Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Military What did you do in the service?

I sat with a circle vets once in a new support group. Each one took a turn to say when they were in what they did. Some witnessed horrific things, while others had it very easy and felt guilty for it. When we finished, the host reminded us all that we served where they sent us, and the one sacrifice everyone of us made was when we raised our hand and agreed I do. After that we went where someone else told us.

I was an MP and later in life I was a helicopter mechanic and crew chief.

kwg

Engineer heavy equipment mechanic...and boy did they get their moneys worth...12 hour days. But...I don't think we were ever shot at, one time Charlie fired a mortar in our direction...infantry put a stop to that schidt right now...Charlie is probably orbiting the earth still.

US Army air mobile 105 Howitzer Fire Direction Chief. Vietnam 1/'67-2/'68.

US Army - Huey and Kiowa Crew Chief - 74-77 HHC 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Div.

Started out in the USN as a signalman (visual comms) and that rate was disestablished so I was converted to quartermaster (navigation specialist) and I finished out as a Riverine (Expeditionary Warfare) with multiple combat tours along the Euphrates River in Iraq.

"a Riverine (Expeditionary Warfare)" is that what they call the "Brown Water Navy"? I saw a poster about that on a guy's office wall but never got the chance to ask about it.

I was Air Force Security Police for 12 yrs, then crossed into Communications Project Management to finish out 21.4 years.

Yep. Brown Water Navy. They brought it back for the Euphrates in Iraq. Fun outfit. Lots of trigger time.

Chinook helicopter mechanic 3/75-3/78. Did my time on Ft Wainwright.

Medical Corps, US Army. 91 Bravo, 91 Charlie, 91 Sierra, 54 Echo.

2 years hospital Madigan AMC, Ft Lewis..

2 years on Med Evac crew on Hueys, & giving Flight Physicals for Chopper Crewmen.

2 year Running a MASH Unit...Mobil Army Surgical Hospital ( Like on TV )

US Army 1976-1980 11B. 77-80 assigned to United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) Ft. Benning Ga.

Indirect Fire Infantryman (Asst. Gunner 81mm) as Enlisted.

Later, after OCS, I was an Infantry Officer.

In flight missile maintenance. 68/69 Anchorage. 70/71 Taipei, Taiwan

Army Infantry 2002-2010
Baghdad 2005-2006 CIB

US Army 1972-75. Trained as 12B20, Combat Engineer. Actually worked as Payloader and Dozer Operator. Bad Kissingen, Germany

Marines 91-00. Original was a 3521 diesel mechanic. That only lasted a couple years. Went to gizmo in 94 and basically just pulled security. Then I&I duty in AK with a recon unit. Airforce did our maintenance so I was just a whatever the way the wind blows type of Marine up there. I was supply, in charge of the armory, RSO, helped with training and basically the scrounger since I knew alot of people up there. Not much I couldn't get up there. After that in Okinawa I was in charge of the light duty transmission shop. Since I was getting out, I was asked to take an office job since a young SSgt wanted to be a lifer and needed the MOS experience.

Army 1981 - 2001

Started out 31V1P (Tac Comms) paratrooper, then flight school.
Flew AH-1s in AK, then AH-64s, Stewart, Korea, DS/DS. Retired MTP.

Navy aviation working the line as a plane captain. Could fire up the planes and do everything but pull the chocks and take off.

Stateside for 2 years, then Nam, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and Guam.

With the exception of rocket fire in Nam, it was great duty.

Army Reserves 1994-2001 as a 62J General Equipment Operator

Active Army 2001-2021 as a 91W/68W Combat Medic. I spent most those years in combat arms units and deployed three times. I saw things I wish I could unsee.