Introductions III - Page 67

f50lrrp · 10-28-2007, 22:40

Hello All,

My name is Mike and I served a total of seven years, seven months and 16 days on active duty in the U. S. Army and almost a year in the Army Reserve.

I joined the Army in 1964 with a guarantee of going to Europe. I did Basic Training at Fort Ord, AIT (Infantry) at Fort Polk, LA and Basic Parachute School at Fort Benning. Instead of orders to Europe as I had been guaranteed, I received orders to the 173rd Airborne Bde. I got as far as Okinawa when some admin officer decided that the Army would be breaching their contract with me if I didn't go to Europe.

I was held at a Repo Depot on the Rock for several weeks until I interviewed with Colonel John Phillips who took me on as his driver and off to RVN we went. The Colonel and I drove out of Saigon each day doing sight surveys for locations that the regular divisions would use for base camps later on.

After six months of TDY, I was promoted to Corporal and received orders to the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany.

My Battalion SGM, Ishmael Rangel, decided that if I was going to keep my corporal stripes, I would have to graduate from an NCO Academy. A week later, I reported to the 24th Infantry Division NCO Academy. Probably because I was the only student in the school wearing a CIB, I graduated as Honor Graduate. General Andrew Goodpasteur, CINCEUR, attended the ceremony and meritoriously promoted me to E-5.

I later met a SGM from the 10th SFGA who convinced me to take a short discharge for an assignment to SF. I ended up at Flint Kaserne in Bad Toelz for less than a month when I received orders to return to Vietnam.

My plane was diverted from Cam Rahn Bay to Ton Sohn Nuht and I ended up with orders to B 1/27th Infantry (Wolfhounds), 25th Infantry Division. I spent five months with the 'Hounds, was promoted to Staff Sergeant.

An opportunity to be a charter member of Company F, 50th Infantry (LRRP) presented itself and I became a team leader (1-0) of team Cobra 1-5. I attended Recondo School and upon my return to the Lurps, they were asking for volunteers to augment the Special Forces' 3rd Mobile Strike Force (B-36).

Another SSG (John Chaney) and I moved to Long Hai and were TL's (1-0s) for the next 6 months. Upon return to Cu Chi and the 25th Division, I learned that the old LRRP company was now Company F, 75th Infantry (Ranger).

So now I had an SF Combat patch on my right sleeve and a Ranger Patch on my left shoulder. Oddly, I had never been to Fort Bragg and I had never attended Ranger School.

In 1969, I had the opportunity, to finally be assigned to Fort Bragg, but only to attend the MATA Senior NCO Course on my way to a MACV assignment as an advisor to the Biet Dong Quan (BDQ).

In 1971, I was assigned as an operations (11F4SVS MOS) NCO for the DCSOPS, Contingency Operations Branch of HQ TASCOMEUR. This was the only enlisted jump slot in the HQ and I was named as a member of the Special Operations Task Force, Europe (SOTFE).

I discharged in 1972 and became a police officer in Central California. I retired 22 years later as a Police Chief.

Thank you for letting me join your board.

Ret10Echo · 10-29-2007, 04:40

Fox 50; Welcome aboard and thank you for your service.

blacksmoke · 10-30-2007, 04:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Welcome, and thank you for your service.

Not sure what you mean by the above.

Tread lightly on the OPSEC questions.

How are you going to selection if you did not meet med requirements? Did you get a waiver?

Best of luck.

TR

I meant to say that I do not think most of the people I work with care much about making the world any better. For example, the same guys who are quick to shout at someone for walking out of a building without a hat on are not the type willing to take the fight to the enemy. I could go way into about a buch of the guys I work with not being able to pass a pt test and being here for a year and not knowing a lick of Arabic, but I think you probably get it now.

Also I was medicaly cleared and went to selection already but did not get selected. I wish I could have came into the Army as an 18X but could not due to coming in initialy with a med wiaver. I have blood in my urine, which turned out to be nothing.

And oh yeah, thanks for letting me join.

SCRWS6 · 10-30-2007, 19:33

Hello Everyone,
Ive been in the Army almost 6 years now as an 11B, reenlisted to go 88M and came down on orders for recruiting. I will be finished with that detail in April and have approval from my 1SG to go to SFAS Jan08. Definitely a great site and you could write a page turning best seller from some of the one-liners I`ve seen so far. Keeping my eye on the 25 meter....

**Team Sergeant** · 10-30-2007, 20:53

Welcome gent's.

SCRWS6; good job, now go and do PT.

(I was ABN INF 3 years before I decided to try fo SF)

HardRoad · 11-01-2007, 09:23

Hello everybody - I plan to mostly be a quiet reader of this site, but thought that I would go ahead and introduce myself, so you would know I was here.

I'm an 18 series in the National Guard, with an Afghanistan deployment and a Iraq deployment behind me, both on an ODA. In my day job, I deal with computers and computer systems.

I'm looking forward to learning more about the site.

v/r

SFAlphageek

The Trainer · 11-01-2007, 12:57

What's up men. Just doing a commo check and looking for a few bro's that I served with back in 5th GRP from 90-99. I salute all the men that are in the current fight, may God keep and watch over you.

seapig173 · 11-01-2007, 20:11

Hey guys,
I retired in 2004 from SWCS,, 2nd BN, was in 7th before that, north of there before that and got my start in 1st grp 3rd bn,,,spent several years after retirement in Iraq, now I am doing instructor work here in the states... thought it was about time I posted,,

Stay Safe
Bob

Guy · 11-01-2007, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trainer

What's up men. Just doing a commo check and looking for a few bro's that I served with back in 5th GRP from 90-99. I salute all the men that are in the current fight, may God keep and watch over you.

I was on 522 in 90...I believe you had SGM Ra..... at the time?

Welcome aboard gents!

Stay safe.

The Trainer · 11-01-2007, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy

I was on 522 in 90...I believe you had SGM Ra..... at the time?

Welcome aboard gents!

Stay safe.

...mbo..........and thanx for the welcome!

Guy · 11-01-2007, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trainer

...mbo..........and thanx for the welcome!

I believe I had Horne at the time...

Stay safe.

**Razor** · 11-01-2007, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfalphageek

Hello everybody...

The same SFAlphaGeek of blogging fame?

SF18C · 11-02-2007, 02:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

The same SFAlphaGeek of blogging fame?

Yeah I used to visit that site...what happened to it?

Welcome aboard SFAlphaGeek and all!

Solo · 11-02-2007, 04:01

Gentlemen I am just introducing myself as per SOP. Solo is the nickname I picked up in my limited 2 1/2 years experience in the infantry. I've been back from a 15 month tour in northern Iraq for a couple of weeks now. I will be attending SFAS this month for the first short class. Luckily I happened on this goldmine of information. Thank you all for the advice I have already gleaned and for what still awaits!

Geenie · 11-02-2007, 13:04

Hello Gentlemen,

I am 19 years old and currently living in Heidelberg, Germany. Trying to choose between enlisting under the 18x program and going to college. I stumbled upon this outstanding resource while researching. Regardless of what comes first, it is my intention to some day serve among your ranks, as a quiet professional.

Thank you for your service.