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.

[Jen]

What a beautiful color combination. Tonk, you always choose the most beautiful flowers. Thank you. {{{{HUG}}}}

[Jen]

Blabador: A dog that barks incessantly

Hahahaha! I think I have one of those instead of a MinPin.

[Bahbah]

That took my breath away. Sure wish I could go to the upcoming FR conference. Need to finish paying for my latest jaunt. BTW, my oldest will be off to Hanau, Ger. for her Army internship in a few days. We are all very excited.

[redhead]

A professor of psychology had just finished a lecture on mental health and manic depression and decided to give his class an oral quiz. "How would you label a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?"

A hand shot up in the back of the room. "A basketball coach?"

[Jen]

4TheFlag had worked on many additions to the USO Canteen Freeper Style for several years.

The Canteen had a large pond in the back forty, and it was fixed up nice with picnic tables, horse shoe courts, basketball court, etc. The pond was fixed for swimming when it was built.

One evening 4TheFlag decided to go down to the pond as he hadn't been there for a while and look it over. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.

As he came closer he saw it was Misty, Clara, Bunny, and Victoria skinny dipping in the pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end of the pond. Misty shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

4TheFlag replied, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim or get out of the pond, I only came to feed my alligators!"

[MistyCA]

LMAO! That's a good one! :)

[MistyCA]

I am supposed to be working but decided I really needed to eat something first, so here I sit getting crumbs on the keyboard! :)

[SAMWolf]

I love it. What a great story.

[Pippin]

And where were you? "Feeding his alligators!"" LOL A good one!

[firewalk]

Really pretty flowers Tonkin!

[Scuttlebutt]

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

It's easy to recognize the bust part but I'm having trouble identifying the Oregon part. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[firewalk]

Thank you. Your outfits are always gorgeous ( you probably hear that all the time *big smile*)

My husband just came home and handed me a hat. Here's what it says. And by the way, he says thank you to everyone at the Canteen. (:

[HiJinx]

Hanau is beautiful...she is in for the time of her life!!

[SAMWolf]

Coalition troops in Afghan raid

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Coalition forces conducted a raid on a compound west of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, killing one and wounding two of the people in the compound, according to initial reports.

Officials were trying to determine the identities of about 50 people detained at the site, he said. Taliban leadership was suspected to be in the compound, General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday.

In a Pentagon press briefing Pace said the forces returned fire after they were shot at, adding that there were no coalition casualties.

The U.S. and coalition troops were fired on as they entered the compound west of Kandahar at about 1 a.m. on Friday (2030 GMT Thursday), Capt. Steven O'Connor, a spokesman at Bagram base north of Kabul, told the Associated Press.

O'Connor told AP that intelligence had indicated the compound, west of Kandahar, was providing sanctuary to "senior Taliban and/or al-Qaida leadership."

The raid involved 150 coalition troops, including U.S. special forces and members of the 101st Airborne.

During the assault, "several people attempting to flee the area fired on coalition forces who responded appropriately, killing one and wounding two," O'Connor said.

He would not say where the prisoners were being held. "We don't yet know exactly who we have," O'Connor said.

The entire operation took eight hours, including a search of the compound. "Items of intelligence value were found," as were weapons and a large amount of cash, O'Connor said.

There may have been more people in the compound than the 50 men taken into custody, O'Connor said. "I imagine in a compound you're going to have men and women," he said.

Five people were killed and more than 30 captured in a similar raid north of Kandahar on May 12. The U.S. military has not finished processing those detainees to determine who they are, AP reported Pace as saying.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"BTW, my oldest will be off to Hanau, Ger. for her Army internship in a few days."

Please tell her I said
"Thank You for your service to our country."

[Billie]

Love the bouquet, Tonk. :)

[ST.LOUIE1]

: )

[Bahbah]

Wow, it looks as though you would know. You've been everywhere. My thanks to you, by the way.

[blackie]

More perfection...wow, you're good Misty !!

[Jen]

I'm supposed to be studying Dynamic HTML and Java... But I'm here goofing off again...