| From: | Sommers sommers@*****.edu |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Starting equiptment [was: Value and so on] |
| Date: | Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:14:36 -0400 |
> >I can't recall if I was issued my initial uniforms or if thy were deducted
>from
> >my pay. I think it was issue though. Further uniforms came out of pocket. I
> >was enlisted by the way.
>
>Yes, you bought your uniforms, you just didn't know it at the time. They
>came out of your pay. Trust me on that one. On the other hand, you didn't
>buy your M-16, or your flak jacket, or other such gear, which was mission
>essential gear. If the army of 2060 deems a VCR essential gear, I highly
>doubt they will make the average private buy it. So, you say, what happens
>when he gets out? Well, first, they might have the people with cyber
>thingies stay in longer...say 6 years as opposed to 4. This happens
>today...when the military agrees to send you to a certain school, you have
>to agree to a longer enlistment.
The standard hitch after graduating from the US Naval Academy is 6 years.
If you sign up for advanced training (read flight school) the year of
training does not count towards your 6 year requirement, and you have to
put in an additional year on top of it in your contract, for a grand total
of 8 after graduation.
If they were putting all of that time and effort into training you, I
assume they give you a VCR. I would think that the army would for its
helicopter pilots too. They might give it to the grunts who drive the
tanks, since it would probably be rigger controlled. It might only be a
level 1, but they'll give it to you.
>Another way of looking at it, is similiar to the college benefits. I can't
>say for sure, since I'm a jarhead, but I think the army offers around
>50-60K in college money to enlistees if they agree to the right contract.
>Well, how about instead of college money, its cyberware they take with them
>when they get out?
>
>Dave
I'd see that as probable. For guys who got the VCR or datajack, yeah you
get to keep them. Its not hugely expensive, and there are all sorts of
civilian uses for them. Hell, the airlines are having a shortage of pilots
in the US right now because there are less pilots in the military. Less
going into the Air Force means less coming out and becoming airline pilots.
Its probably just as bad in Shadowrun.
The stickier part comes from combat gear, like smartlinks and boosted and
wired reflexes. For how much it is, I've always assumed that the regular
grunt who signs up for two or more tours gets the datajack and maybe
boosted reflexes. They use a stripped down version of the smartlink that
goes through the datajack, and still has good civilian uses. The lifers get
high level boosted, or maybe Wired 1, and a regular smartlink. The spec
forces guys are the ones outfitted with the cyber death on two legs, and
are the guys who keep their clearances until death.
For a good comparison, you might want to check out the archetypes in Lone
Star (for those who have it). It shows different levels of cyber depending
on the job for a civilian company. The army should be the same, with maybe
even a bit more to them.
Sommers
Insert witty quote here.
