Thanks for your support

[Bang876]

Service: Regular Army
Military Occupation Specialty: 12N Horizontal Construction Engineers( I operate all heavy construction equipment and build FOB, KOB, Airfield, most military construction.
Duty Station: Fort Lewis(JBLM)
Time in Service: 1.2 years
Rank: Specialist/E4

Currently I am deployed in Afganistan performing RCP( Route Clearance Patrol). I basically drive around in up armored vehicle call MRAP( Mine Resistance Ambush Protected) on routes that coalition forces use. My job is to ensure those routes are clear of IEDs such as pressure plates, DFC( Directional Fragmentation Charges), modify artillery rounds, basically any form of explosive design to hinder or kill US and coalition forces I destroy. Its super boring average speed is 15mph and 5mph on dirt roads. So only time its fun its when we find something and blow it with c4.

Here is my baby. She has endure 4 IED hits and have saved my life and that of my crew.

 

[Vermont]

Nice man. I used to hate getting stuck behind route Clearance on patrols due to how slow they went. But on the flip side it was nice because it meant we got blown up less. My last tour, on my platoons first mission out we left kinda early in the morning and I shit you not, still with in sight of the airport right out side the IA check point, as we're coming onto the main high way out side the airport on the clover leaf, BOOM! my truck got hit with an EFP in the back driver side. damn lucky though we had a cooler as it stopped the round, I shit you not. Then fucking half an hour later as we are securing the far side of the blast, fucking Route clearance decides to mosey on out for their patrol.... :x

On the flip side us grunts still love you route clearance fucks. After all that job just sucks dude and I sure as hell don't wanna do it...

Stay safe bro, and keep your head on a swivel.

 

[Bang876]

Thanks guys and wow I didn't know there was so many military guys on this site. It gets boring but every time we find something we know we just saved lives. We should be heading back to the states in July and it seems the unit replacing us and maintained a good track record since they are all Sapper and Airborne company. Thanks for sharing your stories guys.

 

[STi FR3AK]

74d Chemical douche here
9yrs in Aug
e5p just need ALC and I'll make cutoff!!!
Deployed twice with 1st Cav to Iraq. 07 and 09.
Now in Germany.
Original owner of my 06 since March 2006.
I like walks on the beach, the German beer and 36DDD's.

 

[STimedic]

68W3PY88R and hoping for either a F or W1 identifier in the near future (I don't have near enough identifiers).

Hit 10yrs back on the 23rd, Was with 1CAV from 02-05, stationed in Germany from 05-08 then got stupid and went Airborne and been stuck in the 82nd ever since.

I miss German beer, the Nurburgring and trips down the B-class German backroads.....and hope to get back to them whatever the cost.

I'm the second (or third...) owner of a first-boat 2002 WRX with a 2005 STi swap that I currently miss driving the piss out of.



Bang, I just had 3 RCP guys in my aid station yesterday that are rather lucky to still be alive.

 

[orestes85]

37F2P - Psychological Operations Specialist
Been stationed on the cool guy side of Bragg for the past 3 1/2 years and probably til I ETS or retire.
3 years 9 months in so far.
E4/SPC (yes, my Duty MOS is level 2...don't ask me why.)

Gearing up to head back out to the Pacific for another extended vacation. Spent nine months in the Philippines for OEF-P and used the awesome free money from the DOD to get my OBP 2011 Sedan and promptly blew it up last January.

 

[STimedic]

Chris, I need to get over into PsyOps as a medic....I hate you.

 

[Z1107]

Got an email last night and a call this morning from a national guard recruiter wanting me to reenlist into ANG and they don't care about my ankle injury that killed my first enlistment. Catch is that I can't go back EOD I would have to be a cryptological linguist because of my test scores and it's what they need. What's y'alls opinion as I know very little about that MOS?

Plus it's an full contract AGR position.

 

[orestes85]

Chris, I need to get over into PsyOps as a medic....I hate you.

If you don't want to deploy then it would be a sweet gig but we don't have too many medics. I think have like 4 Junior Enlisted and 2 or 3 NCOs at the MISOC medic station. Now, if you were to reclass civil affairs that would be another story. Being a medic...they'd eat that shit up, and you'd still get deployments.

 

[orestes85]

I knew a crypto a few years ago. He had recently got out though. He was a Korean crypto linguist. He said the main problem he saw with the MOS was that all the stellar performers got out and all the shit bags had a tendency to stay in - so most of his leadership was hard to work with and more or less just a PITA. IDK if that's how it is MOS wide though. He worked up on the DMZ in Korea for 2 years translating radio transmissions.

Heres the plus side - you'll have the opportunity to develop fluency in a foreign language. IDK if they'll let you choose (I did, but I'm not a 35P) then you can pick one that will be a money maker if you ever get out again. Chinese and Korean come to mind for that - lots of opportunities at a korean based company if you are fluent (Hyundai - Kia, Samsung, LG). That's why, from what I was told, a lot of guys get out after 4 years of being a crypto. They've got a TS clearance and are fluent in a very difficult language that many Americans don't speak.

 

[Z1107]

Its a great gig, but I'm hesitant because I don't want to get locked into an MOS killing a chair with my ass. I told the guy if I was to do intel I was more interested in HUMINT, but no luck.

 

[STimedic]

Dude, AGR is still AGR. Cryptolinguist is still a BA job.

 

[Busker]

11B3PGB4, currently stationed at Fort Carson. Ive done 2 tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Ive been in for almost 6 years and will soon be leaving to go to Drill Sergeant School, then Ill be headed to Fort Sill to out run tornadoes with me Subie... I am not looking forward to moving to OK. Ive deployed with 1st CAV, 4ID and been attached to 3/175. Ill be a career guy even tho I often question it with the current trend the Army is taking.

 

[Busker]

You're right the money isnt worth it. However I for the most part enjoy my job, so it makes its a little easier to deal with the bullshit all the time. My last unit was flippin awesome, the one I am in now, is garbage. 13 NCO's/LT's have been releived since the change of command in our our company. These guys are witch hunters, joes are unmotivated, and it seems like all the other joes besides my sqd and my buddies squad dont remember what it is to stand at parade rest for someone who out ranks you.

 

[STimedic]

11B3PGB4, currently stationed at Fort Carson. Ive done 2 tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Ive been in for almost 6 years and will soon be leaving to go to Drill Sergeant School, then Ill be headed to Fort Sill to out run tornadoes with me Subie... I am not looking forward to moving to OK. Ive deployed with 1st CAV, 4ID and been attached to 3/175. Ill be a career guy even tho I often question it with the current trend the Army is taking.

Not too far behind on the Army decision-making part....wondering why I keep subjecting myself to it. But if I get back to Germany again, it'll be more'n worth it! And I'm a fellow First Teamer too! 02-05....

 

[Busker]

First Off STiMedic "Live the Legend" What Brigade were you in, I was in 3rd Bde 3-8 CAV. Fuji, good luck with the MEB process, every dude Ive known to ge through it, has had a helluva time. Eventually they get out but it just takes forever. Do they currently have you in a WTU or a regular line company. Fort Carson has an amazing WTU, they actually take care of the soldiers and try to get them out as soon as possible.

 

[orestes85]

it seems like all the other joes besides my sqd and my buddies squad dont remember what it is to stand at parade rest for someone who out ranks you.

Heh. You'd last about an hour in my unit. I haven't been to parade rest for someone during regular conversation in a while. In trouble --> locked up. Otherwise it's kind of unnecessary for the work environment. It's not a respect thing, either. A lot of people from the 82nd or 20th Eng. think we're just undisciplined/disrespectful. It's mostly just because it's unnecessary when it comes to getting your job done.

 

[Busker]

Thats the issue with todays Army, and I myself was guilty of it as a joe. Soldiers just get to comfortable around superiors. Now I understand joking and normal conversation but when its not normal conversation they should be doing it out of respect. As a leader, you can tell whether or not your soldiers truly respect you. I never have to tell my guys they do it automatically. Its not something I am a dick about it either, however my team leaders are very disciplined and try to instill that in our soldiers. Its just getting the Army back to where it used to be, as you know the Army is currently undergoing a drastic remodeling. Soldiers that cannot make the cut are leaving, and that includes NCO's and officers of all ranks. Soon the Army will be as strong as it was before the invasion. There will be no more PT/ Height and weight failures. Dudes that want to be there will be and those that dont wont. Our company alone has already chaptered 3 Positive UA's, and 6 overweight/ PT failures. BTW, everyone one of those soldiers were put through the rehabilitative phases and the ones that wanted to truly be there straightened themselves out and those that didnt received their walking papers.

 

[STimedic]

First Off STiMedic "Live the Legend" What Brigade were you in, I was in 3rd Bde 3-8 CAV. Fuji, good luck with the MEB process, every dude Ive known to ge through it, has had a helluva time. Eventually they get out but it just takes forever. Do they currently have you in a WTU or a regular line company. Fort Carson has an amazing WTU, they actually take care of the soldiers and try to get them out as soon as possible.

2nd BDE 'Blackjack', 1-5 CAV 'Black Knights'.

Thats the issue with todays Army, and I myself was guilty of it as a joe. Soldiers just get to comfortable around superiors. Now I understand joking and normal conversation but when its not normal conversation they should be doing it out of respect. As a leader, you can tell whether or not your soldiers truly respect you. I never have to tell my guys they do it automatically. Its not something I am a dick about it either, however my team leaders are very disciplined and try to instill that in our soldiers. Its just getting the Army back to where it used to be, as you know the Army is currently undergoing a drastic remodeling. Soldiers that cannot make the cut are leaving, and that includes NCO's and officers of all ranks. Soon the Army will be as strong as it was before the invasion. There will be no more PT/ Height and weight failures. Dudes that want to be there will be and those that dont wont. Our company alone has already chaptered 3 Positive UA's, and 6 overweight/ PT failures. BTW, everyone one of those soldiers were put through the rehabilitative phases and the ones that wanted to truly be there straightened themselves out and those that didnt received their walking papers.

My leaders are still in the 'everyone needs to reenlist' phase.......not realizing that if a guy has a plan on getting out, a set plan for college, job, etc, thank them for their service and let them GTFO and get on with their lives, not harass and chastise them.....cuz that'll make them want to stay in. I've also had key senior leaders threaten to send guys off to Korea because they won't volunteer for Airborne school after being thrown into the 82nd. At the end of the day, we are still NCO's and they are still Soldiers, irregardless of whether or not they're paratroopers. And last I checked, it's still an NCO's JOB to take care of Soldiers.

 

[Busker]

Hopefully eventually all senior leaders will catch on to whats goin on. Its sad to say but most of these individuals that have been in for 20+ years need to get out. Let fresh blood get in there and start creating change.

1st Cav was notorious for chastising and again it was senior leaders, they dont realize that there is more out there then just the Army. If these kids have the potential to do great things on the outside, let them go. Let them do what they want and like u said, say thanks and let them go. Eventually things are going to even out ya know. Hopefully anyways.