When did you serve??

My family has always been Army, never one Marine or Sailor unless it was someone that married in.

4th Great Grandfather’s on my father’s side served in the Civil War, one for the Union and one for the Confederate side.

3rd great Uncle served in WWI, both of my Grandfathers served in WWII. One was shot in North Africa, the other was shot in Sicily. Both survived but were raging alcoholics.

One Great Uncle served in the Korean War. Two Uncles were drafted for Vietnam, one quickly married and was sent to Germany instead.

Myself and three of my cousins joined, I served in Just Cause (Panama) and Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The youngest of us just retired with a tour in Bosnia, two tours in Iraq, two tours in Afghanistan.

No one in my sons generation has served. My Grandmother says we are a really patriotic family but I just think we were probably poor enough that we didn’t have much choice.
 
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Both my Grandfather's served in WW2, one in the army in motor T and the other in the navy on a ship as a mortar shell loader. I have 4 cousins who served in the Gulf. 3 in the. USMC , 1 in the navy as a cook.
 
Army Reserve 1983-1986 12B A Co. 464 Eng Bn. (Binghamton, NY)

Regular Army 1986-1988 95B 230th MP Co, Kaiserslautern

Brother's were Army, Nephew is Army E-8 just got accepted for WO.

Dad and his dad were Army - WW II vets. I had ancestors stationed at what is now West Point during the Revolutionary War
 
Army
85-88
76C, entire time at Ft Bliss with 181st Ord Det 3D ACR
The unit serviced all of the TOW/TOW2/Dragon systems for the Regiment.
Had a short stint with the NM and TX NG units locally, but being the outsider I didn't stay long.
 
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ETA-
I was the first ever in my family to join the military. My little brother joined ARNG a couple of years later, then one of my nieces joined the USMC. She was over in Afghanistan, on one of female teams that would visit with the local women and play the PR game (?). I think I posted her picture a while back, maybe over at the Canadian bacon place.
 
1075tech said:
Army Reserve 1983-1986 12B A Co. 464 Eng Bn. (Binghamton, NY)

Regular Army 1986-1988 95B 230th MP Co, Kaiserslautern

Brother's were Army, Nephew is Army E-8 just got accepted for WO.

Dad and his dad were Army - WW II vets. I had ancestors stationed at what is now West Point during the Revolutionary War
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Binghamton isn't too far from where I lived as a kid. I was born in Oneida and moved to NC when I was 12. I still have a brother that lives up there in Verona.
 
QCumber said:
Binghamton isn't too far from where I lived as a kid. I was born in Oneida and moved to NC when I was 12. I still have a brother that lives up there in Verona.
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The Reserve center was actually in Hillcrest, a small hamlet outside of Binghamton. I don't even know if it's still there. We used to do our weekends sometimes up in Skaneateles and our 2 weeks at Ft Drum.

I lived in W. Colesville (good luck finding that on a map) until I moved to the Hudson Valley in my mid 20s.

Moved here in January. Should have done it 30 years ago
 
Chuckman said:
I always thought that would be a cool job.



What did/do you do?



Bubbleheads. Smartest bunch of people I have met aside from crypto geeks....



Very impressive variety. I know exactly where Radio Batt is at Lejeune. Comm Co 4th FSSG....Greensboro unit?



Speaking of crypto geeks, CoSIGINT were some of the most locked-down, guarded group I had seen. Secret squirrel stuff.



STA, showing your age. They haven't been called that in years.
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Yes,Comm Co in Greensboro.
 
We've mentioned family service. Here is a cut/paste from a doc I have been working on doing genealogy research. These are the ones I can 'prove' through relationship/family trees.

Mom’s side:

Benjamin Bass (USA, WW1, not deployed)

Albert Gray Bass (Civil War, NC)

Ivan Bass (RADM, USN, WW2)

Farooq Khan (USAR, 2011-)

Danny Johnson (USN 1969-1971, USANG, 1986-1991)

Milton Woodard (USN, 1950s)

Neil Johnson (USA, WW2)

Hubert Bass (USN, date)

Dale Bass (USAF, E7/Msgt, 1983-2013)

Jonas Jones (Civil War, CSA, NC)

Sampson Pierce/Pearce (Civil War, CSA, NC)

William Hatcher (Rev War)

Thomas Ligon/Lygon (French & Indian War, Col., Va militia)

Elisha J Bass (USA, WW2, Korea)

Gilbert Bass (USMC, MGYSGT, WW2, Korea, VN)

Sampson H Bass, Jr (USA, MajGen 1929-2021)

Lewis B “Chesty” Puller (USMC, WWI, banana wars, WW2, Korea)

William Halsey (ADM, USN)

David Farragut (ADM, USN)





Dad’s side:

Charles Mandelin, Sr (USA, 1930s?)

Charles Mandelin, Jr (USMC, 1955-75)

Charles Mandelin, III (USN, 1994-2011)*

Uriah Neil (Civil War, CSA for Missouri, Preston’s Battalion Cavalry)

David Schofield (Rev War, 2nd Regt, NY)

John Dorn (Rev War)

Michael Schofield (Rev War, Capt., VA militia)

Bob Turk (USA 1964-1967, USANG, 1971-1998)

Samuel Sischo (Rev War, 11/3/1778)

Theodore Brown (Rev War)

Eleazer Sischo (War of 1812), broà Sam. Sischo

Benjamin Collins (Rev War), -->son of B Collins, War of 1812

Nathaniel Dearborne (Rev War, 4/20/1777, NH, Stickney’s Regt)

Samuel Tuttle (Rev War, CT)





*Me
 
USAF 1977 - 1996
305X4 ELECTRONIC COMPUTER SYSTEMS REPAIR
Tech school at Keesler Afb ms 1977
Fps-85 phased array radar, Eglin Afb 1978 - 1982
Instructor for 305x4E at Keesler Afb 1982 - 1986
TARE Maintenance Tech (NATO Autodin) Naples, Italy 1986 - 1989
Secure Voice systems NCOIC 7th Comm Group, NMCC, Pentagon 1989 - 1992. Worked there during 1st Gulf war; that was different.
1992 retrained into 8F000 First Sergeant career field; 1992 - 1996 back to Eglin Afb.

Family has served starting with Lt. Foote, commanded a sloop in the Continental Navy.
Family on both sides at Ft. Macon during the Civil war; uncle USCG served in the pacific. Wife's grandfather USAAF engine mechanic. Both our fathers USAF; mine career. Her brother career navy. My brother and nephew each a tour in USCG. Son USAF also computers but also RPVs. His wife USAF ammo troop. (IYAAYAS).
Son-in-law Army 4 tours in Iraq 7 campaign stars.

I'd say we're doing our bit.
 
Chuckman said:
My last command as a corpsman was with 4th FSSG in Raleigh (SupCo -); living in Durham it was an easy drive, but I almost went to that unit in GSO.
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I am in the Marine Corps League with a gentleman who was a Corpsman in Greensboro. He was also with Second Recon at Lejeune. He is Doc Sapp
 
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Chuckman said:
After GWOT kicked off the reserve SeaBee units were busy AF, they were always deploying. The corpsmen with them had a great job. I was jealy.
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A unique thing about reserve Seabees is that - for the most part - the rates have direct equivalent in the civilian world. Running an excavator or swinging a hammer doesn’t matter if you’re in uniform or not. So, the reserve battalions can step right into a mission and knock it out, often much faster and better than the active duty guys.

It’s kinda hard to be a civilian mortarman or infantry troop, so NG and combat arms reserves need a training/ ramp up time for the most part.
 
ARM said:
Army Reserves 2008-2022 as a 37F

2008-2009: Basic and AIT

2009 - 2014: Assistant Team Leader on a TPT

2014-2016: IRR

2016-2022: Team Leader on a TPT


OEF 2011-2012 attached to 4/25 mostly and 101st
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Speaker monkey! Old Army buddy's son is a Reserve PSYOPer.
 
Tim said:
A unique thing about reserve Seabees is that - for the most part - the rates have direct equivalent in the civilian world. Running an excavator or swinging a hammer doesn’t matter if you’re in uniform or not. So, the reserve battalions can step right into a mission and knock it out, often much faster and better than the active duty guys.

It’s kinda hard to be a civilian mortarman or infantry troop, so NG and combat arms reserves need a training/ ramp up time for the most part.
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If you were reserve did you go in via the APG program, and did you have to go to A school?

My cousin was a SeaBee for one enlistment, then joined the NC NG (combat engineer). My uncle retired from the Navy EOCS, all of his 26 years with the SeaBees.
 
Active duty army 1977 to 1982 5 years Germany, APG, Ft Carson; after that 1982 to 1997 Army Reserve, ARNG, IRR, IMA USAJ Camp Zama. Ordnance and Signal officer.

Family service goes back to the Civil War, my great uncle was at Gettysburg where his regiment was overrun and he was a guest of the south at Petersburg for 10 months. My Grandfather, another great uncle, and uncle were in WW1. Father was in the USAAF in WW2. Brother was in the AF during Vietnam. Son and daughter in the CAARNG and CAANG right after 9/11. Son went to Iraq as an 11B IN 2007 and is 100% plus disabled from his service.
 
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Chuckman said:
If you were reserve did you go in via the APG program, and did you have to go to A school?

My cousin was a SeaBee for one enlistment, then joined the NC NG (combat engineer). My uncle retired from the Navy EOCS, all of his 26 years with the SeaBees.
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I did A school at Gulfport right after basic. Not sure what “APG” translates to 30 years after the fact, but I was advanced to E3 after Basic because of college credits and E4 for finishing 1st in class in A school. So, E4 after ~7 months.
 
Tim said:
I did A school at Gulfport right after basic. Not sure what “APG” translates to 30 years after the fact, but I was advanced to E3 after Basic because of college credits and E4 for finishing 1st in class in A school. So, E4 after ~7 months.
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APG (Advanced Pay Grade) is a program the Navy Reserve runs (or did, I understand they did away with it a few years ago) with certain rates coming in at E4 or E5 because of desirable civilian skills. HM had it, MAA had it, and a bunch of the SeaBee rates had it.
 
Chuckman said:
APG (Advanced Pay Grade) is a program the Navy Reserve runs (or did, I understand they did away with it a few years ago) with certain rates coming in at E4 or E5 because of desirable civilian skills. HM had it, MAA had it, and a bunch of the SeaBee rates had it.
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Those in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program pipeline are E-3 out of boot camp and E-4 on completion of A-School. That means their time in rate for the E-5 advancement exam starts then. Once they meet the 12 month time in rate requirement, they're eligible for the E-5 exam. If they pass the exam the first time up with a score high enough, they can be advanced to E-5.

I enlisted in December of 1985. I was advanced to E-5 before my 2 year point.

From there, the time in rate is 36 months. I was wearing my E-6 crows by my 5 year point, having passed the E-6 exam which a high enough score the first time around.

The Nuclear Propulsion pipeline also has other advancement opportunities as well. The STAR reenlistment program is one. (Selective Training and Reenlistment Program). This offers advancement to E-4 after completion of the appropriate school, a guaranteed assignment to either an A school or C school, and a Selective Reenlistment Bonus.
 
Navy 1994-1998
USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71
E-4/ABH3, worked in Primary Flight Control through 2 Med/Persian Gulf deployments in 95 & 96-97
Dad was AF, brother was AF, cousin was AF, another cousin went Army.
I was the only squid. Still keep up with a lot of the guys I was in with. We had a reunion last month back in Newport News with about 15 of the guys and their spouses. Good times!
 
Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman, 2003-present, will be at least till 2025 at this point and I will be in San Antonio next…..they’ll either be PCS orders or retirement orders but I WILL be going there next.

2003-2004: Great Lakes

2004-2015: Camp Lejeune (various units in 2nd MARDIV and an staff support tour at the Navy Riverine Schoolhouse)

2015-2019: FT Sam Houston ( staff Navy Wounded Ill and Injured detachment)

2019-2019 Ft Detrick (Navy Medical Logistics command. Made Chief (E7) at this command and had to get moved)

2019-2022 Walter Reed Bethesda

2022-present MCAS Yuma (1st Dental Battalion Senior Enlisted Leader)

Bagram/Kabul Afghanistan 2004 with 2d BN 6th Marines

Fallujah Iraq 2005-2006 2d BN 6th Marines

Ramadi Iraq 2007-2008 1st BN 10th Marines

Camp Leatherneck Afghanistan 2013 2d BN 8th Marines
 
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