So You Served!!

[2wheelfamily]

Dec '83 to present...US Army -- it's keeping me young.

[monkeywork]

USAF Helicopter crew chief from 1984 to 1990.

They retired my bird, an F model, flew it to Nevada and parked it. Sad day. Stationed Kirkland, Albuquerque NM. had orders for Panama once but they solved that before I got there. (whew!)

[GeneLS]

USAF - Combat Controller 1965-1971
1967-1971 RVN
RVN - Nehttp://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/images/smilies/usa.gif
ver forgotten that time period..

[flemingps]

Navy, 1972 ÔÇô 1975, electronics technician. First orders after E-School, gunboat in Nam. Changed a couple of weeks prior to deployment & ended up in the Jungles of the Philippines 20 miles from Subic, Mt Santa Rita. I thanked God for that change. Ship to shore & communications from Nam to the States. Last 8 months of duty between San Diego and Long Beach rebuilding the USS John S McCain, DDG 36. Hated it at the time, but in hindsight, it was the best thing that happen to me back then.

[r184]

My Grandfather (a weatherman on a DD) and great Uncle (Combat Engineer) were in the Navy & Army in WW2. My dad (Communications) was in the Army during Korea (but served in Germany, while his brother (infantry) went to Korea) and I (SP) was in the USAF in the late 70's. My son (4th generation to serve) joined the Army (Infantry) and was sworn in yesterday, going to Ft. Benning, GA.

[reuterstl]

United States Air force
Dec 1984 - Aug 2008
KC135 A/R/Q/T Boom Operator

[B1Pilot]

USAF Academy, c/o '97

Been serving since...

a B-1 Instructor Pilot and Weapons Officer, flying for the past 12 years, with combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan, including night one of OIF.

At Army Command and General Staff College now, but moving to Ramstein AB, Germany next! Looking forward to travelling with the bike in europe.

Chris

[AKBEEMER]

Bump

I'm assuming (hoping) that there are new vet members.

Unfortunately, there are many to choose from.

[lilredroadster]

Was in USAF 1963 to 1968,
1st Air Commando wing. Forward Air Controller. (Viet Nam) Liason to 4th Spl Forces 1966 And 1967. Proud Civilian July 1968
Would not trade experience for a million dollars but would not do it again for a million.

[RTFlyer]

USAF 1981-1985. Air Traffic Controller at the Air Force Academy back when there was a lot of flying going on there.

If I remember right, we had about 270,000 take offs and landings annually. It wasnt' unusual to have 200 take-offs and landings in an hour on a nice day! Of course I was only 19 when I got certified there, so I thought every airport was like that!

[Ken F]

Navy 69-72
That's where I fell in love with Jetboats.

[SGTBILL]

JeffMunn/AKBeemer,

Another 8ID vet. 1980-83 Plt Ldr in 3-8 Cav then as an aide in Wiesbaden,
Also in 2AD same time as JeffMunn 3/66 AR. From there I went to ROTC land for three years branch transferred to Transportation then back to Germany. My best assignment was after that in Vicenza, Italy. Excellent riding. Retired early in 96 thamks to the drawdown. Work now as a contractor at Ft Irwin, which aside from deciding what to wear in the morning, is just like the Army.

Hooah

I am also a Pathfinder alumni (1978 - 1982). And I have some familiarity with the Cav Squadron. I met LTC Norman Beatty on a ski trip and stayed in touch with him for a number of years afterward. Last I spoke with him he was retired banker (family business) in Blairstown, NJ. I'll detail my other active duty time in a subsequent post.

[SGTBILL]

It's the birth control glasses. They had that affect on everyone that wore them.

I kept my black BCGs (Birth Control Glasses) and now use them for sun glasses while driving some 30 years after they were issued to me.

[SGTBILL]

My father was an Army recruiter back in 1978. The night before my enlistment I saw "Alice's Restaurant" at the midnight movie in Denver, CO. Spent 4 years in the Signal Corps in Germany (8th ID, 8th Signal Battalion in Bad Kreuznach, GE). I transferred to the Intelligence Corps and went to 1st ID, 3d ID, Drill Sergeant duty, US Army Europe, V Corps, Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) and 1st ID (The Big Red One).

After retiring in July 2001 I took some time off before becoming a defense contractor for several years and now I am Director, Computer Network Defense for my company (large defense contractor).

Someday I hope to have a job as fulfilling as when I was a Sergeant. Might have to wait until I retire.....

[SGTBILL]

Sean Ozzie Simpkins. US Army interrogator (97E30). Ozzie Simpkins was an interrogator instructor when I was assigned to the Intelligence School to train counter-intelligence agents and interrogators. We had motorcycling in common and spent many hours riding in Arizona. Ozzie was somewhat eccentric (not unusual in interrogators) and I have many memories of riding in the desert with him. We rode to Paonia, Death Valley (snow in February 1991) and all over Arizona>

Ozzie took a medical discharge and buy-out from the Army in 1992 and went back to school to study Russian including a coop in Moscow. He eventually brought a bride back from Russia and went ot work for the Post Office in West Virginia. He attended my wedding in 1993 and lived with his wife in Huntingdon, WV. I recently re-connected with Ozzie and he was excited about some recent acquisitions including an R90S and a Dnepr sidecar rig.

Sean Ozzie Simpkins died of a heart attack on or about 24 November 2009. He was a motorcyclist, a scholar, and a good friend.