Manual Transmissions

[JWGen3]

Prepping myself as best as I can before I land an opt 40 contract. So here's a random question: how essential is knowing how to drive manual in SOF? Is this something that I'd be best off learning now or does it matter?

 

[Marauder06]

Most of my HQ element was not MTOEd vehicles so we purchased locally. All of the tricks and vans were manual. As a captain and later as a major I did most of the driving (which was admin not combat) because I was the one who could drive stick. Or at least the one who could drive stick well.

 

[wp18]

Driving stick is pretty easy to learn. Practicing over a weekend you could get the skills down alright enough to get by in most vehicles.

 

[Gunz]

Prepping myself as best as I can before I land an opt 40 contract. So here's a random question: how essential is knowing how to drive manual in SOF? Is this something that I'd be best off learning now or does it matter?

It nevers hurts to know how to do a variety of things. So yeah, learn a stick shift. Having said that, though, you have many other important challenges ahead of you long before you ever have to worry about driving a military vehicle.

 

[MikeDelta]

Shoot, move and communicate...Your military training will teach you what you need to know regarding these subjects and you’ll want to learn these from a military perspective (The Army way). However, anything else that you know related to the aforementioned subjects may help you in exercising A very important aspect of being a soldier, this is field expediency. Learn to drive stick, as matter of fact learning how to ride a motorcycle and a horse wouldn’t hurt either. I knew a little bit about auto repair before my first deployment and this prevented my team and I from getting stuck in a very compromising position in Safwan Iraq. My .02

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Shoot, move and communicate...Your military training will teach you what you need to know regarding these subjects and you’ll want to learn these from a military perspective (The Army way). However, anything else that you know related to the aforementioned subjects may help you in exercising A very important aspect of being a soldier, this is field expediency

Hey Mike,

Your posts are garnering ‘likes’ and good responses. Please consider getting vetted so that there is no question that you know of what you speak when it comes to military related topics.

Send me, or any staff member a PM if you have any questions/concerns.

https://shadowspear.com/vb/form/vetting-request.5/select

 

[MikeDelta]

Roger dat. Sent you a PM

 

[Chronicler]

I’m not in the military but I do drive a manual right now and learned on an old farm truck when I was about 12. It’s really easy to learn and once you figure it out you’ll have it down forever. If you have the opportunity to learn before you join then you might as well cause manuals are a lot of fun!

 

[LibraryLady]

Dad insisted we learn to back the travel trailer around corners (and other assorted trailers) before we got our learners permit. We only had stick shifts at home too. Came in handy more than once in my life and enriched my beer budget (from bets) more than once in the service. I served in that timeframe when the big Army was phasing out sticks. When I was stationed in Germany, no one was willing to drive the locally provided Mercedes 60-passenger bus (stick shift) except me. Stick shift and backing up trailers are life time skills, get the muscle memory young and it sticks with you.

The more you learn, the more effective you are in the military. And in life. ;)

LL