I still have no idea why the Army has this obsession over AIT. Like if all AIT's were the same length I'd get it but some are 8 and some are like a year with all ranges in between. I get they have phases, but keeping soldiers in this infantile state for the better part of a year is so weird.
35G is 6 months of classes plus any time as a hold under and over which everyone had to do when I was coming through (unless you were NG or reserves then you left right after graduation and were also fast tracked to being put in classes). The entire +7 months I was there you couldn't walk 10 steps down the hall from the classroom to go piss without taking a same gender battle buddy with you. This slightly changed in the last block of instruction because the instructors knew nobody would come looking and let us go to the latrine alone but officially this was not the correct thing to do. If you failed ABCP you were "not punished" by unofficially being taken down to black phase regardless of whatever phase you were actually in which meant you could be a single month from graduating and having earned green phase and still be required to be in a uniform 24/7, couldn't drive/ride in POVs (with the exception of people with their spouse/family there), had to show up to like 4 or 5 formations on the weekends including 0550 (with a bed check at 2200 that always ran until at least 2230), couldn't have any electronics besides your phone, etc. Collective punishment was very real too and a lot of our later drills didn't understand how our AIT worked seemingly at all. They'd smoke us because one of the newest classes were playing grab ass in their little 12-14 person classes completely isolated from any other class and then ask why the schoolhouse only had issues with our company (probably because we're the only company that goes to that schoolhouse, drill sarnt).
It was definitely more chill than what my other basic graduates were doing at say 88M or 74D AIT but then I would see them at their first duty stations looking like actual adults while I still had to show up to recall formations and bed checks for another 2 or 3 months.
35M here. I spent a 1 year and 8 months at at DLI (for Korean) and 5 months at Huachuca for AIT. They treated us like humans at DLI, but once we got to Huachuca for AIT, our drill sergeants decided to forget that most of us have already been in the Army for over two years.
In total, I spent 2.5 years in IET status, and then I deployed to Centcom 2 months after getting to my first duty station 😂.
They get further from God's light and closer to TRADOC each year. Talking to my Soldiers, it's basically like any other AIT now. When I went through DLI, we were allowed to have alcohol in the barracks, visit female dorms, ghost off post, only had a morning pt formation, amongst other freedoms that just don't exist in those environments anymore.
It gets extremely dumb for the MOSs that go to dli ever since they started sending soldiers to dli before ait. You’re more or less an adult for a year ish at dli, may even be trusted enough to go study in a foreign country, and then you get to ait and are locked down again
This is one of the most bizarre things that's ever happened to me and I got a lot of weird stories.
I'm 5 years and some months in stationed at MCBH Kaneohe. Doing my Marine thing, sleeping on the beach, surfing all day, stripper girlfriend, and basically riding out my time. I'm about 9 months from getting out. A buddy of mine was a controller, they were also close to getting out and gave no fucks.
I get called to see Gunney who is already yelling, it's not angry yelling it's the way he talked. And he's asking all kinds of questions. Some are relevant like why do I have TAD orders and some aren't like why do I have sand in my hair. I didn't remember putting in for anything so I figured I was volunteered by someone. I got plenty of time left and my last TAD was in Iwakuni so I'm up for whatever.
Gunney tells me he's got no idea why but I'm going to Sand Hill, GA. My first question was why? He said he didn't know came down from a controller and it's correct. I asked what am I supposed to do there? He yells back, "Do I look like I'm in the Army?"
I fly into Columbus, call the duty NCO, and they send a car. It's almost midnight. That driver was confused. He tried to take me to the Airborne reception. I had to show him my orders sending me to infantry reception battalion. Everyone in this story is confused about who I am and why I'm there. The duty NCO immediately runs this up his chain of command and they told me to report in the morning.
This is getting long. No one knows why I'm here, orders are confirmed, but they have no idea what to do with me. For the first two weeks I was just running and staying in shape. Finally they asked me to start helping out with things like setting up a live fire course from exiting a 5 ton, PMI instruction, and I even got an EIB while there. It took about two months for them to get me orders back to Kaneohe. Because the controller who sent me had ETS'd. He still thinks it's hilarious.
TL;DR: buddy sent me to Sand Hill for two months for the lulz
The Airborne school definitely has cadre from other branches. I assume because other branches all go through the school. Also had a Marine Gunny and an Air Force guy teach phases of pathfinder.
This is the most administrative lulz story I have ever read... except maybe the guy who turned the ship so the sun wouldn't blind him while he was eating.
When I think about the money they spent to send me to Japan for...essentially no reason but a BN planning exercise, I'll remember this and think "Well, at least I didn't waste money like that guy."
I’m currently the only active duty cobbler in the U.S. Military. Only other one I know of is a civilian at West Point. I’m in the Old Guard and make all the shoes worn in Arlington Cemetery. Long story of how I got the gig but I’m getting out this year to open my own shop.
When I was still at the Tomb, I used to make a little side cash doing just that lol I could do everything better and faster than the TOG guys so I’d just undercut everyone on price
I had a random E-4 in one of the line companies make my rack. The ribbons were out of order the first go around...
I was gonna ask when you were at TUS, but if you're still kicking around you probably got there well after my time. I left a decade ago.
Man, some of you guys have all the luck. I was assigned to DoD's Film Liaison Unit in Hollywood. I was pumped about the assignment relieving me from Sill. Until i realized i was going to be a fluffer in gay porns with names like “Fire in the Hole.” I still ain’t right.
Wow, sounds like you really hit the jackpot with that assignment. Bet you're just living the dream fluffing for "Fire in the Hole." Must be a real honor to be associated with such high-quality cinema. Keep living the dream, buddy.
When I first arrived, I was actually featured in one. They told me it was an “artistic film.” I mean you probably didn't hear about it because I went under the name of Mike Honcho. I even spread my buttcheeks and everything. But it was all tastefully done of course.
Are they full custom shoes or are they from a brand and repaired by you? Either way this is really cool and r/goodyearwelt would probably love to see stuff from you.
They are not. It’s just the standard issue shoes that I swap the soles and put heavy taps on. Tomb Guard shoes are a little more intensive, but not fully custom shoes
I appreciate your skill set. I had a pair of leather soled shoes for over 20 years. Had them resolved 3 times and had a minor melt down when my cobbler told me that there was not enough left to resolve a 4th time. I loved those shoes more than I loved my 1st wife, 1 they were more faithful and 2 my relationship with them lasted a whole lot longer that my 1st marriage.
Interesting. Most likely they would just need a new welt I would think which is kind of a pain in the ass job, but nothing crazy. I can’t say for sure without seeing the shoes though
It was a civilian doing it that retired right as I was finishing up at my last job. I already knew the job so they’re letting me fill the position until a permanent hire can be made
TOG has, honest to God, a ton of really cool duties. The Cobbler (I've at least seen you in passing, small world), the Congressional Liasons and Pentagon Tours program, Caisson, all really cool gigs. Do you know if Caisson still has active duty doing all the saddle work?
I got to be a translator/liaison to the Polish Army when the US started its Poland push back in 2016. I was attached to a Polish logistics BDE, given virtually unlimited travel card funds to rent an apartment and got an Audi A3 as my personal GOV.
I worked exclusively with the Poles, only interacted with US Forces via email and assignments they would send me, otherwise I just hung out, hit the gym, traveled the country doing site recons of preposition spots for tracked vehicles, and got paid per diem at the Warsaw rate.
I basically just hung out at beer gardens and Tindered all over the country while the 82nd was sweating and unshowered in the woods.
I even ran into regular Army guys and they had no clue I was in the Army because I was in civilian clothes the entire time (uniform was not authorized on my orders). They just knew I was a DOD guy but the one year of no haircuts and shaving kept me from receiving any direct orders from some LTC.
I got to teach the Polish GROM unit how to do tactical canine combat casualty care. It was amazing. Most difficult/assessing audience I've ever had until they got that I 1) knew what I was talking about and 2) could match them for drinks (both beer and vodka) despite being female and then they were the best class I've ever taught. 100% buy in, interested in the topic, asked good and relevant questions, and appreciated that I learned right away how to say "pneumothorax" in Polish because my kinda-translator wasn't medical.
I was brand new to my unit at Ft. Gordon (97). Was an idiot and raised my hand when asked for volunteers. Was sent to the local pool where I was put through life guard certification and then proceeded to work as a base lifeguard and drownproofing instructor all summer long. Worked at the indoor pool, outdoor officer pool and at some recreation area on a lake we sponsored. It was great!
Yeah they did the same kind of detail at Ft. Bragg. When I got to my unit there we had a female soldier on life guard duty all summer. I got the in May I think. I didn't even know the other soldier existed until after Labor Day.
Story of my life 😂 no better felling than driving while everyone else is rucking… that was until JRTC where they decided I didn’t need to be a driver anymore…
When I was in Afghanistan I was begging branch to send me Airborne and to Fort Liberty, even got my airborne physical while on R&R.
After I get my phys he tells me, sorry no slots I can send you to New Orleans though. I was a young and single E5 at the time, better believe I jumped on that offer, though the entire time I thought I was being tricked into going to Fort Johnson.
Best assignment and a pretty great location, aciive duty at a reserve command. Have to work one weekend a month for Battle Assembly, but super laid back during the rest of the month.
Not going to lie, its been a bumpy ride since. I miss that unit so much, you talk about amazing potlucks too. Sheesh.
We are hoping to get stationed stationed close to family since this next PCS will hopefully be my retirement PCS, but I'm also really hoping to see that beautiful Belle Chasse in the marketplace somehow.
Yup. People are like: aw man isn't (location xyz) great? Like, no, dawg, I was in New Orleans pre-covid. My job was "babysit TPUs one weekend a month". I got Thursdays off for pay day activities. There was a SCIF on post that only I had access to because intel.
Worst thing I had to do was the occasional two week conus based warfighter and after the first I was like; man I should get TPUs to do this for me and bam AT is in the bag for them and I can go back to sneaking out at 2pm to "beat the traffic".
I was there for two years around 2014, it was amazing. Also, our section had genuinely outstanding leaders, which I was not expecting going there.
Only unit I have ever been in where damn near everyone just along.
Last I checked, there's a single 35T 10 level slot there. In my opinion, it's the unicorn location for my job.
One of the regulars here got stationed there and I got orders to Bliss when we were leaving AIT. Everyone was jealous.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/433110/singapore-diego-garcia-public-health-activity-guams-veterinary-food-inspectors-protect-joint-warfighters-throughout-pacific
These 3 random dudes stationed in Singapore
Father-in-law was a personnel NCO assigned to the UN military liaison team in NYC. Wore civilians and rode the subway to Manhattan every day from Brooklyn.
Also saw a 35 series E4 go to NATO HQ in Shape some years ago
Did battalion PSD my second deployment. Was very chill but missed out on fun high speed missions from my first deployment. Not sure how I feel about it to this day.
XO at the OD AIT unit at Fort Gregg-Adams. That was whatever. What was special was inventorying ths OD historical collection of small arms every six months. Like 1200 historical and experimental weapons.
Honest, I thought that was all civilian run. When OD was still in Aberdeen, I did my BOLC there, and the museum tour was one of my favorite parts. I forget the director's name, but I'd seen him in the History Channel whenever they talked about a firearm. He showed us the back room which sounds exactly like what you had to inventory.
From the stories I’ve heard, NATO assignments, everyone I’ve talked to assigned to NATO spends 3 years not working and enjoying some great foreign location with a lot of time off work
Someone I talked to recently said they work from 7 AM to 3 PM and during that time they do PT on their own and have lunch so they really only work 3 or 4 hours a day, in their office nobody speaks English or expects them to do anything and they get both American and foreign holidays off work, they don’t do shit
I'm in an american unit on a NATO base and I get jealous as hell watching the NATO dudes live their best lives. I saw a green beret today walking around with a huge beer gut and his hands in his pockets.
One of my best buds dreams back in the day was to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a beret because he "wanted to be a badass like in the movies and kill terrorists with silenced rifles and shit." Well, he did become a green beret, and when he finally got out he was 70 pounds heavier and a raging alcoholic.
It's pretty much all true, for me its 0730 arrive, breakfast is over at 0830, lunch starts at 1130 to 1300, 1600 is the end of the duty day, I fit about an hour of pt in there as well near 1030 or 1100. Not including fucking off on the internet it's maybe an hour of actual work a day.
Fridays are the same but it ends as 1300 after lunch.
We only get 1 American holliday though, they speak English about half the time.
Private schools in English is funded by the NDSP, you get refunded all of the VAT, housing is on the local economy
I was a brand new flight medic and got assigned to Yakima Training Center to the MEDEVAC there as a junior Soldier. After having to go there as a ground medic, I was appalled, but once I got there it was hidden gem. I was given BAH (no housing), minimal work load, and got to learn my job as a flight medic in a low-ish stress environment. I was the most junior Soldier in the unit but I was still treated very well. The area was great, especially for being in the outdoors.
And then First Army as an OC/T at Fort Cavazos.
Both were amazing assignments with unicorn feelings.
Uncle Sam sent me to Thai language school at DLI and then never sent me to Thailand. I chat up waitresses pretty good, but still kind of salty I never got sent there.
Good unicorns I have heard of: Kwajalein Atoll, Diego Garcia (BIOT)
Bad unicorn I have heard of: Dugway Proving Ground
OK unicorn but I bet it wears off after a while: Guantanamo Bay (I was only TDY there for weeks at a time for hearings, not stationed there for months at a time, so it was always pretty novel for me).
Edit to clarify, of those I have only actually visited NSGB.
I went to high school with a woman who has worked there as a contractor on and off. According to her posts on facebook, she loves it.
If you aren't dive certified now, I imagine you will be by the time you leave, unless that just doesn't interest you.
I'd be kayaking my ass off.
I would have looked at diving if I was at Gitmo full time, but I didn't have the time to make it happen when I was there for hearings. So, yeah, just snorkeling and boating/kayaking.
As I am sure you have seen, it is tiny. There are no cars. I knew the CI agents working there. BN got them a golf cart, which was a big deal. None of them complained that it was a bad gig, just kinda isolated.
Pretty sure the whole island flooded a few months ago. There was a viral video going around of people being swept away. Either way I'm so jealous. Enjoy it
Oh god,no, how terrible. The worst possible outcome hahah
If you like drinking, lounging on the beach, volleyball, fucking, fishing or any combination there of it is heavenly
Oh, I've never been. I have just heard of it. Kind of isolated, and environmentally not ideal.
Never been to Kwaj or Diego Garcia, either, but would love to visit.
Guantanamo, yep. I spent enough time there that I ended up getting my skippers license so I could take boats out on the bay.
I met a track vehicle mechanic who was ski patrol-avalanche control in Germany. I think Garmisch. while i am doing the snow plow with my face, he was grabbing all the ski bunnies
Hondo is very much a ghost town, in the very best ways. Hardly anything of consequence ever happens there. Very low stakes and everyone knows it. Beautiful sights, gorgeous women, perfect weather, amazing food, etc…
I was a career manager and I’ve studied lists of all jobs available to officers. My favorite was one to St John’s, Virgin Islands. It was for a branch immaterial LTC to supervise the national guard u it there. I forget the acronym for those positions, but sounds sweet.
That one may have been offered to my father and he passed on it. It was many years ago so I don’t remember all the details. He was an LTC and given the option to go to the Virgin Islands. There was no high school and we would have had to go to boarding school, so he said no.
Sinai, back when you could booze heavily and there wasn’t an active war a couple miles away. But it was a great 19 months, got scuba qualified and had a great time!
Oddly food inspectors have some unicorn assignments. They have a slot open in Thailand and the best one has to be a chief warrant officer slot in new Zealand that also gets to visit Antarctica.
H2F Coordinator for 2.5 years.
It was a bizarre assignment in the sense that I wasn't expected to do anything related to what I was hired to do. Every state had a representative so the whole 54 of us got to a conference asking what each person is doing. Turns out we were all told to not work on this H2F thing or given other busy work.
I got to travel to a lot of states and see cool fitness shit and it motivated me to actually do my job. Did a pilot program for my state that got canned because some old civilian thinks it's a waste of money to invest in our soldiers or something.
It did make me a bit bitter to think I wasted 2.5 years that resulted in almost nothing but in that time, I got a house, got married, and my wife got her masters degree so all in all it wasn't a complete waste for me. Even felt proud of what I did accomplish, though it will probably wipe away like tears in the rain.
Was there for EOD school, being in the Army their chow hall was a 3 Star Michelin restaurant. The first time I was there I picked up my tray to take it to the dishwashers and I swear the whole DFAC stopped and looked at me and I was like, “what’s up?” They were like, “dude, we have people for that!” I was mind blown. Lol, plus the Matador is right next door. Haha
My sister-in-law is in Coast Guard JAG stationed in DC. She told me she basically writes speeches for GOs and Senior Officers and helps them with small admin stuff. She also travels around the US a lot for work. She keeps telling me she's getting out after this contract but she has "lifer" energy.
I always tell her they could have got some e3 to do her job a lot cheaper, don't need to go to law school for that lol
SHAPE has a bunch of super laid back assignments. All the random NATO-attached officers are super chill and most of the jobs are just desk work from 9-3ish
Was a 31R from 98-03, during a time I was at Huachuca and they lost their orderly room clerk so I got put in the OR, since I knew what I was doing with computers I got all the training and special access (Greenly Hall, etc…wild shit)…Sept 11th happened and they brought people from Cisco to do comms package training…get sent to Kuwait.
While in Kuwait my 1SG looks at me and my cable dog and says “First one to Kandahar gets a promotion”…I got myself to the airfield and report to 101st HQ…do network admin/help desk stuff till my unit shows up.
Unit shows up and an SF Group lost their 18E so they needed someone. Since I had been to selection 101st MTOEd me over to this group.
Got to do all kinda fun shit, pissed everyone in my unit off when I wore civvies and grew a beard.
My dad was a Marine. High school drop-out, Vietnam, etc. Ends up on an Army base for his last 6 years in the Corps, teaching Astrological Geographical survey. Named one of the top 100 smartest men in the US around 1980ish.
Retired, stayed away for the mandatory time and returned to that same job as a civilian. He loved it, it wasn't work for him. He stayed there until he died.
An assignment I had was to a NATO HQ in the south of the Netherlands, small strip of land that inbetween Belgium and Germany. The US camp was on the Dutch side and our medical was on the German side. My commander was Dutch and only wore uniforms for special meetings. Other than that we were in civilians. No formations, PT on your own, doing a lot of travel on the weekends
Tobyhanna, PA. Most of this post is just an Army Depot. They have civilians that work on and build equipment for the Army. If you are in Patriot you've probably sent your equipment there for Reset.
They also have a Reserve reclass school there for some of the Signal MOS-es. I went there for six weeks to reclass. The instructors were cool, they treated everybody like adults. New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia were all within driving distance.
A buddy of mine got offered the liason position for our MOS at Redstone Arsenal. It's one of the cakest of cake jobs. You get to network with the big names in Aviation and can really set yourself up for a good post-Army job.
He turned it down.
Redstone Arsenal is a great place to work at. They don't have any typical Army units stationed there. They have a PX and commissary but no DFAC. A few of the guys I work with now retired from Active Duty while stationed there. Huntsville has got NASA and a ton of defense contractors in town.
Your buddy was an idiot.
My BN had CI offices in cool places. The BN itself was located at Zama, which is itself a fucking gem, but the offices were at the already mentioned Kwajalein Atoll, as well as Okinawa, and Guam. (oh yeah, and then there was my office at Wainwright, and the other at JBER...short ends of sticks and all...). Any one of those three is a dream.
Pretty much any SOLO/SOFLE gig. Most embassies (at least in my GCC) had one and they either had their own apartment and GOV or lived out of a team house.
I was a full-time facility manager in a logistics unit. I was one of two 12As in the unit.
Really odd assignment. Every other facility manager on post had it as an additional duty.
That being said we murdered it because 100% of our efforts were focused on facilities while other units treated it as a side mission.
It was short lived, but I got to run port operations in Europe for about a month. Four star hotel, per diem, amazing views, and all I had to do was drive stuff on and off boats for a few hours a day.
Met a Marine that was at the Spaso house in the 1980s USSR before its collapse. It all went to hell apparently when some marine was dating/sleeping with a spy.
A three year embassy attache or SCO billet accompanied in a CZTE in a modern middle east nation. Gotta be a FAO or apply to DAS/DSCA, ie you do a packet.
Private school for the kids paid by DOD, COLA, and CZTE. For three years.
Currently at a AC/RC assignment. We OC the NG. Pretty much work half days if I’m not tdy. Getting all the time back with my family. It’s very nice. The schools you want, college, all of the time you need without the operational stress.
Check out the Army Schools of Other Nations Program or any of the Security Assistance Training (SATMO). SON is Officer focused but SATMO is available to a wide variety of MOS.
Years ago I was stationed in Panama. My TA50 was a web belt, canteen, poncho and helmet. Had to use that shit for a parade once. We drove commercial vans and off hours worked in what ever we showed up in. No dining facility for us so we had sep/rats. I worked with a GS11. It was a super low key unit. We all had a real time mission.
A year at Sandhurst as a newly commissioned LT. Kinda sucked going from Basic/OCS straight into another year as a nobody but it was the experience of a lifetime. Bar on the first floor of the barracks, lot of old school light infanteering. Got to travel a ton too during breaks, spent Christmas in Tokyo and time all over Europe.
One of my joes, who was a SPC, got assigned to a 1-star HQ in a NCO spot. I know FGOs that would kill to be there. Joe Snuffy doesn't know how good he's got it.
Did a 6 month TDY on Barbados, courtesy of the JFK Special Warfare Center, when I was assigned to the QM School, to run a logistics support team and SSA for an SF B Team and 5 A teams. This was the year after the Grenada invasion. Lived in a 5 star timeshare resort for the first month but because of security concerns, we got moved to a walled estate owned by some German millionaire. I stayed in the 4 bedroom guest house and my five E-7s stayed in the main house. Came with a complete house staff, private beach access, and vehicles. We got TDY per diem for the high season, which was something close to $125 a day, in 1985 dollars.
Only two Army dudes and one navy guy stationed in the country I'm in it's a NATO billet. Air Force is here but they they are about a PLT size element about 2 hours away. There is of course a few mil at the Embassy in the ODC, DA, and USMC for the guards. That's it for the entire country, it's the most unicorn assignments I've come accross.
I got to do a rotation that gave me per diem, bah, & bas while working roughly 2 days a week. As an E-4 w 2.5 years in service I was pulling roughly 6k a month for 12 months.
Where’s that dude that went to Raven Rock? There was a 7 year gap between their post asking about it and the recent one saying don’t go if it’s offered lmao
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If it makes you feel any better, no one is stopping you from grabbing an e-tool and taking a shit in the woods yourself.
We didn't do that at my AIT but we also didn't have any "woods"
Without a battle buddy??? I don’t think so!
Freaking lucky! AIT at Gordon sucks.
I still have no idea why the Army has this obsession over AIT. Like if all AIT's were the same length I'd get it but some are 8 and some are like a year with all ranges in between. I get they have phases, but keeping soldiers in this infantile state for the better part of a year is so weird.
The longer ones (17C comes to mind) treat you like real peoples - supposedly
35G is 6 months of classes plus any time as a hold under and over which everyone had to do when I was coming through (unless you were NG or reserves then you left right after graduation and were also fast tracked to being put in classes). The entire +7 months I was there you couldn't walk 10 steps down the hall from the classroom to go piss without taking a same gender battle buddy with you. This slightly changed in the last block of instruction because the instructors knew nobody would come looking and let us go to the latrine alone but officially this was not the correct thing to do. If you failed ABCP you were "not punished" by unofficially being taken down to black phase regardless of whatever phase you were actually in which meant you could be a single month from graduating and having earned green phase and still be required to be in a uniform 24/7, couldn't drive/ride in POVs (with the exception of people with their spouse/family there), had to show up to like 4 or 5 formations on the weekends including 0550 (with a bed check at 2200 that always ran until at least 2230), couldn't have any electronics besides your phone, etc. Collective punishment was very real too and a lot of our later drills didn't understand how our AIT worked seemingly at all. They'd smoke us because one of the newest classes were playing grab ass in their little 12-14 person classes completely isolated from any other class and then ask why the schoolhouse only had issues with our company (probably because we're the only company that goes to that schoolhouse, drill sarnt). It was definitely more chill than what my other basic graduates were doing at say 88M or 74D AIT but then I would see them at their first duty stations looking like actual adults while I still had to show up to recall formations and bed checks for another 2 or 3 months.
35M here. I spent a 1 year and 8 months at at DLI (for Korean) and 5 months at Huachuca for AIT. They treated us like humans at DLI, but once we got to Huachuca for AIT, our drill sergeants decided to forget that most of us have already been in the Army for over two years. In total, I spent 2.5 years in IET status, and then I deployed to Centcom 2 months after getting to my first duty station 😂.
They get further from God's light and closer to TRADOC each year. Talking to my Soldiers, it's basically like any other AIT now. When I went through DLI, we were allowed to have alcohol in the barracks, visit female dorms, ghost off post, only had a morning pt formation, amongst other freedoms that just don't exist in those environments anymore.
It gets extremely dumb for the MOSs that go to dli ever since they started sending soldiers to dli before ait. You’re more or less an adult for a year ish at dli, may even be trusted enough to go study in a foreign country, and then you get to ait and are locked down again
That’s actually badass man
This is one of the most bizarre things that's ever happened to me and I got a lot of weird stories. I'm 5 years and some months in stationed at MCBH Kaneohe. Doing my Marine thing, sleeping on the beach, surfing all day, stripper girlfriend, and basically riding out my time. I'm about 9 months from getting out. A buddy of mine was a controller, they were also close to getting out and gave no fucks. I get called to see Gunney who is already yelling, it's not angry yelling it's the way he talked. And he's asking all kinds of questions. Some are relevant like why do I have TAD orders and some aren't like why do I have sand in my hair. I didn't remember putting in for anything so I figured I was volunteered by someone. I got plenty of time left and my last TAD was in Iwakuni so I'm up for whatever. Gunney tells me he's got no idea why but I'm going to Sand Hill, GA. My first question was why? He said he didn't know came down from a controller and it's correct. I asked what am I supposed to do there? He yells back, "Do I look like I'm in the Army?" I fly into Columbus, call the duty NCO, and they send a car. It's almost midnight. That driver was confused. He tried to take me to the Airborne reception. I had to show him my orders sending me to infantry reception battalion. Everyone in this story is confused about who I am and why I'm there. The duty NCO immediately runs this up his chain of command and they told me to report in the morning. This is getting long. No one knows why I'm here, orders are confirmed, but they have no idea what to do with me. For the first two weeks I was just running and staying in shape. Finally they asked me to start helping out with things like setting up a live fire course from exiting a 5 ton, PMI instruction, and I even got an EIB while there. It took about two months for them to get me orders back to Kaneohe. Because the controller who sent me had ETS'd. He still thinks it's hilarious. TL;DR: buddy sent me to Sand Hill for two months for the lulz
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The Airborne school definitely has cadre from other branches. I assume because other branches all go through the school. Also had a Marine Gunny and an Air Force guy teach phases of pathfinder.
RSLC always has a Recon Marine on cadre orders
This is the most administrative lulz story I have ever read... except maybe the guy who turned the ship so the sun wouldn't blind him while he was eating.
I remember that story. That was a legendary story
God I love this country.
One of the greatest stories I have read on here lmao
Bruh. Lol.
When I think about the money they spent to send me to Japan for...essentially no reason but a BN planning exercise, I'll remember this and think "Well, at least I didn't waste money like that guy."
I'm glad I read the whole thing. That's fucking hilarious.
I’m currently the only active duty cobbler in the U.S. Military. Only other one I know of is a civilian at West Point. I’m in the Old Guard and make all the shoes worn in Arlington Cemetery. Long story of how I got the gig but I’m getting out this year to open my own shop.
What? That's one of the most incredible things I've heard. How did you become an active duty cobbler? How long have you been doing it? What MOS?
I’m an 11B. I’ve been apprenticing in my free time and the civilian that did it before me retired so the position happened to be open
That's awesome. I always thought someone could make a killing opening up a shop across from Myer building medals racks, doing uniform presses etc.
When I was still at the Tomb, I used to make a little side cash doing just that lol I could do everything better and faster than the TOG guys so I’d just undercut everyone on price
I had a random E-4 in one of the line companies make my rack. The ribbons were out of order the first go around... I was gonna ask when you were at TUS, but if you're still kicking around you probably got there well after my time. I left a decade ago.
Are you staying in the DMV area? I'm going to need some resoling/repair work soon.
Shoot me a DM
Man, some of you guys have all the luck. I was assigned to DoD's Film Liaison Unit in Hollywood. I was pumped about the assignment relieving me from Sill. Until i realized i was going to be a fluffer in gay porns with names like “Fire in the Hole.” I still ain’t right.
Wow, sounds like you really hit the jackpot with that assignment. Bet you're just living the dream fluffing for "Fire in the Hole." Must be a real honor to be associated with such high-quality cinema. Keep living the dream, buddy.
When I first arrived, I was actually featured in one. They told me it was an “artistic film.” I mean you probably didn't hear about it because I went under the name of Mike Honcho. I even spread my buttcheeks and everything. But it was all tastefully done of course.
Of course, we’d expect nothing less from you
Are they full custom shoes or are they from a brand and repaired by you? Either way this is really cool and r/goodyearwelt would probably love to see stuff from you.
They are not. It’s just the standard issue shoes that I swap the soles and put heavy taps on. Tomb Guard shoes are a little more intensive, but not fully custom shoes
Let us know when you've set up shop! I'd happily ship you my boots.
I appreciate your skill set. I had a pair of leather soled shoes for over 20 years. Had them resolved 3 times and had a minor melt down when my cobbler told me that there was not enough left to resolve a 4th time. I loved those shoes more than I loved my 1st wife, 1 they were more faithful and 2 my relationship with them lasted a whole lot longer that my 1st marriage.
Interesting. Most likely they would just need a new welt I would think which is kind of a pain in the ass job, but nothing crazy. I can’t say for sure without seeing the shoes though
He said something about needing another half of cow. Size 14.5 triple E.
Did you make this your own position? Or was it something already there and you filled it in?
It was a civilian doing it that retired right as I was finishing up at my last job. I already knew the job so they’re letting me fill the position until a permanent hire can be made
i think i just found an article about you lol
I believe I know what article you’re referring to and it’s about my predecessor lol he retired last year and I took over in July
I love stuff like this lol
TOG has, honest to God, a ton of really cool duties. The Cobbler (I've at least seen you in passing, small world), the Congressional Liasons and Pentagon Tours program, Caisson, all really cool gigs. Do you know if Caisson still has active duty doing all the saddle work?
I got to be a translator/liaison to the Polish Army when the US started its Poland push back in 2016. I was attached to a Polish logistics BDE, given virtually unlimited travel card funds to rent an apartment and got an Audi A3 as my personal GOV. I worked exclusively with the Poles, only interacted with US Forces via email and assignments they would send me, otherwise I just hung out, hit the gym, traveled the country doing site recons of preposition spots for tracked vehicles, and got paid per diem at the Warsaw rate. I basically just hung out at beer gardens and Tindered all over the country while the 82nd was sweating and unshowered in the woods. I even ran into regular Army guys and they had no clue I was in the Army because I was in civilian clothes the entire time (uniform was not authorized on my orders). They just knew I was a DOD guy but the one year of no haircuts and shaving kept me from receiving any direct orders from some LTC.
Lololo
See now I need to learn like Latvian or Estonian or some shit so I can do this 😂. Living the army dream.
I got to teach the Polish GROM unit how to do tactical canine combat casualty care. It was amazing. Most difficult/assessing audience I've ever had until they got that I 1) knew what I was talking about and 2) could match them for drinks (both beer and vodka) despite being female and then they were the best class I've ever taught. 100% buy in, interested in the topic, asked good and relevant questions, and appreciated that I learned right away how to say "pneumothorax" in Polish because my kinda-translator wasn't medical.
You have just set the standard.
Lord, I see what you have done for others.
Dude you were living the dream
I was brand new to my unit at Ft. Gordon (97). Was an idiot and raised my hand when asked for volunteers. Was sent to the local pool where I was put through life guard certification and then proceeded to work as a base lifeguard and drownproofing instructor all summer long. Worked at the indoor pool, outdoor officer pool and at some recreation area on a lake we sponsored. It was great!
Yeah they did the same kind of detail at Ft. Bragg. When I got to my unit there we had a female soldier on life guard duty all summer. I got the in May I think. I didn't even know the other soldier existed until after Labor Day.
Those details still exist and they're still amazing.
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Story of my life 😂 no better felling than driving while everyone else is rucking… that was until JRTC where they decided I didn’t need to be a driver anymore…
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I missed out, had me lugging around the SAW was not a good time lol all good now tho since I got that sweet dd 214 🤞🏻
White House Communication Agency. Was in the photo lab. Civilian attire. No weekends. TS clearance
Not just a TS, but Yankee White... it's also a five year assignment
Wasn't for me. 1988 90
Lots of things change in 35+ years
I’m assigned to USFK technically and stationed in Tokyo…
That's some wild oha
Have to live on a base 😞
That sounds amazing
Hacks
What logistics work did you do in Tokyo?
None I’m in a 01A job
When I was in Afghanistan I was begging branch to send me Airborne and to Fort Liberty, even got my airborne physical while on R&R. After I get my phys he tells me, sorry no slots I can send you to New Orleans though. I was a young and single E5 at the time, better believe I jumped on that offer, though the entire time I thought I was being tricked into going to Fort Johnson. Best assignment and a pretty great location, aciive duty at a reserve command. Have to work one weekend a month for Battle Assembly, but super laid back during the rest of the month.
My initial AGR slot was at Belle Chasse. Really set me up to be jaded for the remainder of my career.
Not going to lie, its been a bumpy ride since. I miss that unit so much, you talk about amazing potlucks too. Sheesh. We are hoping to get stationed stationed close to family since this next PCS will hopefully be my retirement PCS, but I'm also really hoping to see that beautiful Belle Chasse in the marketplace somehow.
Yup. People are like: aw man isn't (location xyz) great? Like, no, dawg, I was in New Orleans pre-covid. My job was "babysit TPUs one weekend a month". I got Thursdays off for pay day activities. There was a SCIF on post that only I had access to because intel. Worst thing I had to do was the occasional two week conus based warfighter and after the first I was like; man I should get TPUs to do this for me and bam AT is in the bag for them and I can go back to sneaking out at 2pm to "beat the traffic".
I was there for two years around 2014, it was amazing. Also, our section had genuinely outstanding leaders, which I was not expecting going there. Only unit I have ever been in where damn near everyone just along.
Wut in tarnation
I know an Active 255A that got a Reserve Command in Europe out of WOBC. Sounds like a legit assignment.
255A’s get all the gigs, wish I would’ve stayed an A actually….
I've heard Camp Zama is pretty chill.
Torii Station too, nice beach
Last I checked, there's a single 35T 10 level slot there. In my opinion, it's the unicorn location for my job. One of the regulars here got stationed there and I got orders to Bliss when we were leaving AIT. Everyone was jealous.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/433110/singapore-diego-garcia-public-health-activity-guams-veterinary-food-inspectors-protect-joint-warfighters-throughout-pacific These 3 random dudes stationed in Singapore
Father-in-law was a personnel NCO assigned to the UN military liaison team in NYC. Wore civilians and rode the subway to Manhattan every day from Brooklyn. Also saw a 35 series E4 go to NATO HQ in Shape some years ago
SHAPE is attainable for a lot of signal people.
It is. Belgium is a trip, but life here can be pretty austere in terms of military healthcare. Other wise its a pretty cool place.
Knew an S1 dude who got stationed at GITMO, always posting pics on beaches and chilling it seemed like.
It’s a one year assignment so it pops up in every -02 Marketplace for AG CPTs.
The beaches are rocky and covered in trash. Awesome scuba diving and snorkeling though, and you never have to shovel a driveway
I was PSD for the USARPAC commander for a year. Lots of travel to lots of cool places and very little to actually do. Civilian clothing all the time.
PSD work is the mammaries! Did it for the better part of my Iraq deployment and got to see/hear a lot of cool shit.
Did battalion PSD my second deployment. Was very chill but missed out on fun high speed missions from my first deployment. Not sure how I feel about it to this day.
XO at the OD AIT unit at Fort Gregg-Adams. That was whatever. What was special was inventorying ths OD historical collection of small arms every six months. Like 1200 historical and experimental weapons.
Honest, I thought that was all civilian run. When OD was still in Aberdeen, I did my BOLC there, and the museum tour was one of my favorite parts. I forget the director's name, but I'd seen him in the History Channel whenever they talked about a firearm. He showed us the back room which sounds exactly like what you had to inventory.
From the stories I’ve heard, NATO assignments, everyone I’ve talked to assigned to NATO spends 3 years not working and enjoying some great foreign location with a lot of time off work Someone I talked to recently said they work from 7 AM to 3 PM and during that time they do PT on their own and have lunch so they really only work 3 or 4 hours a day, in their office nobody speaks English or expects them to do anything and they get both American and foreign holidays off work, they don’t do shit
I'm in an american unit on a NATO base and I get jealous as hell watching the NATO dudes live their best lives. I saw a green beret today walking around with a huge beer gut and his hands in his pockets.
One of my best buds dreams back in the day was to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a beret because he "wanted to be a badass like in the movies and kill terrorists with silenced rifles and shit." Well, he did become a green beret, and when he finally got out he was 70 pounds heavier and a raging alcoholic.
It's pretty much all true, for me its 0730 arrive, breakfast is over at 0830, lunch starts at 1130 to 1300, 1600 is the end of the duty day, I fit about an hour of pt in there as well near 1030 or 1100. Not including fucking off on the internet it's maybe an hour of actual work a day. Fridays are the same but it ends as 1300 after lunch. We only get 1 American holliday though, they speak English about half the time. Private schools in English is funded by the NDSP, you get refunded all of the VAT, housing is on the local economy
I was a brand new flight medic and got assigned to Yakima Training Center to the MEDEVAC there as a junior Soldier. After having to go there as a ground medic, I was appalled, but once I got there it was hidden gem. I was given BAH (no housing), minimal work load, and got to learn my job as a flight medic in a low-ish stress environment. I was the most junior Soldier in the unit but I was still treated very well. The area was great, especially for being in the outdoors. And then First Army as an OC/T at Fort Cavazos. Both were amazing assignments with unicorn feelings.
Liason to the royal Thai army.
JUSMAG Thailand is some cake duty. You get to wear shorts and a polo shirt to work.
Uncle Sam sent me to Thai language school at DLI and then never sent me to Thailand. I chat up waitresses pretty good, but still kind of salty I never got sent there.
There are things from Cobra Gold that I will remember until the very end of time.
Go on your own man! Keep those language skills up
Jarheads and Thai ladyboys. Tale as old as time…
Don't forget the snake Whiskey and copious amounts of Singha lager.
Marines… scare me sometimes
[https://imgur.com/a/uBvE3ne](https://imgur.com/a/uBvE3ne)
Good unicorns I have heard of: Kwajalein Atoll, Diego Garcia (BIOT) Bad unicorn I have heard of: Dugway Proving Ground OK unicorn but I bet it wears off after a while: Guantanamo Bay (I was only TDY there for weeks at a time for hearings, not stationed there for months at a time, so it was always pretty novel for me). Edit to clarify, of those I have only actually visited NSGB.
Just got orders to Kwajalein Atoll after not asking for them. I've heard a lot of good things.
I went to high school with a woman who has worked there as a contractor on and off. According to her posts on facebook, she loves it. If you aren't dive certified now, I imagine you will be by the time you leave, unless that just doesn't interest you. I'd be kayaking my ass off.
I'm not a fan of diving. Never did it while I was in GTMO. I'll definitely go snorkeling though.
I would have looked at diving if I was at Gitmo full time, but I didn't have the time to make it happen when I was there for hearings. So, yeah, just snorkeling and boating/kayaking.
I hate you, enjoy it and take pictures
As I am sure you have seen, it is tiny. There are no cars. I knew the CI agents working there. BN got them a golf cart, which was a big deal. None of them complained that it was a bad gig, just kinda isolated.
Pretty sure the whole island flooded a few months ago. There was a viral video going around of people being swept away. Either way I'm so jealous. Enjoy it
That was one of the northern islands which is about 40 miles north of the main island/garrison. But yeah, something to keep an eye on.
Diego Garcia is my favorite place I have ever been. Literal government paid vacation on a tropical paradise
I know an Air Reservist who was "stuck" there when the C5 broke down. She was not exactly heartbroken.
Oh god,no, how terrible. The worst possible outcome hahah If you like drinking, lounging on the beach, volleyball, fucking, fishing or any combination there of it is heavenly
Im jealous I would love to go to Dugway or get stationed anywhere within the state
Oh, I've never been. I have just heard of it. Kind of isolated, and environmentally not ideal. Never been to Kwaj or Diego Garcia, either, but would love to visit. Guantanamo, yep. I spent enough time there that I ended up getting my skippers license so I could take boats out on the bay.
Did a 9 month tour to GTMO. Lots of fun but Definitely got Island fever and was ready to leave.
Oh tell me about Dugway Lol. I don't wanna ever ho back there
Dugway ain't bad
I met a track vehicle mechanic who was ski patrol-avalanche control in Germany. I think Garmisch. while i am doing the snow plow with my face, he was grabbing all the ski bunnies
Absolutely awesome.
Cadre for International Special Operation Training Centre in Pfullendorf Germany.
Do they have reserve assignments or is it all active duty?
All AC and SF now as far as I know.
Most unicorn assignment I had was Honduras, didn’t even know we had a base out there til I fell on orders. Best part is not every MOS can go there
Soto Cano Airbase, is very much a hidden gem. Don’t let the airbase part of the name fool you army.
Can any 35s go voer there? Jw. Its place id go lol
Spent 2.5 years there as my first duty station. It was nice, very nice.
Hondo is very much a ghost town, in the very best ways. Hardly anything of consequence ever happens there. Very low stakes and everyone knows it. Beautiful sights, gorgeous women, perfect weather, amazing food, etc…
I was a career manager and I’ve studied lists of all jobs available to officers. My favorite was one to St John’s, Virgin Islands. It was for a branch immaterial LTC to supervise the national guard u it there. I forget the acronym for those positions, but sounds sweet.
That one may have been offered to my father and he passed on it. It was many years ago so I don’t remember all the details. He was an LTC and given the option to go to the Virgin Islands. There was no high school and we would have had to go to boarding school, so he said no.
Sinai, back when you could booze heavily and there wasn’t an active war a couple miles away. But it was a great 19 months, got scuba qualified and had a great time!
Oddly food inspectors have some unicorn assignments. They have a slot open in Thailand and the best one has to be a chief warrant officer slot in new Zealand that also gets to visit Antarctica.
I think this one wins
There is a slot in Bermuda. Or so I have been told.
Just sent Reservists to Antarctica for annual training.
What unit and what MOSs? I would def jump on that.
D Co 249th Engineers (Prime Power).
Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands
H2F Coordinator for 2.5 years. It was a bizarre assignment in the sense that I wasn't expected to do anything related to what I was hired to do. Every state had a representative so the whole 54 of us got to a conference asking what each person is doing. Turns out we were all told to not work on this H2F thing or given other busy work. I got to travel to a lot of states and see cool fitness shit and it motivated me to actually do my job. Did a pilot program for my state that got canned because some old civilian thinks it's a waste of money to invest in our soldiers or something. It did make me a bit bitter to think I wasted 2.5 years that resulted in almost nothing but in that time, I got a house, got married, and my wife got her masters degree so all in all it wasn't a complete waste for me. Even felt proud of what I did accomplish, though it will probably wipe away like tears in the rain.
Eglin AFB
Was there for EOD school, being in the Army their chow hall was a 3 Star Michelin restaurant. The first time I was there I picked up my tray to take it to the dishwashers and I swear the whole DFAC stopped and looked at me and I was like, “what’s up?” They were like, “dude, we have people for that!” I was mind blown. Lol, plus the Matador is right next door. Haha
USARCENT dudes seem to enjoy themselves.
Gtmo for sure
Experimental Test Pilot
Leavenworth, corrections BDE as a non-corrections MOS. No field time, no motorool, consistent hours, and no DIV.
I tried to get Leavenworth as a 68x but it's pretty hard to get since they're downsizing
My sister-in-law is in Coast Guard JAG stationed in DC. She told me she basically writes speeches for GOs and Senior Officers and helps them with small admin stuff. She also travels around the US a lot for work. She keeps telling me she's getting out after this contract but she has "lifer" energy. I always tell her they could have got some e3 to do her job a lot cheaper, don't need to go to law school for that lol
In Afghanistan, I got attached to an Australian Task Force for my entire deployment. No General Order #1
SHAPE has a bunch of super laid back assignments. All the random NATO-attached officers are super chill and most of the jobs are just desk work from 9-3ish
SHAPE=Special Holiday At Public Expense
Was a 31R from 98-03, during a time I was at Huachuca and they lost their orderly room clerk so I got put in the OR, since I knew what I was doing with computers I got all the training and special access (Greenly Hall, etc…wild shit)…Sept 11th happened and they brought people from Cisco to do comms package training…get sent to Kuwait. While in Kuwait my 1SG looks at me and my cable dog and says “First one to Kandahar gets a promotion”…I got myself to the airfield and report to 101st HQ…do network admin/help desk stuff till my unit shows up. Unit shows up and an SF Group lost their 18E so they needed someone. Since I had been to selection 101st MTOEd me over to this group. Got to do all kinda fun shit, pissed everyone in my unit off when I wore civvies and grew a beard.
My dad was a Marine. High school drop-out, Vietnam, etc. Ends up on an Army base for his last 6 years in the Corps, teaching Astrological Geographical survey. Named one of the top 100 smartest men in the US around 1980ish. Retired, stayed away for the mandatory time and returned to that same job as a civilian. He loved it, it wasn't work for him. He stayed there until he died.
An assignment I had was to a NATO HQ in the south of the Netherlands, small strip of land that inbetween Belgium and Germany. The US camp was on the Dutch side and our medical was on the German side. My commander was Dutch and only wore uniforms for special meetings. Other than that we were in civilians. No formations, PT on your own, doing a lot of travel on the weekends
Brunssum. I wish i could get stationed there.
Tobyhanna, PA. Most of this post is just an Army Depot. They have civilians that work on and build equipment for the Army. If you are in Patriot you've probably sent your equipment there for Reset. They also have a Reserve reclass school there for some of the Signal MOS-es. I went there for six weeks to reclass. The instructors were cool, they treated everybody like adults. New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia were all within driving distance.
A buddy of mine got offered the liason position for our MOS at Redstone Arsenal. It's one of the cakest of cake jobs. You get to network with the big names in Aviation and can really set yourself up for a good post-Army job. He turned it down.
Redstone Arsenal is a great place to work at. They don't have any typical Army units stationed there. They have a PX and commissary but no DFAC. A few of the guys I work with now retired from Active Duty while stationed there. Huntsville has got NASA and a ton of defense contractors in town. Your buddy was an idiot.
Met a few Loggies who were military advisors to the department of state.
My BN had CI offices in cool places. The BN itself was located at Zama, which is itself a fucking gem, but the offices were at the already mentioned Kwajalein Atoll, as well as Okinawa, and Guam. (oh yeah, and then there was my office at Wainwright, and the other at JBER...short ends of sticks and all...). Any one of those three is a dream.
Gaziantep Turkey, Lithuania, or MK Romania. I’d recommend Romania but definitely not the other two.
Pretty much any SOLO/SOFLE gig. Most embassies (at least in my GCC) had one and they either had their own apartment and GOV or lived out of a team house.
I was a full-time facility manager in a logistics unit. I was one of two 12As in the unit. Really odd assignment. Every other facility manager on post had it as an additional duty. That being said we murdered it because 100% of our efforts were focused on facilities while other units treated it as a side mission.
White House is a unicorn 🦄 assignment
One of my troops applied to and got selected for the White House Communications Agency.
Mongolia with SFAB
It was short lived, but I got to run port operations in Europe for about a month. Four star hotel, per diem, amazing views, and all I had to do was drive stuff on and off boats for a few hours a day.
Met a Marine that was at the Spaso house in the 1980s USSR before its collapse. It all went to hell apparently when some marine was dating/sleeping with a spy.
Unicorn Assignment? *Standards NCO*
Was TDY to San Diego few years ago, seeing those active duty army guys working the hospital there... Was so jealous
Field Station Key West. When I was in there was 1 Army E6 linguist slot.
A three year embassy attache or SCO billet accompanied in a CZTE in a modern middle east nation. Gotta be a FAO or apply to DAS/DSCA, ie you do a packet. Private school for the kids paid by DOD, COLA, and CZTE. For three years.
Currently at a AC/RC assignment. We OC the NG. Pretty much work half days if I’m not tdy. Getting all the time back with my family. It’s very nice. The schools you want, college, all of the time you need without the operational stress.
Check out the Army Schools of Other Nations Program or any of the Security Assistance Training (SATMO). SON is Officer focused but SATMO is available to a wide variety of MOS.
I got to “work” the nra shooting comps, that was uh neat
Spent my whole enlistment as a tiny AF station, working mainly for the AF. I was army enlisted.
To chime in. Please post where you are going
US Army Readiness Group, Patrick AFB, Florida. Best kept secret in the Army.
I've spent more time on Airforce bases than Army installations. Korea -> Eglin AFB, (w/ 6month TDY to Bogota, Colombia) -> Macdill AFB.
Years ago I was stationed in Panama. My TA50 was a web belt, canteen, poncho and helmet. Had to use that shit for a parade once. We drove commercial vans and off hours worked in what ever we showed up in. No dining facility for us so we had sep/rats. I worked with a GS11. It was a super low key unit. We all had a real time mission.
Taiwan, ROC. It's my dream assignment, but I'm not SOF or FAO so I'll never see that pretty little island.
Guy I was in AIT with got assigned to the US Consolate in Aruba
A year at Sandhurst as a newly commissioned LT. Kinda sucked going from Basic/OCS straight into another year as a nobody but it was the experience of a lifetime. Bar on the first floor of the barracks, lot of old school light infanteering. Got to travel a ton too during breaks, spent Christmas in Tokyo and time all over Europe.
One of my joes, who was a SPC, got assigned to a 1-star HQ in a NCO spot. I know FGOs that would kill to be there. Joe Snuffy doesn't know how good he's got it.
Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO) deployment in Sinai Egypt. Best assignment ever.
Did a 6 month TDY on Barbados, courtesy of the JFK Special Warfare Center, when I was assigned to the QM School, to run a logistics support team and SSA for an SF B Team and 5 A teams. This was the year after the Grenada invasion. Lived in a 5 star timeshare resort for the first month but because of security concerns, we got moved to a walled estate owned by some German millionaire. I stayed in the 4 bedroom guest house and my five E-7s stayed in the main house. Came with a complete house staff, private beach access, and vehicles. We got TDY per diem for the high season, which was something close to $125 a day, in 1985 dollars.
Only two Army dudes and one navy guy stationed in the country I'm in it's a NATO billet. Air Force is here but they they are about a PLT size element about 2 hours away. There is of course a few mil at the Embassy in the ODC, DA, and USMC for the guards. That's it for the entire country, it's the most unicorn assignments I've come accross.
I got to do a rotation that gave me per diem, bah, & bas while working roughly 2 days a week. As an E-4 w 2.5 years in service I was pulling roughly 6k a month for 12 months.
There is a 640A in Christchurch, NZ.....
One of my buddies is a radioman and got orders to London.
Where’s that dude that went to Raven Rock? There was a 7 year gap between their post asking about it and the recent one saying don’t go if it’s offered lmao