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[LTCretired]

You had to work for a living....my assignment after basic course and schooling was at FT Benning in 1971. Master Sergeant Taylor taught me who actually ran the army....it ain't officers. FWIW, MSG Taylar was a woman and the best NCOIC I ever met. Having her as my first NCOIC is probably why I was able to make it to LTC....I learned to depend on my enlisted people and, not to brag, I believe they trusted me too. For 22 years enlisted carried me. I met a lot of officers who thought they were in charge and they usually turned out to be mediocre officers When I had young guns under me...the one point I tried to impress on them was to let the enlisted do their jobs and stay the hell outa the way.

[Anonymous3]

That good you were taught to rely on your nco corp. My real job was aircraft crew chief. B52, Kc 135, and KC 10

[bldoink]

Colonel,
Your history reminded me of my father's, although his was of the previous generation. He joined a reactivated reserve Div (79th) in 39 or 40 and worked his way up to Sgt. He described himself as an Armorer Artificer, although as far as I can tell those aren't supposed to have existed at that time. I'm not even sure exactly what that was. They then made him a 90 day wonder Lt. and sent him to war as a cannoneer and forward observer in a infantry cannon company. After WWII and a later Korean recall, causing me to be hatched in a Ft. Jackson base hospital, he had a career as an educator (math teacher and H.S. Principal), thanks to the GI Bill, eventually retiring from the Army Reserves as Lt. Colonel. Oddly, the students always referred to him as Captain. He always loved the Army and I think that is what he was at heart.

[LTCretired]

Although I was on active duty during the Viet Nam error...I never had to go. Tricky Dick stopped sending troops just as I was put on alert....so I avoided that mess. The unit I was commander of from 1974 -79 went to Kuwait and has been to Afghanistan twice.So I have no overseas experience....just stateside....Hay Street in NC while we were at Ft Bragg was pretty dangerous though....guess you could call that a war zone....LOL!

[Anonymous3]

Although I was on active duty during the Viet Nam error...I never had to go. Tricky Dick stopped sending troops just as I was put on alert....so I avoided that mess. The unit I was commander of from 1974 -79 went to Kuwait and has been to Afghanistan twice.So I have no overseas experience....just stateside....Hay Street in NC while we were at Ft Bragg was pretty dangerous though....guess you could call that a war zone....LOL!

Faytenam

[bldoink]

That's actually where my father joined the Army. Where he went to high school, actually most of his schooling. Mom was a farm girl from the adjoining county. My grandfather lived on the other end of Hay St. (Person St.) until he passed away not too many years after you were there. Last time I was there his old house was an antique shop.