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Old 08-21-2019, 08:06 PM   #11
tshiggins
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
Default Re: Five Earths, All in a Row

Quote:
Originally Posted by warellis View Post
Been looking at an old entry, Operators, and I think this part is incorrect:

While the US military, like all portions of society, has cut down on tobacco use in comparison to the 1940s, tobacco use is still certainly far more prevalent in the military than the general population.

In fact currently, in our timeline in 2019, vaping has become more popular than smoking.

So honestly, I think special forces would still be smoking, because generally militaries have higher rates of tobacco use than civilian populations currently.
Meh. It's a relative thing, right?

During WWII, tobacco companies received contracts to provide packs of cigarettes for inclusion in military rations. For years, the military leadership tacitly condoned cigarette use, with breaks during training or regular duties where soldiers were told to, "smoke 'em if you got 'em, and pick up butts if you don't."

The inclusion of cigarettes in MREs stopped more than a decade ago; barracks are mostly smoke-free (as are other buildings on military bases); and most soldiers are actively discouraged from damaging their health by smoking.

That said, a greater percentage of military do smoke as compared to civilians, but compared WWII, the rate is much, much lower.

One notable exception does appear in Spec Ops. They like their cigars, and use them to troll the regular troops.

My friend, Dave, was a member of a signal intelligence team attached to the 82nd Airborne, and was based at Fort Bragg.

Once a month, on a regular schedule, every troop based at Bragg had a timed, long-distance road run. They had to complete a run of five or 10 miles (IIRC) within a set period, with full kits.

Generally, the various units could make the necessary time if they hiked up the hills and ran down the slopes. Everybody hated it, Dave said, and most troops were exhausted by the end.

Except the Spec Ops guys. They ran the whole way in 90-lb packs.

Backwards.

While smoking cigars.

Those units that didn't run it backwards did it while hauling tree trunks on their shoulders, eight or 10 operatives per log.

While smoking cigars.

I used that story as part of that write-up.

As noted in the thread at about that time, modern Spec Ops troops look a whole lot like super soldiers, and come about as close as possible to Capt. Rogers as it's possible to get without magical serums.

So, "a lot more frequently than 21st Century civilians," is still a lot less than even the general population in the 1940s.
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Last edited by tshiggins; 11-07-2019 at 06:04 PM.
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5 earths in a row, alternative earths, infinite worlds

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