One of 10 draftees still in Army retires

Charleston Daily Mail ^ | today | staff

[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.

[bannie]

Warrant Officers have the best of both worlds.

They're officers without so many personnel responsibilities.

[doodad]

I was a brat not in service. My Dad prodded due to money, but it was Carter era and I think even he was relieved when I paid my own freight in school rather than put up with what he did.

I will never forget the deference paid to many NCOs by the officers in the 82nd. At first I did not understand, but watching them work and seeing how the troops treated them I realized that the Army had one grade and men had another.

[Mike Darancette]

My BIL went from E-7 to O-1 that way.

In my day E-7s ate O-1s for breakfast. Was he able to advance as an officer?

[LZ_Bayonet]

They DID NOT "volunteer for the draft".

As funny as it may sound it was very possible to "volunteer" for the draft. I know. I did it.

I did it too, as did someone else I knew. The only thing different was that I was in college and I had a student deferment, so I had to go in to my Draft Board and sign a "Waiver of Deferment". Then, with the deferment signed, I simply became another 19 year old with no deferment. I asked them to induct me ASAP (I was afraid the war would be over before I got there [who knew?], but they made me wait 2 months). I was inducted. My serial number started with "US", I had no MOS choices, and I did two years. No one, other than the Draft Board knew, unless I told them.

[Mike Darancette]

That was a black day indeed!

[RetiredArmy]

but don't they ever promote you if you have been in that long?

He was a Chief Warrant Officer.

There are five grades of Warrant Officer in the Army. The first is a WO1 or Warrant Officer One. Then it is Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) 2, 3, 4, and 5. They wear a silver bar with a small black square on the bar. One for one, two for a CW2, etc., etc. This guy had to be a CW5. Otherwise, he would probably not have been around this long.

[The KG9 Kid]

Yes, Rodney. They made him a Chief Warrant Officer because they ran out of enlisted ranks to give him. He bent the needle on the enlisted ranks and then the needle fell off, so to speak.

I'm sure that man was an institution wherever he went.

[Mr.Unique]

In my day E-7s ate O-1s for breakfast.

Yes, my BIL wasn't sure that he wanted to take the "demotion" form Chief to Ensign. ;)

Was he able to advance as an officer?

He is an LT (O-3) now.

[chesty_puller]

Redirect your fire Soldier. I have known what a Warrant Ofc is since my first Huey ride.

[RetiredArmy]

Chill jar. It was meant as info to the other poster.

[Volunteer]

Mr. Rangel -

Thank you for your service to our nation.

Volunteer

[Mike Darancette]

During the first Gulf War I watched Wolfie Blitzer (Only CNN available then...) identify an F-15 Eagle taking off as an F-16.

One of the network anchors bemoaned the plight of the 18 year old F-15 pilots and another worried about the battleship being hit by a scud missile. Those guys were clueless.

[Mike Darancette]

If I were able to talk to him I know exactly how he did what he did. At the time you needed a GT score of 120 to go to flight school and 115 for OCS.

In the Navy I was offered Annapolis in boot camp because of one of the test scores. Didn't do it since I was engaged and I got a pretty good gig anyway.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... When I was in the Marine Corps, Warrant Officers were generally addressed as either "Gunner" or "Mister". They were definitely called "sir"."

That's right. Officers typically call them 'Mister' and the rest of us called them 'Gunner'.

In the Marines, CWOs are really rare to encounter. We had a CWO-4 in our unit, and I was present at his retirement ceremony after he served 36 years. The best way to think of him was like Mister Spock from Star Trek mixed with Elvis. He just knew everything and people were awestruck by him when they learned his history. He'd outlasted every single piece of gear the Marines had when he signed up. Recoilless rifles, Browning .30 machineguns, M46 tanks, he knew them all. He must have had fifteen MOS's in his career and he got away with wearing Vietnam-era small jungle pattern camo utilities with slant pockets when he wanted to wear them while the rest of us were all wearing the late '80s 'Forest' pattern.

Your pay got screwed up? Gunner knows the answer. Someone's getting sent somewhere for a career change or training at another base? Gunner's served there. What's this float gonna be like? Gunner's done Westpac and Norway three times. How do I add this family member to FEGLI insurance as a beneficiary? Gunner knows. What's the Air Wing like? Gunner was a helicopter door gunner. Kids need orthodontia and you want to apply for Navy relief funds? Gunner knows how. Function check for an M282 Flash Flame Projector missile array? Watch Gunner demonstrate. Just every single thing that can possibly pop up in the Marines.

Real nice guy too, but I only served with him for a few months.

[fish hawk]

sorry, you are right I did not read all of the posts.

[politicalwit]

I believe that the AF utilized the WO1 rank for a short period of time back during the early 70's. This was for Physician Assistants during their 2nd year of training. After training they receive their commission of 1st Lt. (Most of the PA's students accepted into the program were low ranking NCO's (E4-E5) in the 902X0 career field.)

[Bender2]

No, no!

Sorry, Centurion2000, I did not mean you were wrong!

My ill temper sometime gets me to speak... er, type not as clear as I wish. I guess the bad dog mood the Dems have forced on me has me foaming at the mouth at the wrong people.

Please accept my apology, you were correct, much more so than any of the other folks on the thread too lazy to google...

Also accept my lateness in replying, I had to shut down... We have had 4 to 5 inches of rain, booming thunder and lightning plus high winds to beat the band...

I've posted this to let all see what a horse's pa-toot I can be at times...

No... he is a horse's ass at times!

[Bender2]

My Dad retired a CW4 after 22 years of service. The way he explained the commissions is Warrent Officers are commissioned by the Sec Def while Commissioned Officers are commissoned by the POTUS.

Make that Warrant Officers are issued warrants by the Sec Def and it shall be correctomundo...

Hey? Bender... Sit on it!

[Bender2]

One of the network anchors bemoaned the plight of the 18 year old F-15 pilots and another worried about the battleship being hit by a scud missile. Those guys were clueless.

Yeah, I recall wishing Saddam would drop a scud on Wolfee or...

[Drum roll.......] NBC's Arthur Kent... the Scud Stud!

Funny, Arthur Kent just preened for the camera and was never as wrong as Wolfie. The Liberal media Gods smiled on zhe Blitzer and made him CNN's Senior Prized Smuck. Arthur Kent went on to the History Channel where he was right about 50% of the time. However, that is way more than Wolfie's batting average!

[Bender2]

Gunner knows how.

Take it from me... Gunny Highway..

"Any Marine Gunner is worth knowing!"

The best way to think of him was like Mister Spock from Star Trek mixed with Elvis.

I find that... highly logical!

Ain't that supposed to be... Spock mixed with Gomer?

Not just no... But HELL NO!