Are You A Veteran?

[Guest DEIMOS]

Active duty Navy now. Served during gulf war 1 and was onboard ship when my battle group took Baghdad in this conflict. Just recently had the opportunity to go boots on the ground in Baghdad, but my command nixed that for me. Seems like they send the ones who don't want to go IA, and keep the ones that do.

[BimmerFreak]

Closing in on 19 years of total service.

11 years active duty, the rest has been NG/Reserve assignments.

All of which has been Infantry assignments, leading men at the Teamleader, Squadleader, Platoon Sergeant, and First Sergeant level on multiple combat and real world missions.

Operation Desert Storm (Kuwait/Iraq)

Operations Provide Comfort (Northern Iraq)

Operation Intrinsic Action (Kuwait/Jordan)

Operation Joint Endeavor (Bosnia- Original IFOR mission)

Operation Joint Guard (Bosnia- Follow on SFOR mission)

UN Preventive Deployment Force in Macedonia (UNPREDEP)

Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)

Operation Iraqi Freedom (ummm....Iraq)

Currently assigned to 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and hoping to make it another 18 months without deploying again so I can finally retire.

[Guest salb3039]

Like Punisher, I was medically discharged from the Army.

[Guest tjbert47]

US Army 12/64 11/67

Tom in TN

[towerclimber37]

Veteran 11b/11m20

1st squadron 2nd armored Cavalry regiment

b company 2/7 cav 1st cav division

always on the sharp end.

[Guest Mugster]

Ex-army. 90-94, engineer diving officer. Thats a 21B5V for you non water breathers.

[Marswolf]

Man, we already have more responses than I expected.

No one from Operation Just Cause or Operation Urgent Fury yet.

[Guest ETS_Inc]

U.S. Army, 89-91, 11B w/ 8th ID (M) (Hero-Gear and I served close by at the time.)

U.S. Army, 96-02, 13F (artillery forward observer) w/ 101st ABN DIV (AASLT)

Peacekeeping tour of Kosovo in 2000

Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002

I was in Afghanistan for Operation Anaconda, but didn't go on the air assault. Instead, I stayed at Kandahar Airfield, acting as the Brigade Fire Support NCO (Rear). While it sucked, that's a pretty cool assignment for a young E-5. I was responsible for the indirect fire, attack aviation assets, and close air support (USAF, USN, and USMC) protecting the largest airhead in the country.

We did get some 122mm rockets shot towards us, but the guys aim was horrible. He literally missed the entire airfield by over a mile. The closest I got to shooting back was closing down the airfield after an Afghani patrol struck a landmine, killing one guy. I shut down the runway, not allowing any aircraft to land or take-off. Then, I launched an AH-64 Apache to check the area. When the pilot found a couple of suspicious guys, I called a fire mission, firing a few rounds of Illumination flares. Unfortunately, at the time, the rules of engagement were so restrictive, that was the most I could do. Nowadays, I'd have been allowed to authorize the Apache to open fire.

I've done more than some, but not as much as a lot of others. Either way, I'm extremely proud of my service, and would do it again in a heartbeat, if the Nation needed me.

[Mike.357]

I never had the honor of serving so I hope you all have a sense of humor.

MILITARY RULES BY SERVICE

Marine Corps Rules:

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.

3. Have a plan.

4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.

5. Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a "4."

7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)

9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

Navy SEAL's Rules:

1. Look very cool in sunglasses.

2. Kill every living thing within view.

3. Adjust speedo.

4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rangers Rules:

1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.

2. Locate individuals requiring killing.

3. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.

4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.

5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.

US Army Rules:

1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.

2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.

3. Curse bitterly.

4. Curse bitterly.

5. Do not listen to 2nd LT's; it can get you killed.

6. Curse bitterly.

US Air Force Rules:

1. Have a cocktail.

2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.

3. See what's on HBO.

4. Ask "what is a gunfight?"

5. Request more funding from Congress with a "killer" Power Point presentation.

6. Wine & dine 'key' Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry executives. 7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.

8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally.

9. Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.

10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict but close enough to have tax exemption.

US Navy Rules:

1. Go to Sea.

2. Drink Coffee.

3. Deploy Marines

[Guest GT_Rat]

I'm rolling here.

[DaveTN]

US Navy Rules:

1. Go to Sea.

2. Drink Coffee.

3. Deploy Marines

Navy Here

Amphibious Ready Group

USS Ponce LPD-15 and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit

[Guest GT_Rat]

I was gator Navy too Mike. USS Nassau (LHA-4)

[BimmerFreak]

Veteran 11b/11m20

b company 2/7 cav 1st cav division

I was a squadleader with B 1/5 Cav 93-95

[towerclimber37]

I was a squadleader with B 1/5 Cav 93-95

hey same here!!! but with 2/7!!

My plt. leader was Jason Beam and we always got detailed out to everywhere...LOL!

hey, didn't some of your regiment take us on in mout one year?

[BimmerFreak]

hey same here!!! but with 2/7!!

My plt. leader was Jason Beam and we always got detailed out to everywhere...LOL!

hey, didn't some of your regiment take us on in mout one year?

Yeah, we did.

Do you remember Sean Woods?

He road a HD Road King

He was an E6 (maybe E5) in 2/7 around that time.

[towerclimber37]

well, fyi,

I was that rotten B*stert up on the hill killing your tanks as they came across that back clearing trying to flank mout city...

If I remember correctly, we got like 5 of them before the referee called us dead.

I'd say one little bradley wasn't a bad trade!

Sean King.

Hmmm nope..I don't lets toss out some names and see if we remember anyone...

Michael Volff?

[Guest craftwelder]

Member of the 1/75 ranger regiment...experienced the "brushfire" wars of the 80's....recruiter said exaotic I thought he said erotic...my bad....LOL

[Guest db99wj]

Tennessee Army National Guard. 1990-1998.

19E,(M60A3 Tanks) and 19K(M1 Tanks), 88M Truck driver

Fort Knox KY Basic/AIT

Home Newbern TN

E-5

Gulf War was going on, we were within something like 48 hours of shipping out once we got the call, but everything ended.

I started as you see above on a M60A3 tank and we converted over to the M1 tank, then we converted to truck drivers, hauling fuel for helo's. I decided to get out, I sometimes wish I would have changed jobs and stayed in, I would have 17 years by this point.

[Marswolf]

My buddy Curtis trained at Knox when he was an E-5.

Then the Army sent him back to college to get his degree. He's a Captain over in Iraq right now.

[saintsfanbrian]

Had I stayed in the service I would have 17 years in and looking for retiring with full pension in a couple. Of course, I was in when they were doing a lot of early outs for people (the Clinton years) and got out earyl. Oh well, should have stayed. I ain't that old and a full retirment with a full time job would make for some nice income.

Anyway, thanks to all that served or are serving now.

P.S. I didn't see combat but I can sure relate to that 1345 tee time thing. Air Force - Dover AFB 91 - 93

[Guest macho999]

Never military and I'm staying at a Day's Inn right now. So saying I don't know crap from crisco would be accurate.

[DMark]

.... No one from Operation Just Cause or Operation Urgent Fury yet.

Lost my Cherry during the "East Carribbean War Games 83" in Grenada. It was my "first" and I reckon you always remember that one the best.

Reckon that sort of dates me......

[Marswolf]

We've had a lot more response here than I expected.

I mentioned my buddy Curtis. This is from his first tour. In one of Saddam's palaces.

[saintsfanbrian]

I've heard of sitting on the throne but that is a bit rediculous.

[Guest Bob_in_TN]

Alright, this should give you young fellows a laugh.

USAF 12/59 thru 12/63

Am I the old man or what?