Military Vets and Current Military Members

[+Dave]

I have developed a special status here at CombatAce as a way of saying thanks for serving no matter what country you served or are currently serving in. If you fall in one of those categories and are interested please send me a PM. Thank you all.

 

[UK_Widowmaker]

I was in the Air Training Corps for two weeks...does that count?

[sandbagger]

Makes my 27 years in the RAF look a bit lame

[UK_Widowmaker]

Makes my 27 years in the RAF look a bit lame

 

haha...Well, I have one thing to thank them for...They showed me that I have a healthy disrespect for Authority

[carrick58]

UK , maybe smarter then me, It took the U.S. Army a few years to teach me to have a healthy Disrespect for

AUTHORITY with peacetime service. The other 2 years Combat time consisted of 18-20 year olds along with a few Adults playing Army Overseas.

[JimAttrill]

RAF engine fitter 1966-73 and then SAAF (Saudi Arabian Air Force) as a civilian until 1975. It seems that the RAF doesn't have any enrolled technicians anymore, it's all been outsourced to Securicor or maybe Tescos.

[+Olham]

Don't know if the compulsary military service counts here; I have been in the army

for only one year. After the general basic training, I was sent to the artillery.

We had the American howitzers, I think they were called M 110.

First they put me into an office job, which I hated so much, that I wanted to change.

My test results were good, so they asked me what I would like to do (big honour!).

We had Unimog vans with radio-teletypers, to receive the target orders with all the

data like wind direction and force, target distance and location etc. So I chose that,

and it was a great job. We even used encrypter/decrypter machines we would

laugh about today - they were as big as a PC.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2010 by Olham

[NS13Jarhead]

27 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Been to 30 different countries and only shot at in four of them (five if you count Washington DC). Started as a Private, made it to Sergeant before accepting a commission and going from Second Lieutenant through Lieutenant Colonel. Only been retired for two and a half years. I still miss it sometimes - but it is nice having some stability in my homelife.

Edited April 12, 2010 by NS13Jarhead

[Herr Prop-Wasche]

Whoa! Lot's of nice hardware, Colonel. Thanks for your service.

[Duce Lewis]

Whoa! Lot's of nice hardware, Colonel. Thanks for your service.

Ditto on that NS13

Those who have served should get special mention

If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to get shot at in DC?

[+Dave]

Send me some PM's guys and I will get you squared away.

[+Olham]

Wow, Jarhead - after seeing your "collection", I withdraw - my above was only killing time.

 

(I seriously mean that, usafmtl - mine was not what I would regard as really serving).

Edited April 12, 2010 by Olham

[NS13Jarhead]

Herr Prop,

You're welcome. Looking back, I wouldn't have done it any different. I was a somewhat screwed up kid and the USMC set me straight.

 

Duce,

You should have seen southeast DC in the late 80s to mid 90s. It was almost as bad as Mogidishu. Unfortunately, if you want to see the Silent Drill Team, you've got to go to that part of town.

 

Olham,

Honestly, I was just doing my job and going where Headquarters told me to go. The bottom two rows are just "I was there" stuff. Unfortunately, in my line of work (logistics), the Marine Corps has a tendency to send us to all the fun places.

[+Olham]

Jarhead: Unfortunately, in my line of work (logistics), the Marine Corps has a tendency to send us to all the fun places.

 

I thought that was the general tendency for the Marine Corps.

[UK_Widowmaker]

Respect Jarhead!... you're Country, and indeed the Free World owe you and Your's a debt of Gratitude!

[Stingray72]

Hi. Thank you for recognizing us and our service. We seem to get respect in small towns and on the internet on sites like this one lol. It's a really funny one for me as I am in the Coast Guard, we get even less respect than the rest.

 

I have been for 13 years, been on 6 ships, including one tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on the mighty warship Wrangell, for a total of 10 years sea time, and am now at Station Cape Disappointment as a Surfman on the 47' Motor Lifeboat (MLB). I have never been shot at, but we did have a Mexican Stand Off with an Iranian gunboat one morning while I ws overseas. Very tense for a few minutes lol.

 

Here is a video link to what I am doing now. Thank you again for recognizing us!

 

~Stingray

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs4WqaZA3qE

[+RAF_Louvert]

.

 

Holy Shnikee NS13Jarhead, you have been around, and have the chestful of bling to prove it. Well done Sir. Also major kudos to sandbagger, Stingray72, and JimAttrill on all of your long years of active service, gentlemen.

 

usafmtl, many thanks Sir for initiating this recogintion program, and for your years of service too.

 

I salute all veterans past and present, who have done their duty and served their countries with pride.

 

 

Four years active USAF myself, and two years reserves. Was a Morse Intercept Operator back in the mid-to-late 1970's, (a "ditty-bopper" to those in the know). Served in the now long gone Security Service and answered directly to the NSA and CIA, among other infamous acronyms. Was stationed in Europe in both ground-based and airborne operations, and it was honestly one of the best times of my life, (and I've had a lot of really great times in my life to this point, I might add).

 

Here is a blast from the past; yours truly in the summer of '75.

 

 

FREEDOM THROUGH VIGILANCE!

 

.

[Ras]

Great information eveyone. Being more familiar with the USAF, USN and not so much with the other branches, I sure enjoyed that video, Stingray. Often have admired the work that I have seen and heard about the Coast Guard when at Port Aransas, TX and other nearby areas along that coast. Their presence was certainly seen and felt especially during the buildup toward Iraq not too many years back.

 

Like Lou and others have said, those years were some of the best of our lives. At the time I served (1967-1971 as USAF Security Policeman) , all I could think about was when I was getting discharged. Within a few years of my discharge, all I could think about was the great times and comrades I had known and some of who I had lost in Vietnam. To all those who served. THANK YOU

[UK_Widowmaker]

Everyone always remembers the Military...and rewards them with gongs etc...which of course is great.

 

It's just a shame, that people who do dangerous Jobs in Civilian life, never get the same acknowledgement.

 

You don't have to don a uniform, to serve your country...or indeed your fellow man.

 

I say we should congratulate all the unsung heroes in our society too....such as the Police Force...the Paramedics, and the Fire Officers.

 

And all the great minds...whose jobs are not so dangerous...but every bit as important.

 

The Surgeons, The Scientists etc.......we rarely see them getting praised on forums.

 

There is more to being a hero...than picking up a gun...and we should never forget that

(sorry if that is a bit off topic...and it's not a dig at the Military....just worth bearing in mind)

Edited April 13, 2010 by UK_Widowmaker

[Burning Beard]

Did almost the same thing Louvert, but I was Army, 1969 thru 1979, but instead of being a Diddy Bopper I was an Analyst. I worked with your guys at NSA and on Okinawa, never ran into them in Viet Nam.

 

Beard

[NS13Jarhead]

Everyone always remembers the Military...and rewards them with gongs etc...which of course is great.

 

It's just a shame, that people who do dangerous Jobs in Civilian life, never get the same acknowledgement.

 

You don't have to don a uniform, to serve your country...or indeed your fellow man.

 

I say we should congratulate all the unsung heroes in our society too....such as the Police Force...the Paramedics, and the Fire Officers.

 

And all the great minds...whose jobs are not so dangerous...but every bit as important.

 

The Surgeons, The Scientists etc.......we rarely see them getting praised on forums.

 

There is more to being a hero...than picking up a gun...and we should never forget that

(sorry if that is a bit off topic...and it's not a dig at the Military....just worth bearing in mind)

Widowmaker,

 

I agree with you 100%. Those folks in the civilian professions you mentioned, police, paramedics, and firemen share a special bond with us who served in the military. We all have been willing to put our lives on the line to protect/save people we don't even know. That, I believe, is one definition of patriotism - putting the well-being of other citizens above your own.

 

As for the scientists - for every Neil Armstrong, there are a thousand or more unnamed geniuses (with slide rules, back in the day) who made his accomplishment possible.

I say we owe a big round of applause to everyone who does their job, does it well, day in and day out, often times without reward or recognition, and gets up day after day to do it again to the best of their ability.

[+Dave]

 

 

usafmtl, many thanks Sir for initiating this recogintion program, and for your years of service too.

 

 

No problem sir. 19 years and counting for me.

[+Dave]

Everyone always remembers the Military...and rewards them with gongs etc...which of course is great.

 

It's just a shame, that people who do dangerous Jobs in Civilian life, never get the same acknowledgement.

 

You don't have to don a uniform, to serve your country...or indeed your fellow man.

 

I say we should congratulate all the unsung heroes in our society too....such as the Police Force...the Paramedics, and the Fire Officers.

 

And all the great minds...whose jobs are not so dangerous...but every bit as important.

 

The Surgeons, The Scientists etc.......we rarely see them getting praised on forums.

 

There is more to being a hero...than picking up a gun...and we should never forget that

(sorry if that is a bit off topic...and it's not a dig at the Military....just worth bearing in mind)

 

Was thinking about your post and the proper response and here is what I came up with. While I agree with what you are saying, it bears little relevance to my project here because we all engage in a flying a combat flight sim that involves military aviation. Thus the reason for my project. Had this been a site dedicated to an EMT or Fire etc, then I would of recognized them in the same way. Again though, what you say is correct.

[Cameljockey]

Here ya go.

 

[Barkhorn1x]

I salute everyones service here.