Bob
U.S. Army, 88-93 SGT E5
67H Observation Aircraft Repairer

 

Army 75-79 Spec. E-4 Ambulance Platoon Bco 48th MED 2AD
You Call We Haul, Thats All You-All
Mike/EZ

 

USN 1969-1990. Retired as SCPO, CTM rating - Cryptologic Technician, Maintenance. Spook. ET with a fancy clearance.

Stationed Clark Air Base RP, Misawa Japan, Winter Harbor ME, Pensacola, FL, Charleston SC and Keflavik, Iceland. Misawa and Winter Harbor twice each. Retired from Winter Harbor.

 

MSgt (E-7), USAF Retired, July 2003 - Dec 2023
1P071 - Aircrew Flight Equipment Craftsman
2A774 - Survival Equipment Craftsman
12/03 - 12/08 Nellis AFB, NV.
12/08 - 06/13 Tyndall AFB, FL.
06/13 - 06/19 Moody AFB, GA.
06/19 - 09/21 Randolph AFB, TX.
09/21 - 12/23 Moody AFB, TX.

 

Dean LaCombe- Navy Submarine force SSBN 737 & SSGN 729. Jul 98-2018. Electronics technician radioman E-6. I also was in 2 separate special projects and two shore duties. Total 52 months under water.

My first reenlistment on the Kentucky.

 

Kevin S.

Grandfather was USN on the USS Intrepid (aircraft carrier) and then USS Boston (heavy cruiser) in the Pacific during WWII. Saw plenty of combat against the Japanese, and would tear up whenever he'd try to tell the stories of watch all his buddies getting slaughtered. He would man the hose and wash their body parts overboard so the gun ammo runners wouldn't slip on the blood or trip on the various body parts laying all over the ship deck.

Father was USN on the destroyer USS Richard E. Krauss based in Norfolk, VA and was in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, arrested and jailed by the Cubans while guarding the ship in port there. CO had to bail him out personally. They were put on the pier with rifles and no ammo (didn't want to start WWIII). Once the Cubans figured this out, they rioted and clubbed all the sailors and dragged them to their jails. Intense!

I was USN Yeoman 1993-97 based in Williamsburg, VA (Cheatham Annex) assigned to NAVCHAPGRU (Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group, a combat cargo handling battalion deployed/embedded with the Marines and Army). Was a qualified Basic and Advanced Forklift Operator, Explosive Forklift (Munitions) Operator, and Basic/Advanced Shipboard Crane Operator on Merchant Marine Maersk type container ships. I deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba many times (during the Haitian Refugee Conflict, and was there when the Haitians rioted and stabbed our Marines who were guarding them), as well as Diego Garcia en route to Kuwait (1994), and South Korea.

Then joined the USAF as an Egress (ejection seat) Maintainer in April 2001-May 2017 (retired!). Was stationed at:

Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, LA (2001-2004) did Base Honor Guard for a year while here, as well as Egress Mechanic
Deployed to Diego Garcia (Nov 2002-June 2003) with my B-52s and launched the war against Iraq "shock and awe!"
Osan AB, South Korea 2004-05
Langley AFB, Hampton, VA, 2005-09 when they had the very first 4 F-22 Raptors on the flightline
Oregon City and Beaverton, OR as an Air Force Recruiter 2009-2013
Mountain Home AFB, ID 2013-17 back to Egress until retirement

Airframes I maintained Ejection Seats on: B-52, A-10, F-16, F-15, F-22, F-15E Strike Eagles

Now retired living in PA as a homesteader, working at USG driving forklifts like I did while in the Navy as a combat stevedore. Lovin' life and livin' the dream! 'Murica!!!

Also, used to own a full size Ford Bronco while stationed in Louisiana first few years in the USAF. Not sure what year it was. Late 80s I think. I named it Beastie! It was indeed a beast. Now just purchased a 2016 Ford F-250 XLT SD 4x4 who is also named Beastie in honor of my old Bronco! Never was a Ford Man until now. I will never own anything smaller or from a different manufacturer. I love my Ford Truck, which is why I am here with all of you now!!

 

Just posted a very long post with all my history and a pic, and when I clicked to Post Reply, it must've deleted it because I'm not seeing it now. Unless it is waiting on admin approval because I am new to the forum. I am hoping that is the case, as I dedicated a lot of time to it and hope it wasn't for nothing. Please someone let me know! Thanks.

 

No worries... your post isn't lost. In fact, it is up on display now.

You have been the "victim" of FTE's recent incorporation of new semi automated moderations tools.

Something happened with your post today that shouldn't have happened, and some evidence needed to be gathered while your post remained in the "moderated" state, to help the tech team member working on these new features to see what went awry. Thanks for your patience... I can definitely relate to that heart sinking feeling of having typed a long post, only for it seemingly vaporize. That is not likely to happen on FTE. But if you ever do experience posts not appearing again, feel free to do exactly as you did... let us know.

Would you like a USN and a USAF badge by your username? I'll set you up with those as well. This is also now done.

Thank you for your service to the USA!

And thanks for joining us here at FTE in your retirement.

 

Thanks for saving it for me. I was a bit heartbroken seeing it magically disappear after all that effort! Ha. I see it now. Awesome!