Military Service

I don't know if this has ever been a topic here before, so here we go. I was just wondering how many vets are on this site. List your branch of service, rank, military occupation, years of service, wartime location, etc. Don't be shy.

Those who are or are not vets, let us know if you have sons or daughters in the Armed Forces.

Here I go!

I joined the US Army in August, 1988 when I was 17. My MOS (Military Occupational Skill) was a 51B, which is a Carpentry and Masonary Specialist.

Duty stations were:

46th Engineers, Ft. Mcclellan, Alabama, Jan. 1989 - Jan. 1990
84th Engineers, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Jan. 1990 - Nov. 1992. Performed humanitarian missions in Laos and the Marshall Islands.
864th Engineers, Ft. Lewis, Washington State, Nov. 1992 - Mar. 1994
1/152 Field Artillery, Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG), Mar. 1994 - Mar. 2008
133rd Engineers, MEARNG, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mosul, Iraq, Mar. 16, 2004 - Feb. 27, 2005

Retired with 20 years of service, in March of 2008, with the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC), E-7.

Enlisted U.S.Navy February 1962.One hitch. After basic met the ship [ aircraft carrier] in Yokosuka Japan. All time spent shipboard with 9 month WestPac [western pacific] cruises being the ships main duty assignments. Mostly South China sea off Vietnam.I was on the Catapult crew.Nothing can quite match the smell of Jp5 in the equitorial heat .Mustered out as a third class.Today being the 7th it is time to break out the tape Tora,Tora,Tora and reflect on those of us that have given so much in all these wars.I know I lost buddies and it is hard to think about.I am glad I could do it and would do it again. God Bless America.

I guess there aren`t too many vets here, anyway I volenteered my draft in 67. Left for Ft Jackson, S.C. on my birthday. Basic at Ft. Jackson Then on to Ft. Rucker, Al. for my mos as a huey mechanic/crewchief, home for a short leave after that then straight to Naum. Stationed in Ban Me Thout & Pleiku with a five month duty in SOG (young & dumb). We were told it stood for study & observe group instead of special opperations. Made it to E-5 rank & was discharged in March of 69. Tried to go back in for the Gulf but was told I wasn`t needed (too OLD) & I wasn`t even drunk at the time. Thats about it, proud to have been there. Always said that I thought everybody should have to go thru basic training right out of high school, it grows you up fast & teaches you freedom isn`t free.

I joined the army in Nov. 72. MOS was 05C, radio teletype operator. Also volunteered for jump school. Spent my entire enlistment with the 82nd Airborne in Ft Bragg, NC. Got discharged as a Spec 4. Nothing like jumping from a plane at 2 AM carrying the equivalent of your body weight out the door. I'm glad I did it but if my kids ever thought of doing the same I'd have to kick their ass.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/01/Herna ... mber.shtml
Cody was my friend.. I showed him how to build his Honda motor in my shop after hours. I suggested the military would give him a straight road to follow as opposed to today's twisted ones. 3-2-87 to 7-29-07 Freedom is much to expensive.

Joined the US Navy in August, 1983 when I was 17. One year delayed entry.

Duty stations were:
Recruit Training Command, Orlando, Fl. Jul84 - Sept84
Naval Training Command, Orlando, Fl. Sept84 - Oct84
Naval Technical Training Command Corry Station, Pensacola, Fl. Nov84 - Mar85
USS Stump DD-978, Apr85 - Jun87
Naval Technical Training Command Corry Station, Pensacola, Fl. Jul87 - Apr88
USS Nassau LHA-4, May88 - Jun91........(Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm Sept90 - Apr91)
Naval Technical Training Command Corry Station, Pensacola, Fl. Jul91 - Jul94
USS Arthur W. Radford DD968, Jul94 - Nov98
Fleet Technical Support Center Atlantic, Nov98 - Nov01
Naval Technical Training Command Corry Station, Pensacola, Fl. Nov01 - Jan02
Fleet Information Warfare Center, Norfolk Jan02 - Sep04 ..... (Operation Enduring Freedom Feb02 - Jul02, Operation Iraqi Freedom Jan03 - Jul03)

Navy Enlisted Classifications held:
0000 Electronics Warfare Operator
1734 AN/SLQ-32A(v)3 Technician
1738 AN/SLQ-32A(v) Journeyman Technician
9502 Instructor
1781 Electronics Warfare Advanced Applications

Retired with 20 years of service, in Sept of 2004, with the rank of Chief Electronics Warfare Technician Surface Warfare, EWC(SW), E-7.

Was getting out since the day I got in...stayed for 20...proud to say that I'm glad I stayed. (Would I go back??? No....wife would kill me... )

I enlisted in the Coast Guard when I was 17 and just out of high school, but had to wait until I turned 18 to be sworn in. Went to boot camp in Cape May, NJ, Radioman school on Governor's Island, NYC and then met the CGC Owasco in New London, CT as it returned from Viet Nam in 1970. The Owasco, a 255 foot cutter, was built in 1939 and decommissioned around 1974. Spent two years in New London, which, in reality, was 40 days out and 35 days in port, then various other stations TAD, and two years in the Captain of the Port, Philadelphia, which was in Glouscester Base, NJ. Got out in 1974. It was a good learning experience and I loved being at sea. Got out as an E-4 Petty Officer with all my courses done for E-5. I purposely didn't take the servicewide test for E-5 because it would have meant another two years at sea, and I had had enough.

Our son surprised us one day by announcing in 12th grade that he was joining the Navy and leaving in August. He was all over the world several times and spent his last 5 years in White House Communications. He got out last year, after 10 years, and used his clearance to his advantage.

Stoker Man, how the hell did you manage to keep all of that hair. You had more hair on your head than my entire squad.

I joined the Navy in April of 1971. Went to bootcamp in July at Great Lakes. My first ship was the USS Richard L. Page DEG 5 home ported in Newport, RI. In 1972 the Page was then homeported in Athens, Greece. One year later I was tranferred to the USS William M. Wood DD715 also homeported in Athens, Greece. 1974 I was transferred to the USS Trenton LPD 14 homeported in Little Creek, Virginia . 3 months after reporting on board we went on a Med. cruise for 7 months. I got out in July of 1975 with the rank of EN2 (Engineman 2nd class).


OH Yes, The smell of JP5 and Helo refueling are things of the past. As well as mid watches,muster, formation and inspections. LOL.

That's true, Linc. We never forget the boot camp stuff and watches, do we.

I was in school, across the East River in 1970, when the Twin Towers were being built and burned. On a normal Summer day, the smog was so heavy that it was almost impossible to see 1/4 mile across the river to Lower Manhattan.

Bill, Admiral Zoomie relaxed the standards in the Naval forces around '71 and we could pretty much ignore the hair standards when out at sea. He also allowed beards. I wish I had saved some of that hair.

Thank you to all of you for protecting the USA. You guys rock.

No service for me. Military didn't want a short asthmatic......

I took advantage of being able to have a beard while I was in. I shaved it off after I got out. I grew it back a year later and kept it till 3 yrs ago.

BugsyR wrote:(Would I go back??? No....wife would kill me... )

Mike, that's the reason I got out!! If it wasn't for that, I'd have stayed in until they forced me out. I really miss it a lot.

sterling_40man wrote: Mike, that's the reason I got out!! If it wasn't for that, I'd have stayed in until they forced me out. I really miss it a lot.

She's the one that talked me into staying the last ten years. She knew I wanted out but she talked sense into me. When I was approaching 20 she was counting down with me. The last 2 cruises I did were excessively hard on her. The last cruise was excessively hard on her and the kids. (okay... and on me).

My time over there was excessively short compared to yours. I salute you Brother!
The way I see it is...the younger you are the easier it is...the older and wiser we get, the more we think...the thinking part I don't miss at all.

Miss a lot of things about it but the thing I miss the most is the sea. I never grew tired of walking outside and seeing water all around me. Whether it was calm or rough as hell, I loved watching it.
The camaraderie is the second thing I miss the most.
I don't miss the watches, especially the scope. All those hours!!! I can still close my eyes and see the polar display
Another thing I miss is messing with the Junior Officers. Our favorite response to their infamous question... "Hey E-dub! what ya got out there?"...."Nunya! Sir"...."Nunya? What's that?"..."Nunya F'ing business!!"

Hey Linc and Stoker-man....on Jan 1, 1985 all Navy had to be clean shaven. No more beards allowed. Mustaches had to be trimmed to where they would not extend past the upper lip line nor past the corners of the mouth. I wasn't allowed to grow a beard before that because I was still in school. Had to wait 20 years to grow one...went a couple months without a hair cut or a shave...wife was getting angrier by the day ...she started calling me "Grizzly Adams"...wouldn't ya know I sort of looked like him too...after a few threats from her I shaved and cut my hair...wife has been happy for a while now

Hey Bob....got to share one more with ya.

I was coming up one the end of my tour on the Radford and I had to make a choice of staying at sea for another 2 or roll to shore. So I talk to the wife (Commander in Chief of the House) to see if she can help me make a decision...this is the way the conversation sort of went in the summer of 98....

me..."If I stay at sea for the next 2 to 3 years I can retire on shore duty. If I roll to shore now, I'll have to spend the last 2 and a half to 3 years at sea. What do you think I should do?"
her..."Well if you stay at sea you will be going on a 6 monther next year."
me..."true"
her..."I think I need you home for a while. Roll to shore."
Not B.S.ing here!
me..."With my luck, if I go back to sea the last 2 to 3 years of my career...I will either be on a 6 month cruise when my retirement comes up or a war is going to break out!"
her..."Doesn't matter, I need you home for a while."
me..."Okay! I'll roll to shore."

Left shore duty Nov 01...was off the coast of Pakistan Feb02...off the coast of Kuwait Feb03...my prediction wasn't exact but damn was I close...