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  1. #1
    Rolling Along LV Naturist's Avatar
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    Military Guys and Gals, What did you do?

    I know there are a lot of former military members on this forum, and I'm just curious what you did.

    I enlisted in the Air Force in December 1975 at 17 years old. I trained as a General Purpose Vehicle Mechanic (think sedans, pickups, medium duty stuff). I never worked on that stuff though. I was always on the tactical side of things, Deuce and a half's and the like. My first duty assignment was with a unit that performed electronic interception and analysis of adversarial communication, based Kelly AFB in San Antonio (Medina Annex for those familiar). We did this from "the field". Hence the tactical fleet. Next, I was stationed in northern Germany (Bremerhaven) to a Forward Air Control Post. Small unit, 60 people, who basically acted as air traffic controllers for the fighters, directing them to their target and back out. Great unit, but again, we did this in the field. We deployed a lot due to what was going on at the time in Europe. After that, I was sent to the sister unit of my first unit, in southern Germany (Augsburg, near Munich). Always being sent to the field. After 7 years in Germany, I'm heading stateside. I ended up in a joint combat comm unit, which consisted of all 4 branches of the service. The Joint Communication Support Element (JCSE) MacDill AFB was a tactical comm unit that provided Command Control Comm to the Unified Commands. Mostly (at the time) US Readiness Command, which later became the US Special Operations Command, and US Central Command. Again, always deployed. I spent 7 years there, and finally realized my career was stagnant. I volunteered for an isolated remote in order to be transferred, and ended up at Shemya AFB AK. Now Shemya is an island at the far end of the Aleutian Chain. The island is the base, and the base is the island. Very depressing year as you're stuck on an island 1,500 miles from anywhere. By that time, I was in fleet management and in charge of all vehicles including flightline firefighting equipment, refuelers, snow removal, etc. Still never actually worked on a sedan! When I left Shemya, I had several choices on my next assignment. Nellis AFB in Las Vegas was one of them. My wife had never been out west and wanted to go. That's where I ended up. In short Nellis sucked. I realized as much as I was deployed in my career, I missed it. Being on a "real" AFB was just not fun. I was miserable and decided to retire. Because my wife's career was finally taking off (she had limited career opportunities wherever we were stationed), so we decided to stay here, and the rest is history.

    What's your story?

    John
    2018 Silverado LTZ 3500HD CC LB 4X4 DRW Duramax/Allison
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    MSgt, USAF (Ret)
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  2. #2
    Seasoned Camper Bob/OlallaWA's Avatar
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    US Army 1966-68 drafted, cook 2nd 41st Armor Ft. Hood Texas.
    2019 GMC 3500 HD:)
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  3. #3
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Sitting in the sun! FL for along while
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    US ARMY 1969-71 Drafted, secured radio operator Khe Sanh Vietnam.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
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  4. #4
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    UASF. 1969 to 1978. 99125 - "System Special Electronics Technician" the rest still remains classified I suppose. Was at Karamursel AFB, Turkey; Misawa AFB, Japan, and Patrick AFB, FL.
    Larry KE4DMG
    2022 F-350 KRU SRW LB - Airlift 5000+, ForScan, 37 RDS Aux Tank,
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  5. #5
    Site Sponsor
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    Joined USAF in 1974. Started in Law Enforcement, K9 handler. Assigned to Clark AB RP.
    Transferred to Holloman AFB NM.
    Dad was terminal Cancer got a humanitarian to Niagare Falls AFB but had to retrain as Communications Operations.
    Transferred back to Clark, was put in Combat Communications.
    Was then transferred to Robins AFB GA, still in Combat Comm.

    Combat Comm sucks, you have no mission except training when in home station which is a majority of the time. Then sometimes there will be a planned mission where you know where and when you are going a couple of weeks ahead of times but other times you get recalled at any hour of the day and have to be ready to get on a plane 4 hours later. Sometimes not knowing where you are going until you are airborne. I asked to be transferred back to Law Enforcement but was denied since Law Enforcement had plenty of people already there. At the end of that enlistment I took my discharge just short of 12 years in service. Got a job at the phone company back home and am now retired from there.

    I just wish the Fed Govt would make retirement vesting the same as civilian companies as I get nothing at all for my 12 years from the Govt, and it is 12 years I did not build up retirement money from the Telephone Company. I am not able to get VA benefits because I made too much money.
    2022 Reflection150 226RK
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  6. #6
    Rolling Along vonzoog's Avatar
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    Join U.S. Air Force at the ripe age of 17 in 1969. Did four years as an C-141 Loadmaster station at Dover AFB, DE. Only average 5 to 7 days a month in Dover. Spent the rest of the time flying all over the world. Europe, Middle East, parts of Africa, Far East, and of course Southeast Asia. 14 missions in Vietnam. Got out at the old age of 21 and went to the University of Delaware.
    2018 Momentum 376TH
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  7. #7
    Long Hauler LCBoyer's Avatar
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    U.S. Army, 1963 - 1966, Radio repairman, Army National Guard 1972 - 2004, Combat Engineer and Senior Construction Supervisor. 10 years total Actice and 29 Reserve
    2018 Freedom Elite 24FE, 2 Yorkies, and my wife MARILYN, HAM call K0LCB. Traveling around this great country, making friends and seeing lot of beautiful and interesting places

  8. #8
    Rolling Along vonzoog's Avatar
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    Gotta love those cheerleaders!!!
    2018 Momentum 376TH
    2016 RAM 3500 Dually

  9. #9
    Site Sponsor Jerryr's Avatar
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    USAF 1966-1970.
    1966-1967 tech school at Keesler AFB
    1967-1969 Worked bench tech on F-4 Inertial Navigation Side Looking Radar and laser reconnaissance, Shaw AFB, Udorn RTAFB with some TDY to RVN.
    1969-1970 back stateside and worked on B-52 Doppler Radar at Griffiss AFB, a SAC base. A step back in technology

    Got out of AF and got a job with Bendix Avionics while I went back to college.

    After college and Bendix I used my college and technical background to land a civilian job. I worked at that company for 39 years, the majority in Field Technical management, managing a technical force. Did field service on Mainframe Computer Peripheral Devices.
    Wife and I both retired about 6 years ago.

    My wife and I are pilots and we owned several aircraft. We logged flew combined over 5,000 flight hours. A Great hobby and made many great friends.
    Jerry & Linda
    Emma & Abby our Mini Golden Doodles & JR our Amazon Parrot
    2017 Reflection 337RLS, Build Date 01/2017, Titan Disk Brakes, Goodyear G614s 235/85/16 G Rated tires
    2022 F-450 King Ranch Ultimate, 4,868 lb Payload, Bedrug Bedliner, Andersen Ultimate II Aluminum 5th wheel hitch
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  10. #10
    Rolling Along jim1521's Avatar
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    USAF spook my whole career. 1977 - 1989.

    A207X2
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    2020 Riverstone 39FK
    2016 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7L Powerstroke Lariat 2WD DRW

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