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.
Don...I think they revived the WO1 for a short period of time specifically for the first batch of PA's. I believe it was for only one year in 1971. I think there were only 10-12 individuals in that AFSC the first few years. They did that because the PA's were writing patient orders and some of the nurses had problems taking orders from noncoms. Soon thereafter the AF required a BA/BS to get into the program and were commissioned as 2nd Lt's.
Sounds about right. I think they got rid of the SP8 and 9 grades early on, and then the SP6 and 7 later. The SP5 must have gone away in the late 80s?
I always like to tell folks I was in the brown boot Army. Depending on foot size, some guys were issued brown boots with a bottle of black dye in Sept 61 at Ft. Knox. I got black boots. We also had the M1. They were kept in locked racks in the middle of the barracks. I got an M1 thumb near the last day of basic training. Trained on the M48 during Armor AIT and we each got to drive the brand new M60 for about a half mile. My first Bn Cdr. in Munich wore a 3rd ID patch on his right sleeve and had been a POW in WWII. I ended up in the Bn Commo Platoon and my Platoon Sgt. had served with Elvis on his previous Germany tour. He had nothing but good things to say about Elvis' soldiering ability.
I remember while in the 101st in 1984 that they started letting commissioned officers be pilots. Or maybe I should say started letting pilots be commissioned officers.
The Warrants were none too happy about it and the first time we got on a bird with a butterbar in the copilot's seat we were none too happy about it either.
Commissioned Officers have been Army Aviators since the Army has had aviators.
Well, brown boot Army? With the ACU, we are back in brown boots now. All patches, rank, name tags, etc., are stuck on with Velcro. The bad thing, is that the Velcro will pick up all threads or other cloth in the wash and make it hard to keep the stuff on the uniforms.
This one is a patriot, the other Rangel is not.
Then it beats me why the helicopter pilots were so pissed off. As a matter of fact, when we rode with that butterbar the WO4 talked to him like he was a lower lifeform. Every time he said "SIR" it was dripping with sarcasm. It was kinda funny actually.
And we had not ridden with any other commissioned officers in the year I was there before that day.
Yeah, it builds character. That CW4 was a WO1 at one time and he probably got the same treatment. When I went from a CW2 to a 1LT, it didn't change anything about my aviator skills. Some would say they continued to suck, but Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers go through the same flight school and any other aviation course. The standards are the same.
Hand Salute.
I knew a couple of guys that the Velcro rank would have been a great time saver for!
I think you are correct but it only lasted a very short period. The AF remains oppossed to having Warrants. The feeling is they can get the same level of leadership and managment from Seniors and Chiefs for less money.
My wife and my first car was a '65 Comet,2 door ,,then came the youngins,the rest is history,,should have put it up on blocks as the youngins are grown and gone..That Plymouth has got to be close to mint condition,,and it would total any car made now at 5 MPH..Those were some days..
Arrowhead: thanks for the 411
RK: Check out Arrowhead's #173 for more current information.
1966...it proved to be a very good year for me and shaped the rest of my life.
It all kind of fell into place after that. Before I left Whitehall Street--the location in lower Manhattan where all the NYC draftees reported for their initial physical exam and appitude testing--I was told that I had done very well on the initial battery of exams. From there we were bussed to the old Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn for a flight in a C-47 down to the Reception Station at Ft Jackson, SC. During the week of indoctrination at Jackson (prior to going to Basic Training at Ft Gordon) I was asked if I wanted to take the test for OCS. I said yes, passed it, and the rest is history. I was commissioned in less than 11 months from the day I was drafted following Basic, AIT (12B) and Engineer OCS at Ft Belvoir.
You're a testament to what was possible in the good old Army. Thank you for that rundown.
I like to tell people that General Shalikashvili and Elvis were drafted in 58, and neither did too badly.
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