Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Aussies Do It Better...

"In Camp Taji in Iraq regimental sergeant majors are commonly known for shouting and putting the fear of God into young soldiers." (Slow but steady progress as diggers prepare Iraqi troops, David Rowe,* Sydney Morning Herald, 19/1/16)

Ah, but not our warm & fuzzy Warrant Officer Class One Mark Retallick:

"When one soldier puts five rounds from his newly-issued M-16 into the bullseye... Warrant Officer Retallick grabs him in a bear hug. 'We'll be calling you Carlos Hathcock,' he says, referring to the legendary US Marine sniper of the Vietnam War."

Heart-warming, eh? But why didn't Wroe report the Iraqi soldier's response? Like, for example:

'Cool, man, ever since ah was a kid ah used to dream about being Carlos Hathcock! Shreddin' Gooks in 'Nam, HOT DAMN!'

See how culturally sensitive WO Retallick is?

I mean, he could've said:

'We'll be calling you Chris Kyle'** (referring to the legendary US Navy SEAL sniper of the Iraq war who killed 255 Iraqis).

Aussies do it better, eh?

[*Rambammed: 2014; **American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History (2012)]

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