Question for the Army guys

[madcap_magician]

82nd Airborne / 11H..never carried a knife. We had one trooper who carried so many knives we nicknamed him "chainsaw"

There's usually a guy like that in every squad, though. I admit I was that guy. I usually only had one or two knives, but it was usually worth more than the rest of the squad's combined. Everybody had a knife, though. Mostly sub-$50 knives from gun brands with the occasional cheaper Cold Steel. Gerber multitools dominated over Leatherman but folding single-blade knives were the most common in my unit. Lots of multitools were attached to rucks or chest carriers.

Okay, I'm curious about how that came about. Could you explain a bit more?

I think the magician is talking about a tanker that carries drinkable water. Either a dedicated tanker truck, or a trailer that gets towed behind another vehicle. They use 'em in places where the amount of water can't keep up with the amount of people. For whatever reason, it's called a "water buffalo".

I'm a "civ", so I don't know how it got this name.

Yep. This one was a towed unit. Looking back I can definitely see the confusion though, as my wording could lead one to think that I lost the Leatherman when the water buffalo walked off, which does definitely sound like the start of a story that needs to be expounded upon...

Correct, and it usually has the word potable on it.

Pet peeve: All the NCOs at E6 or above in my old company pronounced that word "pAHtable" instead of "pOHtable," which always infuriated me. Also getting written communications that somehow manage to work in the term "all intents and purposes" but misspelled as "all intensive purposes."

 

[Ccc]

As a PL, I used a knife for zip ties and MREs and not much else (although I built the cardboard walls inside a tent in Afghanistan to make a small bedroom for myself).

Now I REALLY got good use out of a knife in the S3 shop (plans and operations). I trimmed lamination sheeting, made name placards, trimmed uniform threads, prepared commanders luncheons, made model vehicles, and basically played arts and crafts all day.

Now I cut apples and start the peel on my oranges, and only CRK and Busse will do

 

[Captain O]

Navy, TL-29 Aviation Machinist's Mate, (Jet). These were issued as needed and at will, by the ship's store. These were in constant use, by every enlisted man/woman on the hangar deck (and tarmac).