I'm interested in finding out a bit about the members here so I thought I'd ask, "What did you do in the service?" For myself, my service was not of my choosing but rather at the 'invite' of Uncle Sam during the summer after my freshman year in college. I'll start this off with my service, such that is was:

• June - August 1967: E-1, Basic Training at Ft. Lewis, WA
• August - October 1967: E-2, Armor Training at Ft. Knox, KY
• October 1967: E-5, Armor NCO School at Ft. Knox, KY
• November 1967 - July 1968: E-5, M-60A1 Tank Crewman, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Baumhoulder, Germany
• July-September 1968: Staff Sergeant E-6, M-60A1 Tank Commander, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Ft. Lewis, WA
• September 1968 - June 1969: Staff Sergeant E-6, M-48A3 Tank Commander, 25 Infantry (4th Cav), Cu Chi, RVN, Wounded June 2, 1969
• June 1969 - February 1970: Patient, Madigan General Hospital, McChord AFB, WA
• February - June 1970: Staff Sergeant E-6, Instructor, Armor and Small Arms, Ft Knox, KY
• June 25, 1970: Civilian, Freedom

I was not drafted and did not volunteer.
Thanks for your service.
My dad was in the army in WWII, wounded on Okinawa.

Steve,
Welcome home! Thank you for your service!
You will find a military forum further down on the Campfire!

Ken

I was not drafted either so, sorry I don't have any stickers on my truck's back window.

My pops was in Army aviation for 26 years but the only way anyone would ever might know is that little blue sticker on his Cadillac windshield.

USAF 1960-1964
Paul B.

That's a fast track, E1 to E6 in 2 years, but I'm guessing the NCO school did that.

For myself, US Army 11B40 (E5) Light Weapons Infantry, February 1972 - January 1975. Berlin Brigade, August 1972 until DEROS in Jan. '75. Missed Vietnam by the hair of my chinny chin chin - half of our AIT company was sent there, half went to Germany. I was in that second half.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8238427/1

Army
11B Light Infantry (oxymoronical term)
83-08
Been a few places.
Done a few things.
Ain't got no rolling 201 file on my back window of my truck.
Or walls of "I love me"chyt in the house.
Just one thing given to me by my brothers from the Duece is on a wall.
My company spent 9 months in city center Mosul may 03 -Jan 04.
5 KIA 14 WIA, myself among the WIA.
90 days stateside and went back to my brothers.
Never got rotated out like the rest of battalion and 2nd Bde did.
Dealt out way way more than what we took.
That's why it is the only thing on a wall.


Kids and grand kids can go thru all the other boxed up chit when I kick the bucket.
And my burying class "A" uniform is in a garment bag in the closet with a pair of cochran,s spit shined in a box.

For whenever....

USN 1966-1970. Walked on land with the exception of four short details on carriers. Wa, Ca, Fl, Va, then Guam, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, and Australia. Plane captain and structural/hydraulic mechanic. Out as E5. Mostly good times

USN 1964 - 68

Basic at Ft Sill OK in July & August of 1985.
AIT for 63W (3rd shop wheeled vehicle Mechanic) at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (Edgewood MD).
Reported for permanent duty at Ft Lewis WA in January of 1986.
Was assigned to Co B, 2nd Support Battalion (later became 209th SB). Basically it was 3rd shop mechanical support for 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry.
Pretty much served out my time at Ft Lewis, with some fun trips to Yakima Firing Center, Hunter Ligget CA, and Ft Irwin.
Really the only interesting thing was receiving orders to Korea as a 13B (Cannon Cocker) through an Army Screw up.
Got out on Terminal Leave in April of '89.
On a side note, several buddies who got out after me were called up for Dessert Storm. I figured I was next, made out a will and got 1st wifey a power of attorney just in case. Luckily, no registered letter ever arrived.
7mm

No brett kavanaugh calendar of events?

USMC 1976-1986. Spent time at MCB Camp Pendleton, Ca, MCAS Beaufort, SC, and MCRD Parris Island, SC.
7 years as an MP and 3 years as a Drill Instructor.

Thank you for your service to all those that served.

USN 63-68

Drafted in 1969, basic at Ft. Campbell, KY, AIT at Ft Lee, Va. Served 6 months in Germany with 562nd Air Defense Command, then sent to Viet Nam serving on the USRV, ICCV, Inspector General's team. Out processed an E-5 (Sgt) in 1971.

No ...
Did that on tndeer with my dd214 with bumper # and last name blotted out to shut up some POS mofo,s on that site.
It worked....

Volunteered for the USN in '66. Joined, served on WW-II submarines; USS Redfish, USS Razorback.. Got out in '69 as a TM-3 (SS).

Duck "[bleep] mouf" 37058 and Foggy Lee Farnsworth?

20+ years in the Marine Corps.

7 deployments during that time.

4 years in the Air Force. Alaska and Taiwan. Highly recommend it.

26 years in the Military Police, USA.

yours, tex

Enlisted in August 1968/
Took basic in Ft. Leonard Wood Missouri. Since I had 4 years High School ROTC, started out as an E-3, PFC.
In basic I was a squad leader.
Next, to Fort Knox to train on M48 tanks . Odd, When got to Germany , we had M-60's. Totally different.
After Knox, went to Ft. Bliss, Texas, to train on the Redeye missile system. It was a shoulder launched, surface to air missile for taking out low flying planes.
By this time I was an E-4. And was sent to Schweinfurt Germany, as part of the 3/7 Cav. Spent the next year on the East German and Czech borders watching them watch us. Made Sergeant E-5 and became the NCOIC.
Got bored so went to NCO school, came out 2nd.
Next I went to demolition school and had fun blowing things up. It was in Berchesgarten in the summer. Really nice.
Finally to Aschaffenburg for Instructors training School. Graduated 1st. In my class and spent the rest of my time touring Europe teaching combat demolition and portable Radar operation.
Did manage to spend some time on the 3rd. Infantry Division pistol team.
All that in 3 years.
Now my best friend is the V.A.

U.S. Army, 7 years.

My lottery number was 354, so I wasn’t drafted. Thank all of you for your service!!

Yes, enlisted. USNR and USAF. 1962 to 1971.

Navy Gunner's Mate
1976-1980
USS Forrest Sherman DD-931
USS Semmes DDG-18
5" 54 Mk42 mods 7&10
Ship's Armorer both ships

June 1973 Basic at Ft. Leonard Wood followed by MP school at Ft. Gordon.
October 1973 to November 1974 at Ft. Sam Houston 52nd MP Co.
December 1974 to June 1976 B Btry 1/43d ADA to fight the Cold War
http://nikealaska.org/summit/SiteSUMMIT.html

August 1976 to August 1977 186th MP Co. Iowa National Guard

August 1985 to September 2005 Iowa National Guard
Helicopter mechanic and CE on Hueys and Blackhawks
Retired out as a Platoon Sergeant (SFC).

kwg

Field Janitor;

USMCR ‘75-‘81.

I have not that honor.

I turned eighteen in the summer of '74. The whole military was in the process of downsizing.

To those who did serve, you have my eternal gratitude.

Will carry it to my grave though most call me stupid for such, worked state and federal officer, then civilian work in CA and a piece in SA .

Always felt guilty about not wearing a proper uniform, set up with a upper level buddy, walked my self into meet a pre appointed recruiter at the age of 40 and successful enough to give four years to a special ops medical position, he was 20 years my younger and rightfully pissed me off as milk dribbled down his chin. Walked out called upper level buddy again, he said go back , the right guy would be there, I did , same guy again. Walked out again. Buddy called, said his buddy who was supposed to be there was being held up. Reckon I would be long dead if it had worked out anyway.

To all the others , hats off to ya, you will always carry my deepest respect.

USN enlisted ‘68 with the draft board breathing down my neck. Then they started the lottery. My number would have been 360. Close call, not that I knew it at the time, but I needed the USN a lot more than the USN needed me. A short stint at school in Pensacola, then off to The Philippines for the balance of my four year enlistment and another year after separation.

My draft number was 125 and they were only taking up to 95 that year. A year or so later I joined the Air Force. Spent 8 years there and the rest of my life on VA disability.

I played harder than I studied my first 3 years at Colorado State so I lost my College Deferment and spent the next winter skiing in Steamboat Springs. I got "the letter" in the spring of '68 and was sent to Basic Training at Ft Bliss, TX. I continued my Army training through OCS at Ft Belvoir, VA where I commissioned and upheld a family tradition: My Grandfather was a Lieutenant in the US Army in WWI, my Father was a Lieutenant in the US Navy during the Korean War, and I was a Lieutenant in the US Army in Vietnam.

Army. 88-Present. Done lots of things, been lots of places, enjoyed much of it, regret very little about it. 19 more months and I’m done. Need to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

Old70

Army 11A from 92-99, all the expected schools and standard training deployments but nothing sporty. Branch transferred, REMF from '99-'16, to include Iraq deployment as a REMF assigned to SOF.

Marines and Arizona National Guard. They both got their pound of flesh from me and then some.





Call me crazy but i still think military service should be mandatory. We would have a lot less problems in this country if it was.

USN 1987-2011

I was an Artillery and Naval Gunfire Scout Observer (AKA Forward Observer in civilian lingo) in the Marines.
Stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. Two tours in Iraq. Went lots of other places. Discharged as a Staff Sergeant.


Zero regrets. Wouldn't change a thing but am glad I am out.

USN 85' - 89'
US Deyo (DD989)

Then did five or 6 years USNR

Fubar: Very similar to you except I was there from 67-69. Red Eye thingy was fun out in the desert. Demo school in Berchesgarten was really a hoot. Left as an E-5, changed forever my outlook on life.

LCDR in the USN. Served on 4 ships, deployed 3 times.

January 1978 - January 1998. US Navy Band Sea Chanters. Washington DC Navy Yard, all 20. I was a 1st tenor.

USN Oct.54 to Oct 57

Had a good friend who was a tank crewman for the Army and spent a year or so in I Corps SVN around '69-'70. Odd change of pace for a surfer dude. I'm pretty sure he flipped me off a few times when I flew overhead.

Enlisted in USAF.....1966-1970 Charleston AFB, Charleston S.C. (prior to that 17 years as an Army Brat)

1958-1963
US Army
Artillery
ARADCOM MTU

1968 - 1971
US Army
Nike Hercules
ARADCOM

I didn't. Vietnam and the draft ended shortly before I would have been eligible for it and a lot of people my age was happy to let the military go its own way after all of that.

Looking back,...I think I would have benefitted from doing a stint in the military during the peacetime that followed Vietnam.

If nothing else, it would have given me a period of time to decide what I wanted to do and the discipline necessary to act on it.

As it was, I jumped into the world at age 19 with no plan,...just loading trucks to make a day to day living.

It was a good time,..but it was time that could have been spent better.

I wouldn't have wanted to be a trigger puller, however. My Dad was a trigger puller in the Pacific during WW2 and he dealt with it his whole life.

That had more than a little bit to do with the fact that I never considered the military.

USAF Office of Special Investigations. 20 years. 1977 to 1997.

1971-1974
US Army
67N and 82C

Joined The Army, 29 July 98 plan on being retired 1 Aug 2020. A lot Soldiers joining that were born the same yr I joined. Seeing that I know I'm getting old..

USAF 81-86. AFSC 305X4, Electronic and Communications Systems Specialist. Great job, great school. lucked out biggly.

keesler AFB 9 months school in lovely biloxi ms
barksdale afb la 2.5 years working in the 8th AF HQ on the systems that tracked the status of minute man 2 and various other nuclear equipped platforms
lockheed factory training may-sep 84 in austin tx learning all about the ground link for the U2
Osan AFB 84-85 keeping an eye on the norks. traveled all over the far east on Space A flights. japan, okinawa, phillipines.
Pentagon 85-86 working in the National Military Command Center in the Joint Chiefs of Staff area. lived on ft myer along side of arlington nat.

couldn't take living in DC for 6 years as an enlisted man so i volunteered for the Graham Rudman Hollings Early Out program and got the hell out of dodge.

the USAF was the best thing i ever did. didn't really appreciate it at the time but when i look back on it, it almost seems surreal that i was working in that arena as a 20 y/o punk.

still got my footlocker in the attic that has all my uniforms, corcorans, low quarters, fatigues, blues, hats, even t shirts and socks and all my orders, trinkets, etc. i've opened it only a few times in 32 years. once about 10 years ago when my boys found it and wanted to dig into it. we had fun that day. someday when their mom ain't around i'll share some real stories that a young man could enjoy.

Army, active duty 76-79.

Funny thing, almost got drafted. At the induction center they announced everybody could go home because the president was going to announce the end of the draft the next day.

USAF 2W1

03-04 Lackland AFB/Shepard AFB for BMT and Tech School
04-12 Hill AFB, Utah F-16
-Balad Iraq 05
-Balad Iraq 09
12-13 Kunsan AB, ROK F-16
13-Present Ellsworth AFB, SD B-1B
-16 Andersen AFB, Guam (rocket MAn deterrence)
-18 Al Udeid AB, Qatar (JASSMs on target in Syria)
Mar 19 Osan AB, ROK F-16
My follow on has yet to be determined

Thanks all past and present for your dedicated service.

From a 30+ year Trashman, 1985-2015 to present day consulter of same, Thank You to ALL that Served, and God Bless You.

Joined the USAF Sep 18, 1972. Trained at Sheppard AFB, TX aircraft maint jet 1&2 431x1C . Assigned Myrtle Beach AFB, SC Feb 73 - Mar 75. Transferred directly to WV Air Guard 130th SOG Mar 15, 75. The 130th became the 130th TAG with the arrival of 8 C-130Es. New AFSC 43171F turbo prop maint. spec. Transferred to the ops squadron in Dec 1980. Cross trained to C-130 flight engineer in 81, new AFSC 1A171. Retired Dec 20, 2002 with rank of E-8 SMSgt, instructor flight engineer, 1A191. Several deployments to Volant Oak in Panama, several deployments to Europe, called up for Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

US Army, Feb 97- Feb 17, been places, done stuff.

United States Navy Blue and Green 1971-1977.

Jim

NROTC ‘68-‘72. Navy pilot ‘72-‘93. Got to do a lot of neat stuff while flying Navy fighters off of boats and three tours as an IP. Changed uniforms, went across the street in spring of ‘93 as a ground school/flight simulator instructor and am still teaching young Navy and Marine officers about flying and surviving around the boat.😊

USAF 1960-1964

Lackland AFB
Lowery AFB
Oxnard AFB

"Fire-control Systems" on F-101 Voodoo....which is airborne radar weapons control.

FjLee Denver,CO

Us Army 4/10/74. 9/28/77 wheeled and tracked vehicle mechanic

US Army 1Apr85 to 18Mar97. 91Q Pharmacy. Hired as a civilian 28Apr97 to 31Mar17. Retired with total of 32+yrs. last fall.

I lost the lottery in '69, so I joined the USNR for a four year tour. At boot camp I qualified for Electronics Technician "A" school, then they discovered I had a degree so they offered OCS. Navy spent several months training me to be a junior officer on a ship. Upon commissioning, BUPERS decided that my psychology degree was better suited to the Naval Drug Rehabilitation Center at NAS Jax. So there I was, spending 3 years dealing with Sailors and Marines who brought back some bad habits from 'Nam. Three years of that was enough to convince me to use my GI bill to go to grad school in something other than Psychology.

Started off as Airborne Infantry in the 82nd in 1985 and retired as an AH64D Standardization Instructor Pilot in 2005. Would happily do it all again.

John

13A 1996 to 2001

US Army 71-73
96C2L-VS

Tried to enlist right out of high school in '74. Got rejected due to hay fever. A sincere THANK YOU to all who have served, and are serving.

Just shy of 29 years, USCG

USAF 1963-1967

US Army
4 years as an Air Traffic Controller
16 years flying fling-wings.

USN Air Squadron, ASW Airborne Operator.

Father and 2 uncles in WWII in Army-- so in Feb. 1970 months out of college I joined US Army --- Draft breathing down my neck-
Basic Fort Dix--- AIT Fort Lost in Woods Missouri----- Shake & Bake --- Same same Missouri ---- Spec 5 Nov 1970 ---- 815th Engineers
QL 20 Central highlands RSVN . 1 month road construction work-- 11 months NCOIC Guntruck WildThing. Convoys in and out of Central Highlands
Day and night security ----- Home Nov. 1971. Jan 1972. at Fort Lewis WA. I swapped 1 year active duty for 1 year of active Army National Guard Duty
back in New York State. One weekend a month and two weeks at Camp Drum ( Fort Drum) in a year was at time like watching reruns of The Gong Show.
Web

USN CTI

Spent all my time on Army and Air Force bases. Didn't do chit, nothing interesting.

Attending my son's Army basic training graduation this week.

Grandfather in Army
Grandfather in Navy, wounded in Korea as Seabee
Uncle in Army
Cousin still serving in Navy
Great great grandfather in Belgian calvary

Present and accounted for.

Enlisted US Army Feb. 1966, served through Feb. 1969. Spent 27 months in RVN as a platoon medic and recon co. ATL and Team leader. Been chasing the rush ever since.


mike r

US Army 1975-78. I spent 2.5 years in West Germany in the 2nd ACR, 3rd Squadron guarding the Czechoslovakian border and hanging out at Hohenfels and Graf training.

Drafted 69
Basid/AIT 11F Fort Ord CA
Shake and Bake 11F40 at Benning
When we thought we had it rough we listened to the Rangers next door and realize we lived on Easy Street
Short training gig for the OPNS/INTEL POsition at Fort Carson
RVN 70-71 Recon Team Leader early rtn/DEROS due to standdown

TNANG
UH1 B,D,M,H sitting in the back and cleaning the windsheild.
OH6 Scout/Observer
Time spent in the Engineers office
THEN Second best duty
Range Control
Retired and out of TNANG on my 60th birthday.

Thank all who have served for your time effort and losses.

Lost the lottery in '72 - number (64) came up in June or July.
As it was apparent the politicos didn't want to win - I enlisted in the NMNG.
Trained at Leonard Wood, both basic and AIT.
62F20 - crane operator.
By the time I got out, I had 5 MOS's - 4 from OJT
Wheeled vehicle mechanic
Tracked vehicle mechanic
Heavy equipment operator (tracked)
Heavy truck driver
Out as a buck sgt E-5 in '78

US Army Medical Corps...Sept 1975 to Dec 31, 1982.

Basic Ft Sill Oklahoma
AIT 91B, Ft Sam Houston TX
Advanced AIT, 91C, Madigan Army Medical Center, Ft Lewis WA
300 F1 Med Course Ft Lewis WA
54 E MOS, Camp Ripley MN.

RIF canceled signing for Ranger School, and Jump School
Rotated off Active Duty to Washington NG, served in Medical Platoon in Seattle
started PA School at Univ of Washington, rotated out to get married.
Moved to MN, MN NG, 47th Aviation HHQ...Flight Medic and Gave Flight Physicals to Flight Crews

5501 MASH, then 5501 General Hospital...
Didn't re enlist Dec 31, 1982.

Military Service Was after Graduating College, turned down a Commission after got off Active Duty,
so got out after 7 years as a lowly E5....hence why I didn't Re Up in Dec 82.

Grew Up as Military Dependent, My Dad.. 10 years USMC, 16 years USAF....Pilot.
Got accepted to AF Academy after High School, eye sight kept me from following in his foot steps to be a pilot, so I turned down the opportunity.. only to be disowned by my granddad for about 5 years...Folks were pretty pissed also...

Analysis of my military Time..... the Story of Could Have Been, but Wasn't.

Military training, was a Registered EMT, Paramedic,LPN & RN, after rotating to Reserve Duty, and being in the Civilian World.

Army ROTC, commissioned USAR in 1980, delayed entry to active duty for graduate school. Joined a reserve unit near school as a non-deployable over strength since I hadn't been to basic yet.

Re-commissioned 1LT Regular Army in 1982, off to FT Sam Houston for basic.

20 yr REMF. Assignments in Colorado, Alaska, Maryland (twice), Alabama, Virginia. Retired in 2002.

Went right back to work as a contractor/consultant for the Army, the National Guard, and a little bit for NASA. Retired again in 2014, little earlier than I originally was thinking, but turned out to be right time.

1975-1979, USMC. Fixed Phantoms.

USMC Reserves
Basic Training MCRD San Diego (June 99-Sept 99)
School of Infantry (Sept 99-Nov 99)
India Company 3/23 (Little Rock, AR Nov 99-July 05)
-Basic Infantryman
-Fire Team Leader
-Squad Leader
-Platoon Sgt at time of discharge
Iraq April 03-Sept 03
Went to the IRR in 05
Honorable Discharge - Feb 2007

US Army 1968-1970, drafted. Basic in Fort Dix. AIT in Fort Polk, LA, jungle training and motarman. Luckily my whole unit was sent to Germany where I became a M 60 tank crewman.

I didn't serve, but Dad did, and I just can't thank you guys enough. So many take our freedom for granted, while you guys are the ones who sweated and sacrificed so we can have this freedom. My deepest thanks to each and every one of you.

21 years in the USAF as a Professional Liar (AKA Weather Forecaster). I just officially retired at the first of this month.

USMC Feb 1960 to Feb 1964.

US Army RA
7/72 to 7/74
95 Bravo

Served in the Nav 4 years as a sonar tech. Deployed to the gulf twice. Had a blast. Went to Cochin India, Mauritius and Seychelles as well as most typical WestPac ports including P h u k e t.

USAF and ANG for 21 years. Still serving. Intelligence. Been about everywhere. Wish I had joined right out of High School instead of after college.

24 years of service so far, 3 more until I retire. 3 combat tours as a medic. Looks like renegade50 and I spent the summer of 2003 in the same dump. I was 3/502.

Thanks, Dinny

USN 1969-1973, VA-85. USS Forrestal

First time I recall any mention of your service in the CG, yet alone 29 years. Congrats and thanks for your service.

USAF '68-'72..
Weapons AFSC.
AC-47 Spooky gunner Phucat RSVN '69-'70..
Osan/Kunsan Korea '70-'71.
Offutt AFB Omaha Ne. '72 Rifle/pistol instructor

USAF 1979-1999, worked as an aircraft electrician then went combined with MA (environmental) to become an electro-environmental. Worked on KC-135 A's, Q's and R's, B-52 G's, UH-1N helicopters, T-38-37, F-16, 15 and A-10's and currently work on the C-17A as a civilian.

21 years retired navy chief

Enlisted US Army 1962-1965.

Basic at Ft Leonard Wood, Oct 1962
No AIT, as such, but due to an emergency upon arrival, became a Battery Clerk at Service Battery,3rd How Bn 16th Arty, Ft Bragg, NC
Went to Europe in Jan 1963 was Co Clerk at Headqtrs Co, 2nd Bn 70thArmor, Augsburg, Germany.
Whereas service life agreed with me, in Oct 1965, when my time was up, I am an E5 now, went home and left military life for good.
I credit my good fortune for the job I had while in the Army to my sophmore year in HS when I took a filler course (typing) to get my hrs up.

Got married in Aug 1966. Still married to same woman.

Thank you all for your service to this country.

Army 81-84
67N utility helicopter repairman
Huey helo mechanic/crewchief

B co 1/502
We was Col Anderson's heavily armed vice cops
He came down about month 3 in Mosul to all our platoon outpost
Train station city hall and the ministry of wheat
Told us all he couldn't rotate us with the rest of the brigade cause we knew the area and too
much of a power vacuum would happen if he did.
And the reason he put us in city center was because we was his best company in the brigade to begin with.
We felt better about chyt after his face to face with us.


We both know what happened when the Stryker brigade showed up and relieved us and how they lost control of Mosul
Wanting to sit in their vehicles and think they owned ground.


I bet we crossed paths.

David P. visited us after our medical PSG lost his leg and was evac'd. Apparently we were the most highly decorated medical platoon in the entire division at the time. 4x BSMs, 1x BSM w/ V device, 1x SS, 2x ARCOMs w/ V device, 6x PH. My PH paperwork got lost before it was presented (never presented) and I've spent the last 15 years trying to locate it. Finally, earlier this year, I resubmitted all the necessary paperwork and it was disapproved due to my injury not being severe enough.

Very unfortunate situation for the Stryker troops. It was hard enough for a brigade to replace a division. We thought we had it bad...

Thanks, Dinny

I never understood the intent of the Stryker brigades concept of security at road intersections with vehicles and operating outta the airfield and not having a 24/7 presence in the population.
Beginning of the Rumsfeld plan to not live in the population and hunker up on FOB,s I geuss.

Their security left a lot to be desired. Especially when they had a walking suicide bomber get thru at least 3 checkpoints and blow himself in the main chowhall at the airfield.
Our company kept Govener Al Basso Alive for 6 months after he got elected.
That was always a rotating mission for our 3 platoons as his security detachment at city hall.
Couldn't trust the IA,s or Police.....
3 weeks after we left , he got assianated. No one inside the building on his detail .
Stryker vehicles fully manned watching roads outside with their TV camera wpns.
They relied to much on that system.
But it was how they was trained, many of the guys I talked too in the Stryker brigade
Hated their forced dependance from above on electronic,s.
I felt bad for em knowing they was gonna be high payoff targets and not having a presence on the ground 24/7.
Too much chyt happens and gets done when ya dont own your territory.

We went thru the security plan and mission on the ground perimeter and inside building SOP with the Stryker guys for 2 weeks.

Their chain of command blew it off after we left.

You can only do so much....

First joined Nov 22. Went to MP school as an E-nothing. Spent 13 years in the Mississippi Army National Guard in various roles making it to E-6. Went inactive while working on my Master's. Was subsequently discharged without my knowledge. Got direct commissioned into the Air Force Reserve in 2001 because the Guard didn't know how to get me back in (no [bleep]- that's what they told me). Since I was an Army guy I HATED the Air Force. Transferred to the Tennessee National Guard when I moved in 2002. In 2008 I there was a perfect storm of events occurring causing to me to decide to resign my commission. Basically 1- I was not going to give up a job making 3 times the national average for my career field, and 2- I didn't want to serve under Obama Bin Ladin. Speed forward about 8 years. 45 is in office and it's time to get back in. After recruiters jacking around for 2 years I was finally able to get back into the National Guard over the last 2 months. They felt a little pity on me so they gave me O-4. Gonna ride it another 10 years since I just hit 50. Should be able to make O-6 if I play my cards right.

Some active duty, some reserve.

12 years Nuc Navy, submarine qualified.

It's aversion to risk. Someone might get hurt if you are out among the population.

kwg

10 years Army National Guard in Montana and WA State.

Veteran, 33 years of Army National Guard with active duty time. 5 Combat MOSs, 2 with Hotel designators. Retired 30 Sep 18 as 1SG. My greatest source of pride? My son Nathan is currently serving in Afghanistan in the U.S. Army and is scheduled to return to Fort Carson on 6 Nov 18. I can't wait.

USAF 1978 - 2004.

Oh, boy!

Thats gonna be a good day!

Was it the sbct out of Ft. Lewis or sbct out Ft Wainwright? I was just leaving Lewis when 3D bde was turning in all there Armor. Trucks coming from Canada loaded with LAV's Uncle Sam leased them so those soldiers could learn to drive them, I guess very similar setup. Anyhow my last days at Lewis they started getting the strykers late 2000. You want to see some pissed Armor officers mention 3d acr and 2d acr becoming sbct.

The Tennessee national guard guys were on the same fob as us in 09 in Afghanistan. You talk about some serious drama, the MAJ pulled his pistol was going to shoot the SGM. Needless to say he went home, then COL and his guys were driving all over the country side looking for fight so they could get CAB's and some BSM w/v type [bleep]. Big investigation came down after one of there mraps hit an IED sent several of them to hospital in Salerno. So the soldiers finally said something. I last saw that COL in Salerno waiting on ride to Baghram. There mission as a agriculture advisor team, one guy that cracked me up was known as the beekeeper bob Moore he was a college professor. That guy was a real character, he was E5 but introduced himself to everyone as Bob Moore.

We were at Lewis around the same time, was my first duty station, left there the summer of 2000.

Ft Lewis

USAF 1960/1965

Dad served in the Pacific with the 32nd infantry division. In 126th Field Art. In 3 years went from PVT to
First Sargent. He was the kind of guy who new how to get the job done.

I did 6.5 years active duty in Army and 21 years National Guard.

Spent 66-67 in Vietnam and 2003-2004 in Iraq.

Got direct commission as a W1 and retired a CW4 in 2005.

Was mine as well, I was stuck over in signal hell turning wrenches..

USMC '81 - '85, 0311/31/41
Lost alot of good friends in the 'rut on 23 October, 1983.
SEMPER FI!!

You bet your bottom dollar Big JIm.

Regular Army 82-90 with 1/41st (m) infantry,Ft Hood TX&Germany. I also had 6 brothers serve, 1 USMC,3 USAF,2 Army I had 1 other brother that tried but had a deformed elbow and they turned him down.