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Other than your ETS date (Expiration Term of Service), what was your favorite. post/base, duties or assignments?

For the unlucky men that were drafted (my number was 43), you may not have one. But, I’m sure you did take away the knowledge, discipline and camaraderie others will never experience.

Korea. Had a great time there in the early eighties.

redlin67 wrote:Korea. Had a great time there in the early eighties.

I was at Camp Stanley near Uijeongbu 2nd Infantry Division 1973. I bet I know what you mean by a "great time".

Valk wrote:Other than your ETS date (Expiration Term of Service), what was your favorite. post/base, duties or assignments?

I’m sure you did take away the knowledge, discipline and camaraderie others will never experience.

Khe Sahn 1968

1973: CTF-77/Commander Carrier Group Five Staff, Leading Radioman. Stationed at Subic Bay Philippines.

Although stationed ashore in Subic Bay (which was a fun place) we routinely rode the Carriers that came into our Operating Area (Vietnam): USS Oriskany, USS Ranger and USS Constellation.

It was a great experience working on the Admiral's Staff, I learned a lot and had fun doing it.

My best duty station in the mid ‘70s was at NATO/SHAPE, Belgium (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe). Al “I’m in control here” Haig, was the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He traveled in a Mercedes Limo. I rode the bus. He lived in a château. I lived in an apartment 3 blocks away.

It was definitely a unique experience rubbing shoulders with forces from the various countries, not to mention the cultures. (I think it may have been 15-17 NATO countries). You didn’t really know who to salute. The Brits were undoubtedly the kings of drinking beer followed by the Germans. The Turks were scary.

Berlin, 77-80

Valk wrote:

redlin67 wrote:Korea. Had a great time there in the early eighties.

I was at Camp Stanley near Uijeongbu 2nd Infantry Division 1973. I bet I know what you mean by a "great time".

Camp Hovey (7th ID) 1963-64 near Tongduchon - Grunt
Camp Kaiser (7th ID) 1964-65 near Unchon - Mechanized Grunt

Commander Cody wrote: Khe Sahn 1968

Many missions (helicopter gunship) in and around Khe San 1969-70 (101st Abn). Only bad guys lived around there by then. Congrats on surviving that mess

Best duty assignment was Ft. Ord, CA 1975-78 (Monterey, Pebble Beach, etc.) 2/10 Cavalry, AH-1 unit Standardization Instructor Pilot. Would be heaven on earth for me now, if it wasn't in Kalifornia, and I was filthy rich

Took Basic Training at Ft Ord, CA in '71. Got to see Canned Heat for free!

USMC Recruiting Duty from 1984 to 1987 in Aurora, CO (what I consider my Hometown as a Military-brat).

My second boat, the USS Hartford (SSN-768), earns the title for me. As part of the initial manning crew I took her through a bunch of "once in a lifetime" events.

I launched her into the Thames river, was a watchstander for the first time we took the reactor critical, and got to be the throttleman for the emergency crash back test during initial sea trials. (Imagine driving a corvette on the highway and throwing it into reverse... it's kinda like that)

SoCal, San Diego. F-14 squadron

Some didn't enjoy it so much, but I really liked the carrier. I didn't have a wife or girlfriend, so I didn't miss much while out. And I lived on base in the barracks, so I also didn't have any other bills to worry about that weren't automatically being deducted from my pay. The only thing I had to focus on was my job and I liked that. Being an AT in a fighter squadron I worked the flight deck and loved it.

Andros Island Bahamas... For about 14 hours...

We pulled in to pick up some contractors for DASO (launching a ICBM with inert telemetry warheads) and myself and a few others got "put on the beach" ... BEST 14 hours of my 9+ years. Ha ha

US Navy, AIMD Rota Spain, 70, 71, 72. I was an E5 and I couldn't spend all my money between pay days. I lived in an apartment off base and we had a maid to clean up and do the laundry. Wine, from the bodega, down the street was 7 CENTS a liter. We had a jug in a wicker basket that we let float in the swimming pool with us. We shared a pool with 7 other apartments. Fine dinning was only a couple of bucks a meal. Oh, and sangria by the pitcher. Barber shaves with a straight razor after the hot towel. Tailor made slacks, sport coats and suits. We weren't allowed to wear our uniforms off base.
That experience taught me how the 1% live. I have never been able reach that standard of living again.

I would make the sacrifice all over again, if I had to............, OE

For training.....

Ft. Benning.

Schools, ranges out the yazoo, numerous drop zones, plenty of fixed and rotary wing aircraft support, lots of land, decent range fans in maneuver areas, and you could do pretty much what you wanted to do, with pretty much what you wanted to do it with. All in all, the best post for training I have ever been on. But that was when it was the "home of the Infantry", and a lot of it has to do with the unit you're in.

For a social life....

Vicenza, Italy.

Did a 3 year stint there later in my career, and while it's a bit....challenging, at times, adjusting to a foreign land, I look back at my time there with fondness. Lovely, LOVELY, ladies in that land.

/waves to Elena, and....Elena, and Elena. (They were big on that name when I was there.)