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How did you serve?


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quote:
Originally posted by DevilDucks:

Well, _I_ serve by being the one to keep the homefires burning, the care packages coming, and the memory of him strong in his children. He serves in the U.S. Army, 1995 to present. He is the one to sleep in the dirt, brush sand out of his teeth, and hope the dogs don't forget who he is and attack him on his way into the house after a long mission. I don't see him often, and I miss him greatly, but I couldn't be more proud. In fact, right now I have the floopy butterflies in my stomach, because he will be home (for a short amount of time) SOON....someday I won't know what to do when its time for him to be home for GOOD!(I don't think he will either!)


 

God bless you on your service. My mom (and the rest of us, of course) sat and waited for my dad to come home many, many times. Viet Nam, Greenland, Korea, you name it, Dad made a point of going there a couple of times or more...lol. She raised us three kids and at least two of us turned out to be worth a dang, and we all three served in our own turn. Mom had a hell of a job, and I respect you a great deal without even meeting you in person because I do know, and understand, the nature of your service. Funny though, when my Dad was in the Navy, till I was about 5, we were called Navy Juniors, but when he switched to the Army, from when I was 5 till well after I joined the Navy myself, we were called Army Brats... what was that all about..???? LOL.

 

Come to think about it, I can't remember a time when I didn't have an ID card of one sort or another.... (now I have that retired one...heheheh).

 

texasgeocaching_sm.gif

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

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quote:
Originally posted by Lefty Writer:

Good thread, Breaktrack!

 

Geeze, after reading all these posts, looks like I'm the "low speed, high drag" reserve puke wanna be.

 

As you can see by my avatar, I'm a redleg. Was mainly with the 1/169 FA BDE (COARNG). It was one of the last 8" SP howitzer brigades.

 

P

 

carpe cerevisi

 

http://www.texasgeocaching.com<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Thanks Lefty, I was just curious one day and figured what the heck. Turned out, like most other topics, it had been covered at one time, but back when there weren't so many of us partaking of our little activity.

 

I remember a bunch of guys training on the 8" SP howitzers at Fort Knox when I was there in 1975. They looked neat heading down the tank trails while we were driving by on the M60A1's.... man that seems a long time ago...

 

Folks with military experience seem to gravitate to activities such as this, eh? Well, this and mercenary activites...LOL.

 

texasgeocaching_sm.gif

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

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I'm a former Army Signal Corps puke, 31c10 Radio Teletype (RaTT).

 

4 years 85-89

 

2years Herzogenaurauch 2/377 FA

2 years 101 Airborne Division HHC G2.

(You can type, right? You are now our TDY clerk.) *****!

 

Score Expert Rifle, expert Bayonnet, Expert Grenade, Silver Shotzholtzen (I think it was called, been a while, West German forces markmanship badge 2nd of 3 levels,) 97% on ARTEPS in the field, 80% on ARPT, 98% SQT, but since I'm 20lbs overweight, I'm a bad soldier.

 

They say this universe is bound to blow,

I say we crank up the Calypso Control!

~Jimmy Buffett

 

~Someday I Will~

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quote:
Originally posted by Dusty668:

(You can type, right? You are now our TDY clerk.) *****!


 

No, no, no! Never let them know you can type!!!!

 

quote:
Score Expert Rifle, expert Bayonnet, Expert Grenade, Silver Shotzholtzen (I think it was called, been a while, West German forces markmanship badge 2nd of 3 levels,) 97% on ARTEPS in the field, 80% on ARPT, 98% SQT, but since I'm 20lbs overweight, I'm a bad soldier.

 

Yup, that was a constant battle, especially the last few years I was in. No matter how good you were at everything else, the battle of the tape won out....sigh.

 

texasgeocaching_sm.gif

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

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I never served, and it is one of two regrets I have in life (the other was not asking out Michelle when I heard she liked me, in the 12th grade...man, she was hot).

 

I try to make up for it by paying my taxes and supporting political candidates who support our military, instead of those who "loathe" it.

 

If I had my life to live over again, I would have joined, instead of spending 3 years of partying in college. Still not sure if I'd ask Michelle out though, because I may not have met my wife.

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

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U.S. Navy

6 years as an ABH. Worked the flight deck onboard the USS Saratoga.

 

Cross-rated to Corpsman.

 

Stationed at Cherry Point

Aurora, CO

Whidbey Island,WA

Aurora, CO again

Guam

Now stationed in Albany, GA

Getting ready to retire on the 6th of Feb 2004.

 

************************************************************

"Sometimes you gotta look like an *** to get that cache!"...huntforit

************************************************************

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With Veterans' Day only weeks away, thought I'd revisit this thread. Holy cow! There's a lot of us vets playing this game. 1973-6 C/326 MED BN 101ABN. 92DP, Airborne Operating Room Technician. Barely made it out with good paper. I'm proud of all you guys/gals who served but would never let anyone I love go near a recruiter. JMHP

 

Time is the best teacher, but it kills all its' pupils.

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USN Cold War Corpsman from 80-86. Looks like Huntforit and I have crossed paths, or at least sat in the same seats a few times (Drop me a line when you retire if you need a job).

 

Balboa Navy Hospital, San Diego

USAMEOS, Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, Aurora CO

Naval Hopsital Portsmouth VA

USAMEOS (again) Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, Aurora CO

Oak Knoll Navy Hospital, Oakland CA

 

Dad, 4 brothers, 1 sister and too many uncles and cousins to mention all served from WW1 to GW2

 

"Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!"

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The wife and I are both veterans. Neither stayed in long, but it is where we met and started building the rest of the 4agers team icon_wink.gif

 

We both were in from 89-91. The wife was a clerk and I was an 88M. I spent my first year in Korea and came back stateside just before GW1. Spent the war at FT Hood romancing the Mrs.

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US Air Force retired in 1990 after 20 years. Was in the telecommunications/information systems field. Places stationed:

 

Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS

Johston Atoll

Brandywine, MD

Pentagon, VA

Brunssum, The Netherlands

Boerfink, Germany

McClellan AFB, Sacramento, CA

Hessich Oldendorf AS, Germany

Eglin AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL

Mt. Kaala AS, HI

Somewhere in the North Atlantic

Wright-Patterson AFB, Fairborn, OH

 

I still work at Wright-Patterson as an IT contractor.

 

Cheers ... BVCY Swim

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Let me say that I am humbly grateful for all of our service men and women - past and present - whether they serve(d) in a just cause or a political fiasco. They are to be commended for their sacrifice - some of who have and will give their lives.

 

My maternal grandfather served in the German army during World War I and again during World War II. Between the wars he became a member of and worked for the Nazi party. During WW II, he was stationed along the French coast around 1943. In the evenings, he would ride his horse into the local French town and have a few drinks. He would speak ill of the Nazi party during those times it is said. The party called him back to Germany to help move cars around. He was in a car being towed behind another car when he went off the road and was fatally injured. There is speculation among my cousins that he was killed by the party. Even my mother says that the body had no marks. That's all she'll say about it. I hope to solve the mystery some day but its not likely. The grandfather I never met.

 

My paternal grandfather served in World War I with the British army - he was a Brit. He came over during the 1920s to get away from the class system in England. He settled in Detroit and married my grandmother who was born in Saginaw, MI of Canadian parents. My grandfather built cars for Chrysler. He tried to join the American Legion, but they wouldn't have him because he wasn't American. So he joined the Canadian Legion who had a local post in Royal Oak outside of Detriot.

 

My Dad, a Detroit native, was drafted during the Korean War. He was sent to Germany instead - easy duty at that time. He met my mother on a ferry boat crossing the English Channel. My Dad was visiting relatives in England. My Mom had been living in England after WW II. At the tail end of WW II she had to flee her home as the Russian army came through. She made it to the west with millions of other refugees. She eventually made it to US, being sponsored by distant relatives who had emigrated to America at the end of the 19th Century. The part of Germany that was my mother's home, Pomerania, was given to Poland at the end of WW II. No home to go back to.

 

Myself, I graduated from high school in 1973 and had a pretty large draft lottery number. Within a year or so the draft was over. I'd grown up with body counts on TV and Kent State. I'd seen broken bodies and minds come back from Viet Nam. Military service at that time was not for me. I went to college, I work, I pay taxes, I vote, I write my Congressman, I've served on a jury, I volunteer, I contribute to charities, I keep up with current events, I love my wife and kids - yes, I serve my country.

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Raven: I was in same shoes at same time. Graduated in '73 with high draft #. Figured I wasn't ready for college, war was over, recruiter said I guarantee you this and gave me that. It sucked. Wound up doing 36 days in 1975 in the Republic of, TDY from 101st ABN with Marines evacuating Saigon. Not pretty.

You did the right thing. Drive on. Peace.

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I was a 35D,Tactical Intelligence Officer, in the USAR. Spent 6mo AD doing the MI Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Huachuca, Sierra Vista, AZ and served with the 372nd Military Intelligence Detachment and Co. B (Counter Intelligence) of the 337th Tactical Exploitation Battalion 1987 to 1990. Got injured while on AD and received a medical discharge in 90. Not to worry though, I get that VA check each month. icon_rolleyes.gif I now work as a Dept. of the Army civilian Security Specialist. I guess I'm still serving in the Green Machine! icon_wink.gif

 

[This message was edited by chemfed on October 26, 2003 at 04:35 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by chemfed on October 26, 2003 at 04:36 PM.]

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Army

82nd Airborne S.F.

Still serving this Nation,(Honorably)

www.usafreedomcorps.gov

 

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

*GEOTRYAGAIN*

TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA

http://www.doi.gov/news/front_current.html

1803-2003

"LOUSIANA PURCHASE"

http://www.lapurchase.org

"LEWIS AND CLARK EXPADITION"

http://lewisclark.geog.missouri.edu/index

 

Arkansas Missouri Geocachers Association

www.ARK-MO-Geocachers@yahoogroups.com

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I know it might not sound like much compared to some here, but I was in for five years - 1988 - 1993 as a 68F Aircraft Electrician in the U.S. Army. I had basic in Fort Dix, New Jersey, my AIT in Ft. Eustace, VA., two years in Stuttgart, Germany and the final two-point-three years in Fort Drum, New York for the 25th Aviation Brigade. I also am the only person I know who went through their entire military service only having passed their Physical Fitness test once! - I HATE pushups! :-)

 

If you can't find it, you ain't looking hard enough!

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In 1971 my uncle, an Army officer in Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) at that time (after four tours in Vietnam), wrote me that the war was winding down and if I was coming I better get my fanny (not his word) in gear.

I was soon to be seventeen and in the eighth grade at Homewood Jr. High. I dropped out of school and got a General Education Degree (GED); my parents had to sign for me to enter the Navy as I was too young to enlist.

My dad was an doctor and I had spent a lot of my youth hanging around the ER, and we had been hunters all our lives as well, so I knew what gunshot wounds looked like...The Navy looked like the far better option!

I had long known my uncle had serious bugs in his head to stay in EOD way past when the percentages said bail. I have pictures of him sitting on dud bombs happily defusing them - no thanx, I am going sailing!

Got to boot camp in Orlando, Fl. and discovered that the base was divided - women lived on one side, men on the other. Bummer. Went to church the first week and found that even this was divided - women on one side of the aisle and men on the other. Bummer.

But, I look at the choir and guess what - they're men and women together! Oh Boy!!

On the spot I decided I was a singer and joined the choir.

We had an hour before church services each Sunday to practice. Folks, "practice" was getting done in broom closets and empty offices all over that place!

Decided I was in love, so when we graduated I used my 10 day leave to marry my choir practice partner, in Panama City Fl.

She was sent to NAS Millington Tn. and I to ICE school in San Diego Ca., never to see each other again.

That began an interesting series of schools and a variety of surface combatant ships, most of which experiences went in a similar vein.

Finally in 1979, after three consecutive cruises, wife #2 said get out or get a divorce. Ended up doing both.

Would've gone right back in but a car wreck put that out of the picture...despite the pirate movies there's not much demand for one-legged sailors.

Strongly recommend the Navy to my kids (sons now 28, 26, 21, 14 and a daughter 12 years old), but so far none have gone for it.

My training and work with electronics made me a computer hobbyist, and in 1981 that hobby blossomed into the business that would support my family for the rest of my career.

In return for those years of easy money, fun, travel, tragedy, camraderie and education the Navy treated me well, paid for my college, financed my house and offered lifetime medical care (though I would never voluntarily step foot in a VA hospital, unfortunately).

I did get to see some of my uncle's playground, from aboard the guided missile cruiser Long Beach (CGN 9) and destroyer Edson (DD946) in 1975. (From a modern nuke to a WWII-era tin can during a massive refugee evacuation, that's a story in itself!)

 

I would do it all again in a heartbeat: it provided the basis for a wonderful life.

Ed

 

BTW, My uncle lived unscathed through his adventures to become a Bird Colonel in GW1 and retired from the Army shortly thereafter to become a consultant to munitions manufacturers world-wide.

He still blows stuff up. The boy is nuts.

 

No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.

- Ben Jonson -Sixteenth century English dramatist.

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USAF 22270 Geodetic Technician. I spent 81-92 with the Defense Maping Agency and surveyed in a bunch of places and learned a ton. We completed geodetic and geophysical surveys for just about anything you could think of. I was luck enough to start using sats for surveying in 81 and GPS in 86. Thanks for all that went before and since.

 

Pat

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quote:
Originally posted by GOT GPS?:

Really was something down there at Lackland AFB, where I trained at 3708 BMTS(Basic Military Training School), and I still remember the Air Force form 341, that little paper that you always had to have on hand, whether good or bad.


 

I graduated from 3708 BMTS in 1975...

Did my training in the Aircrew Life Supprt school in Chanute, weent for three years to Alaska, 7 months at castle, in California, reupped and spent thee years on the Sr-71, then went to Kunsan, then Dyess, then Suwon, then Osan, then Norton AFB, ca. where I got out in the 1990 force reduction.

 

Bo Peep

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS is the PUBLIC face of Geocaching, when someone learns of the sport this is where they come to

learn more, what are YOU showing them?

http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com/

International Black Sheep Society of Genealogist

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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):

1991-1995 Cryptologic Linguist, USAF

Fort Meade, MD


 

Hey, Jeremy, was that at the NSA building or actually in Fort Meade proper (not much difference I guess)?

 

That's my stomping grounds. About 2/3 of my community was working at Fort Meade growing up in Severn and I used to go back behind Fort Meade past the NSA building all the time to get to 295. My neighbor listed us as a reference for his NSA job...that was an interesting morning visit for us when the reviewer came in and asked us what we knew about our neighbor.

 

As for my military experience, I reenacted the following militaries: Civil War, Revolutionary War, and most of all War of 1812, Fort McHenry Guard. Sure it's not real war, but I volunteered many of my summer weekends in High School to educate the public on the Battle of Fort McHenry and Battle of Baltimore and the events that led to the writing of our national anthem.

 

--

 

http://healinghearts.freeservers.com/pandee.html

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Nice to be in such esteemed company here. icon_wink.gif

 

I was a 67Y (Attack Helicopter Crewchief) and 67N (Utility Helicopter Crewchief) from 1986 until 1993. Then I became a 19K (M1 Armor Crewman) as a gunner and then tank commander. Eventually got around to going to OCS in 1997-98 and wouldn't accept any branch except Armor for my commission! Just love those tanks! icon_biggrin.gif

As an Armor officer I've been a PL, XO and Staff weenie and now I'm getting ready for command. Also currently preparing for a long overseas deployment soon.

Up until now....other than training missions here and there and a few local deployments....the most notable thing I've done in my military career was responding to "WTC ground-zero" on 9-11-01. My unit at that time (1-101 CAV NYARNG) was the first unit to respond to the situation and while the missions changed from S&R to various security tasks...we remained deployed for around 6 months.

 

My only TravelBug thus far was derived from that deployment..... "WTC Bug".

 

Hope to start another TB overseas on my upcoming deployment and see if it can make it back here before I do.

 

Godspeed to those of you already over there and my eternal thanks to those of you that have already served in whatever capacity.

 

--------------------

Bushwhacking is much easier in an M1 Abrams!

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quote:
Originally posted by eltee1:

Nice to be in such esteemed company here. icon_wink.gif

 

Eventually got around to going to OCS in 1997-98 and wouldn't accept any branch except Armor for my commission! Just love those tanks! icon_biggrin.gif

 

Godspeed to those of you already over there and my eternal thanks to those of you that have already served in whatever capacity.

 

--------------------

Bushwhacking is much easier in an M1 Abrams!


 

Hehehe, what part of this post do I NOT love???? LOL.

 

Best of luck on your upcoming deployment... let us know how things are once you get there.

 

Take care fellow TANKER. And remember, maintenance, maintenance, maintenance....lol.

 

"Afghanistan was a battle. Iraq was a battle. The war goes on."

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1986-1993 USAF. Served as navigator on C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

 

Visited 37 countries on 5 continents during my active duty period 86-93. Left active duty as a Captain. Released from reserves in 2000.

 

Stationed at:

--345th Tactical Airlift SQ, Yokota AB Japan

--41st Airlift SQ, Pope AFB, NC

--1660th Tactical Airlift SQ Provisional, Saudi Arabia (Gulf War I)

 

As a former navigator I find that geocaching is a natural for me.

 

-----

Tom

K7WV

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A little bit off-topic here, but think it is worthy of sharing here. Tomorrow we will be dedicating our clinic to John Bradley. For those who have not heard of him, he was the Corpsman who participated in the now famous photo of the flag raising over Iwo Jima in WWII. His wife and family will be here at the Marine Corp Logistics Base. For an excellent read, look for Flags of Our Fathers written by his son James Bradley. I'll be getting my copy signed tomorrow. If anyone is interested in seeing photos of the dedication, let me know. I'll be happy to share.

 

************************************************************

"Sometimes you gotta look like an *** to get that cache!"...huntforit

************************************************************

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quote:
Originally posted by Huntforit:

A little bit off-topic here, but think it is worthy of sharing here. Tomorrow we will be dedicating our clinic to John Bradley. For those who have not heard of him, he was the Corpsman who participated in the now famous photo of the flag raising over Iwo Jima in WWII. His wife and family will be here at the Marine Corp Logistics Base. For an excellent read, look for Flags of Our Fathers written by his son James Bradley. I'll be getting my copy signed tomorrow. If anyone is interested in seeing photos of the dedication, let me know. I'll be happy to share.

 

************************************************************

"Sometimes you gotta look like an *** to get that cache!"...huntforit

************************************************************


 

You bet, please feel free to share the pics when you have them.

 

ThANKS

 

"Afghanistan was a battle. Iraq was a battle. The war goes on."

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US NAVY 1963-1993 Crypto-linguist, NavSecGru. I found it really interesting that there are at least seven folks who posted who were/are in NSG/ASA/USAFSS and successor organizations.... and that several have been at the same places as I, some during the same time frames. This is a real interesting thread and I'm glad you started it.

 

It was a fun time, and some times were not as much fun as others, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

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Spent 13 wonderful years in the USAF.....Upper Peninsula of Michigan, England, Spain, back to Michigan, Honduras (during the war down there), back to Michigan, back to Honduras, back to Michigan, then civilian life. Started out slaying dragons for a living.....(firefighter), but one of them bit me in 1988 while making a resuce. After almost a year in the hospitial, I cross trained into the Safety field. Was able to spend another 4 years before my injuries finally forced me to get out. Would do it all again if I could, I think it's a wonderful career.

 

If God is your co-pilot, it's time to change seats!!!

 

javascript:genForumSig('Animated_MiGO_A88.gif')

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7 Years Royal Air Force (UK) served on active transport station during 1st Gulf War (Hmm anyone ever notice the initials there? co-incidence???). I was an Airframe engineer, that's the big bit without the engines and electronic stuff.

 

Worked on loads of aircraft of all types, & was also part of the salvage team that cleared up PAN-AM 103 (that was a little like geocaching, but without GPS, "Found bit of airplane, took bit of airplane, left nothing")

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Okay, after reading through the whole thread, I realized the U. S. Marine Corp is waaaaaaay under-represented here.... WHERE ARE ALL THE MARINES????

 

You guys need to get out and recruit some more Geocachin' Marines!! LOL.

 

(I know, I know, a GPSr is a very complicated piece of electronic gadgetry, but I KNOW there have to be a few Marines who can handle it..... hehehehe).

 

There, that ought to kick them into gear....lol.

 

"Afghanistan was a battle. Iraq was a battle. The war goes on."

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Thank you Vetrans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am at 12:00 11/11/03 and thought I would try and get the first one out from our neck of the woods.

 

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

*GEOTRYAGAIN*

TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA

http://www.doi.gov/news/front_current.html

1803-2003

"LOUSIANA PURCHASE"

http://www.lapurchase.org

"LEWIS AND CLARK EXPADITION"

http://lewisclark.geog.missouri.edu/index

 

Arkansas Missouri Geocachers Association

www.ARK-MO-Geocachers@yahoogroups.com

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quote:
No, no, no! Never let them know you can type!!!!
Easy to say, but when you're a 31C, you can't get away with it. It's your job.

 

U.S. Army, 1970-1982, Signal Corps, Aviator, 82d Airborne, 101st Airborne, various ATC units. Had to leave, no fun flying a stationary desk. Haven't missed it a minute. Been flying full-time ever since I quit working for Uncle Sam.

 

Regards,

Stan

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quote:
No, no, no! Never let them know you can type!!!!
Easy to say, but when you're a 31C, you can't get away with it. It's your job.

 

U.S. Army, 1970-1982, Signal Corps, Aviator, 82d Airborne, 101st Airborne, various ATC units. Had to leave, no fun flying a stationary desk. Haven't missed it a minute. Been flying full-time ever since I quit working for Uncle Sam. Happy Veteran's Day to all.

 

Regards,

Stan

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