What did you do in the military?

[wired]

When I joined the Army in 1986 containing the Soviet Union was the main Army mission. I trained as a 54 B NBC technician which concerned mostly the decontamination of Chemical and Nuclear weapons contaminated sites. I later went to jump school, track recon school, Technical Escort school for chemical and nuclear weapons transport, unit armorer, PLDC and combat medic schools. Spent most of my time in Europe in a company dedicated to moving chemical weapons out of Germany that had been stored in less than ideal conditions to put it mildly. Lots of time dressed up like the Michelin Man. Then I got sent up to a Patriot Missile unit as their NBC NCO 6 months or so before I got out. I got out of the Army as an E5 ( having been promoted 3 months prior ) the day Iraq invaded Kuwait and the focus of the military went to the Middle East.


Drank a lot and womanized.

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[Medic!]

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[Oathkeeper1775]

OP,

Can you still smell the banana oil?

 

[cigars]

I was on the East German/Czech border from 84-86. Was a 19D and served as unit armorer. I also functioned as the NBC NCO for a while. Good times.

 

[wired]

Guy

OP,

Can you still smell the banana oil?

Guy walked into my office at a remote Patriot Missile site in Friedburg one time. I had a GALLON bottle of the stuff ( Iso Amyl Acetate ) sitting on my desk. He picked it up and it slipped out of his hands and smashed on the floor. It soaked into the linoleum and I NEVER gt that smell out. Ironically , as proof that there is a God who likes to torture people, I work in a chemical plant now and one of the major components we use is iso Amyl Acetate.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

I was on the East German/Czech border from 84-86. Was a 19D and served as unit armorer. I also functioned as the NBC NCO for a while. Good times.

Camp Lee; near the Wasserkuppe and the Kruzverg Minestary...?

 

[cigars]

Camp Lee; near the Wasserkuppe and the Kruzverg Minestary...?

No, Camp Gates. 1st Sqdn/2nd ACR. Bindlach, Bayreuth.
But spent plenty of time at Wildflecken, Hoehenfels, Vilseck, Graf and several Reforger's.

 

[wired]

Cambrai Fritsch Kaserne in Darmstadt ( College town FULL of girls . Lots of girls !!! ) attached to the 32nd AADCOM with about half the time TDY to Meisau Army depot on hazardous duty. Then 6 months in Friedburg. I truly hated Friedburg.

 

[DirectDrive]

Wasn't in the military, but I did get "detained" once by Westover AFB AP's and brought before the base commander.
Was for bird hunting in a restricted area.
He had fun with us....got a taste of how a DI might "communicate" with a recruit.
Never said so many loud and clear "Yes Sir's" in my life.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

I started my journey in 79; I signed the papers without looking at them...

What a blast!

I served in Kentucky, Korea, Texas, Kalifornistan, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Germany, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Oregon. I was a Scout, a Grunt, a Centurion Jumpmaster (103), a Ranger Instructor, a Platoon Sergeant, and an Advisor to the ONG.

Got my Expert Infantry Man's badge and my "Dope on a Rope" (Air Assault Badge) too.

A couple "sojourns"; nothing that was on TV; all Cold War stuff.

I got to serve as Assistant Jumpmaster on a world record combo drop from a C-5B. 196,000 pounds of equipment and men.

Retired in 2003.

 

[Stomper]

Snooped and pooped throughout Latin America, then Europe after that. My last unit (before ETS) had our warning order for GW-I pulled by mere minutes as apparently the Seattle Times published that we were set for deployment literally 90 minutes before we were supposed to receive it... DA recinded the order and activated an East coast unit instead, because of OPSEC.... crazy.


I bubblegumming HATE the desert....

 

[cigars]

My asvab scores were pretty high and my recruiter was trying to get me into a hard to fill MOS repairing Minute Man missiles. I happened to see a laser disc playing in the recruiting office which was showing the Cav doing their thing, cow boying around in M113's, firing Dragon and TOW missiles, etc. I said to the recruiter, sign me up for that. He was pissed he said he was getting a bonus to fill that slot.
I had the greatest time of my life. But in retrospect that missile repair gig would probably have provided me with a different path through life. No regrets though, you couldn't pay for the experiences and life lessons I learned (and didn't learn..haha).

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I signed up my Senior year in High School...Went through:
Basic ( 11B )
Airborne
Ranger
Air Assault
Served in the 7th Infantry and went to combat with them in Panama for Operation Just Cause
Went on to the 18th Airborne Corps and served in combat with them for Desert Shield and Storm
Went to SERE School...then TDY with Special Operations Command for both Bosnia and Mogadishu....again both combat tours...
Last duty station was in the 101st Airborne , Ft. Campbell

Spent most of my time in LRRP / LRSD units , checking things out and doing some "long Range Ambushes" or just "targets of Opportunity" in places that made the news....

Down time was spent at gun stores , book stores and that old soldering stand by :
Wine , women and song....

I enjoyed my service ( mostly ) , had some good times , boring times , "You have got to be kidding me times" and down right WTF scary times...
Andy

 

[old11bravo]

Enlisted before I even graduated high school on the delayed entry program. Acheived a GT score of 117 which allowed me to choose any MOS I wanted. My older brother came home from Germany on leave and talked me out of air traffic controlling to be a bad butt 11B Infantryman. I shipped off to Ft. Benning Georgia in September of 1984 for basic training and AIT. Then promptly shipped off to Ft. Irwin California to become one of the OPFOR at the NTC National Training Center. Reagan was president, the Russian commies were our enemy and I dressed as and played war games as a mechanized Soviet troop to train US military units that cycled through Ft. Irwin each month. We drove old Sheridan tanks visually modified to look like Russian BMP's. We knew the Mojave Desert out there like the back of our hands and we kicked bubblegum and took names until I ETS'd in 1988.

 

[wired]

GT Scores. First one I took in high school I scored a 134. It was a year or so later that I went in and I re took it. My friend was going in the Marines the next day and we polished off a bottle of Tequila together. Half gallon. I woke up the next day to a blinding hangover with my recruiter banging on the door. Scored a 128. Then a few years later I retook the asvab when I was in the Army to better my score. Spent time, studied, detox'd etc. Spent months prepping. My section chief called me a dumbass for retaking it. Again, scored a 128. Just shows me my mind is as good with or without a blinding hangover. Or something like that. My son going in the marines scored 98% on the SQT which probably put him the mid 130's although the Marines dont use the GT.

 

[Kristina]

Shoot, I left my Military acronym to English dictionary in my other pants. Be right back!






Seriously though, some interesting careers guys. Thanks to all of you for your service.

 

[wired]

http://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/dictionary.pdf

No mention of F.T.A. or STRAC.

 

[Kristina]

http://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/dictionary.pdf

No mention of F.T.A. or STRAC.

Hmm, I wonder why

 

[wired]

Fun, Travel, and Adventure.

 

[RicInOR]

My tale is a little different. I was 27 and recruited by a neighbor, they needed help.
So, in 1989 I raised my right hand and joined the USCGR.
Went to drill weekend in civvies until I went to basic - Jan to Jun. 2 weeks in Club May. First Resort of the USA. Have to pay to go on the beach. That's right 2 weeks. I joined as an E4. SK3 -
2 months latter Sadam invaded Kuwait.
Spent about 4 years in Newport. Did pay (reported drill time on paper). New command and Female Chief and they essentially kicked us reservists out. As E4s were doing KP in Portland, I got in at Group Astoria. Got the new Helos - the Jayhawk/Seahawk vs the Dolphins and 2/3 the spares went away. As did any work for us.
I did essentially nothing the next 4 years. Even when the Chief thought of it, there was little to nothing they could have us do.
Wasn't too encouraged to re-up in 98 after 6 years of the Clinton draw down.

When people ask are you a Vet? It is hard to say. I did serve 8 years. But dont' have enough points to be issued a DD214.

0 hours underway time. Spent one 2 week period in Ketchikan AK. Huddeled in a trailer ( back of a semi type ) which held the spares for a 110 Nashaon. They were thrilled to have someone to list / document all the spares. I got to sit in trailer.