The Warrior Thread

[1978 NYB]

There are a lot of Veterans on this forum.

Let's hear about your time served, combat deployments, favorite place served and what ever you want to to share with the forum.

Let me be the first to salute and say Thank You for your service to our great country!

 

[1978 NYB]

 

[1978 NYB]

I served in the U.S. Army from 1976 to 1996. I was one of the last to get the Vietnam GI Bill.
I wanted to party it up one last time on New Years eve and then enlist. My recruiter said I was scewing up big time and that I had to enlist before 31 December 1976 to get the Vietnam GI Bill. I enlisted on 29 December 1976. That was one of the few times I actually listened to somebody.

I deployed 15.5 years out of 20. Mostly in Western Europe, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq. I was in Armored Calvary Regiments twice and 8 inch Self Propelled Artillery the rest of the time. I had 3 short assignments in the States, Ft. Bliss, TX, Ft. Knox, KY, and APG, MD. My favorite assignment was Augsburg, Germany. It was like Camelot. We were the most Southern deployed combat unit in Germany about 20 minutes northwest of Munich.

 

[live4theking]

Bob,
Thanks for your lifetime of service.

I was in the Air Force from 92-96. I spent the vast majority of my time in TX thanks to being assigned to the B-1B. I went to Cold Lake Alberta, Canada to play war games for two weeks and then did another two weeks in Canada doing air shows.

I had hoped to see the world, but after a few stupid stunts pulled by the AF and realizing there were no chances of traveling I decided to get out instead of making a career of it as I had originally planned.

No regrets and I'd do it again. My eldest son desires to be a Navy Seal.

 

[1978 NYB]

Bob,
Thanks for your lifetime of service.

I was in the Air Force from 92-96. I spent the vast majority of my time in TX thanks to being assigned to the B-1B. I went to Cold Lake Alberta, Canada to play war games for two weeks and then did another two weeks in Canada doing air shows.

I had hoped to see the world, but after a few stupid stunts pulled by the AF and realizing there were no chances of traveling I decided to get out instead of making a career of it as I had originally planned.

No regrets and I'd do it again. My eldest son desires to be a Navy Seal.

Salute to you and thanks for your service. I have no regrets serving and would do it all over again. Did you drop any Ordnance when you were in Canada?

 

[65sporty]

Thanks for your service Bob and also John. I was in the Air Force from 89-92, basic training at Lackland AFB, tech school at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX. Then I was stationed at Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA. I was a B-52G crew chief, first was part of the recovery team then later assigned to my own aircraft.
In August of 90 myself and 13 other crew chiefs preflighted 7 planes for a special alert mission. These planes sat on the flight line in alert status with cruise missiles until Operation Desert Storm.

Operation Senior Surprise - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I was sent to Moron AB Spain in January 91 with our B-52G's, others went to England, Saudi Araba and Diego Garcia. Every B-52G that I pre flighted and launched, loaded with ordinance came back empty.

https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/docume...lder_Operation_Desert_Storm_B-52_Specific.pdf

After Desert Storm I was assigned to a plane with another Crew Chief that was may supervisor, Wendell Walker, great guy to work for/with. We pre flighted 5 days a week, launching planes to punch holes in the sky for training. After Wendell got out, I went on the alert pad, these planes were loaded with nuc's and ready to launch at a moments notice. When the START Treaty was signed we downloaded the planes, sent the nuc's to storage and the planes and us were sent back to the flightline. Then I got a different supervisor, plane and crew. A Tech SGT, myself (SRA) and 2 A1C's. Myself and one of the A1C's did all the pre flight's and launchs. The Tech SGT and one of the A1C's did the recovery.
In July of 92 I went to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas for Red Flag, we took 2 B-52G's to play with the fighter boy's. After the Gulf War the G models were starting to get timed out and sent to the boneyard. When my time was getting short I was assigned to the planes that were being retired and sent a few to the boneyard.
I separated in Nov of 92, 6 months early. They were reducing our career field and my wife's mother was having some health issues so I separated early.
I met a lot of great people and saw a lot of great aircraft. I do miss the planes

 

[3175375]

This is a great thread!

While I never served, I have tremendous respect for all who have served in any capacity.

(I worked in flight test for Hughes Aircraft / Raytheon for nearly 33 years from 1/23/85 - 10/1/17) at Point Mugu Naval Air Station and LAX / El Segundo. I worked with Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army officers and enlisted on radars, missiles, RwRs, EW equipment and such. I enjoyed helping putting together a better mousetrap and verifying that they worked.)

I salute all of you!

 

[live4theking]

Salute to you and thanks for your service. I have no regrets serving and would do it all over again. Did you drop any Ordnance when you were in Canada?

I would have to guess they were dropping something, it was for practice, I was ground crew and never got off the ground in one. The one thing I do remember hearing was complaints from the fighter pilots that our bombers were a whole lot harder to get a piece of then they expected.

 

[1978 NYB]

This is a great thread!

While I never served, I have tremendous respect for all wh

have served in any capacity.

(I worked in flight test for Hughes Aircraft / Raytheon for nearly 33 years from 1/23/85 - 10/1/17) at Point Mugu Naval Air Station and LAX / El Segundo. I worked with Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army officers and enlisted on radars, missiles, RwRs, EW equipment and such. I enjoyed helping putting together a better mousetrap and verifying that they worked.)

I salute all of you!

I also worked as a Military Contractor after I retired from the Army in 1996 at the Army Test Center at APG, MD. I couldn't believe they were paying me stupid money for blowing stuff up. It was amazing watching the news and seeing our super secret stuff working out and killing Hadji's but we couldn't tell anybody about it.

 

[patrick66]

1979-1999. USAF. Two years and change in ground radar, 18 years as an AWACS crewdawg. Went across the street to work for a defense contractor, teaching my old job to the new kids. Left that in 2015, went over across the base to be involved in parts/logistics for my old jet. I'm semi-retiring in Sept of this year, making 41 years involved with the same airframe. I'm so ready, gotta tell ya!

 

[65sporty]

1979-1999. USAF. Two years and change in ground radar, 18 years as an AWACS crewdawg. Went across the street to work for a defense contractor, teaching my old job to the new kids. Left that in 2015, went over across the base to be involved in parts/logistics for my old jet. I'm semi-retiring in Sept of this year, making 41 years involved with the same airframe. I'm so ready, gotta tell ya!

Thank you for your service

 

[1978 NYB]

1979-1999. USAF. Two years and change in ground radar, 18 years as an AWACS crewdawg. Went across the street to work for a defense contractor, teaching my old job to the new kids. Left that in 2015, went over across the base to be involved in parts/logistics for my old jet. I'm semi-retiring in Sept of this year, making 41 years involved with the same airframe. I'm so ready, gotta tell ya!

Yeah, you think you can do all these things forever. The truth is at some point you have to give this stuff up and let the next generation take charge. In hindsight....I would do it all over again! I wouldn't change a thing.
20 years active Army and 26 years as a Military Contractor which I'm proud to serve.

 

[1978 NYB]

In 2016, the Armt Test Center had to fly me out to Iraq to disarm an MRAP Vehicle specifically for Special Forces. It had ballistic doors with an active high voltage field on the doors. One of the SF operators shocked himself and died trying to get in the vehicle. The rest of the Team refused to touch the vehicle. I was only in country for 1 day to disarm the doors.