What Did You Work On While In The Military?

[Art2ro]

I remember serving donuts and doing coffee duty as a hanger queen in my younger days when I first got stationed at Travis AFB, Ca. as an Airman E-2 pay grade! Some one at the bottom had to do it when it was his/her turn! Never made it to Chief Master-Bater rank as an E-9, because there were already too many Chiefs in the 3 higher tier echelons and not enough Indians in the lower ranks! So, I got out of active duty as a TSgt E-6 and became a Civil Service employee and got more pay to boot! So now, I'm living the dream and retired in the Philippines! :541:

[i am bob]

You lucky buggers!I am credited with 19 years service here in Canada on CH125 SeaKing Helos (affectionately known as the SeaPig) and the CF104 Starfighter (LawnDart). Though initially trained as an Integral Systems Technician, we eventually amalgamated with the Comm and Radar techs into a full Avionics Techs. But, as Canada is known to stretch manpower, I also was able to move out of trade for a bit and become a Systems Administrator on the computer network and then the Training Coordinator which was basically a school administrator / Ministry of Transport Licencing Authority. And in the same vein of stretching manpower, secondary duties over the years consisted of Tech Librarian, Tech Writing, Torpedo Loading Crew, NDT, firefighter, flight line servicing crew, Transient Services Crew Chief (for visiting aircraft), flight deck crew member, tow crew member / director / tow operator, aircraft maintenance QA, Sports Officer Junior Ranks (oops - volunteered for that one), hanger canteen manager, tool crib operator, administrative staff for the Air Maintenance Servicing Officer, Aircraft Crash Crew and probably another 20 or more positions but my fingers are getting sore!HEY! WAKE UP!!! :angry: :mocking: :hystery:

OK Bob, you need to be more explicit on your job description regarding hanger canteen manager. Was that hazardous duty status?

Considering the day I walked into the kitchen and the Idget working that day had tried to cook the chilli in the pressure cooker without knowing how to use one... (he forgot to put it on in the slow cooker the night before) Ever see a pressure cooker blow? Just like a bomb! Ever see what happens when a pressure cooker full of chilli blows? :hystery: :hystery: :hystery: Only 7 stitches in total and I did enjoy the all over sponge bath from the young nurse at the MIR. Didn't have the heart ( :mocking: ) to tell her that I only had the one cut on my hand.... :541:

[scott h]

infantry, just plain grunt, gound pounder,earth pig, cannon fodder, Beruit in 83, gulf 1 in 92, gulf 2 in 2005 ........and I am done in September,,,thank goodness

[Jake]

infantry, just plain grunt, gound pounder,earth pig, cannon fodder, Beruit in 83, gulf 1 in 92, gulf 2 in 2005 ........and I am done in September,,,thank goodness

Beirut in 1983 was a US policy that benefited the enemy -- it still pisses me off. Thank god you made it out in one piece! I guess after September you could fine tune you "kill shot" on the racket ball court....he, he.

I salute you sir -- Jake

Edited November 30, 2012 by Jake

[moparsquid]

I left school after the 11th grade and joined the Marines, I was 17. Ifantry I was told was the way to go,so i marched around olot from 75 to 79. I finnally got tired of walking everywhere and joined the NAVY. From 79 to 95 when I retired I floated around alot on six different ships.I went completely around the world and visited many countries,but the Philippines was where i met my wife who im with now.W e are in san diego at the pressent,awaiting a kiddney transplant for her and then back to P.I.when I retire for good. As for what i did in the navy strted out on deck but soon made cook(MS3). I love to cook and still do.,would like to open a place in the philippine maybe!

[jode]

Well all you guys who worked on something other than staying alive were the smart ones. I was a two year guy, in in 69 and destined for Vietnam. I was able to delay it for awhile by going to scout dog school and NCO school but in Jan. 70 was there at 20 yrs old, and in days they made me a grunt. Slept on the ground most nights in the open, in a climate similar to Cebu but alot wetter as I was in the Delta. Lucky to have your head out of the water and mud most nights of ambush patrol. I was surprised it wasn't worse but by that point of the war the enemy avoided us if they could, but we spent our time hunting down the remnents still around in that part of the country. Contacts were rare and involved mostly slaughtering those who walked into our ambushes at night. I carried a radio, rifle, grenades, water and some C rations. and a poncho liner to wrap up in at night. Carrying all that around was very strenuous but you got used to it and after a few months doing it everyday your legs were so strong that your range was almost unlimited. The food was poor and infrequent and most guys were very thin compared to the huge guys you see in combat today. I am amazed at the equipment those guys have today but glad I didn't have to lug it all around. The army has never learned that light and mobile is the way to go with infantry and tries to turn infantrymen into human tanks much to the detriment of the mobility and agressiveness needed to hunt down the enemy. The enemy stays light so as to be able to get away in a flash. Few battles then or in todays wars involve hours of slugging it out that would justify the heavy loads carried. If they did there is such a thing as aerial resupply. Their superior mobility on foot makes it impossible to wipe them out. Seeing them before they see you and shooting fast and straight are whats important, and being light enough to pursue. Still i never saw an American killed near me or had any close friends killed. Hardly the blood and guts most people think of when imagining the Vietnam war. . Alot were wounded, usually not severely by shrapnel. After 7 months and with rumors of pullout in the air, they got me good. It looked for a time I might lose two legs and an arm but due to heroic efforts of army surgeons all was saved but for my left knee. Over a year in hospital all together and maybe 25 operations.Still more than 40 years later I am still bopping around and trying to enjoy life. Up side is that I get a nice secure pension to do it. Thanks to all you guys who did anything else in the military because as you know all other jobs in military are for the ultimate purpose of supporting the grunts. We had great combat support, quick and accurate artillery and its all over for the enemy air support. It was the differance between not being able to win the war and actually being defeated. I devoloped an admiration for brown skinned slim asian women over there. After humping the swamps and paddies all day and finally coming out to a road, those cute vietnamese girls in their trditional white slit skirt costumes were the vision of lovelines. My unit always built a "tea house" outside the gate first thing whenever the battalion moved, and a 2 hr pass to it could get you some relief, on the rare occaisions when we were in camp and not in the field. Don't know how todays troops get by without that comfort. Don't forget there is an RAO office accross the street from SM in the Sungold building in cebu. Its a good place for support for retired military and their spouses and they have social get-togethers on occaision.

Edited April 9, 2012 by jode

[lonewolf]

i was a medic with 1st pltn c co 2/501 st infantry 101abn div 1968/1969 viet nam

[jamesmusslewhite]

Sorry for the poor spelling in the above post. I typed it very quickly just before having to prepare myself to go to my lawyer this afternoon and did not take proper time to proofread the post before posting. Though I type a lot of text I have never learned how to formally type. I have to keep a constant watch on the keys as I type so I do not view the screen while I am typing and really can not read what I am typing. If I use a key stroke that is too soft I can not tell it had not posted the letter in the text, and I also have mild dyslexia and will type some letters in reverse. Example the word "Liked" may come out as "Liekd" instead. This is something that has bothered me even when handwriting text my whole life, as I tend to think far faster than I can type or handwrite text. Plus the fact that even though I have earned three University degrees I am by nature still one of the world’s worst spellers. I live and die by spellcheckers.

I am sorry for my laziness sometimes. I just wanted to explain this to members, as it is something that has always plagued me while posting threads.

Hello James,

No need to explain your vision impairment. If I remember correctly, you're a US Marine just like Mike S.

USMC rifle and pistol qualifications are the toughest among all the other services. Just get your head

down and watch your six, OK?

Respectfully -- Jake (retarded USN E-9)

My MOS was 2822/8541 odd mix I know but I was used a lot here in the Philippines in the 80's. I was both Telephony ESS Mainframe technician and Recon Scout/Sniper. Basically I was an advance team phone-bug. I was stationed on Okinawa for 2-1/2 years detached to 7th Comm, Camp Hanson; FAP to 3rd RECON, Camp Schwab "Man Camp". It was at "Moon Beach" Okinawa were I met my wife, we dated for 1-1/2 years and I traveled to the Philippines 5 times to see her; once I was discharged I brought her over to the US on 1987 were we were married and have been together ever since. We mover here to Surigao City in 2008 and our 17 year old son is presently attending his 4th year at Caraga Regional High School. He turns 18 this coming December 4th and soon he will be moving to Austin, Texas for 1 to 1/2 years before probably returning here to attend University here.

Man, times sure flies by fast. I remember something once said to me by an old 30 year lifer Master Gun, "Boy I may be half the man I use to be, but that is still twice the man most will be..." My love was the jungles, but my knees no longer love me, so now here I sit on the porch accepting the reality that my days of running with the hounds are now merely memories of my past. But when I was in my prime, man this old Sergeant sure could run......

Edited November 30, 2012 by jamesmusslewhite

[ac_scott]

Retired from the Navy Mar 31, 2001, after 26yrs because it quit being fun. Operations Specialist, jack-of-all-trades, everything from controlling shore bombardment to controlling Tactical Fighter Aircraft, worked hard at Sea (16yrs) played hard inport. Last Tour was on the USS Kitty Hawk, served on the Constellation, Fox, and Fiske, didn't like to move around alot. Learned about Subic as a 22yo on my first Westpac and was determined to retire here. Well I did, moved straight here on April Fools Day 2001 and haven't looked back. Shore duty in San Diego, Gary IN, and Bayonne NJ.

Scott

[Flason456]

USMC

 Infintry 8 years in mostly the jungles of central america. getting out was never on my mind but after being shot, chashing in a chopper, draged through the jungle caught up in my repel rope tied to a Huey it was time to try something else.