Military Members Roll Call

[DivemasterSteve]

1971-1975 USMC Camp Pendleton

1978-1980 USN USS Puget Sound AD-38

Steve

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

2Tours,

How do you keeps your bouyancy in those conditions?

You just hold on to the bottom and hope you're not blown away!

Actually, in all seriousness, on my first tour here, I found myself caught in a sandstorm at night without any "lifeline" or compass, or flashlight. Since I am pretty well trasined in land navigation and knew the approximate distance, relative direction, and terrain features around that area I decided to walk back to my Bradley Fighting Vechile from my Company Commander's. It was about 500 meters from where I was and since my Bradley was parked close to a rather large berm, I thought I could make it there relatively quickly and safely. To make a long story short, I ended up finding the large berm but somehow walked by my Bradley I ended up walking past it and found myself at my Platoon Sergeant's Bradley. My PSG (Platoon Sergeant) called in to the company commander that I had made it back safely. Since I was now only about 100 meters from my Bradley I didn't see any harm in it that radio call so I took off again in search for my Bradley. I retraced my steps back to the berm in which my Bradley was parked near and started walking. Somehow I managed to loose the berm and began walking out into the middle of no where. When I realized that I wasn't near the berm any more I tried walking in the direction that I thought it was. After several steps, I quickly realized that any further steps would only lead me away from my Bradley so I just sat down in the desert in the middle of the night with a raging sandstorm blowing all around me. A couple of times I thought I had heard voices but decided it was my mind playing tricks on me so I sat still. After about 30 to 45 minutes I heard a sneeze and knew I hadn't made that up so I got up and found where the sneeze came from. The sneeze came from the Bradley next to mine. I had walked right passed my Bradley for a second time without seeing it. I then found the large berm for a third time and decided to count my steps instead of just estimating the distance. Eventually I found my Bradley and made it safely there. In normal conditions a walk should have taken no more than 7 minutes ended up taking over 2 hours! Thankfully this was about a week prior to the invasion of Iraq and proved to be a valuable lesson for the 3 day sand storm that struck when my unit was just north of An Najaf but that is another story.

 

[Blitz]

I feel your pain, I was there fpr training and we got hammered by storms. talk about being combat ineffective. I thought the Sinai was bad. Kuwait was hell. Had a few fun white outs in Bosnia. It is a little spooky when you can't see the landmine signs.

When you are you rotating back?

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

Unfortunately not until February 2006. I'm 25% done with my tour here..WAHOO! Ok so it's the little things that make me happy but a guy's gotta have SOMETHING over here doesn't he?!?

 

[Stone]

Separated from the USAF in '96 as a Captain: Aerospace Engineer then Acquisition Program Manager.

Still working for the USAF as a civilian: Acquisition Program Manager for Foreign Military Sales

 

[crazed_dolphin]

U.S. Navy.....Aviation Structural Mechanic

91-95 Whidbey Island, Washington
95-99 Lemoore, Calif.
99-03 Atsugi, Japan
03- Patuxent River, MD

 

[crazed_dolphin]

Ran into a cute female Canadian Amry Officer (Nurse) in Ft. Benning one time.

I don't care what anyone says, Canadians are cool in my book.

What do they say about Canadians?

 

[crazed_dolphin]

Currently homestation here in Maryland, With in the year I should be sunning in wonderful Camp X-Ray Cuba. . .

Owing? Have you ever dealt with Divers Source? I was thinking about signing my wife up for their AOW that they have at NAS Pax River for her birthday present.

 

[weaverville]

USMC 1984 - 1988
Metal Worker E-4

Camp Lejune NC
Camp Pendelton CA
MCAGCC Twentynine Palms CA
Camp Fuji Japan

Semper Fi

 

[MLE]

E-5
Pope AFB, NC for way too long (6.5 yrs)
C-130 Engine Mech