from any military excursion (humanitarian aid, covert ops, etc....) from WWII until today.
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posted by JonesVery
on May 13, 2011 -
16 answers
NAVY TERMINOLOGY HELP! I'm reading through my grandpa's old flight logs (he was on the crew of a PBY during WWII), and just need help deciphering a couple of terms I see again and again. Both are located in the "Remarks" column of the logbook:
FAMILIAR &
BOUNCE.
Other terms like Ferry, Scouting, Patrol, and Photography are pretty self explanatory, but I have no idea what these two mean.
Any help?
posted by rawredmeat
on Apr 7, 2011 -
16 answers
How are the relationships between the American military personnel and the local population in Germany?
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posted by Carius
on Jan 25, 2011 -
17 answers
Quick and simple. Will my iPhone still work when I take the camera out?
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posted by ctmf
on Dec 19, 2010 -
12 answers
I'm looking for examples of scenes in war films where soldiers are lost or isolated and a faulty field phone (or other non-dependable instrument of communication) gives them their hope of being rescued or relieved. I am especially interested in films that were shot before WW2, if at all possible.... but later examples are also welcome. Anything come to mind?
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posted by rottytooth
on Nov 24, 2010 -
11 answers
Better late than never? I just finished my bi-annual Personal Fitness Assessment for the military and really need a "game plan" for getting a better passing score next spring.
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posted by DisreputableDog
on Oct 21, 2010 -
17 answers
We're watching
Gettysburg, which is a great education in the Civil War for our 15-year-old son. What are other great movies about battles and war?
posted by musofire
on Oct 6, 2010 -
48 answers
I enjoyed Rick Atkinson's
Liberation Trilogy on WWII (so far) and Shelby Foote's
Civil War: A Narrative. What are similar narrative retellings for other wars? I'm particularly interested in something like this for the Napoleonic wars.
posted by event
on Aug 13, 2010 -
17 answers
When you were involuntarily recalled, what was the process? Did they tell you right away, or did they call you in from the IRR (individual ready reserve) for 'annual training' and then break it to you there? Marine Corps, if it helps.
posted by _cave
on May 18, 2010 -
3 answers
Please help me formulate a great question (or two) for a panel on Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iraq!
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posted by HopperFan
on May 4, 2010 -
14 answers
Have any of you had experience of being in the military with Asperger Syndrome?
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posted by jpcooper
on Mar 24, 2010 -
4 answers
I can't renew my Drivers License here in California because I've been flagged by the North Carolina DMV for traffic citations dating from 1991.
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posted by snsranch
on Jan 29, 2010 -
8 answers
What can I buy for Christmas for my best friend who will soon be in her third week of Navy OCS?
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posted by timetoevolve
on Dec 16, 2009 -
3 answers
I am looking for resources (preferably books) on how castles were built, say, why stairs are spiralled in one direction and not the other, or what are the pros&cons of circular towers vs. octagonal ones, or the considerations for putting internal and external defence rings, the height and thickness of walls, or the differences between how the castles were built in different countries, etc.
Thanks in advance!
posted by noztran
on Dec 2, 2009 -
9 answers
Writing filter: In the USA, who tells the spouse that a member of the military has died, and what is that job or role called?
posted by joannemerriam
on Sep 19, 2009 -
7 answers
What would a Staff Sergeant (E-6) for the Minnesota Army National Guard doing convoy security in Iraq make per month? He's married with two kids doing combat duty.
That's what my cousin's husband is doing right now. Some of the family were trying to guess how much she gets kicked back to her.
posted by shortbooks
on Jul 7, 2009 -
8 answers
I'm considering enlisting but was unsure how a gluten intolerance would play into it all. I'm interested in the navy but any info would be great.
posted by isopropyl
on Jun 2, 2009 -
9 answers
I received a FB message from someone I don't know who is a member of the US military. The message contained a death threat he wanted me to pass on to someone else, also unknown to me. Who, besides Facebook, should I contact about this?
posted by ausernamenooneelsehas
on Apr 17, 2009 -
21 answers
I've occasionally seen police (or military personnel) wearing hats in such a way that the chin strap is hooked under the lower lip rather than the chin. Why?
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posted by le morte de bea arthur
on Mar 19, 2009 -
10 answers
Help me write a realistic transition to civilian life for my US Marine. (longer, clearer explanation inside)
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posted by Tamanna
on Feb 10, 2009 -
8 answers
I'm looking for the text of a poem/ statement that was printed on tea towels (where I saw it but could very well also be elsewhere) about how governments are willing to spend millions on armies and navies but schools have to hold cake stalls to provide basic services. The tea towels were popular among my friends' hippy parents in Canberra, Australia in the early- to mid-80s and were possibly printed by the
Nuclear Disarmament Party, but just as likely found elsewhere. I've searched with all the terms I can think of but can't find the text. Can you help? Thanks.
posted by goo
on Aug 14, 2008 -
6 answers
At Dallas-Fort Worth airport the other day, I saw dozens and dozens of Army soldiers. Presumably, they were about to ship over to Iraq (everyone was in desert gear, families were there, etc.). Were these soldiers traveling via commercial airliners? Aren't there military transport aircraft for that?
posted by Chrysostom
on Sep 1, 2005 -
13 answers
