How did you serve?

[+eclose]

God I feel old, God I am old.Hand-cuff volinteer.The Republic of Vietnam 68-69.

3/21 inf 23 inf.div.Fierbase West and Firebase Center.A.K.Valley.

[tigerrag]

South Carolina National Guard, 21 yrs., ret.

[+Square Bear]

US Navy Chief, Flight Engineer, 21 years still on active duty.

[+MisterNixter]

"My father flew Dustoff in Vietnam. I know, it's not me, but I'm dadgum proud of him for that. "

 

Tradeboy, your father and pilots like him saved a lot of good men, some of them my friends.

 

Served US Army 1971-1974, with the 1st Cav in Vietnam, and later on as cadre at US Military Academy at West Point, NY. That was great duty in a beautiful and historic place, and if I could have stayed there forever, I'd have made a career out of it.

[+archeangelsk2002]

i was regular army. my mos was 15D20 as primary mos and 15J20 as secondary.

a 15D20 is an E-5 in the lance missile system, which has be decommissioned since 1999. as a 15J20 i was in FDC fire direction control. i went in directly after highschool in 1981 ans was in for 6 years, until 1987.

at age 19 i was working nuetron bombs. i was a nuclear weapons and ordinance specialist. i was assigned to the radiological survey team and eventually assigned as armyd nuclear responce team. once it was determined that it was no longer necessary to have army units being nuke capable( no more pershing or lance) that was the end of my career. i was stationed at fort sill oklahoma and fiori kaserne in aschaffenburg west germany. at fort sill i was in C Btry 1st Bn 12th FA.

in Germany i was in B Btry 1st Bn 80th FA.

i was trained as rto/medic while on radiological survey team. NRT is pretty much self explanatory. army delta is also pretty much self explanatory.

regards

archie

 

ps my handle, archeangelsk2002 comes from military related issues. this place was a target in days of old(one of many)(use russian spelling to check it out)

[RenoRat]

Judging by the replies, I suspect I'm the -ahem- 'eldest' here. My father was killed in Germany when I was too little to remember. I served four years in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club on a Tin Can [a destroyer to you landlubbers, lol] and was in on the Cuban Blockade.

As for this being a 'private' thread. remember, "They also serve, who sit and wait."

 

Rat

[+Mudinyeri]

U.S. Army 1984-1987

U.S. Army Reserves 1987-1991

 

Just missed the Honduran conflict in '84, Desert Storm in '91 and several terrorist bombings while in Frankfurt, Germany from '84-'85.

 

Join the Army, go to foreign lands, meet new people and kill them!

[+Breaktrack]

Judging by the replies, I suspect I'm the -ahem- 'eldest' here. My father was killed in Germany when I was too little to remember. I served four years in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club on a Tin Can [a destroyer to you landlubbers, lol] and was in on the Cuban Blockade.

As for this being a 'private' thread. remember, "They also serve, who sit and wait."

 

Rat

I certainly hope that no one thinks this is a "private" thread, because that is not the case. If you read some of the earlier pages you'll see plenty of entries from those who served in other ways, or, were at home waiting on the return of those who served. My own mother waited on my Dad to come home from Viet Nam, Korea, and Greenland (well, we were with her too, lol) and there have been folks waiting at home for me as well from time to time.

 

Nope, definitely not a private thread.

 

Mac

[+LthrWrk]

Similar to the other thread..

 

USAF, Master Sergeant Retired...

 

1965-1985

 

Couldnt keep a job in the USAF... learned early on about directing my carreer from my first supervisor.. a very wise man.

 

Administration

Management Analyst

Weather Forcaster

Recruiter

 

If I had it all to do over again.. I would have spent more time going to school in 'off hours'. Looking back another 4-6 years would have made a significant difference in income.

[+airmetro]

US Army (active duty) 1984-1996, to include "combat tours" as a helicopter pilot in El Salvador (87/88) and Desert Storm.

 

Got out in '96 and became a Metro Nashville cop, eventually assigned to the Aviation Section (hence the username). Joined the Guard on September 11, 2001, because I was VERY angry.

 

In October of this year (it's still '04), I was ordered to active duty in the TN National Guard Counter-Drug Division as a Reconnaissance and Interdiction pilot.

 

Should I change my username?

[+rjw661]

U.S. Navy 84-90

Served as a Sonar Tech. on board the USS LAPON SSN-661. Got interested in navigation by hanging out with the Quartermaster's. For you Army guys they don't do supplies they do navigation.

The USS LAPON has since been cut up with the sail being saved and becoming a memorial in Springfield, MO. It is being dedicated 7/04/05

[Smaug1]

6 years in the Army Reserve. Finished a few years ago, after the Gulf War, before the Iraq War. Nothing happened.

[Sound-Chaser]

Okay, not trying to make my debut post here make me seem like a pain in the backside, but what does this have to do with geocaching?

 

And to all that served, thank you.

[Jeremy]

Okay, not trying to make my debut post here make me seem like a pain in the backside, but what does this have to do with geocaching?

It's a question about demographics. We also had a topic asking how many geocachers have wives who do scrapbooking.

[CoyoteRed]

USN ET 79-85

 

Beyond that I can neither confirm nor deny any activities here or abroad.

[+Silly Look]

Served as a 1371 (Combat Engineer) in the USMC from June of 88 to June of 94. After Boot Camp and school my first FMF duty was with 9th Engineers in Okinawa/Korea. I then went to Camp Lejune 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. Well my mail went there. I spent most of the time deployed to Africa, the Med, and the Middle East. Throw some training at 29 Palms, FT Leonard Wood, and Fort AP Hill I have officially been lost in more states and countries then anybody I know. My introduction to GPS was stomping around Oman because a Lieutenant entered the coords. wrong into the GPS we had for the unit I was attached to. We went 17 klicks out of are way that night. I swore off GPS units and Lieutenants as something useful that night.

 

Other then my kids the Corps was my greatest adventure.

[+Ciyt]

US Army stationed in Cp. Casey, Korea. Military Police with specialized training-enough so that Delta force took notice and invited us to try out for them. Did you know that there was a 2 year tour? Pop is retired career military that's how I found out. '81-'83. 2nd Inf. Div., 2nd M.P. Co., Tact Squad.

[+Blue Blaze Irregulars]

Staunton Military Academy Class of '75.

 

Navy Brat.

 

Close as I came.

[cuff&stuff]

usaf vietnam 66-68. still work for dept of army in eastern oregon desert.

 

my country right or wrong.

 

[+Worf's Pack]

Us army 83 thru 87 spent mostly fixing radios in Buamholder Germany. In the former 8th ID.

Dad was in Roal Dutch army stationed in Indonesia.

[+okpondlady/N5PNE]

My father's father served in Africa in WWII.

My mother's father served in France in WWII.

My father was in the 45th Division in Korea in 1951-52

He was wounded in Chorwon Valley April 1952 taking Pork Chop Hill. He was a medic at the time and came home 100% disabled because the VA said 100% is the most you can be. Technically he should have been 300-400%. He lost most use in both arms and right leg. Had massive injuries to his skull. Spent 2 years in Ft. Sam Houston Hospital recovering. When his mother went to visit she asked the doctor if he would ever be able to function at all normally. The doctor said, I have no idea, that is up to Sgt. Kite.

At 23 he came home to the farm and went on with life. He was a farmer, married 2 times, had 2 kids.

He lived 52 years longer than he probably should have. Without those wounds he probably would have lived to be closer to 90. Last September, the injuries finally got him and he had the last stroke that finally killed him. He had had several others before that in the last 5 years. He was in the nursing home for 3 years before his passing. In the time he was I had to repeatedly argue his case with the VA who couldn't understand why he needed nursing home care all the sudden after living 49 years in society. Finally I said to them, He has lived on his own when truely he should have had a full time nurse or at least nursing care. After that they left us alone about it. After every stroke he came back and taught himself to eat again and talk again. That was usually the only obvious effects of his strokes. The last one was massive and he never regained conciousness.

 

At the time the VA put the metal plates in his head to rebuild his skull that had been damaged, there was no better alternative. Those plates kept him from being able to have an MRI or CAT scan to see what was happening after the stroke.

Can you tell I miss him?

 

I joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard in 1988. I was a Dental Assistant. When Desert Shield started, I took a volunteer tour to Tampa, Fla. I was there when we bombed Bagdad. Watched it on CNN like everyone else in the dorm. Shortly thereafter my unit was activated for Desert Storm and I was pulled home to Tulsa to go with them.

I served my active duty time at Tinker AFB. Just my own personal note here. I joined the ANG to go New and Interesting Places. Tinker AFB was NOT on my list. I was born there. I went with my mom and dad there every darn month to the commissary. I did it and didn't complain. What was there to complain about? I was working in air conditioned buildings, on our soil, living in a hotel every night, getting good food..... geez. Besides that, I would have never shamed my dad in front of this little town we live in by being on TV protesting or something like that, no matter how much I didn't like it.

After 6 months I came home to Tulsa, got married, had a baby and decided military life wasn't for me. Been out since 94. Worst decision of my life, but you can't go backward.

Have I rambled enough?

[shadango]

I entered the Army Reserves when I was a Junior in high school back in 85...via the "split entry" program.....Went to basic training at Ft. Dix....then trained as a 91D---Operating room Technician-- in Ft Sam Houston and then Walter Reed AMC. Stayed in the reserves, attending drills at the 339th General Hospital unit in Pittsburgh PA until right as the Gulf war got started......my time was up and I didnt re-enlist....I have always thought about "what if". I had some friends from my old unit end up going to the Gulf war.....

[Azaruk]

Interesting thread.

 

Now what about the rest of the world?

 

Now that you see how many American geocachers were in the military, and given that geocaching is a world-wide sport, how many cachers have perhaps faced off American troops in times of conflict?

 

Now THAT would be interesting.

 

I once came face to face with a man who, upon getting to know him, and discussing where and when we had each served, discovered, with considerable amusement, that we had actually shot at each other during a conflict in Africa.

 

Fortunately we both missed, as we remain, to this day, firm friends.

 

He also geocaches, but I won't reveal his nickname - that's for him to do.

 

It's a mighty small world!!!!

[+Muirwoody]

Active duty USAF 1974 - 1981. Environmental Health Specialist at Vandenburg AFB, CA; Hickam AFB, HI,and Grissom AFB, IN. Most interesting were 6 months spent on the Field Radiation Survey team on Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands in 1978 where all of the topsoil was being removed from the islands (they had tested nuclear bombs there in the 1950's) and made into a big concrete dome so the native islanders could be brought back to live there. I still glow - makes night caching easier

[+NoClue-Opp]

USN 1979-1990

USNR 1990-2001

Electronics Technician

 

My last drill weekend was the Sept 8-9, 2001.

[+Tiffany's Slaves]

Tiffany's Head Slave came from a military background since his dad was a Naval Aviator for 43 years including Guadalcanal, Berlin Airlift and Vietnam.

 

The Head Slave entered the Navy in 1974 as a midshipman and after 11 yrs active and the rest reserve, is still serving as an O5 in the Naval Reserve. Been many, many (MANY) places including Beirut when the embassy was bombed, the Persian Gulf to launch airstrikes against Saddam and lots of other interesting places.

 

One of his early jobs was Ship's Navigator in the pre-GPS days so he is one of the folks that can do it the old fashioned way with a sextant and the stars.

 

One of the Junior Slaves is very motivated to follow in the family footsteps and join the Navy in a few years.... Time will tell.

 

Tiffany Herself has spent quite a bit of time aboard a variety of Army and Navy Bases - and thoroughly enjoys "closely examining" parade fields and other ground expeditions.

Edited January 4, 2005 by Tiffany's Slaves

[climbrgirl]

Say Jeremy, do I remember you spent some time at DLI in Monterey? I did some time there myself.

[CoyoteTrust]

Just passed 15 years total service in the US Air Force. I'm a reservist now but served active for a little over 7 years. Military police (or as the USAF calls us "Security Forces"). Got really interested in GPS while at a ground combat/base defense school in Florida.

[+Zeute]

A friend of mine is currently operating in the Security Forces CoyoteTrust.

 

I'm looking at getting into the Air Force (Active Duty), even though I read in an article that they have no recruitment needs. I also need to work on the physical requirements.

[+Clan X-Man]

the beast

1961-1969 United States Army

1974-1992 United States Army Reserves

1992-2004 Missing it

DITTO ONE THE LAST LINE...I MISS IT TOO!

 

86-90 16TH ENG. BATTALION, FURTH, GERMANY.

90-93 STILL WORKING FOR UNCLE SAM IN ANOTHER CAPACITY

 

93-05 MISSING IT

[+Ladyhawke91]

Supporting the army by keeping the home fires burning while husband is off playing in the sand. He has 18 1/2 years in the army.

[+geodinks]

USAF 1983-1992, Compuer systems mainly, postal as a second AFSC.

 

Brian

[+samiaminca]

US Navy 1984-2004. Retired after 20 (whew). Been here and there (can neither confirm or deny) as a Sonar Technician. Was a data analyst, surveillance guru, truck driver, and other various extremely boring high stress jobs.

 

USS Valdez (FF 1096)

USS Trippe (FF 1075)

Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit Two One Two

Fleet ASW Training Center San Diego

USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29)

Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit Two One Two

USS Hue City (CG 66)

 

Glad to be retired and enjoying life!

[+Texas Shadow]

US Navy, 1972 to 1992. MMC(SS) Retired. I was a nuclear Machinest Mate and served mostly on Fleet Balistic Missle Subs. It was a good experience. Been lots of places, under water that is. Places I've actually seen are: Charleston, SC; Newport News, VA; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Vallejo, CA; Orlando, FL (From inside the fence at the base and Disney World); Holly Loch, Scotland; Guam.

Served on/at:

USS Simon Bolivar SSBN 641

NPTU Idaho (Instructor)

USS Daniel Boone SSBN 629

USS Benjamin Franklin SSBN 640

USS Hunley AS32

Glad I did it!

[+ValleyRat & TillyMouse]

USAF Electronic Intelligence -- AFSS, 1st and 8th Radio Squadrons.

Japanese Occupation

Korean Happy Days. That was another "non-war" (Police Action), despite the death of almost 40,000 American servicemen/women.

 

The only objection I had to serviing was the "Truman Year" we all received due to the conflict. Oh, and I didn't get enough days off after July 1950 to spend chasing all the little Japanese girls.

 

Here's a Kamikaze (suicide) airplane that was near the gate of Johnson AFB in late 40's Japan.

Edited January 6, 2005 by valleyrat

[+hbrx]

I served my time in 87-88, Training at HSB Jørstadmoen, and service

at FKS Stavanger. Eleven months.

 

hbrx.

[+Savoy 6]

"Grew up in Turkey" as a medic. Service spanned '74-78, '83 toRetired in 2003 USAF Security Forces, and was Flight medic on C-130(Tac-Evac) and 141

[+BigHank]

US Navy 1963-1993. Navy Security Group Russian and Arabic linguist.

[briancm]

4 years Army, 32H, fixed station radio repair. Never saw the equipment I was trained to fix, but I worked on prototype tactical sattelite gear that was over 10 years old at the time and still in the field.

[+º]

Zivildienstverweigerer

 

Ist Deutsch? Ich spriechen sie kiene Deutsch.

 

>> something like "civil service objector"

Edited January 9, 2005 by teamguzbach.org

[+kc8hnz]

Well, I just went through MEPS last Thursday, and I ship out on March 1st for Ft. Leonard Wood for basic. After basic, I'm going to DLIFLC (The Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center) which is located on the Presidio of Monterey, in Monterey CA for a year.

[+Chalky723]

Royal Signals, British Army for 14 years, of which 9 were in Germany. Served in First Gulf War, Croatia & Bosnia. Plus 2 hellish months in NMITC, Dam Neck, Virginia Beach in '99!

 

Chalky

[+BigHank]

KC8HNZ,

 

Which language, do you know yet? DLI is a great school, and you will enjoy Monterey a lot. Good luck and 73.

 

Hank/N3ORX

[+BilboB]

14 years in Army National Guard. Getting ready in a few months for a 12 month deployment to Afghanistan as a 96B Intel Analyst. Made my E7 a few months ago.

 

TDY to FT's Carson, Leonard Wood, Levanworth, Huachuca, Lewis, Bliss, Hood, Riley, McCoy, Benning, Dix, Drum, Polk, Schofield Barracks, Camp Shelby, Nicaragua, Germany, Canada, Lithuania, Macedonia, and Afghanistan soon...The Army has been very good to me and I would not trade the good (nor the bad for that matter) times for anything.

[stratmanx]

STRATMANX

 

United State navy Submarine Service

 

1977-1986

 

USS Groton SSN694, Plankowner.

 

Sonarman.

[jsh159]

7 years active USAF, 1.5 years PA ANG. Aircraft maint. mostly F-16, F-15E (strike pig), FB-111 (FRED). Incirlik, Malmstrom, Eglin, Edwards and A-10 hog @ Willow Grove NAS (ANG). Thanks to all that served.

[+pwcorg]

15 yrs AF and counting. Love it. I never have to worry about what to wear!

[+c88m]

13 yrs in Army , Reserve , National Guard (yes all three in that order) . Did a variety of things 19k and 19e (tanks) 13b (artillery) 88m (truck driver) . Had some fun and would do it all over . Learned how to read a map there .

[+MotorBug]

3.5 years, USA in the '60s. MOS 71542. Mostly airborne, mostly overseas. Found a very interesting travel bug about the airborne called Airborne T-10 Parachute which asked for the finder's military story. Mine is here.

Edited January 13, 2005 by MotorBug

[+NickL]

7 Years AD plus going on 25 Yeas "retired". Spent the first half in the Air Force's Arm and the second half in Distaster Preparedness.