USO Canteen FReeper Style....FReeper FRiday..May 24,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

I would like you to meet FReeper Veteran HiJinx.

Thank you HiJinx for serving our country !

Somehow I always knew I was destined to be a part of the U.S. Armed Forces and travel around the world. That may be because my Air Force Father brought me in to this world as an Englishman, then taught me to walk and talk as an Italian! My poor grandparents couldn't understand a word I was saying when I first met them in Dayton, Ohio.

My Dad was career Air Force, my Step-Dad was Navy, so my brother and I joined the Army. Natural choice, right? This is the obligatory graduation photo, complete with the old bus driver's cap.

For some reason, they didn't trust us with live ammo on the live fire rush and cover course, so we used blanks. I'm not really pointing my M-16 at the photographer, it just looks that way. Maybe there's a good reason for them not to trust us!

The training was completed, graduation was a day away, and we were restricted to our barracks. Note the WWII era corrugated sheet metal construction. Our Basic Training Company, C-2-3, was the only one in the 3rd Battalion 'living' in Quonset huts in 1976. At the end of BCT I had lost 35 pounds and Mrs. HJ had not seen me for 3 months. On the back of this picture I penned "Here's a lousy picture by a lousy photographer, but it gives you an idea what we do on the weekends - sit around and wait!!"

My entire career was spent as a Military Intelligence NCO, and I'm rather proud to have been one of President Reagan's Cold War Warriors. My first duty station was at the USASA Field Station Berlin. Everything above the third floor of the main ops building (the one in the back) was antennas. Ostensibly, we were there providing worldwide communications support to American forces. The site has now been turned over to a German concern and is in use as a resort with a ski-lift, grass ski-slope, and toboggan run down the backside. There's also a 'clothing optional' beach at the base of the mountain. No, I never went there...wink-wink!

I re-enlisted 4 times during my career, this was the first. The Company Commander in this ceremony, a Captain, just finished his tour last year as the Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Intelligence Center at Ft. Huachuca.

Much of the photographic record of my time in uniform has me out of uniform! Our blonde Cocker Spaniel Sebastian is receiving a new pillow for his bed for Christmas. The poor boy begged for everything. Check out those paws...to dust those hardwood floors, we'd toss a ball for him to chase...he made a great dust mop, and got lots of exercise to boot!

My first CONUS (stateside) assignment was to the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) at Ft. Riley, KS. Here Dad is doting on Jonathan, who is a natural ham. He'd follow a camera anywhere!

Another of the sights that all MI soldiers should be familiar with is the AN/FLR-9 (Flare 9) HF/DF Antenna System. This is the Augsburg site, where I spent 3 and a half pretty good years. On an earlier thread we paid tribute to NSA soldiers and civilians who had lost their lives in the line of duty, and the memorial says they 'Served in Silence.' That is still true to some extent. These sites are only shown now because they are no longer in use. ~Photo courtesy Carl Schweibinz

My final tour of duty was as a Combat Developments NCO here at Ft. Huachuca. I'm here to tell you, this was rough duty! TDY every month, living out of a suitcase, and putting on Dog and Pony shows to convince the Army to develop our new systems. The Association of the US Army (AUSA) shows weren't too bad, until the Chief of Staff, Army (GEN Sullivan) showed up for his briefing with 35 staff officers in tow!

This is what consumed my final years of service. The Army Family of Common Sensors was to be the last set of Intelligence and Electronic Warfare systems the Army would ever need, with reconfigurable electronics and antenna systems to handle the mission of the 10 different systems currently in the field. Pictured from left to right are the Ground Based Common Sensor-Light on a Heavy Hummer, the GBCS-Heavy on an Electronic Fighting Vehicle, and the USMCs Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System on an LAV-25. The upgraded Black Hawk is the Advanced Quickfix system with COMINT/ELINT sensor package and extended range fuel tanks.

For those who would like to see a larger, more detailed picture of Field Station Berlin on top of the Teufelsberg, click here. This is quite large, please be patient. Ditto for a larger picture of the AFCS Intelligence Collection Systems, click here.

[MistyCA]

And the Canteen Babes!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Those were the gals who escorted 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub back to the ship this morning."

I hated to leave them but when duty calls and the ship is leaving port a sailor just has to say goodbye. LOL

[MistyCA]

And the girls....Oregon or Bust!!!

[HiJinx]

Wings of fallen stewardess worn into battle, then back
~ Spc. Heather M. Curtis

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (Army News Service, May 23, 2002) - The flight wings of an American Airlines stewardess killed Sept. 11 were worn into battle above Afghanistan and then presented back to her family by Army aviators at a ceremony here May 21.

Sara Elizabeth Low was killed when her plane crashed into the World Trade Center. Her father, Mike Low, sent her flight-attendant wings to Afghanistan with a letter to the commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne).

"I ask this favor of you. Would it be possible to have some soldier, some good man or woman carry these wings with them in our war against terrorism?" Low wrote.

Rest of the story here.

Staff Sgt. Mark Baker, 2nd Battalion,
160th SOAR (Abn.)thanks Mike Low for the honor
of wearing his daughter's wings in combat.

[Pippin]

Misty, you're getting Tonkin all flustered! TEHEHE!

[MistyCA]

Thanks, Lodwick! :)

[MistyCA]

thank you, Sir! Since I haven't been able to get a ride out to the ship yet, I am going shopping this afternoon! :)

[MistyCA]

What a super story! Wow...that's so neat! :)

[Jen]

While Sassy and Kneezles were shopping at a mall kiosk, a shapely young woman in a short form-fitting dress strolled by...

Kneezles' eyes followed her.

Without looking up from the item Sassy was examining, she asked, "Was it worth the trouble you're now in?"

[MistyCA]

LOL....without looking up I might have decked his butt! :)

[Jen]

Any time you feel dumb, don't worry. Check out the following excerpts from a "Wall Street Journal" article. Lots of people are dumber than you.

1. Compaq is considering changing the command "Press Any Key" to "Press Return Key" because of the many calls asking where the "Any" key is.

2. An AST customer was asked to send a copy of her defective diskettes. A few days later a letter arrived from the customer along with Xeroxed copies of the floppies.

3. A Dell customer called to say he couldn't get his computer to fax anything. After 40 minutes of trouble-shooting, the technician discovered the man was trying to fax a piece of paper by holding it in front of the monitor screen and hitting the "send" key.

* I nominate the Dell technician to be included in the 'dumb' list for going through 40 minutes of trouble-shooting before correctly diagnosing the problem! (she says as a former Customer Care manager with an Internet Service Provider...)

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[Pippin]

LOL!!!!

[Pippin]

Thank you. the flowers are nice like you are.

[Victoria Delsoul]

she asked, "Was it worth the trouble you're now in?"

Hmmm was it?... keezles, say what? LOL!!!

See you later, guys.

Victoria

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks so much for the lovely flowers.

[MistyCA]

:) beautiful!

[Mr_Magoo]

New dog crossbreeds

The following breeds are now recognized by the American Kennel Club:

Collie & Lhasa Apso
Collapso: a dog that folds up for easy transport

Spitz & Chow Chow
Spitz-Chow: a dog that throws up a lot

Pointer & Setter
Pointsetter: A traditional Christmas pet

Great Pyrenees & Dachshund
Pyradachs: A puzzling breed

Pekingnese & Lhasa Apso
Peekasso: An abstract dog

Irish Water Spaniel & English Springer Spaniel
Irish Springer: A dog fresh and clean as a whistle

Labrador Retriever & Curly Coated Retriever
Lab Coat Retriever: The choice of research scientists

Newfoundland & Basset Hount
Newfound Asset Hound: A dog for financial advisors

Terrier & Bulldog
Terribull: A dog that makes awful mistakes

Bloodhound & Labrador
Blabador: A dog that barks incessantly

Malamute & Pointer
Moot Point: A dog owned by ....oh, well, it doesn't matter

Collie & Malamute
Commute: A dog that travels to work

Deerhound & Terrier
Derriere: A dog that is true to the end

Bull Terrier & Shitzu
Bull....Oh, never mind.

[Jen]

Dentist to Patient: "Would you help me out? I'd like you to give a few of your loudest screams?"

Patient: "Why, Doc? It isn't all that bad this time."

Dentist: "There are so many people in the waiting room right now, and I don't want to miss the 5 o'clock baseball game."

[Pippin]

LOL!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!