Veterans
 

I see and read a lot of bantering by both the pelican left and the pelican right about the war etc.

All very nice and entertaining really.

So, all of you OT denizens - in particular, the ones who are very active in the political\war threads...

Who here is a veteran? If you are, sound off

Branch of service
Length of Service
Rank
Specity\MOS
Combat Deployments.

I'll start...

Branch: USAF

Length: 12 years, 6 months - stop-loss retained 6 months.

Rank: Technical Sergeant (E-6)

Specialty\MOS: 20170\99606 (old system) 1N071\8D000 (new system):
Intelligence operations\Interrogator\Linguistics\Debriefer

Combat Deployments: Desert Shield\Storm, 6 x rotational tours, Middle East, Moguadishu Somalia, Zagreb Croatia, South Korea, Afghanistan.

AFJ

USMC
2 years, 1970-72
E-4 Corporal
MOS 0844-Forward Observer for 8 inch Howitzers and 175mm guns
Viet Nam, Cambodia & Loas (yes we were there, I don't care what Nixon said, I was paid to know where I was)

Re: Veterans
 

Im sure you will get many replies thanking you for your service, god bless you for protecting our freedoms and so on, but I'm wondering if their is any other implication in your question?

Stuart

Not looking for thanks (neither I'm sure is any other veteran) However, I do see a lot of armchair quarterbacking, questioning why we are there, etc. I've even seen a few posts that suggested that individuals having a different opinion than the poster should join up and go fight.

So, I'm just curious, out of all of these people bantering back and forth, who has actually been in the military to even know what things are really like.

AFJ

USAF
4 yrs 2 mos - 1982 through 1986
E4
32853 - Electronic Warfare Systems Specialist (F4, F16, A10) - basically a radar jammer
Non-combat deployment all but was stationed not too far from the North Korean border

O-3, US Army. Germany 68-69 eye balling Ivan, Company Commander The Nam 69-70, Germany, Ivan again, 71-73.

Never served. I was of age during the Clinton Administration and there was no way I was going to fight for that scumbag.

Figures.

You could enlist now.

Ok...

Navy O-6, still active duty. 22 years and counting. H-60 pilot but have flown over 40 type/model series of both fixed and rotary wing aircraft due to tours in flight test. Currently flying a desk as the Program Manager for Navy Unmanned Air Systems (UAS)...a very interesting and rewarding experience.
Flew oil tanker escorts in Operation Earnest Will/Operation Praying Mantis. Flew SOF support as well as Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Shield/Storm. Recently I have been to the Middle East for brief periods as a REMF helping with UAS issues.
I never thought I'd stay in past the first flying tours, but I found I love the camaraderie of service as much as I love the flying.
Lastly, I could care less whether or not someone has served...some of my best friends haven't! :cool:

Hugh,

That, Sir, is priceless.

Army Natl Guard SPC4 UH-1 Crewmember non combat

Army Sergeant Major, 19 years and still going strong. MOS 13B field artillery cannon crewman, spent all my time on 105 mm howitzers. Spent most time in the airborne; if the weather is good I'll have jump # 100 tomorrow. Desert Storm vet. Deploy ( for 1 year) in 2 weeks for the big litter box (Iraq). Plan on serving around 26 years or so.

Never served. Read the book "Battle Cry" by Leon Uris when I was a kid and always wanted to be a Marine, as a result. Lots of respect for those guys.

I did get radar lock and shoot down a Cessna 172 from the turret of an Avenger a couple of weeks ago here at our facilities. Dang...no Stingers installed...

Mike

Marine Corps ('75-'78)
Lance Corporal
0351 - Weapons Platoon
Lima 3/1 - 1st Marine Division
No combat deployments (see the dates I served and you'll know why)

New York Army National Guard
26 years
O5
11AOO

Rob. what NY Guard unit? Former 342 AVN

42ID(M) HQ...our AVN Bde is here with us...join the guard, see the world...342 isn't here, but the DASB and BDE HQ are

You gotta love the picture of the LMTV with the MRE box sign that reads' "One weekend a month MY A$$"...that's been circulating for a while.

US Army
E-6
Flight Medic, 15 years "Dustoff"
part of the secret, where are we going to tour ? / woke up one morning and we self-deployed 5X UH-60's from Germany all the way to Dahran..well ,we did stop for gas in some interesting places.Been in lot's of places, none where better than "Stuttgart" ,it was BN HQ,
Rika

Army Security Agency
Field Station Augsburg
Augsburg FRG
31J 77 thru 79
Land of beer and BMWs

I was born at Kadena air base in Okinawa in 1970. Have any of you vets been to Okinawa? What was it like? My Dad wont talk about the war (my uncle did a little but he died recently). Sorry about postjack, you can email me at monish(at)ix.netcom.com.

Dying to go back and check it out. My mom said us Americans weren't the most popular folks on the Island.

joe