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.

[SAMWolf]

Or if you prefer.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Certainly.

I love that song.

I "made" this for us, hehehe.

[MistyCA]

LOL.....Wanna dance, g'nad? Where on earth did you get that name....never mind....I don't need to know that...lol :)

...California Dreaming

[Pippin]

MISTY!!!!! LOL! You GO girl!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Awww! That's Johnny Matthis? I'm not sure about the name spelling. I love those songs.

[MistyCA]

I am really sorry to hear that Spook. What a terrible thing to find out when you were holding onto so much hope. Sorry.

[SAMWolf]

I saved this one for you.

[SAMWolf]

Sure is. The one and only!

[SpookBrat]

Everytime I see a coconut, I always remember that scene from Monty Python...the coconut/swallow debate. If you aren't a Monty Python fan, you won't get this. LOL

SOLDIER #1:
Where'd you get the coconuts?

ARTHUR:
We found them.

SOLDIER #1:
Found them? In Mercia? The coconut's tropical!

ARTHUR:
What do you mean?

SOLDIER #1:
Well, this is a temperate zone.

ARTHUR:
The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land?

SOLDIER #1:
Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

ARTHUR:
Not at all. They could be carried.

SOLDIER #1:
What? A swallow carrying a coconut?

ARTHUR:
It could grip it by the husk!

SOLDIER #1:
It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

ARTHUR:
Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?

SOLDIER #1:
Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?

ARTHUR:
Please!

SOLDIER #1:
Am I right?

ARTHUR:
I'm not interested!

SOLDIER #2:
It could be carried by an African swallow!

SOLDIER #1:
Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's my point.

SOLDIER #2:
Oh, yeah, I agree with that.

ARTHUR:
Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot?!

SOLDIER #1:
But then of course, uh, African swallows are non-migratory.

SOLDIER #2:
Oh, yeah.

SOLDIER #1:
So, they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway. [clop clop clop]

SOLDIER #2:
Wait a minute! Supposing two swallows carried it together?

SOLDIER #1:
No, they'd have to have it on a line.

SOLDIER #2:
Well, simple! They'd just use a strand of creeper!

SOLDIER #1:
What, held under the dorsal guiding feathers?

SOLDIER #2:
Well, why not?

[Pippin]

OH! OH!, Misty. Guess what? #666!

[MistyCA]

Yup...you're good! It's Santana. :)

[MistyCA]

LMAO! Think I will be safest with seatbelt fastened and butt planted firmly in a chair....:)

[SpookBrat]

Oh that's ok dear. I'm not upset at all. It was so long ago...they hadn't seen him in 40 something years. I think everyone in the family figured he was dead, except for my grandpa who kept hoping (I'm sure he knew though). I'm just glad we know for sure. He had a Japanese wife and they sent all his belongings to her. I wonder if we have Japanese cousins over there? :)

[SAMWolf]

You got me in a slow dancing mood now.

You have me going out of my head

[MistyCA]

LOLOL....love that one.....let me tell you bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees and the moon up above....and this thing called looovvveeee. :)

[Victoria Delsoul]

Wow! I heard that before.... I love it.

I love it. Thanks.

I'm listening again, hehe.

[g'nad]

LOL!! Only if you like getting your toes stepped on... where did did I get the name g'nad? You're right, you don't wanna know...and I don't wanna get banned...;o)

[SpookBrat]

Tonk, we drove by the Naval base tonight and we found the Coast Guard station place (don't know what you call it). LOL I thought of you. :)

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hahahahaha, the bees... LOL! Here is one for ya.

[HiJinx]

Good Evening, G'nad!
Glad you dropped in...it's a little risky (risque) hanging around here tonight...