Our Reserve Squadron flew through Willow Grove on the way to catch a flight out of JFK for a two week tour to the UK. Man, did I ever miss USAF flight lunches! What the mess at Willow Grove gave us was pretty bad at the time.

 

Retired Navy Command Master Chief (1975-2005)

Thank you everyone for your service!

 

We Weekend Warriors were smart enough to take our meals off base!!!

 

Now on my 12th years in the Royal Canadian Air Forces, i'm an Armament tech on our CF-18 Jets, and also EOD qualified tech.

I really hope to do a tour in Afganistan before Canada pulls out the troops in 2011..........

 

Active duty Navy - it'll be 15 years in May.

Enlisted in 1994 to be a nuke and got promoted to E-5 *way* too fast.

Commissioned in 1996 to be a Naval Flight Officer.

Been an East coast E-2C "Hawkeye" bubba most of my career (fleet tour with VAW-125 and then back to VAW-120 as an instructor).

Did my disassociated sea tour as a Tactical Action Officer / Air Defense Officer on the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Currently on the West coast for the first time, going to the Naval Postgraduate School for a master's degree in applied physics. I'll graduate in June, then it's back East as quickly as I can get there!

 

US Army, waiting for my Mini to arrive from Honolulu :(

 

apache crew cheif near katterbach\i am still there\

 

Hello 2xMINIS, I was stationed at Katterback also. May 1972 to May 1975. I was wondering if that base was still open. Motoro On, Dan

 

ya katterbach that base is still open and has grown, the px is big now cus wursburg closed down and graf built the bigest px in germany i love germany and plan to stay as long as i can but i am now in iraq:(

 

I was first based at Bamberg in an Infantry unit. (Not my MOS thou) I was supposed to be in Aviation. 11D2F Armored Reconnaissance. Finally got transferred to Katterback with D Troop 1st Squadron 1st Cavary 1st Armd Div but still did not have our MOS positions there. Was an aviation unit but ended up being a troop clerk. I got an "European Out" discharged over there and traveled around Europe for 6 months and then Army shipped me back home. Best time of my life.

 

Its in San Deigo now!

 

Active US Navy E-6. Off to war again my boys.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there ’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood."

 

Great thread. Thanks for everyone's service

USN - 1999-2003 Gulf War

AD mechanist P-3 Orion, Moffett Field, CA

 

Going to be applying to the Marine Officer Candidate School as soon as I am enrolled and I cant wait.

If you guys have any tip please let me know, the more I know going into this the better.

 

Good for you! Not a Marine Officer, and didn't go through Candidate School, but my dad was a Marine Officer and I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express. Just kidding...mostly. I am an Army officer (yikes, 11 years already!), and my advice to you is this:

1.) Do it for the right reasons. Only you will know what those are.
2.) Remember the lessons you learned as an enlisted, and while applying them as an officer, just remember you ARE (will be) an officer - the two worlds ARE different, and are so for certain reasons. Make sure you maintain your perspective, regardless of where you learned the lessons.
3.) Don't forget to send the elevator back down - remember where you came from, and don't forget to help others who want the same things you did.
4.) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS: when listening/learning/studying/working, always ask yourself: Who else needs to know this? And where else does it apply in the big picture?

Good luck and keep us posted!!!!

 

Learn to trust and delegate to your NCO's. They are the guys who can make you look good or keep you in hack. It all depends on you. We don't have the time or space here to tell you about the wet-behind-the-ears Ensign who's life was made miserable because he didn't understand that concept and after two years of sea duty, never made jg.

Semper Fi.

 

USN '03-present
I am a Corpsmen
Boot Camp and Corps School Great Lakes, IL
Cherry Point Naval Hospital, North Carolina
Field Med Camp Penelton, CA
2nd BN 3rd Mar Kane'ohe Bay, HI
2 stops in Iraq Hadithah and Karmah
3rd Mar working at Tripler Army Medical Center
Pending orders to Jacksonville, Fl
Hawaii is fun but not worth it for those who want to go there also too much family that has been prior military to name but, the current ones are
Uncle-SFC Army Fort Campbell, KY
Cousin-USMC Camp Penelton, CA

 

Thanks for your service Devil Doc!

 

5 years in the US Army, tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Got out as a SGT this past June and started finishing my degree.
Thinking about getting a commission in the reserves in the not too distant future, as much as I complained about this and that when I was in, I kinda miss it.

 

Just keep in mind: if you go reserves, they can change your branch, based on where your unit is/if you stick with it. An infantry friend of mine in the reserves in CT has just been notified that his unit is changing to a logistics unit, and now (if he wants to stay in that state) he has to change branches from infantry to logistics. The reserves often have a much tougher time than active duty these days for a number of reasons. And don't worry - the "grass is always greener...."

 

Retired Army Sergeant Major. What I used to tell my soldiers who were active and going to go Reserve/Guard after getting out is be sure (especially those who talked trash about Army while in) that is what you want to do and where you want to do it. I also have a theory that going to USAR/NG after serving active duty was like getting divorced from your wife but then living together afterward.

 

Awesome analogy and you're very right. A lot of what I had a problem with was incompetence in my chain of command (I'm surprised I never had any disciplinary issues but really I just was the best soldier I could be and followed orders then went home and tore my hair out) so getting a commission means I either become part of the problem or part of the solution, hopefully the latter. I also hated that while I went to war and did my job, being signal I never felt like I was actually doing something for my country as 99% of the issues stemmed from people expecting to be able to download Southpark episodes, video-chat with people back home, and watch youtube videos over the NIPR net and when I did have soldiers under me, I never felt I had the latitude to really help them as much as I wanted to.

 

U.S. Army Military Police 1981 - 1991 (Active Duty)
Ft. McClellan, AL
Baumholder, FRG
Presidio of San Francisco (my dream sheet actually worked!)
Pirmasens, FRG
Presidio of San Francisco (even better the 2nd time)
Johnston Atoll
and many other places on TDY

Thanks to all who served and continue to do so!
"of the troops and for the troops"

 

Active US Navy
Fire Controlman
7 years in Japan
(4 in Yokosuka, 3 in Misawa)
Almost 2 years here in Mayport

 

First off, thank you to those who have done this country such a great service and for protecting us!

Secondly, not to drag this off topic, but I'm currently deciding about joining the Air Force... I have always regretted not joining out of High School and now at 25, I'm seriously interested. I've talked to recruiter, have yet to do a physical and the ASVAB. Took a prelim for the ASVAB and scored 80+ so basically (from what the recruiter said) have the option of looking at any field... Ultimate goal is pilot...I'd have to accomplish it by the age of 28 though...

So, my questions, would you do it over again if you had the choice? Is there anything that you would give me as advice (you can PM me if need be to keep this from straying off topic).

Again, thank you for your dedication to this country. I have always honored those in uniform.