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Originally Posted by sharkmanII
Given 5th groups geographical A/O, and the countries surrounding the area, I was chosen as a young hard charging medic to attend.... SF Mule packing school. I kid you not good sirs! It was a rough 3 week course, learning everything from how to shoe the animals to properly packing them for a mountainous long haul to swimming but not drowning the animals while bearing their loads. The 2 weeks of classroom and hands on practical exercises was actually demanding, on both student and animals, but then came the final testing out trip. We spent a week in eastern TN in the mountains packing a teams full compliment of gear and other assorted supplies. We worked with every kind of pack animal and every situation the instructors could throw at us and man that was a fantastic school. Never got the oppurtunity to utilize the skill set, but it was fun and informative.  |
We had some training of this type in 1951 at then Camp Carson. (We being Korean War era Airborne Rangers.) This was coupled with cold weather and mountain training. A number of Rangers were kicked and bitten by the mules, during the training. Those Army mules were mean and sneaky devils!
As I recall the mule skinners (instructors) were from a 'Pack' Artillary unit at Carson. Most of them volunteered to become Rangers. Perhaps to get away form that unit.
I never did have to work with mules again in my Army career. It was an experience though!
One of the civilian police schools that I enjoyed and thought was very good, was the HDS (Police EOD Bomb Technicians course.) conducted by the Army EOD for us at Redstone ARSL., at Huntsville, AL
