Attn: Veterans

[SFC Ollie]

US Army

1st Squadron, 2nd ACR, '86-'89

I did a tour with the 2-2nd ACR, for 60 days....we were a Bradley unit from the 3rd ID, we had a kick as time actually, GAK's.... I am straining to think of the friggin camp we used, it was close to an east bloc burg called Blankenberg? burg whatever...I think thats it...sorry, 2 months of 12 years, my memories half fried on those details...I do remember watching from a height into the town and asking why everyone lined up at a storefront hut type structure every Wednesday? ....it was meat ration day.....unreal.

I had, till a few years ago a metal plaque demarcating the east west border ( which actually was over the border) we used an axe to get it off the poles...

Might the camp have been called either "Hof" or "Gates"?

Either way, you're fortunate you didn't get get slammed for being a FragRep for taking that plaque. I knew a real nice guy (but also a real moron) who had his picture taken hugging one of those East German ceremonial border stones. Big no-no. Thing is, he could have gotten away with it easily, but he left it in his wall locker instead of immediately sending it home. One health and welfare inspection later...

I was restricted from the 1K zone because of my Clearance. We were only permitted in the 1 K zone if we were on an official tour and we had to be in Class A's. Funny story about the one time we did go, but way to long to type in here....

 

[bodecea]

So the government knows to keep "you people" out of sight.

whodathunkit

The Government can do something right.

Well Vandenberg is part of Air Force Space Command so thats probably why, that base sucked balls though. I spent 4 years at Offutt AFB in Nebraska and I loved it, as soon as you leave the base your right in town and have access to everything.

When I was stationed on the USS Orion in La Madelleana Italy, we had to take 'cattle cars' [small boats, I actually never knew the real name] to the 2 towns that were near.

It was funny that they gave us Iso pay [isolation]. They gave us extra money to do nothing with.

When we were on the Ice, they were paying us tons for being there and nothing to spend it on but "Been There, Done That" t-shirts. You can only buy so many and send them off to family and friends. Last time I was home I saw my mom still had the t-shirt I sent my brother "Ski South Pole. 2 inches powder, 2 miles base"

 

[Sunni Man]

US Army 1970-71

 

[lilbug]

Branch: Army

Date/s: 06/1974 to 06/1977

Rank: Specialist 5

Unit: Company B, 48th Medical Bn, 2nd AD

MOS: Medic

Station: Basic: Fort Jackson, SC. AIT: Fort Sam Houston, TX. Duty Station: Fort Hood, TX

 

[P F Tinmore]

My son just got back from Afghanistan this week. We are having a family picnic Sunday.

 

[SFC Ollie]

My son just got back from Afghanistan this week. We are having a family picnic Sunday.

 

[Mr Natural]

Branch: Navy

Date/s: 1969-1973

Rank: AT2

Unit: VXE-6

Other info: Two deployments to McMurdo, Antarctica

 

[lilbug]

A friend of mine's son is due to return in a few days from deployment to Iraq. Before he left he had a 'gung-ho' attitude. The last time we spoke with him he was worried about getting 'capped' before he got out of there. I expect we will see a changed young man when he returns.

 

[lilbug]

*Update* Talk about freaky...as I was typing that previous reply, my friend called and said his son just called...he got in last night! Yea! I'll post an update when I have one.

 

[lilbug]

Okay, had a nice long talk with his dad. Expecting to see him and his wife and 2 year-old little girl in the next week or so. He told his father he was with the 6 US soliders who lost their lives recently...he and his buddies 'got the bad guys'. He also said he his buddies ran over an explosive device in the Hummer they were in, he was knocked unconscious and another friend sustained some injuries. It's really going to be hard to see him return in 2 weeks. He told his father it was hard for him to come home, he felt like he was abandoning his buddies, he said. "Those guys are my real brothers."

 

[bodecea]

Branch: Navy

Date/s: 1969-1973

Rank: AT2

Unit: VXE-6

Other info: Two deployments to McMurdo, Antarctica

OAE's ROCK!!!!

 

[Two Thumbs]

Well Vandenberg is part of Air Force Space Command so thats probably why, that base sucked balls though. I spent 4 years at Offutt AFB in Nebraska and I loved it, as soon as you leave the base your right in town and have access to everything.

When I was stationed on the USS Orion in La Madelleana Italy, we had to take 'cattle cars' [small boats, I actually never knew the real name] to the 2 towns that were near.

It was funny that they gave us Iso pay [isolation]. They gave us extra money to do nothing with.

When we were on the Ice, they were paying us tons for being there and nothing to spend it on but "Been There, Done That" t-shirts. You can only buy so many and send them off to family and friends. Last time I was home I saw my mom still had the t-shirt I sent my brother "Ski South Pole. 2 inches powder, 2 miles base"

I tried to get on one of the ships that map the waters and transport too the South Pole [can't recall the name anymore] b/c they had the nav gear I was trained on, I had a chance. [slim and none, but still...]

 

[High_Gravity]

My son just got back from Afghanistan this week. We are having a family picnic Sunday.

Good that your son made it back, hope you enjoyed the picnic.

 

[High_Gravity]

Okay, had a nice long talk with his dad. Expecting to see him and his wife and 2 year-old little girl in the next week or so. He told his father he was with the 6 US soliders who lost their lives recently...he and his buddies 'got the bad guys'. He also said he his buddies ran over an explosive device in the Hummer they were in, he was knocked unconscious and another friend sustained some injuries. It's really going to be hard to see him return in 2 weeks. He told his father it was hard for him to come home, he felt like he was abandoning his buddies, he said. "Those guys are my real brothers."

After dealing with things like that your son may feel like a fish out of water for a moment, coming home from a deployment is an exciting experience but at the same time nerve wracking, deployments are tough but we get used to life over there and its all structured, when you come back to the States everything moves so fast and there isn't really any structure, especially if the Soldier is coming back and getting out of the service soon. I wish your son the best of luck but it sounds like he has a good supporting family that will help him through this.

 

[catzmeow]

My guy gets home today from a month TDY in Japan, helping with tsunami cleanup for the Navy. CAN'T WAIT.

Any advice about how best I can ease his transition back into civilian life?

 

[High_Gravity]

My guy gets home today from a month TDY in Japan, helping with tsunami cleanup for the Navy. CAN'T WAIT.

Any advice about how best I can ease his transition back into civilian life?

I can think of a few....

 

[Two Thumbs]

My guy gets home today from a month TDY in Japan, helping with tsunami cleanup for the Navy. CAN'T WAIT.

Any advice about how best I can ease his transition back into civilian life?

Find a sitter for the kids, for about 6 days.

Then take it like a woman.

For your country, of course.




There's not a lot of easing for someone that hasn't seen combat. The big changes is dealing with typical civilian life that's not tolerated in the Navy. Like being late, going home before the jobs done, losing electricity waking him up, needing a fan on to sleep [That bugs me 10 years later], working with messy people, remebering what civilians call things. [wall, floor, bathroom, etc,, take some time]

 

[High_Gravity]

My guy gets home today from a month TDY in Japan, helping with tsunami cleanup for the Navy. CAN'T WAIT.

Any advice about how best I can ease his transition back into civilian life?

Find a sitter for the kids, for about 6 days.

Then take it like a woman.

For your country, of course.




There's not a lot of easing for someone that hasn't seen combat. The big changes is dealing with typical civilian life that's not tolerated in the Navy. Like being late, going home before the jobs done, losing electricity waking him up, needing a fan on to sleep [That bugs me 10 years later], working with messy people, remebering what civilians call things. [wall, floor, bathroom, etc,, take some time]

Well when I returned from my deployments to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait my biggest thing to deal with was how fast paced life in the US is, like I said deployments are usually very structured and we usually did the same thing day in day out, to be honest every day I spent over there felt like 4. Plus there was no drinking allowed or sex, even though I did find alcohol on both my deployments it was only a few times, when I first landed in Germany on my way back from Kuwait I started drinking right away, I double fisted 2 Becks and had a few shots of Absinthe, when it was time to reboard the plane I left my ticket on a table at the bar and I couldn't find it, they almost didn't let me board the plane, this is how mistakes happen when people come back from deployment. Going from a very boring structured environment to a anything goes atmosphere like the US and Europe can cause problems very fast if you don't pace yourself.

 

[Two Thumbs]

My guy gets home today from a month TDY in Japan, helping with tsunami cleanup for the Navy. CAN'T WAIT.

Any advice about how best I can ease his transition back into civilian life?

Find a sitter for the kids, for about 6 days.

Then take it like a woman.

For your country, of course.




There's not a lot of easing for someone that hasn't seen combat. The big changes is dealing with typical civilian life that's not tolerated in the Navy. Like being late, going home before the jobs done, losing electricity waking him up, needing a fan on to sleep [That bugs me 10 years later], working with messy people, remebering what civilians call things. [wall, floor, bathroom, etc,, take some time]

Well when I returned from my deployments to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait my biggest thing to deal with was how fast paced life in the US is, like I said deployments are usually very structured and we usually did the same thing day in day out, to be honest every day I spent over there felt like 4. Plus there was no drinking allowed or sex, even though I did find alcohol on both my deployments it was only a few times, when I first landed in Germany on my way back from Kuwait I started drinking right away, I double fisted 2 Becks and had a few shots of Absinthe, when it was time to reboard the plane I left my ticket on a table at the bar and I couldn't find it, they almost didn't let me board the plane, this is how mistakes happen when people come back from deployment. Going from a very boring structured environment to a anything goes atmosphere like the US and Europe can cause problems very fast if you don't pace yourself.

That is true. Coming back stateside after living else where can take some time.

I do recall getting pissed that there were people, lots and lots of people out on the streets in the afternoon, while I was trying to update my license.

I intentionally went when the locals would be having thier afternoon siesta.

A lot of it was a releif though.
Burgers
Bacon and eggs
doughnuts
blue jeans weren't a big deal
ice in my drink

I do miss the Carabanari though. They were the "don't fuck with us" police, that everyone looked up to. They carried uzi's and were allowed to lose 5 rounds of ammo a year.

 

[Warrior102]

My guy gets home today from a month TDY in Japan, helping with tsunami cleanup for the Navy. CAN'T WAIT.

Any advice about how best I can ease his transition back into civilian life?

Yes - Jack Daniels.

I served in Japan. What a wonderful place. Those people have gone through so much over the years - but, they always make a comeback. Remarkable people.

Glad your guy gets back soon. Jet lag's a killer from over there.