Warhorse wrote:
I'm just curious as to how many veterans we have here, so I will start the ball rolling.
USMC, MOS-1391, 1975-1979, rank at discharge Sergeant E-5
Selective Service Draft number 64-1971. Calling through number 250 then 125 through 1972. Called January 1972 inducted 27 Jan 1972. Opted for USAF.
Basic at Lackland.
Tech school Kessler AFB, MS-radar operations.
First assignment-Fortuna ND. Girl behind every tree- no trees there. 12 June 1972-18 Sep 1972. Air Defense Command.
Then to Malmstrom AFB, MT. Cold and snowy. Arrived 24 Sep 1972. Departed 17 Dec 1972. Air Defense Command.
Then to Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. Everything smelled bad. I thought the stagnant air, as evidenced by the cook fire smoke rising about 100 feet then spreading out, was 40 years old! Ended up enjoying myself and my new Minolta. Stayed three years- 22 Dec 1972-26 Dec 1975. Pacific Air Forces.
Then to Holloman AFB, N.M. Mobile radar. New radar arrived-I signed for it-AN/TPS-43E number 2516. Arrived 16 Jan 1976. AF was switching payroll systems and locations and centralizing it all at Denver CO. Went without pay for three months. Left 20 Oct 1978. Tactical Air Command.
Then to Grafenwoer AIN, GE. Arrived 29 Oct 1978. Operations building was an asbestos-sided 12’x20’ shack. No electricity or running water. Used mobile generators in garrison. Used Yukon heaters in the buildings. Many alerts and field deployments. Army used to laugh at us and threaten to take our girls because we were in the field so often. Did a tour in Saudi Arabia -Very hot. Purchased Minolta X-700 camera, 70-210 lens, Sony TV and VCR while there dirt cheap. Left 11-24-1983. AAFCE.
Then to Calumet AFS, MI. Da UP hey! Long Range radar. Arrived 11-30-1983. Crappy place terrible people all living together in this outpost in the woods. My wife and I loved the place. Left 28 May 1987. Tactical Air Command.
Then to McChord AFB, WA. Arrived 12 July 1987. North American Air Defense. System Manager for the Northwest quarter of the US. Bought our first house. Left 14 July 1990 for CFB North Bay, ON. Nice nature but bitterly cold winters. Our last winter there- 1993-1994 saw 87 days where the high temperature did not rise above -40F. Punched out in May 1994 as an E-7 and went to school. Went from two credited courses to a Masters degree in three years and nine months! Went to school every month of the year.
Retired June 2013.
I now enjoy photography and eating.