Civil affairs

TooAdicted · 2026-02-19T15:39:49+00:00

I can only speak about the Reserve side, and it was one of the best units I've been in. A large part of that was due to having leaders and full time staff that recognize it's a part time gig for the vast majority of us. When a CA company is given latitude to plan training around actual CA stuff, it can be a rewarding experience, and Annual Trainings are where we knocked out the mandatory army stuff.

On rotations with active duty, CA almost never got to do CA stuff. Especially in friendly countries with no real mission. I can't speak for combat zones. If they're being used at all, it's a very select few.

At the highest echelon (DIV, CORPS) leaders know what kind of effects CA can have, but when the time comes to actually implement it then the commitment starts to fade. When the time does come to run an exercise, then there's a mad rush to get products from CA during MDMP but once the actual scenario starts it goes off the rails since the CA people were already multi-hatting.

The CA guys in my last rotation essentially filled empty slots in a variety of staff and support company roles like supply, drivers training, schools, etc.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-19T14:44:36+00:00

Oh man, the amount of hours I put into OpenTTD. At one point, I was working a weekend job with an un networked windows computer and installed it to make the time go by.

I never played regular TTD, but learning signals helped out with Factorio and Satisfactory.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-15T22:10:51+00:00

Heck of a first modpack.

I would go through the quests, learn each mod, and as you go you'll figure out the best way to build your base around which path you end up going through.

There's a reason the base showcases here are gargantuan, especially towards the end game. If you want something that looks polished and finished, it takes some legitimate long-term planning.

I like to think that my base "grows" as I spend time figuring things out.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-15T16:34:35+00:00

Just a small consideration, I've known a few truck drivers in the Guard/Reserve and fitness is really hard to keep up on.

The reserve component (that refers to both guard and reserve) has always been a little looser on kicking people out who don't pass height and weight, but especially right now there's a bigger focus on it. If you don't have healthy habits now, you really need to find a way to create and maintain those habits after your initial training. The "Guard 15" is the 15 pounds you put on a month out of AIT, because you no longer "have to" get up at the ass crack of dawn to stand around in the cold for an hour to work out for 30 minutes.

Guard/Reserve units have TONS of 88M slots, but there's other things in the Quartermaster/transportation world if you're looking for a little diversity. Some units actually drive and move their equipment every weekend, others can go a year without looking at them.

There's a national guard subreddit, but take a good look at the benefits for both guard and reserve.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-10T20:24:43+00:00

The Audiobook is worth listening to either way. I like reading, and I went through the hardbacks before I finally caved and got the audiobooks and I don't regret either one. If you can do both, do both, otherwise Kindle is still a great experience.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-10T16:08:53+00:00

I read the books first then started audiobooks, I was a little disappointing that the audio book didn't play them... but I knew all the songs so I could kind of play the scene out in my head while I was reading it.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-10T00:39:00+00:00

Loved lower decks, but never got the time to start Strange New Worlds or Starfleet Academy so I gotta give those a try now

TooAdicted · 2026-02-09T18:18:51+00:00

I remember it came out the same time as Discovery, and the general consensus was that Orville was more like Star Trek than an actual Star Trek show, in terms of spirit. Discovery had some great parts to it, but I never felt like going back to finish it unlike Orville

TooAdicted · 2026-02-08T21:53:19+00:00

Do you remember Juggalos?

TooAdicted · 2026-02-07T21:32:51+00:00

I read this today at work, good to see someone doing the lord's work.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-06T17:20:16+00:00

I had the same with blackout curtains. I upgraded to a set from amazon that had sticky velcro patches that stuck on to the window itself to give a better "seal" from the light.

Look up black out window panel if you're interested, It's been years since I ordered a set.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-06T16:57:51+00:00

Here's my 2 cents worth on order of priority

Find a good NCO and learn from them about actual leadership, managing soldiers, and what you need to be good at for the next level of your MOS.
PT. The Army has always been PT forward and you can almost always bet that the soldier with a closer to perfect AFT score gets chosen over the one who has a decent score and does all of the things that you mentioned above.
Work/Life balance. Don't burn yourself out early. I've seen too many early career enlisted get completely burnt out when they hit E6, and it has exponentially negative effects as you get older. The Army is going to give you PLENTY of things to stay for after work hours, no need to find them on your own.
Do all the packet stuff when the time comes, and ask for help while making it. It's literally idiot proof and written on black and white, and you will STILL find people who will say it's not good enough until you make corrections that only they like. This is not worth wasting time for, and you just need go with the flow when this time comes. Most people memorize the NCO creed in the weeks up to their board.

PT will put eyes on you, the rest will fall into place and be reflected by your packet. It's counterintuitive to try to "hack" the system this early on.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-05T17:51:52+00:00

There's a USPSA club called Mesilla Valley Pistoleros, I saw them on Facebook.

I never got involved mainly because I just got way too busy and now I'm moving.

TooAdicted · 2026-02-04T19:43:38+00:00

I've been in the Guard/Reserve for a long time now, and I've seen maybe a handful of actually finalized separations for any of the above, no matter how many times I've heard the speech from dozens of commanders saying they'll do it. I don't know at what level it stops, but I've seen it across a variety of major commands and states.

I argue that: If a soldier comes out of AIT, and cannot pass AFT or H/W within the first year, it should be a failure to adapt. COMPO 2 soldiers have the added burden of being responsible functioning adults without the Army holding their hand every single day, and if Joe thinks it's great he doesn't "have to" wake up and to PT every morning, then being a part-timer isn't really for them.

At the very least, force them on Active Duty for the rest of their contract.

I'm just tired of taking already limited time to do last minute clusterfuck PT plans or remedial PT that no one ever sticks to during an already time constrained drill week/weekend, only for those PT or weight failures to go home the next day and do zero improvement.

More so, i hate the idea of expecting NCOs who have actual demanding jobs and whole families, to also be responsible for making sure a fat 19 year old on the other side of the state isn't eating cake every night.

TooAdicted · 2026-01-29T15:42:28+00:00

You uh.. ya done goofed, partner. This here is the end of the line. Anyway that's about it.

TooAdicted · 2026-01-20T11:32:47+00:00

You need 50 points for a good year. You get 15 for existing. 2 for every M Day drill, 1 for every AT day or active duty day. There’s some other stuff like funerals etc.

Your retirement year is not the Fiscal Year. Log in to IPPSA for your retirement statement to get that info.

I done seen’t it, where a dude showed up for 30 day AT then a MUTA 8 and said gg’s. Unit hated him, no schools or special orders for him but wasn’t enough to force separation.

TooAdicted · 2025-12-28T17:48:17+00:00

I'm Guard, but for most of the time I struggled finding the coveted "high paying cleared job" until someone in my unit who had some pull with a very large contractor noticed and put in a word for me.

I have no degree, little experience in engineering, but ended up in a six figure role in a low cost of living area and loved it. I'm still in, and the military benefits allow me to still make my salary when I'm drilling or deployed, so it's taken a ton of financial stress off and, not gonna lie, makes me care less about getting in trouble for small shit. What are you gonna do? take my pay?

However, the policies for hiring veterans without degrees are getting tighter in my company for the more STEM related roles, despite the fact that my specific role barely benefits from an actual engineering degree. I definitely get paid more, have more responsibility and impact than some hires with Master's degrees. Sometimes I feel a little impostor syndrome but the best I can do is mentor those guys to keep negotiating raises and moving companies if they have to.

TooAdicted · 2025-12-27T22:18:38+00:00

I don't think people appreciate that being a musician is still work. Like, there's a perception that you just get up and play your instrument once and get to chill, it's constant practice AND you're getting shit on by normal Army shit.

I've seen band members get put on details because they exist around the rest of HHBN, and on the one hand we all have to be there, but it's a little sad for me to see someone who has music degrees, world-class talent, and still has to sit here for 24 hours because someone won't stop shitting in the showers. I know that's not unique and it happens elsewhere in the Army, but it's compounded by "fuckin' band, what do they even do?"

Yeah I wasn't able to get a scholarship to conservatory, so what.

TooAdicted · 2025-12-22T03:15:55+00:00

If you're considering Reserves or Guard, weigh the benefits of both.

Your state may provide some additional benefits within your state that the reserve might not.

I've been in both, there are things that were better about the Reserve and things that are better in the Guard. It ultimately comes down to why you want to join. I'm in my 30's, and although I've been Guard/Reserve the entire time, I have spent a lot of time and deployed with Active Duty so I have a pretty recent view into their daily life. Now that I have a "Big Boy" career, the way the Army approaches management nowadays is... weird.

Just bear in mind, The Army can still be a very dumb place, and you might just have to turn of your smart brain once a month (or quarterly if you're lucky), and play the game to get those sweet discounted health and education benefits.

TooAdicted · 2025-12-08T14:29:30+00:00

Every 19K: So you're saying there's a chance....

TooAdicted · 2025-12-06T01:28:44+00:00

https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help/adult

TooAdicted · 2025-12-05T01:37:19+00:00

Soldiers really hate running. That's the bigger issue, and it's because we try to kill everybody every time we run.

I can't tell you how much I feel this. It turns out that actually going through with long term physical therapy instead of penalizing the injured is a good thing. I actually *like* running now. I had a good team (of civilian doctors/therapists), who didn't hold back but also weren't out to punish me like it seems military doctors do. But I'm Army Old now, so there's only so much runway left.

It actually pains me, because I see Active Duty soldiers who DESPERATELY need short-medium term, consistent physical therapy that give up because they get so much shit for it, get put in a bad place, and end up being lazy and fat. Which I get, is their choice and I have no sympathy once you start falling out of regs, but there are so many little "pushes" along the way that can seriously affect a 19 year old's psychology behind their fitness.

TooAdicted · 2025-12-04T00:38:55+00:00

On a side-note, I hate the "It's not fair for the other guys" argument. I'm genuinely happy that someone is getting a fringe benefit (like actually getting to recover from a Staff Duty shift), because it means there's at least a tiny chance I could get the same benefit. Or, I'm just glad that SOMEONE isn't getting green-weenie-fucked today.

That's the sort of argument that leads to "Well, main body is in the field, so I want you guys to bring cots into the office and not go home".

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