How Many Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines.......

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

I was in the US Air Force stationed at Pope AFB North Carolina. I was attached to the 23rd Flying Tigers, Yes the very same Flying Tigers of WWII. I was Mechanic working on C-130s. I worked the kit shop, prop shop and test cell.

I had a secondary MOS also. I was part of the security Police. Being trained in both I was sent to fun places like Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia. We would fly into these areas, keep the engine running, and the ground crews would unload the plane. I was part of the security detail. Should anything happen to the aircraft I would trade my M16 for a wrench.

When we went to Bosnia we took fire from the Serbs sitting in the mountains surrounding the airport. Nothing major just some holes in the wings.
 
Nine years retired from the U.S. Army. (I'm getting old.)

All those years were as Armament/Avionics maintenance on AH-1, AH-64 and OH-58D aircraft. I spent some time at Ft. Eustis as an instructor also.

I'm still currently working on Army aircraft as a contractor. At least until next Friday, when the new contract takes effect, and my lay-off starts. Bummer.

I have some possible employment opportunities though with other contractors, or more likely going back to work directly for the .gov as an instructor.
 
Hi.
Actually, I had the honour of serving in all three services! I left school in August 1944, there was nothing much going unless your parents could afford to pay for an apprenticeship, dad was in the army, no cash. I ended up as a Naval Messenger on the Grimsby naval base HMS Beaver, bell bottoms, flat hat and a funny salute. National Service came up in 1948 and was in the Royal Artilery ack ack. Three months after demob I joined the Roaya Air Force. Became electrical fitter and worked on Avro Lincolns and the EE Canberra. We did 6 months detachment in Malaya dropping 1,000lb bombs on the terrs. 1960, I joined Air Cadets as a Warrant Office (I didn't fancy a comic cuts commission) That lasted till 1991, at least they gave me a medal and a Commendation. Still in aviation at the ripe old age of 79, doing a bit at the local aviation museum, at present working on a Link Trainer. I also help my wife breeding miniature poodles, we have a litter due in two weeks time. Thats all from an old un!

Ken
 
US Army - 25 years. Started out in the Engineers, switched to Intel and Spec Ops, did a tour as an involuntary recruiter; 1SGT of an MI Co in Korea during the '88 Olympics; retired from the Sergeants Major Academy after the first Gulf War. Served at Ft. Bliss, TX (basic and retired there); Ft Belvoir, VA; Tompkins Barracks, Germany (3 times); Viet Nam; Korea (twice); Ft. Bragg (twice); and Ft. Hood.
 
I was in the US Air Force stationed at Pope AFB North Carolina. I was attached to the 23rd Flying Tigers, Yes the very same Flying Tigers of WWII. I was Mechanic working on C-130s. I worked the kit shop, prop shop and test cell.

I had a secondary MOS also. I was part of the security Police. Being trained in both I was sent to fun places like Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia. We would fly into these areas, keep the engine running, and the ground crews would unload the plane. I was part of the security detail. Should anything happen to the aircraft I would trade my M16 for a wrench.

When we went to Bosnia we took fire from the Serbs sitting in the mountains surrounding the airport. Nothing major just some holes in the wings.

I gotta say it, I'm sure you know the Flying Tigers were not a US military force, they were mercenaries and they officially disbanded in July of 1942. The US Army Air Force units that came after them sometimes referred to themselves as Flying Tigers, but the title should really only apply to the original AVG. Another site, or thread on this one, says that a movie is being made about the AVG, unfortunatly it seems that Tom Cruise is going to play Claire Chennault
 
...Another site, or thread on this one, says that a movie is being made about the AVG, unfortunatly it seems that Tom Cruise is going to play Claire Chennault

Oh PLEASE say it ain't so, Joe! (of course I mean 'Mike') Couldn't they get Nick Nolte or Robert DeNiro? I guess both too old. he**, I'd settle for George Clooney or Russell Crowe.
They should get Chevy Chase to play MacArthur.

June 1970 - October 1999, USNR, 5 years active duty in VAQ squadrons and 12 Active Reserve in VP squadrons, 8 years in a Vol. Training Unit (VTU) to finish out my reserve 'career' for retirement.
 
Last edited:
I HOPE I fit here, not any of the listed branches in the question, but I retired from the USCG in 2008. I was pretty lucky, got aviation tracked after the academy, flew the HH-52A, HH-3F, HC-130, and the HU-25.
 
Oh PLEASE say it ain't so, Joe! (of course I mean 'Mike') Couldn't they get Nick Nolte or Robert DeNiro? I guess both too old. he**, I'd settle for George Clooney or Russell Crowe.
They should get Chevy Chase to play MacArthur.

June 1970 - October 1999, USNR, 5 years active duty in VAQ squadrons and 12 Active Reserve in VP squadrons, 8 years in a Vol. Training Unit (VTU) to finish out my reserve 'career' for retirement.

I'd go with Sam Eliot or Scott Glen, Chennault was not a young man and didn't look young.
 
-US Army: Regular Army, USAR and National Guard, 39 years, 3 months and 1 day but who's counting? Over 24 years were active duty from Vietnam to Yemen.
 
USAF, 25 years on active duty. Spent 4 years fixing airplanes at an Air Logistics Center and the rest of it in the Air Force space program, launching rockets and so forth. 4.5 years of it was in the Pentagon, which I DO NOT recommend as a career move unless your Dad's a General.
 
Reminds me of where I was stationed in Iraq. There was so much brass that a full colonel had nothing better to do than do seatbelt checks on passing vehicles. One day, I saw one of our LTs trudging back from the "pleasure dome", the nickname for the ops center. As I passed, I snapped my best parade salute. He was so thrilled that someone had saluted him, he actually thanked me.
US Army, USAR. 20 years, CW2, EW tech.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back