ASL Veteran Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Welcome aboard. As long as people are tossing their military experience out there: Served in the 32nd Army Air Defence Command in West Germany with a HAWK air defense missile battery in 1984. The two things I remember most was when a man with a camera drove his car onto the bare grassy spot just outside of our missile battery and blatantly took photos of the installation. I told the sergeant about it and we all went out and started waving at him until he decided to leave. The other memory was during an anti aircraft exercise vs some F4 Phantoms. I watched the Phantoms flying low and fast over the hills and I watched in horror as our tracking radar (mickey mouse ears) seemed to just point at the ground and sway back and forth in confusion. There was a West German military training installation nearby and I also had to walk past German trainees who were crawling around in the nearby trees during the summer. I was then transferred to Fort Hood Texas where I was in a Vulcan battery in the 1st Cavalry Division. I spent most of my time riding around in a Gamma Goat erecting antenna masts in 100 degree heat, only to disassemble the mast and move to another spot after sitting in place for about fifteen minutes. I think we spent more time moving than we spent set up. The back of the Gamma Goat was flat and it was too hot to leave the back door open, but if the back door was open the dust got sucked into the vehicle. It was so thick that I had to wear a gas mask and I looked like the Pillsbury dough boy. I also remember that we were driving up to the top of this big hill when all of a sudden we came to a stop. We then proceeded to start rolling backwards. With the speed increasing I started to become worried. Eventually the generator / trailer jackknifed and we thankfully came to a stop. I asked the sergeant what happened and he said that they drove up to a cliff. He then added that we could just set the antenna up where we jackknifed and came to a stop . I can only assume that the driver, upon reaching the cliff, didn't know what to do, popped it out of gear, and then lost control of the Gamma Goat as it was not on flat ground and started to roll. The military then began to downsize and I was offered an 'early out' so I took it. It's one thing to play around with pixeltruppen, but its an entirely different thing to actually be out there doing things and living within the military 'structure' and 'regimentation'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUCASWILLEN05 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Welcome to the board. Unlike several people here I have no military experience to whom I would obviously defer to on professional matters. Hoever I am a keen military history buff qualified to degree level in history and politics. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Another fellow european. Welcome! Following suit, here's my military experience in brief. 1983-84. 1 month at the Basic Training Center, then 3 months at the Signal Army School in Rome. The school was seriously understaffed so we spent more of time in chores and guards than lessons. Finally, I was transferred at the 8 art. rgt. near Trieste taking care of the radios warehouse. There still was some IIWW vintage stuff like US made EE8 field telephones and M1 Garand rifle as personal weapon for rank and file guys. Nevertheless, I really enjoied the whole experience. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuderian Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Welcome Rossmeister! Had a RAF interview when at school, aged 14. Told the officer I wasn't prepared to drop nukes on civilian targets and I was partially colour blind. Didn't get the job ;-) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Williams Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 A welcome Erik from me too. Although I'm somewhat "military lite" here amongst all these veterans. My own military experience consists of 3 days in basic training camp and 3 months in Military Hospital faking insanity to gain my discharge. "Faking"? Are you sure? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusto Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 A welcome Erik from me too. Although I'm somewhat "military lite" here amongst all these veterans. My own military experience consists of 3 days in basic training camp and 3 months in Military Hospital faking insanity to gain my discharge. How did you fake insanity? What did the doctors say? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Williams Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 How did you fake insanity? What did the doctors say? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baneman Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hehe, nice one Doug ! How did you fake insanity? Difficult to describe, really. What did the doctors say? "You must be mad !" :D 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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