FReeper Canteen ~ Tell Us About Your Military Service ~ July 6, 2006

Army?

Navy?

Air Force?

Marines?

Coast Guard?

Why did you choose that particular branch?

Where did you go to Basic Training or Boot Camp?

What is the name of your unit? (Division?)

What is their (your) mascot?

Tell us how much you loved your DI!

How long were you at Boot Camp/Basic Training, before you questioned the parentage of the senior Drill Sergeant?How long were you in service before you realized that the instructors were right in all that they taught you?

Your first landing on an aircraft carrier

Your first parachute jump

The heaviest vehicle you got to drive

The largest weapon you got to use

Did you serve before email?

Did you have a personal nickname?

It is our pleasure and honor to be here for our Troops, past, present and future...
and especially during this Week, the 4th of July we remember that we owe our freedom to you.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice, and God bless you.

A gentle reminder from Ms.B:
Please, no politics in The Canteen.
The Troops need a place to rest, relax and relate, and that place is The Canteen.
Have fun and play nice!

*Hand in the air*

I was thinking Okinawa!!

241 posted on 07/05/2006 9:00:18 PM PDT by StarCMC ("The word of muslims will never, ever override what our U.S. Marines say." - TheCrusader)

He he he!! Thanks for posting that to all of us ML!! I love it!!

242 posted on 07/05/2006 9:01:58 PM PDT by StarCMC ("The word of muslims will never, ever override what our U.S. Marines say." - TheCrusader)

I can bearly wait,,,,Grrr....

Make you a deal. When you get to U (if I'm still alive), go to USS and start here...

c. 1814

243 posted on 07/05/2006 9:02:26 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhauling is a sensible solution to mutiny.)

Thank you for the kind words.

Thank all of you, my brothers and sisters in harms way for service to this, OUR Great Country and Nation!!

Heart Felt Regards,

Gunner

244 posted on 07/05/2006 9:02:40 PM PDT by weps4ret (Things the make you go; Hmmmmmmm?)

Ok -- pardon my french, but how the heck did they get away with THAT ID number! LOL

245 posted on 07/05/2006 9:03:30 PM PDT by StarCMC ("The word of muslims will never, ever override what our U.S. Marines say." - TheCrusader)

thank you higgmeister, for your service to your country!
Ms.B

246 posted on 07/05/2006 9:03:58 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)

WOW -- that's GORGEOUS!!!

247 posted on 07/05/2006 9:04:25 PM PDT by StarCMC ("The word of muslims will never, ever override what our U.S. Marines say." - TheCrusader)

27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, NM,br> I was also with the 27th. I think it was 1977-78? I was in the missile shop. By the time I got there they only had three AIM9b's. The 111-D didn't even fly them. Spent most of my tour there as gate guard for the bomb dump and Assistant manager of the Pizza Hut downtown.

248 posted on 07/05/2006 9:04:31 PM PDT by GrandEagle

Better question is how the heck did I end up un that boat?

I tell ya it was intimidating L0L

But I have no regrets
Proud to have served

249 posted on 07/05/2006 9:05:42 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)

I joined the Navy right out of High School in 1983. I joined the Navy to get paid to learn and to travel (preferably out of Minnesota). I almost joined the Marines because some of my wrestling buds took that path.

I, somehow, passed the "nuke" test at my AFEE's station. After being told that the nuke program was "elite" I signed up for it, even though I had no idea what nuclear power was.

Boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill. Basic Elec. and Electronics and Electricians Mate "A" school in Great Lakes. Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida. (Barely made it out of Nuke school with a 2.54 average...ouch!) Prototype training at A1W in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Assigned to the USS Memphis SSN 691 out of Norfolk, Virginia. Fell in love with the south. Endured 4 tough years. Chased some Soviet subs, made a Med run, lost lots of sleep due to maintenance and training (DINK don't cha know). The greatest thrill was becoming one of Ships SCUBA divers.

Attended Dive School in Panama City, Florida. It happened to be during Spring Break '87. HooYah! Being a diver was very fulfilling. Worked with people with alot of Espree De Corps (Spelling?). I realized that had I joined the Marines, I probably would have stayed in. I ate up the physical challenge stuff. Much easier then Nuclear Heat Transfer/Fluid Flow or Chem. Rad. Con. or Physics.

Left the Navy in 1989 honorably. This was because I couldn't change my primary NEC (From Nuke to Diver)and because I was now married and wanted to have a family that would see me more then a couple of times a year.

While I didn't exactly love all of my time in, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It provided a very unique opportunity to learn about myself, others, and topics I could never have studied on my own.

My hat is off to all those volunteers that serve today. The anti-Bush/War feelings today are not something I had to deal with. From what I can read about, the men and women of the Armed forces today, are doing an exemplary job. Good Job!

Sincerely.

250 posted on 07/05/2006 9:05:47 PM PDT by ScubieNuc

Thanks for your service to your country weps4ret!
ms.B

251 posted on 07/05/2006 9:06:28 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)

LOL -- I'm thinking that's some luck of the draw!! He he he!

252 posted on 07/05/2006 9:08:41 PM PDT by StarCMC ("The word of muslims will never, ever override what our U.S. Marines say." - TheCrusader)

To: StarCMC; Kathy in Alaska; All

Here's some more of his e-mail.............

"Hello again-I went out to load up my gear into the humvee & as it turns out the trucks were overfilled. I don't know if i've told you about our newest awesome mission, escorting dump trucks filled with gravel from one camp to another camp about 20 miles away. Apparently gravel is really valuable here, what with the law of supply and demand and all. Sand is dirt cheap, but gravel on the other hand, has to be imported at a steep price. 40 Kuwaiti dinars for a cube foot, actually, which is something like 120 U.S. dollars. So three days a week it falls to Charlie company to escort these 12 or so trucks around, making sure that nobody tries to hijack one & seeing that none of the haji drivers themselves just decides to split & sell it on the gravel black market.. Because of course, one truck is worth more money than most of these guys will make in their entire lives. These guys are not native Kuwaitis, they're largely egyptions, saudis, syrians, and surprisingly a large number of indians......... At first it seemed pretty reasonable to expect a hijack and maybe even a high speed shootout chase... Until the grim reality set in that no truck packed to the gills with gravel is going to go very far very fast. The top speed of these babies is around 18 MPH. I could easily chase down one of these on a bicycle if need be. So over the course of the last few weeks the perceived need for a medic has gradually fallen, and now we are considered an expendible luxury item, which suits me just fine. Between the three of us we still have to cover ARF 24/7 plus usually about 2 ranges every week. It isn't a lot of work, but it stacks up pretty fast with only three guys.

I am very curious about how the 4th went what with Katie's mom & grandma visiting......... I'm sure that meeting with you & dad could do nothing but reflect positively on my own character. lemme know how the 4th went- and not just with Katies ma, the whole thing. I wish very much that i could have been home for it. Like i said above, it is my favorite holiday & it seems incomplete without watching a bunch of fogies play John Philip Sousa & the annual family screening of 1776.

But the good news? within one week i'll hit the official 2/3 point for the deployment, and that's assuming we leave on the last possible day. So the hump is well behind me. oh, don't tell katie of course, but i ordered up her birthday present yesterday..........ended up getting one of those felix-ish black & white cat clocks with the wagging tail & rolling eyes. It's been a staple of the American kitchen since the 30's and i think it's funny as hell..........Alright, talk to you later- "

253 posted on 07/05/2006 9:08:42 PM PDT by MozartLover ( My son, my soldier, my hero. Protect him, Lord, wherever he goes, and keep him strong.)

Hi, mylife:

When you say the rock do you mean gilbralter or diego garcia?

Neither.

I mean Little Rock AFB, Jacksonville, Arkansas. Nicknamed "The Rock" by those assigned there back in the 1970s and 80s.

The nickname has become so well recognized over the years, that the five squadrons of C-130s and now, one squadron of C-17s assigned there have retired their base designator of "LK" for a red stripe on their tail emblazoned with "The Rock".

I spent a month at Diego Garcia one week back in 1981.

Jack.

254 posted on 07/05/2006 9:09:29 PM PDT by Jack Deth (Knight Errant and Disemboweler of the WFTD Thread)

"This was my first boat USS Hawkbill"

Little known fact to those not in the Navy

Submarines are the only "boats" in the Navy.

Ships are always ships, but subs are always referred to as boats.

255 posted on 07/05/2006 9:09:51 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

To: mylife; El Gran Salseron

Geez Lord Almighty......another Bubblehead.....! You guys are hard enough to take when submerged.

256 posted on 07/05/2006 9:10:23 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhauling is a sensible solution to mutiny.)

666????
Yikes!!
LOL
Ms.B

257 posted on 07/05/2006 9:10:30 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)

Thank you for your service to our country!! LOVE the Panama City area!!

258 posted on 07/05/2006 9:10:36 PM PDT by StarCMC ("The word of muslims will never, ever override what our U.S. Marines say." - TheCrusader)

My bad L0L
I suppose ther are a lot of places refered to as the rock L0L

259 posted on 07/05/2006 9:12:28 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)

Yer so funny!

Always with the babes! ;o)

260 posted on 07/05/2006 9:13:12 PM PDT by luvie ("Rather than mourning those who have died, we should thank God that such men lived.")

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