Poll: Veterans on the forum

[RE2Boys]

USAF, 1971-1975. Only posts were Keesler AFB, MS and then sent straight to Germany. Took a European separation and worked for the USAF as a civilian engineer until 1977. Then an engineer at an Army depot and an Army communications outfit. Left the military environment in 1982 (sort of) to work for NASA......but was involved working with the USAF when they were looking to use the Shuttle for military missions.

 

[mf15]

Spent 1971 in Korea, with about 4 stays in the DMZ, stepped into North Korea for about a second. Was FDC chief, Fire Direction Center, we did the computations for the guns. It is little known but we also have presumptive Agent Orange exposure.
A 1/15 FA-2nd ID-1971

 

[frayne]

US Army 69-72. Joined two months after HS; Basic, AIT, Jump school, NCO school, Ranger school, 30 day leave and then a year in Nam with the 1st Cav. I was in and out of the service before I was 21 and could buy hard liquor. My father was an Army Air Corp pilot in WWII who flew the hump in Burma. Overall a positive experience in my life.

 

[FmrLurker]

US Navy - 1987-2017

 

[cooch96]

9 years, including 47 months at West Point. Stationed in Korea and Alaska, TDY at Benning, Hood, Leonard-Wood, Bragg, Knox, camp Smith, and probably a few others I can’t remember. No combat tours.

I definitely got a lot out of it, but I wasn’t a good fit. Tried everything I could as a junior engineer officer and didn’t love any of it. Tried out for Special Forces and didn’t cut the mustard. Still, I proved to myself I was tougher than about 93% of the army, but those green berets were looking for the 97%ers. And there’s a wide gap between top 3 and 7%.

No regrets.

Arguably, the best stage of my life were the months right after I got out of the army. I was a homeless, unemployed vet. I traveled N. America and lived out of my pickup. I’d like to do that again someday.

 

[Anna J]

USN 1993-1997, USS Puget Sound in Norfolk VA for 2 years and then FNMOC in Monterey, CA for 2 years.

 

[check6]

USAF pilot (RF-4/A-37) '72-'79 & '81-'85.

 

[REWahoo]

USAF pilot (RF-4/A-37) '72-'79 & '81-'85.

Looks like you might have been in the group that Jimmy Carter "encouraged" to leave in the late 70's then were lured back after it dawned on the AF they'd run off almost all of their experienced pilots.

 

[check6]

Looks like you might have been in the group that Jimmy Carter "encouraged" to leave in the late 70's then were lured back after it dawned on the AF they'd run off almost all of their experienced pilots.

Exactly! Last base before re-entering, Bergstrom, had the highest DOS rate in the USAF.

Repeat on going now some 30 years later.

 

[samclem]

USAF pilot (RF-4/A-37) '72-'79 & '81-'85.

RF-4C vs A-37: Which airplane/mission was more fun? The "low and speedy" part of the RF-4 job was surely demanding, but I'd think flying the A-37/delivering ordnance with that little plane would be a real hoot. When "slick," I'm guessing it was a lot more "sprightly" than its less powerful twin, the T-37.

Thanks for coming back in, and for your service.

 

[tjwolf]

USMC in the early 60's

Artillery (survey - fire direction). Shot on the rifle and pistol team in Hawaii for much of my tour.

Loaded up my brigade for Laos, pre Nam. They turned us around half way there, and we "invaded" Maui instead, as an exercise.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

I enlisted in 1976 and I retired in 2001.

 

[mickeyd]

1966-1994 US Army

Started E-1. Ended O-5.

 

[Red Badger]

9 years, including 47 months at West Point. .

I have a retired nephew who attended West Point. His description was humorous. "A quarter-million dollar education pounded up your ass a nickle at a time." His son also graduated West Point.

 

[check6]

RF-4C vs A-37: Which airplane/mission was more fun? The "low and speedy" part of the RF-4 job was surely demanding, but I'd think flying the A-37/delivering ordnance with that little plane would be a real hoot. When "slick," I'm guessing it was a lot more "sprightly" than its less powerful twin, the T-37.

Thanks for coming back in, and for your service.

The RF-4C was the last dedicated recce a/c and as such, it was a dying mission. The single ship high speed, low level flying though made up for it especially for this wide-eyed 24 yr old.

The A-37 was brought back into a FAC role after Viet Nam. Not impressive to look at or practical in later wars but was a delight to fly acro especially when the external tanks were empty. It was more reliable when compared to the Phantom so I probably lean to it as the most fun to fly.

 

[dessert]

United States Navy 1971-1977. MT2 Polaris/Poseidon Nuclear Missile Technician. Served aboard USS Holland, USS Canopus, USS Simon Lake. Got to visit Scotland, Spain, Cuba, Panama Canal and Acapulco Mexico. State-side, Dam Neck Virginia, Groton Connecticut, Charleston S.C., Bremerton Washington, San Francisco, San Diego and Fort Lauderdale. Over all, it was a pleasant experience and set me up for a great career with the ability to retire at 60.

 

[nate2953]

2005-2009
USMC
0351 Infantry Assaultman

 

[deserat]

9 years, including 47 months at West Point. Stationed in Korea and Alaska, TDY at Benning, Hood, Leonard-Wood, Bragg, Knox, camp Smith, and probably a few others I can’t remember. No combat tours.

I definitely got a lot out of it, but I wasn’t a good fit. Tried everything I could as a junior engineer officer and didn’t love any of it. Tried out for Special Forces and didn’t cut the mustard. Still, I proved to myself I was tougher than about 93% of the army, but those green berets were looking for the 97%ers. And there’s a wide gap between top 3 and 7%.

No regrets.

Arguably, the best stage of my life were the months right after I got out of the army. I was a homeless, unemployed vet. I traveled N. America and lived out of my pickup. I’d like to do that again someday.

My Dad went to West Point, got a commission in AF and flew...said the most interesting of his classmates got out and either went Reserve or did something else

Thank you for your service and your last sentence reminds me of Jack Reacher from the books of Lee Child.

 

[deserat]

1981-1985 - 4 years ROTC (I had to sign a paper (actually, I looked back and I was 17, so my parents had to sign it!) and raise my right hand and was considered part of the military (if I did not fulfill my contract of finishing school and getting the expected GPS, I would be sent to Lackland to Airman Basic to pay them back) even though they don't count it towards my overall time)

1985-2015 - 30 years combined active and Reserve in the Air Force...had five AFSC's and jokingly say I did everything except fly and fix the planes: acquisition, engineering, space, logistics and political-military (combination of politics, psyops and intel)

I'm a gray area retiree still awaiting my pension.

I did duty stateside and overseas (Germany for 7 years).

Loved most of it - miss some parts, not others

 

[mbooth]

20 Years in the Royal Australian Navy (1970-1990), no combat but a fair bit of disaster relief around the South Pacific, following various hurricanes. Period in the Arabian Sea relieving UK ship patrols when they skedaddled back to Blighty for preparation for the Falklands unpleasantness; couple of Fijian coups; in Sri Lanka when martial law declared as the whole Tamil Tiger thing blew up, but also lots of 'hurry-up-and-wait' military time

 

[Bimmerbill]

Army National Guard from 1985 to 2007. Did mostly Artillery and spend half my career as enlisted before going to OCS to finish off as an O-3.

 

[Eagle43]

USAF 1960 - 1981. Overseas tours in Japan, Germany, Vietnam, and England. Today on veterans day, I went to a local restaurant and ran into two women whose husbands had been killed in Vietnam. Sad, and I realize how lucky I am.

 

[imoldernu]

100 years ago today. I wonder how much we've learned.

 

[aja8888]

100 years ago today. I wonder how much we've learned.

We have learned that freedom comes at a price. And be thankful for the efforts of all those posting in this thread and those who have not posted but participated in our great country's military.

 

[corn18]

US Naval Academy 1984-1988. USN 1988-2008. F/A-18 combat and test pilot. Shellback.