Military Matters Trivia

1. Which U.S. branch of the service is INCORRECTLY matched with its military college?

From Quiz You and What Army?

Answer: US Coast Guard - Parris Island, SC

While the Marine Corps Recruit Depot is located within Port Royal, South Carolina, the base for the Marine Corps is located in Quantico, Virginia but, as one wise man noted to me, Washington, D.C. is the home base for all the military services.

From Quiz Soldiers of the Cross Keys - The Swiss Guard

Answer: Louis XI

Known as 'The Swiss Hundred', these mercenary soldiers fulfilled the role of bodyguard to the kings of France until the French Revolution. Their final action in this role took place when the Royal Palace was stormed in 1792 in which six hundred of the king's Swiss bodyguard fought to the death. As well as providing this service to the French king, Swiss soldiers acted as bodyguards for many royal houses across Europe; they were also employed by the rulers of Prussia, the Netherlands, Austria and the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea.

From Quiz UK and US Military Jargon

Answer: Redders

Obvious! "Red hot", get it? 'Thredders' means tired (threadbare)

From Quiz Gallantry Medals of the World

Answer: Bronze

To this day, the London jewellers of Hancock & Co make Victoria Crosses using bronze from cannon captured from the Russians in the Crimean War.

From Quiz 21 Gun Salute

Answer: Navy

Warships would empty their cannons upon arrival in a foreign port. This was to signify that the approaching vessel meant no harm.

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Foreign Legionnaire

Answer: The Legion accepts all nationalities

Persons of any nationality are accepted into the French Foreign Legion. I believe that is where the "Foreign" part comes in. The entrance requirements are simple: 1. you must be between 17 and 40 years of age, 2. you must have an official identity card, 3. you must be physically fit enough to serve. While women were traditionally unable to join the French Foreign Legion, recent pronouncements that women will be able to serve in any part of the French Army has changed that. While women may not join the Legion straight from civilian life, they may be able to transfer from a military school. No matter what your marital status, you will enlist as "single" so get your wife's permission before you go.

From Quiz Ireland's Soldier Sons

Answer: Tim Collins

Colonel Tim Collins was born in Northern Ireland in 1960 and attended Queen's University, Belfast, before moving on to the the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. As commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, a speech to his troops in Kuwait in 2003 caught the imagination of the British nation and her allies. President George W. Bush expressed his admiration for the speech. Collins opened his address by saying: "We go to liberate, not to conquer" and added "As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there."

From Quiz Special Units

Answer: SAS

The whole embassy was taken by a group of terrorists and all of its staff taken hostage. Days of useless negotiations followed. Later, SAS was deployed to finally solve the whole situation. Using ropes and smoke grenades, these elite troops entered the embassy through the balconies and windows and successfully fulfilled all of their objectives, rescuing all of the civilians and eliminating the terrorists.

From Quiz S.A. Special Forces: They Fear Nothing But God

Answer: The Recces

South African Special Forces were considered to be among the best in the world, especially when it came to bush warfare. As a result of the political changes in South Africa the Special Forces were disbanded on March 31, 1992, and re-formed with the name Directorate of Reconnaissance Regiments when the New South African National Defence Force came into being on April 27, 1994.

From Quiz Origins of Military Words and Phrases

Answer: Derived from the order to the helmsman to steer away from a hazard by steering to the windward quarter or "luff"

If a sailing ship was being blown towards a hazard, the captain would issue the order to the helmsman to "steer aloof". This would be to turn the ship to the windward quarter, which was then called the "luff", in order to sail away from the hazard.

From Quiz The Little Rhodesian Air Force

Answer: Spitfire F Mk 22

These aircraft were later replaced by jets and sold to Syria.

From Quiz Great and Famous Military Leaders

Answer: George S. Patton

Many have viewed Patton as a ferocious warrior. He got his nickname "Old Blood and Guts", when a reporter misquoted his statement that it takes blood and brains to win a war.

From Quiz Military Operation Names

Answer: Barbarossa

Originally to be called Fritz after Colonel Bernhard Von Lossberg's son. Hitler disapproved and it was renamed after the folk name of 12th century Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick I who had brought the Slavs under Germanic control.

From Quiz Italian Military Commanders

Answer: Ettore Fieramosca

Ettore Fieramosca (1476-1515) led thirteen Italian knights during the famous challenge ("Disfida di Barletta", in Italian)which took place on February 13th 1503 in BARLETTA, Southern Italy, where the Italians challenged thirteen French knights, led by their captain La Motte who had said that the Italians were not good soldiers. The Italian knights defeated the French.

From Quiz Close Quarters Battle, Part 3

Answer: Fatal Funnel

Hallways present numerous tactical problems, since they tend to channel your team into a defined killzone with limited options for cover, if any. It is for this reason that going down a hallway is called "going through the fatal funnel".

From Quiz The Iranian Embassy Siege

Answer: Operation Nimrod

All listed were actual operations. "Torch" was the Allied landing in North Africa in WWII. "Thunderbolt" was the Israeli raid on Entebbe. Eagle Claw was the unsuccessful attempt, undertaken by Delta Force, to rescue 66 hostages from the American Embassy in Tehran.

From Quiz Close Quarters Battle, Part 2

Answer: Bump up

In a Stealth Entry environment, noise must be kept at a minimum. Using the radio isn't needed if you are that close, but even a whisper might be too loud. Just keeping an eye on the leader isn't going to work, especially for whoever is watching the rear or the flanks. The technique is "bumping up", where the leader gently bumps backwards into the man behind him, who carries the bump back until the last man in the stack bumps it forward. When the leader gets the bump back, he knows the whole stack is ready. Another option is to "thumb up", where each man grabs the raised thumb of the man in front of him.

From Quiz Close Quarters Battle, Part 1

Answer: Less than 5 meters

Most police engagements that occur during typical duty occur from 5-7 meters... but these generally happen outdoors. CQB engagements by their very nature tend to occur indoors, where an expected range of 2 to 4 meters (around 6 to 12 feet) is typical, although sometimes the range can close to physical contact distances. Very rarely will you be able to measure a CQB engagement range at more than 15 feet (roughly 5 meters).

From Quiz Military Awards

Answer: Victoria Cross

The actual metal used in the striking of a Victoria Cross is taken from bronze cannons captured by the British forces during the Crimean War. It is one of the world's most prestigious awards for bravery.

From Quiz Great Quotes from Military Figures

Answer: Napoleon

From Quiz Tombs of Unknown Soldiers

Answer: Similar Tombs had already been started by England and France

As early as 1916, discussions in Great Britain and France sought ways to memorialize the staggering numbers of their unknown dead. The Tomb concept took hold, and planning began in both countries shortly after the Armistice. The US took notice, and began its own review. Army Chief of Staff General Peyton March was somewhat cool about the idea, explaining that Army Graves Registration might eventually identify all US unknowns, thus rendering the Tomb useless. But the project was completed, and the American Unknown was interred on 11 November 1921, the third anniversary of the Armistice. The concept of national tombs spread through following years; at least 40 Tombs/Memorials to Unknown Soldiers were built around the world in countries as far-flung as Egypt, Venezuela, Namibia, and Ukraine. Brazil's Monument and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of World War II is in faraway Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy. Lesser known Tombs in the US include the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier in Biloxi Mississippi.

From Quiz You and What Army?

Answer: Gold Star - Russia

The Gold Star, with its insignia "Hero of the Russian Federation" (formerly Hero of the Soviet Union) is Russia's highest award and can be given to Russian citizens and foreign nationals for 'Extraordinary service to the State'. The award was established in 1992 and is presented by the Russian president. Since its inception, the Gold Star has been awarded nearly 1,000 times, almost half of which were awarded posthumously.

From Quiz Soldiers of the Cross Keys - The Swiss Guard

Answer: Julius II

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the Swiss earned an enviable reputation as fearless, loyal and efficient soldiers, often emerging victorious over armies many times larger than their own. This reputation attracted the attention of Pope Julius II who invited a small number of Swiss soldiers to form the nucleus of an army for the Papal State and as a bodyguard for the person of the pontiff himself. This contingent of one hundred and fifty soldiers arrived in the Vatican on January 22, 1506 entering the city through the Porta del Popolo where shortly afterwards they received a blessing from Pope Julius. This date is officially recognised as the date upon which the Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded.

From Quiz UK and US Military Jargon

Answer: An operation using lethal force to obtain its goal

Kinetic actually means motion. In military terms, it is used to describe an operation that is expected to result in violence between two forces.

From Quiz The Bases are Loaded

Answer: Great Salt Lake Desert

Dugway Proving Ground is located 85 miles (140 km) southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. It encompasses 1,252.352 sq mi (3,243.576 km²) of the great Salt Lake Desert, an area similar in size to the whole state of Rhode Island, and is surrounded on three side by mountains. Dugway's primary mission is the testing of biological and chemical weapons, and was chosen because of its isolated and secure environment. In March of 1968 over 6,000 sheep died in Skull Valley, which is over 30 miles away from Dugway's testing sites. Necropsy proved they died from a nerve gas being tested at Dugway. While the government did not openly take blame for the incident they did pay the ranchers for their losses.

From Quiz Gallantry Medals of the World

Answer: For Valour

"For Gallantry" appears on the George Cross, "For Bravery in the Field" on the Military Medal and "For Conspicuous Gallantry" on the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (unsurprisingly!)

From Quiz 21 Gun Salute

Answer: Foreign heads of state

The Canadian Minister of Defence receives a 17 gun salute and Lieutenant Governors of the provinces receive a 15 gun salute.

From Quiz S.A. Special Forces: They Fear Nothing But God

Answer: 1 October 1972

The name 1 Reconnaissance Commando had at first been chosen to be a cover so that the general public would not have an idea as to the unit's real purpose. The word 'Commando' had been used during the Boer War by units of men who had carried out similar tasks.

From Quiz Origins of Military Words and Phrases

Answer: Measuring depth by lowering a lead weight on a measured rope over the side of a ship

The leadsman's job was to measure depth by lowering a lead weight over the side of a vessel and noting the length of line that went out. An idle or lazy leadsman could extend this less than arduous task by simply swinging the lead over the side of the ship. Hence instead of doing his job he was "swinging the lead" i.e. being lazy.

From Quiz The Little Rhodesian Air Force

Answer: Vampire

These aircraft were ferried the length of Africa in an operation considered impossible by the British.

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:44 AM

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