Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Scotty55OEFVet on August 31, 2009, 07:46:48 PM
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I posted this in another forum, but I was told to take it here. Just wanted to have a page for all of us Vets from past and present to be able to BS with each other about AH2, our service, etc. Non-Vets are welcome too, many of the youngsters on here may have questions. Anyways, hope to see a lot of you guys posting.
Honorable Discharge(Medical)
SGT 4th BDE 10th MTN DIV(LI)
OEF Combat Vet
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Hell Im in
USMC Inf 1969-70 Bien-Hoa Veitnam
L/cp L.Richburg
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Not putting your idea down at all but you might want to form a "squad" forum on the bottom of the web site so that vets can join and then you can have a quiet talk without the entire forum being a part of it. You'll get a better chance of conversation there than on the open forum.
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For whoever might care...
TOD completion 98 Armee de l'Air.
1st Lt. Intel CDC BA901 Drackenbrown.
:salute
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I echo Mav, and have a question.
For US Vets only, or can Us Canucks participate?
Retired
Canadian Armed Forces (sic RCAF)
Air Element
SGT, CD, SSM(NATO){which I will not speak about}, VD with Oakleave Cluster, and Victrola Cross (awarded for gallantry in the face of overwhelming Jackson Five tunes).
Graduated as Professor Emeritus (Beer Acadamy, Jever, West Germany 1987).
RTR
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AE3 J. Mowins USN
OEF Sept 08'- June 09'
Task Group Trident
Bagram Theater Internment Facility
:salute
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Im aware of 2 high ranking NCOs from the US Army on here but thats about it, acouple of people who did acouple years in the 90s and stuff like that.
Im currently in US Army
11 series MOS
United Nations Command Honor Guard Company
Private First Class Collard
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Yeah, I'm here, reading this thread... Wondering why we'd need our own tho? When I can say whatever I want on any thread.. Except when Skuzzy bonks me with the banstick!!! Which he HAS done, several times!!
If you can gaurantee relief from the BANSTICK, I'll ship in for a tour!!! Otherwise, whats the point?
E7 active duty, E8 retired, (medical)..
USMC 1970-86... Force Recon 1978-86...
RC
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Not putting your idea down at all but you might want to form a "squad" forum on the bottom of the web site so that vets can join and then you can have a quiet talk without the entire forum being a part of it. You'll get a better chance of conversation there than on the open forum.
If you're not sure how to do this, a call to Skuzzy explaining the idea would probably get this accomplished in five minutes. Then you can just invite people that you or others notice/know are vets via a PM, or just give them access.
You could also give access to people who were asking questions about enlisting, if you wanted.
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Yeah, I'm here, reading this thread... Wondering why we'd need our own tho? When I can say whatever I want on any thread.. Except when Skuzzy bonks me with the banstick!!! Which he HAS done, several times!!
If you can gaurantee relief from the BANSTICK, I'll ship in for a tour!!! Otherwise, whats the point?
E7 active duty, E8 retired, (medical)..
USMC 1970-86... Force Recon 1978-86...
RC
I heard these guys do all of the paperwork for Rangers so they dont have to stop training :devil
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I heard these guys do all of the paperwork for Rangers so they dont have to stop training :devil
"I don't know, but it's been said... Those Army wings are made of lead!!!"
"Into battle, fodder's fed... They drop those Rangers on their Head!!!"
RC
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Yeah, I'm here, reading this thread... Wondering why we'd need our own tho? When I can say whatever I want on any thread.. Except when Skuzzy bonks me with the banstick!!! Which he HAS done, several times!!
If you can gaurantee relief from the BANSTICK, I'll ship in for a tour!!! Otherwise, whats the point?
E7 active duty, E8 retired, (medical)..
USMC 1970-86... Force Recon 1978-86...
RC
When I worked for Pfizer in 2007, I was the Team Lead in Compressed Gases. My buddy I paired up with did 3 tours "In Country" with the 82nd.
:salute
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Although a private forum might facilitate more candid discussion, as someone who never served, I would find it interesting to hear some stories of those who did. Many people these days don't seem to care about much outside of their safe little homes. I am absolutely amazed at what the men and women in the armed forces do for us to allow us to sit in our safe little homes and play games and surf the Internet.
My eyes get misty many times when I hear the stories that our vets tell. Even if they don't think of themselves as such, they are all heroes - and we should give them a nod and some recognition.
:salute from a grateful civilian.
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Although a private forum might facilitate more candid discussion, as someone who never served, I would find it interesting to hear some stories of those who did. Many people these days don't seem to care about much outside of their safe little homes. I am absolutely amazed at what the men and women in the armed forces do for us to allow us to sit in our safe little homes and play games and surf the Internet.
My eyes get misty many times when I hear the stories that our vets tell. Even if they don't think of themselves as such, they are all heroes - and we should give them a nod and some recognition.
:salute from a grateful civilian.
Exactly, me too. Guys don't be selfish, simply ignore the chitheads. Some of us who never served appreciate what you do.
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Exactly, me too. Guys don't be selfish, simply ignore the chitheads. Some of us who never served appreciate what you do.
hooah
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USMC
1981 - 1985 (honorable med)
Corporal
Semper Fi
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USAF (Ret)
1981-2001
8 years enlisted (E5)
12 years officer corps (Major)
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USMC
1996 - 2005
Captain
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Army - Armor (briefly MP at the beginning)
1975 -2000
LTC (ret)
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My eyes get misty many times when I hear the stories that our vets tell. Even if they don't think of themselves as such, they are all heroes - and we should give them a nod and some recognition.
:salute from a grateful civilian.
+1.
Went in for fast food about a year ago, my family and I were joking around, having fun, when a guy in a wheel chair, obviously homeless, came in, got some fries, and came to a table near us, he overheard some of our jokes, laughed abit, we offered to get him a drink and a burger, he didn't want it, but he thanked us anyhow, so we gave him a seat at our table. Long story short, Vietnam vet, Purple Heart and discharged due to the injuries he recieved (that's what put him in the wheel chair), and his wife left him when he was overseas and he never got back on his feet. Great guy, sad story.
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US Navy 1976-1998 (Ret)
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7th Infantry Div. HQ intel usapac 1964, attached TDY project Omega 1965, rotated 1966, MACV-SOG 1967, Hon Medical, SSGT.
Long damn time ago ...
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US Army '83 to '87
19E (M60A3 Tank Crew)
Corporal
(http://www.army-technology.com/projects/m60/images/m60_tank6.jpg)
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US Navy
1983-1987
GMG3 (5 inch 38 caliber MK 30)
USS Koelsch FF-1049
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/USS_Koelsch_%28FF-1049%29_underway.jpg/)
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USAF 1992-2001
Special Agent
Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI)
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US Army 1978-1987
SFC
1/26th INF 1st INF DIV
3/5 Cav 9th ID
2/75 Ranger Bat
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US Army 1978-1987
SFC
1/26th INF 1st INF DIV
3/5 Cav 9th ID
2/75 Ranger Bat
11B?
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Army - Armor (briefly MP at the beginning)
1975 -2000
LTC (ret)
<S> Hooah armor sir =)
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<S> Hooah armor sir =)
pogs :D
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zomg what's pogs
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zomg what's pogs
Person Other Than Grunt? Am I right?
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Poags (rhymes with toads)
It's military slang.
It's a put down.
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What happens in the armed forces................stays in the armed forces...... :O
SSGP U.S.Army
-1988 to 1992 7th Corp Heilbronn, Germany 22nd Mainantance C.O.
'90- '91 Desert Shield / Desert Storm attached to 3RD ARMOR DIVISION
-1994-2000 1st Cavalry Division Ft Hood, Texas 20th Engineer Battalion
'97- Task Force Garry Owen 1/8 CAV (PR / M1 AMBRAMS Field training and targeting for Kawait Army(which was quite amusing))
'98- Task Force Lumberjack 20th Engineers 1ST CAV
:salute
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Crunchies have a purpose. Track grease.
:P
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USAF
1969 - 1973
Crew Chief HH-53 B/C
Jolly Green Giants.
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11s/19s it doesn't matter now.
I'm taking command of an INF. unit as an armor guy, it rly doesn' tmatter =)
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Not a Vet yet, but I've sworn my life away already
USMC 2010 to - PFC
Aviation Support.
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USN
82-92
Operations Specialist First Class (E6)
:salute
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11s/19s it doesn't matter now.
I'm taking command of an INF. unit as an armor guy, it rly doesn' tmatter =)
Its different with officers though, my company is ran by a aviator, but after here he gets to be 2-9s XO when he gets his O4,
Cav Scouts < Infantry :aok
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Not a Vet yet, but I've sworn my life away already
USMC 2010 to - PFC
Aviation Support.
Ah yes, the 7200 Occ Field?
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B 1/15 3 ID 90-93 Medically bounced at 100%
Wife is currently active duty at Ft. Lewis as they paid her way through medical school.
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US Army 89 - 93, 63SH8
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Until now I'd considered myself to be pretty "familiar" with the military. Started working with field artillery soldiers and realized I was wrong. They're good folks, and a real hoot to listen to. :)
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USAF
1983-87
Dyess AFB Tx
SAC
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Army
1975-1978
Mechanic for Cobra Gunships
SP/4
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USAF ECM troop
1972-1986
Tsgt (E-6)
Lackland 1972
Keesler 1973
Davis-Montham 1973-1975
Udorn-Thani 1975
George 1976-1981
Red Flag to Nellis a coupla times
Seymour-Johnson 1981-1983
Red Flag to Nellis 1981
Crested Cap to Ramstein 1981
Taegu(K2) 1984
Castle 1985-1986
General under Honorable conditions.
(Conduct Unbecoming .. go figure)
My 3rd day at Castle, Msgt Martin (my direct supervisor) calls me into his office.
Tells me I don't act like a Tsgt, I wasn't qualified to work on his aircraft,
and he was going to do everything he could to see that I didn't remain a Tsgt.
My *third* day.
The circus was in town every day at Castle.
Well.
What's a guy to do?
Although this was years from the release of the Movie '300'
..the phrase applied.
I told him if I got up on his desk and took a dump,
..I would be acting like a Tsgt.. because I *was* one.
and if he wanted to take a stripe give it his BEST shot.
THIS IS SPARTA!!
Back of his neck turned purple.
He half stood up.
It was obvious he did not get the response he was going for.
If he had taken a swing at me it would have been a very interesting day.
As it was it took him a year to get me out early,
..he stepped on himself in public so many times he was under investigation by JAG.
Christmas that year he crashed his car while drunk.
No seatbelt, his face all messed up with big gnarly stitches, purple and swollen when he returned to duty.
More than half the shop thought I had done it.
I used the line by Clint Eastwood:
'If I had done it he wouldn't look as good'
The maint. officer accused me of sabotaging their B-52's.
One of the toughest things I ever did was not lose it laughing.
Wing Commander commendation for how I ran my shift during my first ORI there.
In Your Face, Msgt Martin.
Commendation by Base Commander when I was sent off to lawn inspector while
this half wit Martin tried to figure a way to 'get me'
Last day there, smiling young Captain with the Staff Judge Advocate calls me in.
'If you stay and fight this we can get all this garbage off your records'
Seems Msgt Martin had developed the highest seperation rate in the entire USAF.
Seems a LOT of people had noticed his actions and it wasn't just me.
I told the smiling young Captain that the thrill was gone.
He did not understand how a guy with my record could go from straight 9's to 5's
..I asked him if he had met Msgt Martin.
I had straight 9 APR's from Korea and other places I had been.
I was very good at what I did and had been for years, documented.
When I returned to the shop from lawn inspector duty,
..90+ people signed a petition asking me to be their supervisor.
The smile on my face when I got out .. there was nothing like that feeling.
-GE aka Frank
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US Army 1978-1987
SFC
1/26th INF 1st INF DIV (Goppingen, West Germany 79-82)
3/5 Cav 9th ID
2/75 Ranger Bat
[1B?
Yup...11 Bulletstopper and a 67N..crew-chiefed on Hueys for awhile. Left just before the Blackhawks arrived.
Caught a little bullet fragment on that little Island called Grenada in 83'....
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US Army
1980 to 2005 (Retired)
CSM
Started 19D, ended 19Z
Too damn many places to list.
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Spc US Army Infantry
4th Bde 10th Mtn Div (LI)
OIF Veteran
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So umm .. no 'stories' ??
Everyone just too damn busy eh?
LOL.
One of my first days on the line out of tech school.. Davis Montham .. A7-D (we called em 'Sluf')
..the big white 2-seater U2 floats in on final, beech baron flyin chase ..obviously a new guy shootin approach
..a little off line but not bad, nice touch down
.. bounce .. another nice touch down
.. bounce ..another nice touch down
..drops the right wing makes a right turn out into the desert.
Lotsa dust, a few cactus, all I could see was the white fin above all the crap flyin into the air.
Just another day on the line.
-GE aka Frank
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U S Air Force 73-77
A1C Security Police
stationed-Clark AB,Phillipines,CCK Taiwan,Eglin ab,fla.
I have many stories about my exploits while in Taiwan and the Philipines.Sadly I was taken POW (Prisoner Of potato)a many of times when headin downtown.
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Spc US Army Infantry
4th Bde 10th Mtn Div (LI)
OIF Veteran
:salute I might be coming to Drum in a few months
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From my second sog observation mission written in 1992 for the boys ... as I recall ...
... in the night every man was given a zone of responsibility and each was left with his own thoughts, each knew that with the dawn the game would be on.
Scared, you better believe I was scared, nothing in human experience is more frightening than waiting for the unknown to happen.
Dawn ... we wait ... 2 hours pass ... at last whup, whup, whup, whup, sarge chucks a louie lime (green smoke) into the center of the clearing the radio operator advises the pilot that the LZ could get hot. Just before he flares all hell breaks loose, we blow the claymores and every man unloads, first the grenades, then run for the ship firing in your area as you go, the first three men out all go down, the rest of us run out, its like running through a swarm of bees. As I come to the first down man I grab his suspenders as he struggles forward, everyone is assisting each other our return fire has ceased. getting the guy I was holding on to aboard I turn back to assist the next man and am knocked dead on my prettythang, all the wind is knocked out of me,and I just sit there trying to get my breath. Every thing is moving in ultra slow motion hands pull at me we are lifting off, I now know there is a God ... he flies a Huey.
Every man was hit at least once but we were all aboard and all alive, and no one cared if anyone had soiled themselves or not, plugging holes was the order of the day now.
Again I was lucky, hit at an extreme angle my breastbone had deflected the bullet. 9 days in the hospital and orders to report back to Washington. A cluster on my purple heart and a star for the CIB.
This was my last trip into the bush, but not may last trip in the Nam.
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Honorable Discharge (medical)
11B and 11C
1-32nd INF 10thmd
OIF1 and 2 2003-2004
Participated in Operation Fajr the second siege of Fallujah
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11B '95-'04
B Co 3rd Ranger Batt
C Co 1/325thPIR 82nd Abn.
B Co 2/187thInf(Air Assault) 101st Abn.
Bosnia
Kosovo
A'stan
Iraq
Wounded Khost, A'stan Mar. 2002(small arms) and again in Mosul, Iraq Jan. 2004 (VBIED)
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USAF 1978-1994
Crew Chief
O-2A
F-111E
A-10A
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USMC 1987-1991
Aircraft Crash Fire Rescue 7051
MWSS 172, MCAS Futenma Ja.
deployed to:
Mainland Japan for 3 months (winter survival training at base of Mt. Fuji)
Seoul, Po hang, and Pusan South Korea.. i cant remember the exact name of training but we trained along side of the R.O.K. Marines and they are ruggad little s%^t's.
Guam for water rescue training with the navy
Phillipines for Jungle Environment Survival Training aka JEST school (worst 3 weeks of my life, even worse than boot camp)
Thailand For training with Thai Marines.. Operation Bearhunt
and the best of all,
Australia For a joint training and bellybutton whooping of the USA in mock war games .. best 3 months that I had was there..
and I am a Shellback due to going to Australia and Thailand we were assigned as security detail aboard the USS Denver...
participated in Operation Just Cause (22 Hour flight from Okinawa to Texas .. then to parts classified)
Honarable Discharge Jan 4, 1991 -- involuntary reenlistment Feb 1 1991... Operaration Desert Storm, then Honarlbly discharged again March 31 1991
Semper Fi
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:salute to you guys for your service.
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From my second sog observation mission written in 1992 for the boys ... as I recall ...
... in the night every man was given a zone of responsibility and each was left with his own thoughts, each knew that with the dawn the game would be on.
Scared, you better believe I was scared, nothing in human experience is more frightening than waiting for the unknown to happen.
Dawn ... we wait ... 2 hours pass ... at last whup, whup, whup, whup, sarge chucks a louie lime (green smoke) into the center of the clearing the radio operator advises the pilot that the LZ could get hot. Just before he flares all hell breaks loose, we blow the claymores and every man unloads, first the grenades, then run for the ship firing in your area as you go, the first three men out all go down, the rest of us run out, its like running through a swarm of bees. As I come to the first down man I grab his suspenders as he struggles forward, everyone is assisting each other our return fire has ceased. getting the guy I was holding on to aboard I turn back to assist the next man and am knocked dead on my prettythang, all the wind is knocked out of me,and I just sit there trying to get my breath. Every thing is moving in ultra slow motion hands pull at me we are lifting off, I now know there is a God ... he flies a Huey.
Every man was hit at least once but we were all aboard and all alive, and no one cared if anyone had soiled themselves or not, plugging holes was the order of the day now.
Again I was lucky, hit at an extreme angle my breastbone had deflected the bullet. 9 days in the hospital and orders to report back to Washington. A cluster on my purple heart and a star for the CIB.
This was my last trip into the bush, but not may last trip in the Nam.
I used to love sitting around listening to my dad's friends from way back when talk quietly about their times and different experiences in Viet Nam. I have heard a few stories similar to that and some where there was only one or two left that could make it to the LZ and they did simply because they were telling the stories. Thanks for sharing and serving.
:salute
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24 years service. Exactly 15 years and ten days under water!
Currently driving a desk on shore duty....it doesn't suck.
USS Newport News SSN-750
USS Miami SSN-755
USS Topeka SSN-754
USS Carl Vinson CVN-70
USS Alabama SSBN-731
.....been all over the world (my favorite port is Gibraltar) and participated in all the conflicts since 1985; but I've never actually been in combat where someone was shooting back.
I didn't like the CVN...those surface ship guys are stinky. :)
LOL
V/R and <S>, LTARjink
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USAF Dec 1984 - May 2009
1984-1996 Crew Chief F-5E's, T-38's, F-16's Block 10-52..even worked 008 the 1st B model 16
1996-2000 UH-1N Flight Engineer
2000-2006 HH-60G Flight Enginer (woot Jolly Greens)
2006-2009 RQ-4A Global Hawk Sensor Operator
Can't believe how quick it went by.
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1983-1990 U.S. army :salute
Fort Leonard wood Missuri, :furious
Fort Gordon Ga. :aok
Mcgregor range Elpaso Texas :noid
Sheperd airforce base Witchita Falls Texas. :noid
Weisbaden west Germany :O
Wakernhiem west germany. ;)
Home sweet home! :D
That is all, Dismissed! :salute
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2002-2008 11B Callsign was my ASI. Who knows what it means?
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Sgt 11C US Army
11/83-05/95
Honorable Discharge (30%) disabled
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2002-2008 11B Callsign was my ASI. Who knows what it means?
Additional Skill Identifier/MOS' I had 4 myself, Primary was 11C though
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United States Air Force
Aug. 06-Present
Jan. '08-May '08 Operation Iraqi Freedom
Ali AB, Iraq.
Fire Protection
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:salute TO ALL THE VETS AND CURRENTLY ENLISTED!!
this has got to be the best thread ever. my brother in law that passed away in feb. was a vietnam vet. he told some stories but was reluctant to tell others. he didn't like to talk about it much. he lost his best friend that enlisted at the same time as he did. he told stories of how bad it was over there but didn't go into great detail as it brought back bad memories for him.
i worked at a nursing home and one resident had a USS Hornet hat on, i complimented him on his hat and he said "young lady you probably have no clue what the USS Hornet is". i corrected him in a kind manor and said "that is where you stand incorrect sir, i know that the USS Hornet was the CV that Doolittle launched the b25's off from when we bombed tokyo." he was amazed. i stood talking to him for quite a few hours listening to his stories. this particular gentlemen passed away a few weeks later.
i luv these stories yall are posting. i would like to read more. plz post as many as you can.
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Fascinating thread, I wish I could add to it but my own service was only six years in the Irish army reserve, D coy, 20th Infantry Batt. Not a lot happened, even though at one stage things looked liked they might get hot but no one shot at me and I shot at no one. But it was interesting and I always regret not having a full time military career.
Speaking of Vietnam vets, I met one once, in of all places, Hanoi airport. His first time back since a mortar round caught him in '69. I'd loved to have talked but it was my honeymoon after all. I also worked with a guy who flew F4s in 'Nam, got shot down and injured, because of it lost his chance to fly SR-71s and even take a shot at the Astronaut programme.
It always makes me feel I have led a a rather protected, dull life.
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'Peacetime' ..another day on the line at George AFB, most of the crews were transitioning into the way cool F-4G Wild Weasel, they were bein delivered at the time and there were some 'E' models for basic fam flights goin on ..it's a different gig than the 105G after all :)
I was out back rackin ECM pods on my J-4 jammer with a couple others ..ECM shop was near takeoff end of the runway that day.
F-4 blasted off ..goin away from us. We stopped to watch.
On rotation the right wing folded up ..straight up.
She started a slow roll right still going nose up, you could see full left everything as the pilot tried to get her straight ..
..just not happenin.
Plane describes a lazy arcing right turn, now he's 180 from takeoff heading, comin up on 90 deg bank.
Saw the smoke, fire and sparkle of canopies blowin off before we heard the POP-whoosh of the rockets firing..
..we were still pretty far away.
Well.
Pilot lands in Ops parkin lot, back seater lands in avionics barracks lot just across the street from us.
Back seater was no wasted motion, pure perfect timing, he had no time.
Seat went out, chute popped, he hit the ground.. no swing no nothin.
Aircraft was still at full throttle, she went inverted right over us and nosed in about a football field length away.
Another hundred yards or so would have been into the fuel storage area
.. shorter and it woulda been a very interesting day in our shop.
All the flashing lights in the world came from everywhere, that F-4 went in, huge THUMP and dust cloud, some fire an smoke.
When it cleared there was nothing sticking up higher than the tumbleweeds out there.
It was spooky.
She's a big airplane.
Was.
Just another day on the line.
-GE aka Frank
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U.S. Army 1965-1967
82nd. 1st. sqdn. 17th. Cav. 11B2P
SP4
Honorable Discharge
:salute
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:salute
Great thread.
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another excerpt you may enjoy ...
Quantico man that was tough, didn't make any difference where you came from the physical training was with the raiders units, but only 4 hours a day 0500 to 0900 as I recall, shower and dress for class, 2 hours of evaluation, every damn day you had evaluation and there was no tomorrow, lunch, 4 hours of special operation stuff, 2 hours of weapons, I have no bloody idea how many different kinds of weapons I can actually use but it is a bunch, dinner, 4 hours of potpourri, or lets see how miserable we can make em feel tonight, or maybe a special night training class of some sort back with the raiders. Saturday, only morning work with the raiders then you could get a pass or use the time to study. I'll let you guess how many of the gimmie my pass group were there at the end. Sunday morning PT only. then again free time but usually no passes. You ever see the movie "G.I.Jane"? I think Quantico was worse, it prolly wasn't it just seemed like it at the time. I just remembered one incident that you all may find amusing. We were just finishing a morning 5 mile run, this was a run in formation at double time, when the training sergeant shouted "how do we feel this morning troops" someone, I swear it was not me, shouted back "fine sergeant we can run until you drop" that was the longest five miles I was ever to run in my life. Sarge did not stop till 1100, (some 2 hours later) but only about 4 or five guys was not still with him at the end.
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Charge Error...
While I was stationed at 29 Palms: one day I was observing a training excercise on top of a hill overlooking a target array. A 155mm battery was firing in support of an armored company in a defensive position just north of the array. On their first fire mission, I just happened to be under the gun-target-line between the battery and the target area. The fire mission had them shooting about 10 km, impacting along a road that I couldn't see, due to intervening terrain. The data on the guns required a 4 White Bag charge to shoot that range. Now, it seems like I've heard thousands of artillery rounds pass over head at altitude--that quiet whisper of air moving as the rounds trace through the sky well above you. On the adjust fire "shot" call over the radio, a sudden and very loud crescendo roared over my vehicle, with a sudden "splash" of a 155mm round about 2 km beyond my position, at the base of the hill I was on, right along the gun target line. I knew immediately that something was wrong. Turns out that the gun crew had loaded a 4 Green Bag charge instead of the require 4 White, resulting in them shooting about 4 km short. After computing the ordinate, my artillery counterpart informed me the round probably cleared my position by no more than 200 feet. A little close for my comfort...
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JollyFE:
I cannot beleive how fast 13+ years went by either.
It seems like a blink looking back on it all.
I went in after 3 years of loadin furniture vans for a livin ..basic was a cake walk.
We had a contest one night to see who could do the most situps with the DI callin 'em ..
..I won. Count stopped at 240 and I wasn't breathin hard at all .. could do 'em forever at that age :)
Heck I useda relax by ridin Motocross on my 250 CZ after work.
Next thing I know I am late '30's and it's *hard* to climb all over an aircraft,
..standing on my head in a cockpit is uncomfortable ..
..and I get chewed out for bein out fixin a plane that flies the next day instead of bein in-shop answering phones.
It was time for me to go .. I didn't enlist to answer phones.
-GE aka Frank
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Sorry to resurect an old post.
Ran into my old deep sea dive partner today on the pier.
Picture two 45-50 year old men embracing, and returning salutes to 20 yr olds as they walk past us.
The things me and "Q" did..20 years ago....underwater and thousands of miles from where I am now.
I cannot believe he's still in the business.
<S> to my underwater brother "Q".
He's a old underwater donkey / pack mule, and the physically strongest man that I've ever known.
- :salute -Jink
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RAF 1990-1994
No.1 Squadron, RAF Regiment
Recce section
LAC
And no, no story. However.....this is a repost from another forum, LOOOOONG post from a fella I used to know who operated a wagtail team (dog handler, dog trained to find explosives and weapons) and his experience with the SAS, I think you might like it.
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...pull up a sandbag, you ! yeah you there ! get that light swinging, sit down and I'll tell you a story about when I worked with...(looks over both shoulders furtively, leans forward conspiritally and in a hushed voice says)...THEM !
Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a green and boggy land not too far away when I was a stripling youth, I was the brainier half of a Wagtail team. As jobs went it was'nt too bad. Plenty fresh air, guns with real bullets, 50p a day danger money and sometimes we got to go to work in a choppper as we held apart the green,white and gold baddy tribe from the red,white and blue baddy tribe. Some days I could go out in 'mufti' and dressed in my plastic imitation Irvine flying jacket, brutus jeans, Derriboots with white welly socks and my riot helmet with the visor removed, I'd mount my ancient 250 Yam and head off to Lisburn for some hearts and mind action with the colleens that hung about Corkens or the like. Sometimes I'd head off for the Holdfast Disco at Castle D where the RE's had thoughtfully converted the stable next door into a Lurve Shack with blanket GS drapes and swamped mattresses from the SQMS.
It was during my time there that rumours persisted that THEY were there as well. No-one ever saw THEM. No-one had ever met THEM but the 'experts' reckoned you could tell one of THEM by the length of his hair, but, given that every squaddie there grew his hair long at the slightest excuse, you never knew whether it was actually one of THEM you had seen or just some civvy driver or other REMF. Still, the rumours persisted.
Now, one day, twas in the summer as I recall, we were out and about in a green,white and gold part of the land, spreading the peace and impartial goodwill message to the CivPop along with a section from the RHF, in shirt sleeve order, proudly displaying thier 'FOR GOD & ULSTER', RANGERS F.C.' & 'UVF,UDA,**** THE POPE AND THE IRA' tatoos for the delictation of the locals. Twas a shreckin' long, long day I can tell you and we were mightily glad to RTB that evening.
Anyway, no sooner had I kenneled and fed the oppo, blagged some tinnys from the choggi and settled down for an evening with Gloria and UTV, and the tannoy goes'
'Wagtail to the ops room, Wagtail to the ops room. That is all.'
B*****D !!! so off I trots.
'Evening sir, what've got for me ?'
'Ah right. They want you at so and so in an hour. QRF are waiting to take you. Oh, and they want you in civvies.'
'Civvies ? who wants me in civvies ?'
'How the **** should I know. No one tells me **** all, I'm only the Ops Officer FFS. Now b*gger orf.'
So 'orf' I b*ggered and got into my finest 'I'm not a squaddie, I'm one of you's' outfit and went to get the oppo.
Now, my oppo was one of the finest noses ever to graduate from Melton in the late 70's but he'd been a troubled youth. Abandoned by his parents when barely weeks old he'd ended up being drafted into the Pet Corp as an alternative to the dog pound and after four months basic he found himself on the mean streets of Derry. He'd found that first tour hard. Friend and foe alike would mock him for his lack of stature for although he had the noble head and body of a golden labrador his dad had been a pit bull or some such and as a consequence he had little short legs and a big barrel chest. He was so short arrsed he'd need a bunk up just to get into the pigs. All this and the fact that the Pet Corp had decided that this war dogs given name was to be.... Stumpy !!FFS just made it worse.
Eventually the stress got too much and after a number of collapses on duty he was diagnosed as epileptic and RTU'd to Melton for the needle........
TBC.
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Now, as luck would have it, when my oppo was RTU'd to Melton he found that the chap who'd trained him was now the head honcho and he decided that the boy should get another chance. He decided to return him to a rural posting instead of an Urban one as it transpired that not only was he epileptic but he'd developed a psycopathic hatred of all things civilian. So, when I went to wake him that night, in my civvys, I should'nt have been overly surprised when he tore out the bed box and grabbed me by the ****** leg !!!
'GOB CHA !! CIBBY BABBSTARD !!! he growled through clenched teeth.
'OW, IT'S ME YE STUPID WEE **** !!! LEMME ****** GO !!'
'HUH, SOBBY ! WHABBA FUBB OO IB CIBBYS FO ? ****' he snarled,
'WE'VE GORRA ****** JOB YA MAD WEE *****. NOW ****** GERROFF MA ****** LEG OR I'LL ****** DOB YOU !'
'**** !' he huffed.
'Enough !! c'mon !'
When we arrived at so and so I headed for the Ops Room,
'Evening sir, what you got for us ?'
'Ah Wagtail, yes, you've been tasked by THEM for something or other, they'll pick you up in 15 minutes and why are your trousers all torn !'
'Long story, Well this should be interesting. Never worked for THEM before and we're not supposed to work in the dark. Still, whats the job.'
'****** if I know son, no-one tells me anything, I'm only the Ops Officer. Now b*gger orf.'
So 'orf'we b*ggered and awaited THEM.
Now, this place, so and so, had a very small base and because the locals had a habit of taking pot shots at any vehicle entering or leaving there was a sort of drill for getting in and out. Incoming would radio ahead and as they neared the gates they'd give a couple of toots and the guard would swing them open at the last second and in you'd blast, humping on the brakes as you did to stop you ending up in the cookhouse. I know this now. Did'nt at the time tho'.
Me and the boy were sitting at the unloading bay having a studmuffin when all of a sudden all hell appeared to break loose. A distant toot, the guard running to open the gates and in roared this **** off big Datsun which screeched to a halt beside me. Down came the passenger window and out looked the scariest ****** I'd ever clapped eyes on.
'Wagtail ?' he growled through the droopiest bandido 'tache on the planet,
'get in the back, quick !!'
They'd caught me by surprise, I'd just about s*** myself. I tried to be cool and flippant,
'Mum said I should never get into cars with strange men !'
'Gerrin the ****** car *******, now !' snarled the strangest man in the world.
We got in. A screeching three-ish point turn, a toot and a crashing of gates opening and off we shot, up the road and into the darkness.
'My first job with THEM eh? How cool is this ?' I thought.
'****** civvy ***** are gonna get it !!' growled der hund as he stared at the back of thier heads.
'What the ***** up with the mutt ?' says the strange man in the passenger seat.
'He hates civvys.'
'Well, get a grip of him. I hate ****** dogs and stop him dribbling on the seat !'
'I'll rip his ****** head off' snorted the Stump as I held him in his seat by the harness.
Fortunately the scary, grumpy dude in the passenger seat did'nt say much after that and the no less scary, but slightly less grumpy driver briefed me en route. THEY'd been watching some place for the baddie to come and pick up a weapon but he'd failed to trap so they wanted to recover said gat before they pulled out but could'nt pin point it. Thats where we came in. The plan was for them to take us to an RV where we'd be collected by the patrol,
'When the car stops and the lights are out they'll come to the door and get you. Just do what they say, OK ?'
'Sure, no probs.' I said, more confidantly than I felt.
Nice and easy, do as your told, dead simple, no hassle, nothing to go wrong.
Well, so much for the theory.
'I'll bite thier ****** ***** off !!! growled the Stump.
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so anyway, there I was, cruising through the dark lanes of Bandit Country with the hound growling under his breath beside me and the two scary men growling under thier breath in front of me and me, rocking back and forth, humming softly to myself and trying to find a safe, warm place in my mind as I could see this first op with THEM going completely breasts skyward when without warning the engine and lights were cut and we cruised slowly and quietly to a halt in the pitch dark.The Stump and the scary men had stopped growling at each other and the silence was ***** eerie.
Now, as I said, I'd been briefed as to what would happen when we stopped, but, when after a few seconds the door beside me opened, I ****** crapped myself and stifled a girly squeal as this bush materialised from the dakness and whispered, tactically,
'Wagtail ? This way' and then reached in to grab my arm.
I had barely enough time to think 'Oh fu...!!!!' when 40 lbs of snarling fur and fury leapt across me and siezed the bush by the arm.
'**** BOSS !!! A BUSH ' CHOMP !!! 'GORRIM !!'
'OHYAH ****** !!' hissed the bush painfully.
'OH **** !!' hissed the two sacry men in the front.
'OH **** !!' I thought and wet myself.
'GET YOUR ****** DOG OFF MY ARM YOU ****' hissed the bush, urgently.
'TAKE THAT YA ****** !!' rumbled the dog, manicly
'OH **** !! ' whispered every body else.
'LET HIM GO YA DERANGED LITTLE ****' I commanded,
'WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DERANGED LITTLE ****' threatened the bush,
'NOT YOU !!! THE ****** DOG !!! ' I whispered, desperately.
'OH **** !!' whispered the scary men, groaningly
'GNARR, GNARR, GNARRR' growled the culprit, determindly.
The only way I could convinve the little ****** to release the bush was to squeeze his eyeballs with my thumbs
'OHYAH **** !!!!' he yelped as he flew back in his seat after letting the bush go.
'OYAH **** !!!!' hissed the bush as he went the other way and landed on his arrse on the verge.
'OH **** !!' moaned the scary men in the car.
I did'nt have time to think or say anything before I was grabbed by the collar and hoiked bodily out of the car swiftly followed by the dog courtesy of the lead I still clutched and we landed in a bundle of legs, arms, paws and curses beside the Datsun's rear wheel which just about ran over my head as the scary men. who'd obviously decided enough was enough, sped off into the night.
'**** !! get it sorted and follow me !!' hissed the bush, menacingly,
'COME ON THEN B*****D !!!' challenged the dog, aggresively.
'What the **** is the problem with that ****** animal ?' asked the bush, equally as aggresively.
'He does'ny like civvys' I replied, miserably, 'or bushes either it would appear.'
'***** !' muttered the bush as he headed off through the hedgerow, 'C'mon, follow me !'
So we did. The epileptic, psycopathic canine dwarf and his miserable, doom laden handler.
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So, after a whiley, staggering through the ooloo, we stopped and another couple of bushes emerged from the darkness. The sight of them even shut the nutter up and the chief bush came over and whispered, tactically, in my ear'
'What the **** happened to your trouser leg ?'
'EH ?, oh that, look it's a long story. Could we just crack on with this ****** job my nerves are shredded as it is !'
'Righ-ho' whispers the chief bush,
'here's the story ....whissy ....whissy....whissy... and we think it's over there.'
he announces, pointing into the darkness where I could see the sum total of **** all.
'Right' said the chief bush, when I pointed this out, 'we'll take you down to that gate. It's just beyond there.'
So away we went, the chief bush, followed by me with the dog in front of me choking and gagging, as the only way I could keep him quiet was to grip him by the back of the collar and lift his front feet off the gound.
We stopped at the gate and I tried to calm the psycopathic hoo-er down before we started searching. I did this by whispering the most blood curling threats I could think off in his lug hole and, getting him as calm as he was ever going to be, got him in a full lift and leaned over the gate to drop him on the other side to start the search.
'CRACK !!' went the top spar of the gate as it gave way under my chest.
'CRACK !!' went the second spar as my chest hit that on the way down and pitched me and the dog arrse over tit through what remained of the gate.
'OOOOHHHHHYYYYYAAAAAA FFFFFCCCCCUUUUKKKKKEERR!!' howled the dog as I landed on his soft bits,
'BOW WOW WOW, HOWL HOWL HOWL, BARK BARK BARK !!!' replied every dog in the ****** neighbourhood,
'**** !!!' hissed the chief bush in my ear as he gripped me by the scruff of me neck, 'ARE YOU ****** PAIR DELIBERATELY TRYING TO MAKE A **** OF THIS, YOU'VE WOKEN UP THE WHOLE ****** COUNTY !!'
'IT'S NO OUR FAULT' I hissed back 'WE'VE NEVER ****** DONE THIS BEFORE AND IT'S ****** DARK !!!
WE'RE NO SUPPOSED TO WORK IN THE ****** DARK. !! IF YOU COWBOYS WANT DOG SUPPORT YE SHOULD GIVE US SOME ****** NOTICE.' desperation was making me brave !
'COWBOYS, ****** COWBOYS !!!!' even in the dark I could see the viens popping in his head, 'YOU'RE A PAIR OF USELESS *****. I SHOULD SLOT THE ****** PAIR OF YOU NOW AND BURY YOU HERE !!'
As the chief bush and I traded whispered insults the Stump had recovered his composure and wandered off,
'SSSSTTTT !!! LOOK !!!' hissed another of the bushes and pointed at the dog who had his nose down at the base of a stack of bales not twelve feet from where we crouched. As we watched he snuffled back and forth a couple of times and then stuck his nose into a gap in the bales and then the tail started going ten to the dozen!! He paused for a sec and looked back to check if we were paying attention then whacked his nose back into the bales,
'BOSS, BOSS, BOSS !! A GUN, A GUN, A GUN, A GUN, A GUN, A GUN LOOK,LOOK,LOOK, LOOK, A GUN, A GUN, A GUN !!!' he excitedly indicated.
I gripped him by the harness and pulled him off,
'BOSS, BOSS, BOSS, ISSAGUN, ISSAGUN, ISSAGUN ISSAGUN !!!!' I could hardly keep hold of him.
One of the bushes stuck his hand into the space between the bales and pulled out a wrapped bundle and to a cacophany of howling and barking local dogs he slowly unwrapped the top of the thing and there its was,
'****** TOLD YA, ****** TOLD YA, ****** TOLD YA, ISSAGUN, ISSAGUN, ISSAGUN, ISSAGUN !!! GIMME IT, GIMME IT, GIMME IT !!!' the Stump was beside himself. The bushes were chuffed too,
'GOOD BOY, GOOD BOY, ****** RESULT, GOOD DOG, GOOD DOG.!! they hissed delightedly as they patted the dog.
'I KNOW I AM, I KNOW I AM, GIMME THE GUN, GIMME THE GUN !!' replied the Stump.
Me ? I watched this unbridled scene of joy, reflected on how we had snatched a win from the jaws of certain disaster, and nearly fainted with relief !!!
The RTB was pretty uneventful and even finding that the soap dodging RHF porridge wogs had proffed my tinnies and the choggi was shut, it could'nt spoil the result. I gave the poison dwarf a treat and let him kip in the room that night and as I lay in my scratcher and watched him chew on the remains of my jeans I thought ' you're pretty good when ye wanna be ye wee ****'.
'****** right I am,' he looked back, 'and I hauled your sorry *** out the ***** tonight, eh ?'
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A couple of post scripts.
As a result of our experience that night we did some training and selection of the less.. erm... highly strung mutts, just in case THEY ever tasked us again. THEY never did, strangely enough.
THEY told me that they would send a note to the OC ADU re the job and when I got the summons to Kesh to see the old man I was pretty chuffed tho' a bit wary. I assumed, rightly, that they'd leave out MOST of what happened on the night and concentrate on the result which they did and the old man was dully happy.
Not so the Unit S'rnt Major. Had to endure a thirty minute lecture off the Pet Corp **** for disobeying TUoD(NI) Tactical Use of Dogs(NI) ..no handler should operate his dog in conditions of light where the dog cannot be seen...or some such bollox.
But, hey, even his slavvering ***** did'nt really matter. Me and the Stump had worked with THEM !
A few months later I was at the Bde HQ for the night to see one of those ****** awful CSE shows they used to put on, ye know , two or three bored, saggy breested strippers, an unfunny comedian and a kids entertainer who made animals out of balloons (I kid you not !!!). Anyway, I was waiting at the bar when this bod appears at my side,
'How you doing Jock ?' says he'
'Fine ta mate, erm, do I know you ?'
'You should, your ****** dog tried to rip my arm off near so and so a while back !'
'Oh heavens !' I thought to myself, or some such.
'The rest of the boys are over there, gonna join us ?' he continued.
'Oh, heavens to mergatroyd !' I thought, or some such.
But they were fine, we had a hoot and I told the Stump all about it later that night when I got in,
'****** *******' he grunted while ripping the soles off my new dessies,
' I could've taken the lot of them !'
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And you lot have no idea how much ****** work this took with the * key to get this cut & paste past the text filter.
And....um.....non Brits may find the slang incomprehensible.
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Swoop, you owe me a keyboard you ********* *****
;)
:salute
Wurzel
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I was in the Army from 92 - 96, 93C... no funny stories though. :) I enjoyed reading yours Swoop.