I served in the US Army as a 95B starting in the Cold War (1989), supporting the Invasion of Panama right out of training followed by Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm and the Intervention in Somalia. I would ETS in 1997 to complete my undergraduate education with plans to return with my commision, but rather got married, returned to Michigan and began a family …
I met my wife, a fellow 95B veteran from Michigan with the same DOB, on the Korean DMZ as things were changing. She was one of the first females we would have come forward into a combat role.
Following my time in the service I would become a Medicinal Cannabis Activist in Michigan who successfully became a “legal”/licensed patient/caregiver/grower in 2008.
This pic is of my first team as a US Army Military Police Corp team leader taken back in the spring of 1990. Hard to believe it’s been over 30 years now :-o
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A Mud Puppy, huh. You can’t spell “LIMP” without “MP.” I was infantry, and you guys were always ruining our fun. I’m joking, by the way. We grunts no doubt made your job interesting.
Respect.
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Those Kiowas saved the skins of many grunts (including mine). FWIW, we ground-pounders have nothing but respect for all of the guys who make aviation the badasses they are.
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@Herrsquidward When were you on the DMZ brother?
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'01-'02. I was at Camp Casey. 9-11 happened while I was there. That changed things, to say the least. We weren’t worried we’d be targeted, since the ROK doesn’t put up with any bullshit like that.
It was a privilege to work with the KATUSAs and get to see that country.
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Ah, we are about a decade apart. I worked all the 2ID camps in the area to include Camp Casey, but spent most of my 18 months there working out of Camp Red Cloud in the early 90s.
The Clintons and Secretary of Defence William Cohen visited us in the summer of 93. Having just left my last duty station working out of DC and with PSD experience, I had some fun on that detail ;-)~
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I got to sit on stage behind President GWB when he gave a speech at Ft. Drum.
I wouldn’t have a heart if I didn’t miss military life, but wouldn’t have a brain if I ever thought about going back. 8 years and 3 combat deployments to Iraq was enough.
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I hear ya @Herrsquidward
I did 8 years but never caught a combat deployment, just a hardship tour (Korea) and combat support roles. Always carried live rounds tough ;-)~
My time in the the service was a gas!
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MOPP-4 sucks. We used to have to PMCS our vehicles in MOPP-4 from time to time. After all. the North has tons and tons of chemical weapons, and I don’t put it past any of the Kims to use them.
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great stuff - wish they has all this in 1970 - we were treated like terrorist back then
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@hawkman I hear you brother, that is a shameful history the way Vietnam Vets were treated following their tours. I’d like to personally thank you for your service brother.
I was pretty lucky on that front. I joined in the tail of the Cold War 80s and was able to witness the fall of the Berlin Wall along with the USSR. I believe as a service member following Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm the public had refound an appreciation and respect for us. The new 24/7 news coverage likely helped as well ;-)~
It is so crazy how things have changed around the globe in our lifetimes …
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Berlin is sure different in 2024 ;-)~
They said 40,000 ticket had sold before opening this year.
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that was disgraceful, but i was just born in '70 and had my dad not made it home from vietnam, i wouldn’t be here. he went through the tet offensive and was in intelligence doing frequent trips “over the wire” i think he called it in laos and cambodia. thank you for your service.
me too, guard in '87 and active in '89. got to fürth in nov '89, about a week before the wall came down. i loved the ensuing parties that went along with it.
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Has anyone did a buddy check on @Draig ? Haven’t seen him around much lately.
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Great stuff – you witnessed History - We all have got something from our time in the service (paying my due for the United States) be it positive or negative There is some talk about bringing the “draft” back because all the branches are short . Therefore making the US weak in the sense of military mite
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hay guys _ should the draft make a come back ? @sfzombie13 - @TheMan13 -
@hawkman I believe there would have to be an awful reason. I’d hate to see it happen that’s for sure!
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as long as nobody was exempt, and i mean nobody. if you’re not fit for military service, there is civil service. i think everyone should serve for two years mandatory. civil more than military though. i think society would benefit if everyone had to serve their time helping out. it could be a way to ween off of welfare perhaps.
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