O/T Armed Forces?

Go Army!

no regrets here , anyone know what this guy ever joined??

 

Drafted in 1966, was a helicopter mechanic-here's me in 1968 getting off a Chinook. Never regretted my service

 

Not trying to be disrespectful but why is this thread open? I didn't read all of the posts but I don't understand how this is really "on topic". If I post a thread asking for advice on whether to become a hair stylist, florist, or interior designer how long would that last? Careers relating automotive world as the main focus I can see but this?!

 

I joined the RCAF in 1965, and was trained as a pilot on single engine jets. I stayed in 10 years, and enjoyed every minute of my career, including three years on exchange in the USAF. Because of the excellent training I received, I got out and walked right into a job flying for a major airline.
A lot of airmen that I knew, got excellent training in the operation and maintenance of high tech equipment, that transferred directly to great post military careers.
I enjoyed my service life so much, that it was difficult to leave, but the airlines were recruiting, and my wife didn't like the fact that the air force came first.
I heard it from someone else, but
The soldier complains when his tent leaks.
The sailor complains when his metal room is swaying too much.
The airman complains when his eggs aren't done right.

A military career isn't right for everyone, but there is a camaraderie and pride in service that is not obtainable anywhere else.
Bob

 

It's not. A lot of older threads have been resurrected recently with impure topic content and they've been locked or zapped. Three, two, one.....
-Dave

 

I signed up for selective services at the Dearborn Post office when I turned 18 back in '78....
I never got "the call"....

 

Chinook helicopter: I heard seeing one in flight described as "Two Palm Trees Fv&@ing a Schoolbus", which is pretty accurate, I think. Smooth ride!

 

I never heard them called anything but "Shithook".

 

I grew up in a military family; Father was USAF for 30 plus years (actually began in the Army Air Corp). So, for the first 19 years of my life, I had already been in the "military". 1971 came around, and I drew a really low lottery number for the draft. My Father, although retired, pulled some strings with his AF contacts, and got me enlisted, as opposed to being drafted into the Army like I was just going to allow to happen; better 2 years than 4 was my reasoning at the time. My Father just did't want me going to Viet Nam, even though when we submitted our requests for where we wanted to go for our first assignments, Viet Nam was one of my 2 choices, with Alaska being the other, my home state. Wound up in the medical corp, and sent to Texas and Alaska; one extreme to the other extreme. I have some really radical, and probably unpopular, "opinions" that I won't go into here about my personal military experiences. I will submit this one; we all know what the DMZ is (demilitarized zone); I came up with the DHZ, the dehuminized zone, as that was what "they" wanted to do to young airmen; dehuminize them. The "lifers" are basically high school bullies, who found someplace they could continue to get away with being a bully. I had already dealt with bullies my entire life, and had enough of them; when you stand up against a "lone" bully, they back right down; bullies need one another to support one another to be "effective". The military did give me the knowledge of what I wanted to do in life; I wanted a career somewhere in medical practice. I spent 32 years as an X-Ray/CAT Scan Tech, and if it were't for my rotten spine, and a hereditary form of peripheral neuropathy, I'd still be doing that; I loved everything about my career, even the drunks, dumb ass nurses, and self centered physicians. I keep saying one day I'm going to write a book about the terrible things perpetrated by, so-called, "medical professionals". You would not believe the things I saw during my career. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

That's stupid to say.

Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I was drafted in 1969, so I don’t know if you consider that joining or not. Anyway I am very proud of my service to this great country of ours. There were times after I was discharged in 1971 that I wished that I had re-enlisted and made a career out of the Army. To those of you who are currently in the military, and all the veterans thank you for your service.

 

got drafted in 1970 and serves until dec 1971 went on reforger 2 and 3 served as a tank mechanic and got be a m60a1 gunner for one trip to germany made it to spec 4 thanks to all who served

 

Swedish special forces 1978-79

 

There are irreverent names and field acronyms for EVERYTHING pretty much. The Garrison cap, was never ...ah, called that. MREs, or "Meal, Ready-to-eat" rations, were "Meals, Rejected by Ethiopians" etc.

Ft Eustis, the helicopter repairer school location was described as "Even Uncle Sam Thinks It Sucks", which I thought, was pretty clever:

 

Well im one of the few that was in both the Navy and Air Force. Well, kinda, it was the Air National Guard. Navy was best, as i had great duty in the middle of the Mojave desert. Yes, 4 years at China Lake weapons test center. Assigned to the Target Aircraft Division. ( Drones). Launched them and then drove 4 wheel drive recovery vehicles to retrieve them. Went back to an open house in 2017 for a Blue Angels show. Could not believe the big changes over the years. By all means join up, you will see and do more than if you stayed home. I made friends and still in touch with after some 50 years. You wont regret it.

 

I think the OP has probably made his mind up as he asked the question in '06. LOL

 

I watched a young feller ask a pretty girl who was working in an Army clothing store for one of them c_nt caps.. she calmly him they were called 'garrison caps' "No, he said I want a 'c_nt' cap" After she got done ripping him a new one, he could hardly step over the door threshold..I'll bet he never forgot what they really were called.

Oh, BTW. I graduated third in my class at Eustis. Jan '67

 

I had 31 years in Army aviation had meet some of the best and some of the worst people in the world. If you ae not sure, just join a National Guard unit or reserve unit and try it out part time.

 

I had wanted to join at age 16 for Vietnam, my mom set me up with our family doctor for an exam, I definitely got snookered, but in hindsight, for my own good. I had a severe knee injury a couple of years prior and an Achilles tendon injury that plagues me to this day. The family doctor nixed me for service. My dad did the WWII thing with the USAF and also reserved in Korea stationed in Panama. My older brother did his 20 in the US Army, stationed in Korea for 2 years, his last 4 in Germany and was called up for possible combat during the Kosovo thing. He was a bit of an odd duck and we really hardly speak. I was convinced that he was the Beltway Gunman and was ready to drop a dime on him, but the real killers were caught.

 

What an idiot!

 

Not sure who's stupid; me, or everyone else in Vietnam who called them Shithooks. The ones I dealt with were called "Slicks" and "Snakes". And there were always some "Loaches" around.

 

I well remember that Even Uncle Sam Thinks it Sucks. I showed up there, had to spend a couple nights in some old wood barracks with some of the windows broken out. About the only fun I had there was riding the train out to the rifle range.