Confused draftee and old school army bump.
Posted on 03/29/2007 3:05:36 PM PDT by Rodney King
One of 10 draftees still in Army retires by By The Associated Press Print Story Email Story FORT BLISS, Texas -- Robert Rangel was a college student trying to "fly below the radar" when his draft number came up in 1967.
"I got caught," he said with a wide smile.
Caught, as it turns out, for 40 years.
Chief Warrant Officer Rangel was one of just 10 draftees still in the Army when he retired Wednesday, according to Fort Bliss officials. It was unclear whether the other draftees have served as long as Rangel; the draft ended in 1973.
Rangel, of El Paso, said the prospect of being drafted was terrifying after watching numerous friends "coming home in coffins."
But he opted to stay well beyond the required two-year hitch because "I started enjoying my job and the people I worked with."
He's been deployed to nine combat zones, from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. Maj. Gen. Robert Lennox, the Fort Bliss commanding general, described Rangel as the "foremost expert" on air defense systems at the West Texas post, the current home of the Air Defense Artillery Center.
Michael Zaborowski, a retired lieutenant colonel who has known Rangel for more than a decade, said he has long been impressed by his dedication. "I did 20 years and I thought that was a lot," he said.
Rangel retired a few months before his 62nd birthday, when he would have been forced to do so under Army regulations.
His mother, who attended his retirement ceremony, was relieved the day had finally come. "That was a long time that I worried," Adelina Rangel said softly.
Rangel's years in the Army included more than 200 parachute jumps with a special forces unit in Vietnam and Cambodia, time in battle zones, a firsthand view of the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and a tour in the first Gulf War.
Now his priority is to take care of his mom and tackle some projects.
Tops on the list is restoring a 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury. He parked it in his mom's barn when he went off to basic training.
I was Air Force....The only WO I can recall ever seeing was at Sheppard AFB, TX. The WO conducted the "Band of the OilBelt."
If you saw that you witnessed something that probably no one else on the face of the earth has seen. Lucky you!!~
You know I think I've met some of those,,ain't got enough patience for that,,it's a weakness..But you got it right..
Rodney,
The warrant grades are considered by some to be the sweetest spot in the Army. The warrant grades, W-1 thru W-4, are indeed between the enlisted and commissioned ranks. However, I believe they have most of the privelages of commissioned officers. As an enlisted man, I seem to recall having to salute them. They are addressed as "Mr." as I recall. They are typically utilized for technical or specialized skills and is a means of providing recognition and compensation for these skills. I am not sure as it has been a long time since I was in the army but I seem to recall that a W-4 is compensated about the same as a major. I am sure that there is an FR'er out there with the definitive scoop.
You are right - it ain't worth the trouble.
And it kills my buzz.
I would say about 70 other soldiers saw it, and about 13 of us who heard some of what was being said. Also I do not believe the General was RA but rather NG as he looked pretty sloppy(no offence to NG's here, I was one for a little while too)
Yea,mine also,almost went out and kicked my dog..But he would'nt understand..Have a good one..
CW-2 through CW-5 are commissioned ranks.
What are you having a discourse with this jackass for....he wasn't there...claims he has been at Mother Rucker as a civilian puke for 22 years... Get his address...I bet both of us can find someone to go over and pi$$ on his leg because it's obvious he will think it's raining outside!!
No, they are not. I will add a caveat in that that was the status as of 1987. My father retired CWO-4 Cobra pilot without a commision (he refused it, interesting reasons).
After that are the Warrant Officers.
Confused draftee and old school army bump.
No need to apologize for legitimate questions. I spent 3 years Army and to this day can't figure out what WO's are good for. To be more specific, the only ones I'm familiar with are chopper pilots so why aren't they just plain officers?
Being in the Air Force, I had never dealt with Warrant Officers. I deployed with a Joint Task Force as a Major. The JTF was mostly Army folks. I met a W2 who had his Bachelor's Degree. I asked him why he didn't become an officer. He told me, with a very serious face, that he had never met an officer who wasn't a meat head and he wasn't going to become a meat head.
Looks like the dudes saying,,Opinion,opinion,you mean I don't have a opini,,,now it's IMHO..,,wonder if that's where it started...?
The Navy has Limited Duty Officers (LDOs) that don't have college degrees. My BIL went from E-7 to O-1 that way.
Ain't that the truth!!
A Chief Petty Officer is an E-7, Senior Chief Petty Officer and E-8 and Master Chief Petty Officer is an E-9. They are the top three enlisted ranks in the Navy and Coast Guard. They rank below Warrant Officers.
In my entire career I only came across one AF Warrant Officer on active duty. I was going through tech school at Chanute and he was in charge of the school.
And Centurion2000 replied
You needed 60 hours of college to get into the warrant program
Hmmm... I was drafted in June of 1970. Three weeks into basic training (after we'd been tested, etc.), I was sent to an orientation/recruitment for warrant officer flight training (helicopters). I had NO college at the time, just a high school graduate, but that didn't seem to matter.
They said after training (about a year), I'd have to re-up for a minimum of two years. I would have had at least three years' in at the minimum.
I turned them down. A draftee in his third week of basic training is NOT thinking of extending his enlistment.
Although, with years gone by in hindsight, sometimes I wish I'd taken them up on it....
- John
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