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List Your Service

128K views 937 replies 687 participants last post by  bumper 
#1 ·
Thank you Gunjunkie for setting this up.

I figured we could all list our service in one thread. Might help others who are curious.

USAF 811X2/3P0X2, Law Enforcement and Air Base Defense Specialist. 1988-1999. Stationed at Mt. Home AFB, ID and Elmedorf AFB, AK.

Served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Riyadh AB KSA


Thank you to all the vets, past, present, and future!
 
#3 ·
Gunjunkie---Tried to reply to your e-mail, don't know if it went through or not. Being an old geezer, I'm in the breakdown lane of the information super-highway. In any event, thank you sooo much for reaching out to us vets . For the most part we Vietnam vets are a private group who find it hard to share our experiences. I would think that this is due in part to the reaction of the public to us when we returned to " the world " and the pain associated with reliving these experiences. A lot of us suffer from PTSD, the effects of exposure to Agent Orange, and an assortment of disorders that in a lot of instances are not readily obsevable the way missing limbs are ( we have plenty of those also- of course ) For a lot of us the war never ended. I still wear my dog tags and sleep with a cocked and locked Colt .45 auto under my pillow. Check the perimiter each time I get up to take a squirt ( several times a night--old guys know what I mean ) Have intrusive thoughts and nasty dreams--etc. Hate crowds-dislike driving-have a small circle of friends around which I feel free to be myself--mostly vets. Maybe this forum will encourage some of us to come up out of our personal foxholes. Has already had that effect on me. I explained in an e-mail to Gunjukie that I have lived my life under the premise that God gave me 2 ears and only 1 mouth for a reason. He wanted me to do more listening than talking. Has kept me out of some trouble-not all-for 67 yrs. ( look at me blabbing away now ) In any event I encourge vets to communicate. I'm a MO newbie but have been welcomed warmly and I feel so at home that I was able to share what I have about myself. As for my military service I was a Staff Sgt. in the US Army. Served in Vietnam 1968-1969. Was attached to the 1st Signal Brigade. Travelled throughout III Corps--up to the DMZ for a prisoner exchange--west to the shadow of Nui Ba Den -The Black Virgin Mountain on the Cambodian border. South to Phu Lam---the gateway to the Delta. As far east as the South China Sea. At the time the 1st Signal Brigade was the largest Brigade in the Army and had more boots on the ground in Vietnam than any other Brigade. Was responsible for all communications throughout Soth East Asia. 1st Sig. Bde. is now headquartered in South Korea. A very good friend of mine Jim May ( from Rhode Island like myself--now living in central Maine--felt the need to move out to the boonies after beingback in the world a short time. ) He served in the " Triple Deuce " the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Mechanized of the 25th Infantry Division---" Tropic Lightening ". He was in Vietnam 1967-68 as a 1Lt. He recently went to Fort Drum in upstate NY the headquarters of the 10th Mountain Division, for the dedication of a monument in memory of 10 brave young troops who lost their lives in the sandbox. The Triple Deuce is now attaced to the 10th-so a group of Nam Triple Deuce vets went to the ceremony to pay their respects. A moving ceremony. If someone who reads this would e-mail me at jcastald1@cox.net I will foward the e-mail of the ceremony so it can be posted here. Unfortunately as I explained--I'm a computer nitwit. In any event , thanks again for the forum. You can judge the quality of a civilization by how they treat their children, their elderly, and their VETERANS---some gave all-all gave some. Love and respect to all of my brother vets out there and the brave men and women on active duty. REMEMBER---If you can read ,thank a teacher----if you're reading this in English thank a veteran. Happy New Year to all. one eye joe :eek: ::) :eek:
 
#4 ·
Joe;

I sure did get your email and that made me want to do this even more.. to borrow from your message.. if it brings some out of their personal foxhole and they can find help here privately or openly it's well worth it.. I can assure you that youare all heroes to us and always will be.. This site is about knowledge and sharing and this is just an extension of our Extended Marlin Family.. .
 
#6 ·
I was an Engineman, diesel technician in the USN from 1982 to 1986.

I served on the.

USS Enhance MSO 488- 1982

USS Conquest MSO 488- 1983 to 1986

Both ships were ocean going mine sweepers that were stationed on the West coast, Puget Sound Washington.

Thanks to everyone for your service, Joe
 
#7 ·
I received a Regular Army commission in '80 after college on an ROTC scholarship. Airborne and Air Assault qualified but I had a pretty "low speed" Army career from '80-'84 in Air Defense (Hawk missiles) training to shoot down Soviet aircraft before we ran out of missiles and they fired radar beam riding missiles down our throats. LOL

Then a few years of Individual Ready Reserve. The highlight of my IRR time was shooting for a year on the 90th ARCOM's pistol team as part of their MTU. Mostly from that I recall a SGM Wheeler who could bore the X center out of a bullseye target in nearly any stage. That and the incredible Smith and Wesson Model 41 and 52's we had available to shoot.
 
G
#10 ·
USMC 1976-1989.

Worked as an 0151 Admin Clerk in a UH-1N squadron for the first 4 years and then made a lat move to a technical MOS as a 5963/5979 Tactical Air Operations Center Repairer/Technician.

My whole military experience was less about service and more about politics. I look upon my experience as a journeyman course in the sleazier techniques of how to kiss good ol' boy ass or get left behind.

If it weren't for the Marine Corps being involved, I think that I would have enjoyed being in the Marines.

:)
 
#17 ·
US54975020, invited by the president via our local draft board. Dec 7th 1967 - July 12th 1969 early out via Nixon. US Army 7th Inf Div 11B11 Lt and Hvy Wpns Inf, in Korea. Served from the southern missle bases to the DMZs north border. Night duty for most of the tour as they call it.
 
#19 ·
one eye joe said:
...A lot of us suffer from PTSD...
Yes sir. And it isn't all from direct combat and I hope folks know that. PTSD can haunt folks for many reasons. I know I have it, though much to my wife's chagrin, I haven't gone in for it. I think it's a combination of things for me. The seemingly relentless SCUD alerts and the numerous SCUD attacks. The years of training, thinking, and living for high-stress situations, and for leading others into them. A few intense Hostage Negotiations incidents. Getting shot at. And more. I reckon it all just simmers together.

Like you, I hate crowds. Hell, sometimes more than a handful of people are too much for me and I have to get out of the room or whatever. But then, on the complete flip side, depending on my mood and the conditions I can be pretty relaxed. We went to a NASCAR Cup race in Las Vegas a few years ago and everyone was worried how I'd do with the crowd. But even with people pressed belly to backside on me, I didn't mind much at all. Maybe because they were "like me" I don't know. And you can surround me with my family and while the sharp sudden noises of the little ones knocking stuff down or what have you may start to get to me, I still love it.

I hate going to the store and as you said, I HATE driving. Not the act, but the people. My patience for people is pretty much absolute zero.

And, like you mentioned, I check the doors and on my girls every time I get up in the night and about a zillion times before I go to bed. And, more often than not I look out the windows, grab a drink of water, look out the windows again, check the doors again, and then go back to bed.

It's anxiety, which by definition is a fear of the unknown. While that might sound a bit strange, it's actually true, at least in my case. It's a fear of what's next, or of something beyond my control, or I'm not exactly sure what. But it wakes me from a dead sleep almost every night and I more often than not don't know exactly why. And yes, I do have nightmares. Mostly they are of a helpless feeling, like I can't act or do what needs doing or what have you. Not so much of memories. Those are day time thoughts that flutter in the back of mind.

My best friend was in a terrible shootout and he suffers from PTSD. All the same symptoms.

Anyway, I rambled enough. I just wanted to share my experiences because you had the courage to share yours. Thank you and even though I'm pretty new here, it makes me glad you felt you could share.

God Bless,

Erik
 
#21 ·
US Army, 1981-2005. Ordnance Corps. Special Ammo, FRG, 1983-90. 6 years Dept of History, USMA. 2 years 1st Cav Div, Ft Hood, in 27 MSB and DISCOM. 1 year 19 TSC, Korea (post-911 I was in Force Protection at Camp Carroll). 3 years PMS, Bowie State Univ.
Since retirement I have run a JROTC program in Baton Rouge.
 
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#24 ·
US Navy, Retired Chief Engineman

Bootcamp Orlando Florida 1974
Engineman A School Great Lakes Ill. 1974
USS Los Alamos (AFDB-7) 1974 -76
USS Lexington (CVT-16) 1976-78
Naval Support Activity New Orleans 1978-80
Break in service while I played civilian 1980-83
Naval Air Station Pensacola, Tug Operations 1983-86
Personnel Exchange Program, Belgium 1986-88
USS Frank Cable (AS-40) 1988-90
EPMAC New Orleans 1990-94
USS Tortuga (LSD-46) 1994-96
Naval Station Norfolk, TAD to Norfolk Shore Patrol 1996-97 (retired in Dec 97)

Had a pretty good run in the ol' Canoe Club. But I do know what is meant above about the 90s being as bad as the 70s. Personally, I think the 90s were worse, but then I was just a bilge diver back in the 70s and didn't have much to worry about.
 
#26 ·
US Navy Corpsman 8404/0000 Field Med. 1981-1988 was attached to the Marines for most of it and liked it!! I did spend my first 9 monts of service on the USS Thomaston LSD-28. I was assigned to Scout Sniper School Quantico, VA in 1982-83 before going overseas. After coming back from overseas in 1985 (Dec) I spent my last 2 years at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, at Pickle Meadows, CA. Got out as a HM-2. Would have been meritoriously promoted to HM-1 had I stayed in. I got out to go to college and on to Physician assistant school. My training as a Corpsman has served me well, and I will first and foremost always be a grunt corpsman.
 
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