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-   -   7th Army NCO Academy... Flint (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10875)

12B4S 05-21-2006 00:23

7th Army NCO Academy... Flint
 
Anyone else out here, that was stationed at Flint Kaserne attend the above Academy?

bost1751 05-21-2006 10:41

Brad:

The NCO academy changed to PLDC or something like that when the Army modified the NCOES system years ago. For that reason several SF guys, lower ranks, should have attended it.

QRQ 30 05-21-2006 14:58

Nope!!! We avoided it like the plague. IIRC they tried to send personnel accepted to OCS prior to shipping.

OTOH I attended the "Combat Arms Communications Officer Course" conducted by 7th Army at PHK. I made honor grad as a SSG - the only EM in the course. One of the students made a real monkey out of himself by complaining it wasn't fair. :D :D :D

FILO 05-21-2006 15:57

My dad attended the academy at Flint in 1958. Said it was one tough school!

12B4S 05-21-2006 20:22

They keep changing things on me bost. I think they tried to always send two of us from Flint to each class. Since we were in the same Kaserne and all.

QRQ. I wanted nothing to do with it. I had only been at Flint for a couple months and assigned to a new and the last Team, that was being formed, minding my own damn business, when I received the orders. I must have read them ten times, thinking it was a mistake. I went through the chain of command as far as I could, trying to get out of it. Yeah. Fat chance. The Army had already tossed me into a three week type NCO course right after AIT. Here, I thought I was headed to Benning for Jump School and find myself shanghai'd. That came as a surprise as well.

Must have been a tough school FILO. Somehow, I finished as honor graduate. :D
Actually, I don't remember thinking of it as tough. Just having to be there was tough and I had just graduated from SFTG only a few months prior. EVERYTHING seemed easier after that. ;)

QRQ 30 05-22-2006 06:10

As I recall, there was a monument in the NCOA corner of the quad. that had a miniature tank. I believe it was one of the decoys dropped on D-Day. The brass plaque was almways being polishid by someone. I would love to have had a concession on Brasso.

I also recall that their floors were the shiniest I have ever seen. CRS if they were concrete or tiled. The rooms had hardwood floors. Today they may use poly-urethane but in those days it was Johnson's paste wax and elbow grease.:eek:

FILO 05-22-2006 07:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by QRQ 30
As I recall, there was a monument in the NCOA corner of the quad. that had a miniature tank. I believe it was one of the decoys dropped on D-Day. The brass plaque was almways being polishid by someone. I would love to have had a concession on Brasso.

I also recall that their floors were the shiniest I have ever seen. CRS if they were concrete or tiled. The rooms had hardwood floors. Today they may use poly-urethane but in those days it was Johnson's paste wax and elbow grease.:eek:

I'm trying to recall from memory, but was the NCOA corner of the quad at the northeast side? When I was at Flint for JM school we stayed on the east side up on the second floor. Our classes were held in the small building outside of the quad on the south side. Also IIRC, the messhall was on the ground floor of the southwest corner and the German Restaraunt was on the second floor at the southeast corner. It's been over 20 years, so my memory may be off.

lksteve 05-22-2006 07:43

the little tank...
 
got BTFU in the Fall of 1980...some poor schmuck in HHC wanted to impress the A-team guys, it seems...he "found" a claymore mine, put it under the tank and set it off...blew out quite a few windows on the NE side of the quad...:rolleyes:

bost1751 05-22-2006 08:55

IKSteve
 
I recall the "blowing up the tank" incident. I caused quite a stir. Actually it was pretty comical too. There were more rumors floating around about who did it. Most of the rumors were pretty fitting too.

lksteve 05-22-2006 09:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by bost1751
I recall the "blowing up the tank" incident. I caused quite a stir. Actually it was pretty comical too. There were more rumors floating around about who did it. Most of the rumors were pretty fitting too.

my most vivid recollection is the numerous "health and welfare" inspections in the team rooms and storage rooms in the housing area...it seems the source of the munition of choice was deemed to be either of those places...;)

QRQ 30 05-22-2006 13:26

The corner I mentioned would have been to the left as you entered the quad.

Basically, the 7th Army was on the left and Group was on the right. The NCO club was in the far left corner and the EM club was in the far right. That wing straight ahead also had the American Express bank, mess halls, and PX, on various floors.

lksteve 05-22-2006 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by QRQ 30
The corner I mentioned would have been to the left as you entered the quad.

Basically, the 7th Army was on the left and Group was on the right. The NCO club was in the far left corner and the EM club was in the far right. That wing straight ahead also had the American Express bank, mess halls, and PX, on various floors.

correct...except that the NCO Club was the Community Club when i got there, the EM club was the snack bar and the Officers' Club was the Supper Club...American Express was on the ground floor...there was an additional building of new construction behind the Quad and that was the 7th Army classroom...

12B4S 05-22-2006 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by QRQ 30
I also recall that their floors were the shiniest I have ever seen. CRS if they were concrete or tiled. The rooms had hardwood floors. Today they may use poly-urethane but in those days it was Johnson's paste wax and elbow grease.:eek:

you are 100% correct QRQ. They were the shiniest floors known to mankind. I know, because I spent many an hour on hands and knees with that Johnson's Paste wax applying it with cotton balls. Every student did. The floors were a combination of concrete and tiles. The tiles lined either side of the main floor which was concrete like. That shiny, black part of the floor was called the 'autobahn'. No one was allowed to walk on it. You walked up and down the hall along the tiles at the side, which were about a foot or so wide. They were a reddish color.

Hugh 05-22-2006 22:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12B4S
That shiny, black part of the floor was called the 'autobahn'. No one was allowed to walk on it. You walked up and down the hall along the tiles at the side, which were about a foot or so wide. They were a reddish color.

This was still true when I attended PLDC there in 1989, and by that time the floors had a bit of a crown or hump in the middle from the years of Paste wax build up... And that Damn Tank was still out there....

12B4S 05-22-2006 22:20

LOL. I imagine it was Hugh. I wonder how many layers down mine were. :eek: I graduated from there 3/70.

lksteve 05-23-2006 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh
And that Damn Tank was still out there....

that damn tank was replaced...the one you saw was a newer, improved version...probably didn't have a space underneath it that would accomodate a claymore mine...;)

bost1751 05-24-2006 08:59

That damn tank has become a topic of conversation.

lksteve 05-24-2006 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by bost1751
That damn tank has become a topic of conversation.

it was quite the topic back then, as well...strangely enough, i was on the roster of officers for courts martial back then...for some strange reason, i was challenged off the panel...by both sides...

but back to the original question, when i was the XO on A-8, the company SGM threatened to send me to the 7th Army NCO Academy...:D

12B4S 05-24-2006 19:06

Damn Steve! You should have taken him up on it. You would have come out of it with a promotion. You would have been an NCO. :cool:

lksteve 05-24-2006 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12B4S
Damn Steve! You should have taken him up on it. You would have come out of it with a promotion. You would have been an NCO.

the SGM's concern is that before OCS, i had managed to make SSG without attending an NCO academy...he thought i was in need of remediation...:D

12B4S 05-24-2006 22:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by lksteve
the SGM's concern is that before OCS, i had managed to make SSG without attending an NCO academy...he thought i was in need of remediation...:D

There ya go! SGMs know what is needed. Especially when it comes to XOs' of A Teams. ;)

My SGM tried to get me out of going to the NCOA. Turned out, it went higher than even he could get. :(

bost1751 05-24-2006 23:25

Steve, you missed a golden opportunity.

12B4S 05-25-2006 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by bost1751
Steve, you missed a golden opportunity.

UGH........ I mean, I concur.

lksteve 05-25-2006 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by bost1751
Steve, you missed a golden opportunity.

nope...i had previously attended the XVIII NCOA...the SGM didn't consider that a "real" NCOA...i guess he figured spit shining the Autobahn was more of a challenge than raking pine needles...

12B4S 05-26-2006 21:59

Given the option and having done both. I'll take raking the pine needles anytime. ;)

jon1481 02-08-2007 20:14

I was there
 
I was there and because of that I made the model for the inspection of the rooms. Photos and descriptions, a manuel. They just wouldn't allow my cowboy boots! I guess the captain thought everybody had to have a pair.

The Old Guy 02-08-2007 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by QRQ 30
The corner I mentioned would have been to the left as you entered the quad.

Basically, the 7th Army was on the left and Group was on the right. The NCO club was in the far left corner and the EM club was in the far right. That wing straight ahead also had the American Express bank, mess halls, and PX, on various floors.

Brilliant recall of the Kaserne, heaven on earth if I may be so humble and state.

I attended in 1983 and hated every moment. I polished the floors (autobahn), toilet bolts, drains, water fountains and 155mm rounds, asking myself what in the world this has to do with warfighting. I was a lean mean Airborne Ranger/ SF jumpmaster and pathfinder, why was I here with these “legs”. This was my first contact/interaction with women in the Army and it was a traumatic event for me. The cadre and I did not see eye to eye, maybe I should say the Commandant, but thank goodness to a senior NCO acting on my behalf I graduated, but not as the Distinguished Honor Grad! I walked down the middle of the autobahnas I left there to show my contempt for them.

I ended up doing BNCOC in Hohenfels and Distinguished Honor Graduate there, it was too easy!

How the years have mellowed my attitude. I visited the Quad in August 1998 before I left Germany the last time, it was heart breaking.

Michael

mike-munich 02-09-2007 01:05

2 Attachment(s)
Quote:

I visited the Quad in August 1998 before I left Germany the last time, it was heart breaking.
It still is heart breaking... One should think that you get used to it, since you see it every day. But you just don´t.... I see pictures in my head from 87, 88, up to 91 when Group left for Panzer/Böblingen. It breaks my heart every single day for the past 16 years...

12B4S 02-13-2007 01:47

Still breaks mine..........

Hohenfels. I was there. Thing is. I just have to remember why. Before I research my old paperwork and orders, I'm thinking it was a Flintlock exercise.

Mike. I see pictures in my head from '70/71........ What has happened there is an abomination!!!

mike-munich 02-13-2007 02:35

Brad, Hohenfels is and was one of the big training areas for USAEUR. Most likely you have been there for some sort of exercise.

Quote:

Mike. I see pictures in my head from '70/71........ What has happened there is an abomination!!!
It sure is... I have the old photos at the house, and I see the "new" situation every day. :(

lksteve 02-13-2007 08:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12B4S
Hohenfels. I was there. Thing is. I just have to remember why. Before I research my old paperwork and orders, I'm thinking it was a Flintlock exercise.

i'm thinking it was either demo or heavy weapons cross training...can't see doing FL at Hohenfels...but then again, for me FL was always a spring exercise, not a fall exercise...coulda been a fall FL in conjunction with Regorger that took you to Hohenfels...

mike-munich 02-14-2007 01:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by lksteve
i'm thinking it was either demo or heavy weapons cross training...can't see doing FL at Hohenfels...but then again, for me FL was always a spring exercise, not a fall exercise...coulda been a fall FL in conjunction with Regorger that took you to Hohenfels...

I remember REFORGER being in Spring too. I think the last one was in April of 1993. Always big fun in Hohenfels....

lksteve 02-14-2007 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike-munich
I remember REFORGER being in Spring too. I think the last one was in April of 1993. .

FL was a fall exercise until 1976...then, beginning in '77 it went to the spring...Reforger was a fall exercise throughout my entire experience with it, 76-84...

mike-munich 02-15-2007 01:54

I hear you Sir. My experience starts in 1987...:cool:

12B4S 02-25-2007 00:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by lksteve
i'm thinking it was either demo or heavy weapons cross training...can't see doing FL at Hohenfels...but then again, for me FL was always a spring exercise, not a fall exercise...coulda been a fall FL in conjunction with Regorger that took you to Hohenfels...

Havn't come across an old set of orders for FL lk. Did find a letter of commendation to the Team from a Colonel with the 1ST Infantry Division. We had been sent there to support thier Battalion ATT/ORT's at Hohenfels MTA, performing unconventional missions. This was in May '71.

I do remember being drenched for the better part of 8 days and that Delorenzo and I managed to really piss off some Captain with the Big Red 1. ;)

f50lrrp 10-31-2007 12:57

I attended the 7th Army NCO Academy in 1966. I remember the Autobahn and how we had to polish it every night with Lincoln (Never Kiwi) Boot polish and a piece of a G.I. blanket.

All of the chrome on all of the plumbing fixtures was rubbed off with emory cloth and the brass was Brasso'd every night, too.

General Omar Bradley visited Flint Kasserne while I was attending the NCO Academy and reminised about General Patton having his Headquarters at Flint Kasserne, before being relieved of command of the Third army.

We were all impressed seeing the old gentleman with his five stars on each ephillet (sp) until he decided to walk down the center of the autobahn on his way out of the Academy.

Four months later, I reenlisted for SF and ended up back at Flint Kasserne.

Mike

hannon4you 07-25-2008 21:53

7th Army NCO Academy . . . Flint
 
Graduated Spring 1965 - Polished same floors in same manner w/cotton balls.

Richard 07-26-2008 08:48

Guys,

We avoided it like the plague. Who wanted to spend an inordinate amount of time polishing the "Autobahn" (hallway) and then not being allowed to walk on it? :rolleyes: BS. For us, the secret was to stay committed to the field so that the teams who did less field training always had to send somebody to the school across the archway with their minature tank out in the corner of the quadrangle. :p

One of their claims to fame was that the Commandant, a CSM, had GEN Patton's desk from his time at Flint Kaserne. His son, MG Patton, tried to get it for his office when he commanded the 11th Armored Carnival Regiment but the 7th Army NCO Academy's Commandant wouldn't let him have it. Anybody know what eventually happened to that desk? :munchin

Richard - who wound up doing the 3rd Army/XVIII ABC NCO Academy.

Jazz 11-01-2008 18:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard (Post 218215)
One of their claims to fame was that the Commandant, a CSM, had GEN Patton's desk from his time at Flint Kaserne. His son, MG Patton, tried to get it for his office when he commanded the 11th Armored Carnival Regiment but the 7th Army NCO Academy's Commandant wouldn't let him have it. Anybody know what eventually happened to that desk?

I attended PLDC there in 2003. The desk was still being used by the Commandant.

orko 11-02-2008 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz (Post 233023)
I attended PLDC there in 2003. The desk was still being used by the Commandant.


What year did 7th NCOA move to Grafenwoehr? I attended PLDC in 06, 1-10 still sends support guys there.

Only heard about the desk, but the mini tank is still out there on a cement slab in front of the headquarters building

got a pic of it somewhere, has a star, and moonraker painted on it


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