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The 13 funniest military memes for the week of November 9th
The elections are over? Cool. We hope you got out there and made your vote count, but now it's time to focus on the bigger things, like the Marine Corps' upcoming Ball/Birthday and Veterans Day, both of which fall on a glorious four-day weekend.
It's a damn shame that it isn't a payday weekend, too — but maybe it's for the better. Things might get too crazy.
Anyway, enjoy these memes while you get ready for whatever ludicrous plans you have for the long weekend.
Grape juice was once the unofficial drink of the Navy
When you think "military beverage," three things typically come to mind: coffee, beer, and energy drinks. But did you know that around the turn of the century, grape juice was the drink of choice among troops? That's right. For roughly twenty years, everyone from sailors to soldiers to Marines couldn't get enough of the purple stuff.
Grape juice reigned supreme during the times of the temperance movement and Prohibition, but it wasn't just because troops couldn't drink booze. There were plenty of other reasons for troops to reach for the good stuff.
How one flag can put the spotlight on many veteran issues
In the hearts of patriots all across this great country of ours, Old Glory isn't just a piece of red, white, and blue cloth — it's a symbol. A symbol of freedom, democracy, and the American way of life. No one knows this better than the military community, who go to war with the flag on their shoulders. Even after service, you'd be hard-pressed to find a veteran who doesn't have a flag displayed in their home in one way or another.
Today, Old Glory is touching the lives of thousands as it makes its away across the country, carried by veterans, troops, and patriots alike on a trek from Boston, Massachusetts, to sunny San Diego, California. Over ten thousands pairs of hands will have carried the flag as it moves across twenty-four states and over 4,300 miles. Along the way, The Stars and Stripes are bringing attention to many of the issues that the veteran community faces.
This is Team RWB's Old Glory Relay.
This is the best working party in the Marine Corps
An A-Driver is somebody who rides shotgun in a tactical vehicle for the purposes of ground guiding, clearing blind spots, or doing anything else the driver might require. To drive tactical vehicles requires many hours of testing, practical application, and licensing; meanwhile, to be an A-Driver, you don't really need to know anything about your vehicle.
For a young and untrained FNG, this is the best working party to volunteer for. Four bodies to A-Drive? If you're a B.O.O.T. (bearly out of training), get that motivated hand in the air for this extra duty before anybody else.
Even your seniors will volunteer for this if they get the chance. Using the acronym S.K.A.T.E., we'll assess why this is the best working party in the Marine Corps — or any branch, for that matter.
This boxer survived the Holocaust by winning fights in Auschwitz
The winner fights another day, and the loser goes to the gas chamber.
Salamo Arouch literally fought for survival during World War II. But he wasn't a soldier, he was a boxer of Jewish-Greek descent. That means the All-Balkans Middleweight Champ ended up in Auschwitz when the Nazis rolled into his home city of Thessalonica, Greece, in 1943.
That's where he started fighting for his life.
5 best bunkers for riding out the apocalypse
Every troop, at one point or another, thinks about how they'd prepare for a multitude of disaster scenarios. Many of these daydreams include building a bunker or an egress to a far-off island. With a military mindset, anything is possible — you can build a personal bunker in your backyard or, if you amass enough wealth, you can buy a luxury palace that's nestled safely underground.
The following are types of bunkers that troops would love to live, from the strictly utilitarian to the abundantly extravagant. They're each rated based on their affordability, sustainability, security, and amenities offered.
So, prepare for the end, my friends — preferably in one of these:
5 spots to keep in mind when you're making Veterans Day plans
Veterans Day isn't just a day to pause and reflect on the great sacrifices that troops have made in the name of this great country. It's also a day of celebration and a moment for troops and veterans to take in the gratitude of the American people.
So, businesses across the country offer some sort of deal to anyone with a military ID, uniform, or veteran apparel, like a campaign cap. Sure, a free order of chicken wings might not be a fair trade for all that veterans have done for us, but it's greatly appreciated nonetheless.
To help you properly celebrate Tactical Thanksgiving, we've put together a little guide here to make sure you don't miss a spot on your tour of appreciation. Put the following places on your list and get ready for deals — all for the low, low price of just the gas in your car.
The branches of the military re-imagined as major sports leagues
No analogy better describes life in the military than being on a sports team. From the obvious comparisons (you're operating in a team environment) to the more nuanced (there's always some kind of competition going on within that team), there's no denying a strong correlation between the two lifestyles.
As anyone who's part of the military community knows, there's an eternal inter-service rivalry running between the branches of the US Armed Forces. This competition is played out in hypotheticals shared between bored troops because, truthfully, there's no real way to determine which single branch 'better' than the rest.
At the end of the day, it's all a matter of taste, much like choosing a favorite sports league to follow. Well, don't worry, sports fans, we've selected a league for each branch so you don't have to.
Why only an idiot would render a salute in a combat zone
It's inevitable. Someone will get deployed, spot an officer, and render a proper salute as if they were back in the garrison only to be met with a look of disdain. We've seen it the other way around, too. A troop walks by an officer who gets offended when they aren't given a salute.
Now, there's no denying that it's good military discipline to give a proper greeting to an officer whenever they cross your path — it shows respect worthy of their rank and position.
But when you're deployed, the rules are different — and for good reason.
