I think the 2nd Tank commander you are thinking of was LTC Brainerd.

I was his BN FSO.

I was in the 329th ASA. As we were always in small teams, we never had, -in garrison, or the field, any of theses nice mercenary ladies.

But then I went to PLDC, at that compound just down the road from Hovey. I was amazed that each section had its own designated Ajumma, selling choco-pies and c-rat coffee through the fence during breaks (at .50 a cup!).

My classmates, who came from all the other units in division told me a million and one stories about their PLT's ajumma's. Cracked me up. These women were loan-sharking, pimping, all kinds of shit. But to these women we owe the sine qua non of Korean cuisine, 'budae kogi jjigae' ("military unit meat stew") and the indefatiguable cheese ramyon.

At PLDC, I led a PLT boycott of our ajumma to get her to lower her prices. The very next day, the Sr instructor comes into class demanding to know what kind of problem we had with our ajumma! That told me all I needed to know about the cadre's relationship with the ajumma's.

But the ladies' real cash cow became apparent during the FTX portion. The NCO academy even furnished an M35 (deuce & a half) for them to load all their shit up and follow us to the field (just that area East of Tokko-ri). There they sold all kinds of shit. Nobody had to break into a C-rat unless they perversely liked them.

Where they really made a bundle was collecting brass, because in the FTX portion we shot up basic load after load.

True story: in my squad, I made the 71L guy (clerk) carry and run the M60. now, as anybody knows, the M60 doesn't work worth a shit firing blanks. Nevertheless, the 71L is trying his best to keep the weapon cleared and firing. Ajumma is following him up hill catching brass in her skirt. About the 5th time the weapon jammed, she took it out of his hands and cleared it for him using the tried & true 'kick-start' method.

The next thing I know, as we are coming to the crest of the hill we're supposed to be assaulting, I turn around, and ajumma is running the M60, and the 71L has his steel pot off, catching spent brass for her….

It's like this. If you let ajumma set up inside your perimiter and rip off Soldiers with outrageous prices and I-O-U tab-running scams, you won't get hit by Slicky Boy. However, if you kick her conniving ass out of the perimiter, you'll lose a bunch of TA-50 and sensitive items if you're not careful.

Catch-22. Sort of like Korea.

You learned will quick about Ajushi's scams those gloves etc; did not work after the first field problem. To this day I could never figure out why Ajuma could go out to the field with you. You knew you were moving when she broke down her tent. It's 2007 and it's still happening from what I hear. We could not take pogi bait but Ajuma had it all. These days you can spot Command because they bring their bubble tents that they brought from Wal-mart.

Bones