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RE: Memories in the military - 3/21/2009 7:36:00 PM   
06 Maestro


Posts: 3989
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Nevada, USA
Status: offline 		Hey JW, did you do Reforger 85? I participated in that one-coldest winter in decades-what a blast (from the east).

One special memory was at the end of the operation. I was the S2 for a tank Bn. Amongst the duties was acquiring and securing various reports from the line company's and reports to higher. These are considered sensitive items-not quite like a code book, but still very sensitive. Well, somehow (which I never was able to determine) one page came up missing when I turned in the log. The Bn Operations Officer called me on the carpet (I was a 1st Lt at the time). I did not know what to say, except I would find it. I went back out to the 577 (which was miles away) to look around-it was not there. So, what was I to do? I was bucking for a promotion and could not have this stick on me. I took a new form and, from memory, entered the various standard communications interspersed with some odd stuff for "flavor". I then took it and rubbed it on the floor and put a few wrinkles in it-it looked perfect for a lost document.

I took the document back to HQ and presented it. The Bn XO was there now. They both asked me repeatedly where I found it at-also, where did I get this, how did I get this and so on. They started to smile-I certainly was trying not to. They eventually accepted my story, so, I walked out of there a free man with a clean record-and a smile on my face. This certainly was not my style-never was, but sometimes you gotta do things...



_____________________________

Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.

Thomas Jefferson


(in reply to jwarrenw13)
Post #: 31
RE: Memories in the military - 3/21/2009 8:03:06 PM   
rogueusmc


Posts: 4583
Joined: 2/8/2004
From: Texas...what country are YOU from?
Status: offline 		When we were over in Gulf War I, we never had enough of anything (except sand)...

Me and my driver were the scavengers for the battery. We would leave the pos around zero dark thirty and drive south. We would spend the day driving around just seeing what we could get our hands on (starters, alternators, HUMMVs etc.)

We found some showers sitting out in the middle of a concrete apron at the port. It was made of two by fours and plywood with about a thirty gallon tank on the top (that would beat trying to bathe from a five gallon jerry can). We backed the truck up, dropped the tailgate and managed to shove it up into the truck and we drove back to our pos. The first shirt was so proud of us (he was the master scrounger) He produce a kerosene emersion heater for the shower tank from somewhere.

We had to move a few times and every time, we had to come back and get the shower unit. Until the time we came back to get it to see tank tracks running up to where the shower used to be...

_____________________________

There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion.

Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army


(in reply to 06 Maestro)
Post #: 32
RE: Memories in the military - 3/21/2009 8:17:28 PM   
06 Maestro


Posts: 3989
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Nevada, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

.... Until the time we came back to get it to see tank tracks running up to where the shower used to be...


So, I bet you said; "gee, I guess those poor Marines needed it more than we did, I hope they enjoy their showers".


_____________________________

Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.

Thomas Jefferson


(in reply to rogueusmc)
Post #: 33
RE: Memories in the military - 3/21/2009 8:55:05 PM   
wdboyd


Posts: 628
Joined: 6/15/2005
From: Ohio U.S.A
Status: offline 		"We were told not to approach the facility because it was guarded by US Marines, and they typically chose to shoot first and ask questions later."

That sounds about right.

< Message edited by wdboyd -- 3/22/2009 4:19:22 AM >

(in reply to jwarrenw13)
Post #: 34
RE: Memories in the military - 3/21/2009 11:40:28 PM   
Joe D.


Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: JW

Two quick stories.

1.  As company commander during REFORGER 1984 ...


REturn of FORces to GERmany: I arrived at my unit too late to particpate in the last REFORGER in '89, but a unit designated as 2AD Forward was actually left in Germany and supposedly couldn't return stateside to rejoin the Division due to budget constraints.

2AD Forward participated in Desert Storm, but never linked-up w/its sister unit, 1st Bde, 2nd Armd Div.

All of 2AD inactivated shortly after ODS.

_____________________________

Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

"The Angel of Okinawa"

Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U
The best fighter-bomber of World War II

(in reply to jwarrenw13)
Post #: 35
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 12:29:47 AM   
06 Maestro


Posts: 3989
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Nevada, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
REturn of FORces to GERmany:


Eh, make that "Redeployment of Forces to Germany".

_____________________________

Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.

Thomas Jefferson


(in reply to Joe D.)
Post #: 36
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 12:53:22 AM   
Joe D.


Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
REturn of FORces to GERmany:


Eh, make that "Redeployment of Forces to Germany".


They may be redeploying, but really its "Return of Forces to Germany".

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Return+of+Forces+to+Germany

_____________________________

Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

"The Angel of Okinawa"

Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U
The best fighter-bomber of World War II

(in reply to 06 Maestro)
Post #: 37
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 1:08:22 AM   
rogueusmc


Posts: 4583
Joined: 2/8/2004
From: Texas...what country are YOU from?
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro


quote:

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

.... Until the time we came back to get it to see tank tracks running up to where the shower used to be...


So, I bet you said; "gee, I guess those poor Marines needed it more than we did, I hope they enjoy their showers".


Not in so many words...I said something to the effect of, "we gotta find us some more showers." But the sentimentality was there...

_____________________________

There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion.

Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army


(in reply to 06 Maestro)
Post #: 38
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 3:13:22 AM   
jwarrenw13

 

Posts: 1897
Joined: 8/12/2000
From: Louisiana, USA
Status: offline 		As for REFORGER, part of the exercise was always the air deployment of units from the US to Germany for a month or so.  They would arrive and draw pre-positioned equipment and then deploy for the exercise.  That was what my company was doing in REFORGER 84.  The US had some huge equipment storage sites in Germany at that time.

As to the question, no, I did not take part in REFORGER 85.   

(in reply to rogueusmc)
Post #: 39
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 3:51:06 AM   
06 Maestro


Posts: 3989
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Nevada, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

quote:

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
REturn of FORces to GERmany:


Eh, make that "Redeployment of Forces to Germany".


They may be redeploying, but really its "Return of Forces to Germany".

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Return+of+Forces+to+Germany


I read it, but I don't believe it. I suppose it is not impossible that "return" is correct, but if it is, then a whole lot of guy's misspoke for a very long time.

_____________________________

Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.

Thomas Jefferson


(in reply to Joe D.)
Post #: 40
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 4:41:41 AM   
ilovestrategy


Posts: 3611
Joined: 6/11/2005
From: San Diego
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

Hey JW, did you do Reforger 85? I participated in that one-coldest winter in decades-what a blast (from the east).

One special memory was at the end of the operation. I was the S2 for a tank Bn. Amongst the duties was acquiring and securing various reports from the line company's and reports to higher. These are considered sensitive items-not quite like a code book, but still very sensitive. Well, somehow (which I never was able to determine) one page came up missing when I turned in the log. The Bn Operations Officer called me on the carpet (I was a 1st Lt at the time). I did not know what to say, except I would find it. I went back out to the 577 (which was miles away) to look around-it was not there. So, what was I to do? I was bucking for a promotion and could not have this stick on me. I took a new form and, from memory, entered the various standard communications interspersed with some odd stuff for "flavor". I then took it and rubbed it on the floor and put a few wrinkles in it-it looked perfect for a lost document.

I took the document back to HQ and presented it. The Bn XO was there now. They both asked me repeatedly where I found it at-also, where did I get this, how did I get this and so on. They started to smile-I certainly was trying not to. They eventually accepted my story, so, I walked out of there a free man with a clean record-and a smile on my face. This certainly was not my style-never was, but sometimes you gotta do things...





This is one of the funniest things I have read in a really long time!

_____________________________

After 16 years, Civ II still has me in it's clutches LOL!!!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!

(in reply to 06 Maestro)
Post #: 41
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 12:19:12 PM   
Joe D.


Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

... I read it, but I don't believe it. I suppose it is not impossible that "return" is correct, but if it is, then a whole lot of guy's misspoke for a very long time.


The dictionary I used agreed w/an official military jargon site; most of my Google results came back as "Return," w/an occaisional "Redeployment" from Wiki sources.

As for mis-spoke, consider the following commonly accepted terms:

SOP - "Standard" Operating Procedure. Standard to what? It's "Standing," as in "currently in effect," and usu. refers to a written record of unit policy.

And how many times have you seen "Congressional" put before the MoH?

_____________________________

Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

"The Angel of Okinawa"

Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U
The best fighter-bomber of World War II

(in reply to 06 Maestro)
Post #: 42
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 2:40:36 PM   
TheBlackhorse


Posts: 291
Joined: 6/21/2004
Status: offline 		REFORGER is most definitely "RETURN" of Forces to Germany.

(in reply to Joe D.)
Post #: 43
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 6:02:13 PM   
06 Maestro


Posts: 3989
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Nevada, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
And how many times have you seen "Congressional" put before the MoH?


Good point. That is why I said; "I suppose it is not impossible...".

_____________________________

Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.

Thomas Jefferson


(in reply to Joe D.)
Post #: 44
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 6:02:29 PM   
jwarrenw13

 

Posts: 1897
Joined: 8/12/2000
From: Louisiana, USA
Status: offline 		These sources say "Return".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_REFORGER

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/reforger.htm

I always thought it was Return, but I would not have been surprised to have been wrong.

I loved my one REFORGER.  I loved Germany.  Wife and I spent two tours in Germany, one in Baumholder in the 70s, one in Bad Kreuznach in the 80s.  We loved the German people, loved Germany.  We still miss our favorite German foods and places and are going back one day for one last visit.

I want to cross the old border.  I remember walking a patrol along the West-East German border in 1988 during my last tour in Germany and thinking how insane it all was, to be honest, and then shortly after we returned to the US, the Soviet Union collapsed and the walls and fences came down.  I just want to find the old border where I walked that patrol and just walk across.


(in reply to TheBlackhorse)
Post #: 45
RE: Memories in the military - 3/22/2009 7:04:37 PM   
Joe D.


Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: JW

... I loved my one REFORGER.  I loved Germany.  Wife and I spent two tours in Germany, one in Baumholder in the 70s, one in Bad Kreuznach in the 80s.  We loved the German people, loved Germany.  We still miss our favorite German foods and places and are going back one day for one last visit.


Although I just missed the last REFORGER, I was able to see something of Germany when I was peace-keeping in the Balkans.
The Germans are big on holidays, even St Martins Day w/its ceremonial bonfire.

BTW, I think REFORGER became a TEWT, but I expect that all ended after reunification.

_____________________________

Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

"The Angel of Okinawa"

Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U
The best fighter-bomber of World War II

(in reply to jwarrenw13)
Post #: 46
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