Military experience.

**doug1980** · 04-25-2009, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Alpine_Sapper

lol. I was kidding. Just a little inter-service ribbing is all. But seriously...we got issued half a 2-man shelter and bivy sack. You guys got recliners and spare batteries for the remote.

In all seriousness, I would have joined the Air Force, but they wouldn't take me due to my criminal record. I'm standing in front of the recruiters office waiting to ship out to MEPS for the final time, it's 5 degrees outside, and the recruiter is not where he is supposed to be. (Gee, I wonder if he was using an army issued navigation device...)

So the Navy recruiter walked up to me. Now, I had talked to this guy ONCE to see what he could offer. I had a 126 GT score.I turned it down because my dad was navy, my girlfriend at the times dad and three brothers were ALL navy, as well as the grandfather, great grandfather, etc. And I really couldn't picture myself doing 6 months on a ship at a time with like 700 dudes and 3 females. But he never explained what incentives he could get me.

So I chose the army, got my little $19k for college, 12 mos. of MGIB, and a nice shaft for an enlistment bonus. I got my pick of MOS, but only 11B or 12B due to my criminal record, and duty station of choice, but only Leonard Wood MO or Fort Riley Kansas. Gee, thanks.

The Navy recruiter walks up to me and says "Where ya been?" "I decided to go Army." "What'd they give ya?" So I tell him. His response?

"Dude, your a dumbass. I had you slotted for $26k for college, MBIG, and a 2 year hitch as an electronics engineer working on Tomahawk missiles. "

What do you see as an Army recruit when you look in the Mirror?

Yes
My
Retarded
A**

Signed
UP

LOL I realized that hiking and running and all the field exercises got old real quick. The Army never sent me anywhere all we did was train, train, train. So after my 3 years I bailed. Then went to the ANG and loved it. Did construction stuff and actually got to go TDY and deploy. Been to Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq, Romania, Japan and all over the U.S Still got to work with the Army doing convoys and stuff but got to sleep in hard billets with cable tv a shower and stuff. So yeah the A.F has better accomodations and it was wonderful.

**Alpine_Sapper** · 04-25-2009, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by doug1980

LOL I realized that hiking and running and all the field exercises got old real quick. The Army never sent me anywhere all we did was train, train, train. So after my 3 years I bailed. Then went to the ANG and loved it. Did construction stuff and actually got to go TDY and deploy. Been to Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq, Romania, Japan and all over the U.S Still got to work with the Army doing convoys and stuff but got to sleep in hard billets with cable tv a shower and stuff. So yeah the A.F has better accomodations and it was wonderful.

See? the only time I got hooked up like that was when I did a stint as the CSM's staff driver. It was great. I got to ride around in a HUMVEE for hours of every day of a field problem picking this old NCO's brain, and he had like 27-28 years in service. He started a couple years before 'Nam, so he'd pretty much been through it all at that point, ya know? He'd see me cut my eyes at a muddy field we were passing by on a tank trail or something and be like "Make a left/right here. We're gonna cut through this field to get to the other side. " "Hooah Sgt.Major". I'd get a few feet into the field and he'd be all "Remember basic training on the ACE when they explained the concept of "combat speed" in a vehicle?" And the accelerator would hit the floor. Gawd I love the suspension in those things. It's almost like that thing has paws when it comes to climbing slopes. But the daily showers during the field problems were tops.

Now, being a LTC's driver was a whole 'nuther ball game. I got fired from that gig.

**FVR** · 04-25-2009, 03:02 PM

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**trax** · 04-25-2009, 03:03 PM

I had a work partner underground a number of years ago who was quite a bit older than me. He was telling me one day at lunch that his son had just left the army. Another fella contributed that the army was a good place for young person to learn a lot. My partner shot back at him "only thing I can see that he learned is how to do push-ups"
I'm not saying I agreed with my partner but then it was his kid, I guess it's up to the person, right?

**Pict** · 04-25-2009, 04:10 PM

I tried to enlist in 1988 to fly helicopters. I scored 98% on the test and the recruiter was really happy. I failed the color vision test. They offered me such things as finance, office, clerk, records keeping, etc. Basically they treat colorblind people as if we see in black and white. It was like, "We can offer you, bored-out-of-your-skull". I walked away, I had wanted to fly helicopters from my earliest memories. Mac

**doug1980** · 04-25-2009, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Pict

I tried to enlist in 1988 to fly helicopters. I scored 98% on the test and the recruiter was really happy. I failed the color vision test. They offered me such things as finance, office, clerk, records keeping, etc. Basically they treat colorblind people as if we see in black and white. It was like, "We can offer you, bored-out-of-your-skull". I walked away, I had wanted to fly helicopters from my earliest memories. Mac

I feel you. The Army said I was colorblind as well on one test but passed the other. So they let me go Infantry. When I went to the ANG they said I was colorblind so I couldn't get into much at all. I wanted to be SF but did CE instead. Even the State Police said I couldn't be a cop if I was colorblind. I have to laugh though because I have installed telephone wires and done electrical in CE and that requires normal color vision.

**FVR** · 04-25-2009, 05:20 PM

Life was never boring for me at Talega.

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I got out because the did not give me order to go back.

**FVR** · 04-25-2009, 05:25 PM

Few more.

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Helocast, this is a gen. pic, as I did not take a camera with me when we took our swims.
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**Schleprok** · 04-25-2009, 08:34 PM

Retired after 20 years in the Navy.
Did not plan on the 20 year deal, but damn glad I stayed.
Mostly I worked electronics, intelligence, anti-terrorism,
and law enforcement.
Good times and bad. But, the bad fade from memory quickly.
Good friends remain in memory forever.