REMF and the two wars in Vietnam

[Niner]

The American civilian view of military soldiers in war lumps all soldiers, marines, navy, air force, etc., together and has done so throughout history. Take the "greatest generation" of WWII. As the last of them die at the end of a century of living nobody asks what their military contribution was usually. Some of them never left the US for any combat zone. They are all the "greatest generation" in public speak. Every last one a "hero".

Vietnam was no different than other wars...and maybe worse than those before it in divisions among military experiences. There were more soldiers in support roles than combat roles in Vietnam as has been the case in every war from the past. Accordingly, base area support troops lived in a different world supported by a military that helped make the divide large and the animosity between support troops and combat troops was real. REMF stood for rear echelon mother fucker. If a combat soldier ran into someone in a rear area who did him some service he might soften it and refer to some rear troop status as "rear echelon man power". Probably that was a military jargon notion promoted higher up the chain of command and originating somewhere above the clouds that had been perverted into REMF. But good feelings didn't happen often, and generally not at all.

Here's a story that goes into detail and what it all meant.

https://www.historynet.com/easy-living- ... Ci2D2UFCKg

[Niner Delta]

When on the FO team, I remember coming in from the field and seeing how the REMFs lived always pissed me off.
It was a long time ago, but the hard feelings back then were real.

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