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I joined the Army in 1971. had basic training then went to Vietnam as a helicopter mechanic. Spent one year during the war then came back and was put in tech supply because they had to many mechanics returning. Lost some good friends over there and gained a new prospective of the world, and other peoples way of life. Even though we are having a bad time (economy) now, this is still the best place in the world to live.
U.S. Army
19D Cavalry Scout
1996-2002
Retired GySgt, USMC, 20 years, 0 time in combat. I was always somewhere else during the fighting, not by design. I mention the lack of combat experience as a way of showing respect to those did. Thanks to our veterans reguardless of how long they served.
Back to my experiences in the service I have been to many countries and have seen the difference in how others live. Our freedoms make it possible to live the lives we have. One of the most important freedoms we have is that of ownership of private property. Please keep that in mind we are losing this to government regs. Mike
USMC 09/23/02-09/22/06 First contact from the recruiter was about a month before 9/11. I was just starting my senior year of high school, I didn't actually sign up until Feb 02 and went to boot camp 3 months after graduation.
Boot/Marine combat training in San Diego, Ca and Camp Pendleton, CA until Feb 03. Then it was onto my job school (MOS 0651 Data Network Specialist, basically computer geek) at Twenty Nine Palms, CA from Feb-May 03.
June 03-Feb 04 Camp LeJeune MCB, Camp LeJeune, NC.
Feb 04-Sep 04 Deployed to Camp Fallujah Iraq (the bad guy hotbed of the time) for Operation Iraqi Freedom 3-1 (the one is for first shift out of two)
I spent my deployment on the base working on help desks and setting up networks, switches, routers, etc, running cat 5 and helping Officers who "couldn't print" lol. The shifts were 12 on 12 off so basically 13 hour days all day everyday (actually got one day off the whole deployment) taking incoming RPG and Mortar rounds almost daily (duck and run to the nearest bunker) but never had to fire my M16 that we carried everywhere (along with 180 rounds of 5.56 mm ammo). Temps in the summer time reached up to 140 degrees which was fun but most of the buildings had A/C thankfully so we weren't out in the heat all day just sometimes. Spent the first and last 2 weeks of the deployment staging in Kuwait so it was only 6 1/2 actual months of work.
Sept 04-Sept 06 Camp LeJeune, NC.
Spent most of my time at Camp LeJeune with 8th Communication Battalion (nicknamed 8th Crime lol) with a short stint with the 22 Marine Expeditionary Unit (22 MEU). Separated as an E-4 Corporal honorably discharged with the option to re-enlist in the future. I've thought about going back in but never pulled the trigger. Seriously considered the Air Force but apparently they want 18 year old fresh meat, not experienced personnel and I'd have to go back to school anyway to retrain in a new MOS or adapt to their version of my MOS in the Corps. I also almost joined my local Army National Guard about 5 months after I got out but never did. I'm 40% disability rated by the VA so I'm not sure how that would work or if they would even take me back. I get roughly $700 a month disability from them, for tinnitus (ear ringing), chronic shin splints (both legs) and a lower back issue, nothing too debilitating but it adds up I guess. I got out partially because small issues were adding up, I'd imagine if I did 20 years I'd be getting out at 38 but feeling like I was 68.
Thank you to everybody else who served/is serving.
Sounds kinda similar to my time, computer geek stationed in 29 Palms though from 99 - 03, went to school there, then grabbed my bags and went down the hill to 3rd LAR for the rest of my time. Spent time in Kuwait and Iraq when it first started, was with them when we got the go signal to head into Iraq and start the whole invasion. Didn't get to do any computer stuff once we crossed, ended up becoming more of a grunt than anything, but I do have to say it was a hell of a lot better than making printers work, main reason I no longer make printers work, though still like computers...Quote:
Originally Posted by CollinsHaulin
A/C.... oh how I loathe you... bet you had ice water too... :-)
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I was there for the Operation Iraqi Freedom section of this article...
I forgot some specifics,
Army
1-125th (FA) Strike Battalion
Home of the Red Bulls
Went to boot in '95 up at Great Mistakes, spent six months right next to MCRD for RM (Radioman) "A" school just as RM was merging with DP (Data Processing Tech) and despite joining the Navy to see the world, I ended up in Norfolk, VA at USACOM. USACOM, later JFCOM, no longer exists...nor does the location of my "A" school NTC. After three years learning "the game" the hard way, I went SPECWAR and served aboard a couple PC's (Firebolt & Shamal). PC-13 USS Shamal was decommissioned and sent to the Coast Guard before 9/11. PC-10 USS Firebolt is still around. That was my active duty time. With the reserves, I spent 2 weeks in Pohang, south Korea in the field with the Marines and one more week at the Hilton in Seoul during a typhoon. That last bit was rough. lol I went to Iraq in 2008 and did 10 months hard labor, came back a little screwy in the brain, and take more pills daily than I think I've ever taken in a month. I actually received my Sea Service Ribbon in Iraq. I also earned my highest medal, the Army Achievement Medal, while in Iraq. Sticking with my history of former places I've been stationed closing down, the Iraq war officially ended! Other than the ribbon and medal I mentioned, I really have no clue what chest candy I have because I've pretty much been in Woodlands or Deserts my entire career. At this point, I can no longer perform the physical req's to be even SELRES, but the reserves are being kind enough to let me do correspondence courses to get points toward retirement given that I am an IT1/E-6 about to hit 17 years in....that and the med-board said to keep me SELRES instead of medically retiring me. Yeah, talk about cutbacks!
Sempre Gumby, right?
Hey all, USMC 0311/0331 '95-'99, Suicide Charley 1st bat seventh marines, 1st mar div. '99-'03 reserve. too old , too tired , I sure miss it some days. semper fi brothers and sisters
my first unit was 2/11th ACR in Bad Kissengen GermanyQuote:
Originally Posted by TeleFurb
US Army Fort Knox OSUT
Bennig Jump School
1/11 ACR "Iron Horse" Fulda Germany 1988-1990
Submarinepainter when were you in Germany
I am currently in the Colorado Army National Guard, 13M HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System). One year in Ramadi, Iraq and two months in Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina relief.
the first tour was sept 76 thru sept 79 Bad Kissenfen 2/11 ACR second time was 1980 thru 83 Aschaffenberg 1/4TH InfQuote:
Originally Posted by duece2000
ALLONS my Brother!!!!!!
Well, I suppose I might as well add my two cents. I'm a Marine; been so for the past 11 years. I've been to Afghanistan and Iraq and would go back tomorrow if asked (deployment pays much more than scrapping).
Haha, 8th Crime..... Aren't y'all the ones that had the two yahoos running a makeshift meth lab in the barracks back in 2007?
USMC 1989-1995 E-5
2141 AAV mechanic
Okinawa
North Atlantic float
Med Float
I was gone by then but I'd believe it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamcis
Yeah it wasn't a great time, but it could've been a lot worse. We even had chow halls on the base and all that :) Even stayed at the new barracks they built at the very top of the hill at 29 Palms. "The Hotel" lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Insanity
I also pretty much dropped anything related to working on computers after I got out. Now I'm just a computer user, lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CollinsHaulin
I remember not buying a car "because I'm not gonna be here long" and about 6 months into getting with LAR, I finally was able to afford one... talk about stir crazy. I also watched those barracks being built, thinking "**** those would have been nice"
Seems like the Marines can take the fun out of just about anything, haven't worked on computers, haven't ran any miles since i was in... and I used to do both all the time.
USAF B1-b Avionics specialist did my 5 years.
I was stationed at Cannon Air Force base Clovis New Mexico,i had recieved those orders on my 21st birthday.Dream sheet my butt.Was not the slightest enterested in that assignment but Uncle Sam says go and I went.To this day I explain to people that Clovis is/was 2 hours from nowhere! Just my opinion.Anyway I was a 423x5 or in other words a Aerospace Grond Equipment Mech. We were responsible with working on some of the equipment that Kept those F-111 D's in the air.They were some maintance pigs! Rarely did one land "code 1"
Some of the equipment we maintained was munitions loaders,gen sets,high and low pressure air compressors,all shapes and sizes of wing jacks,hydro. test stations,air conditioners just to name a few.
I was only there for 3 1/2years and tried to make the best of it.My point is there have been many more before me and after me that have sacrificed much,much more....And to those that have I TRUELY say THANK YOU.Those that are in hazeredous conditions,away from family,shot at....THANK YOU!!,