Army Navy, Airforce, Marines

[MBDiagMan]

18 hours ago, HRM said:

CPT, USA ADA, Missile Systems Officer (1975-1979 active).

Which missile system?  That picture reminds me of the "fistful of "stuff"".

[HRM]

50 minutes ago, MBDiagMan said:

Which missile system?

Homing All-the-Way Killer--HAWK (Improved)

I also trained on Patriot, but spent all my time with HAWK in the FRG. Good times.

That photo is of a 3D 'Oozlefinch', the the unofficial historic mascot of the ADA. The Oozlefinch is portrayed as a featherless bird that flies backwards (at supersonic speeds) and carries weapons of the Air Defense and Coast Artillery, most often a Nike-Hercules Missile. A guy on Facebook is selling the figurines.

My dad, who was Nike-Herc, received a certificate naming him an "Apprentice Oozlefinchling" when he finished training. I have it now--neat thing is that it has my name on it. I think I was just a twinkle in his eye when he got the cert 

[MBDiagMan]

13 hours ago, HRM said:

Homing All-the-Way Killer--HAWK (Improved)

I also trained on Patriot, but spent all my time with HAWK in the FRG. Good times.

That photo is of a 3D 'Oozlefinch', the the unofficial historic mascot of the ADA. The Oozlefinch is portrayed as a featherless bird that flies backwards (at supersonic speeds) and carries weapons of the Air Defense and Coast Artillery, most often a Nike-Hercules Missile. A guy on Facebook is selling the figurines.

My dad, who was Nike-Herc, received a certificate naming him an "Apprentice Oozlefinchling" when he finished training. I have it now--neat thing is that it has my name on it. I think I was just a twinkle in his eye when he got the cert 

Good stuff!

I trained as 24U20 Missile Launcher Repairman for the Herc system.  Went to Germany 32nd AADCOM, 3rd 71st, D Battery, Pforzheim, Germany.  After a year there I came down on a levee to go to a HAWK battalion in Hanau, Fermany at Fliegerhorst.  I OJT'd to 24F20 Fire Control Repairman which included the PAR, ROR and BCC.  Served as Fire Control Chief for a time.  We went to battle stations several times a day in the Spring of 1971 and the F 4's went over the top of us going from Rhein Main to the border to escort the MIG's home.  Exciting stuff. 

I had forgotten about the Oozlefinch.  They never made. Big deal about that with us.

[HRM]

2 hours ago, MBDiagMan said:

Good stuff!

I trained as 24U20 Missile Launcher Repairman for the Herc system.  Went to Germany 32nd AADCOM, 3rd 71st, D Battery, Pforzheim, Germany.  After a year there I came down on a levee to go to a HAWK battalion in Hanau, Fermany at Fliegerhorst.  I OJT'd to 24F20 Fire Control Repairman which included the PAR, ROR and BCC.  Served as Fire Control Chief for a time.  We went to battle stations several times a day in the Spring of 1971 and the F 4's went over the top of us going from Rhein Main to the border to escort the MIG's home.  Exciting stuff. 

I had forgotten about the Oozlefinch.  They never made. Big deal about that with us.

Yep, the Oozlefinch stuff had faded into ADA history by the time I got to Bliss in 1975. I asked people about it then and not many knew about it.

I was at A-3/7 ADA in Schweinfurt and spent many a night sitting on 18 missiles that within twenty minutes could be fully armed by my crew at my command. I found it somewhat unnerving, but exhilarating, that a twenty-something lieutenant could wield such power. I actually didn't need the crew, from the ready state, which we were in most of the time, I could arm the missiles and then use the tactical computer to detect and lock on targets.

Now I worry about twenty-something lieutenants flying high-performance military jets while I am crossing through the northern Florida MOAs 

[MBDiagMan]

In HAWK, I was in A 6/59.  We were a show battery, but styed in high status because we could keep the PAR going.  The stabilitron had to be kept tuned all the time or it wouldn't last long at all.  Depot was low on stock and a contract was being let to build more.  Since we had proven that we could make one last a long time, they would let us have one when we needed it.  Our reward this good work was staying in hot status most of the time.

We were close to Rhein Main and ended up giving site tours to VIP's, often on short notice.  I had spi shined boots and starched fatigues at the ready at all times.  I gave presentations to numerous pilots, mostly RAF as well as to an Air Force General.  I have 8 x10's given to me by the battalion photographer.  I was giving a presentation on the ROR to the General with a passel of Army bird colonels kissing up.

Even though I wasn't an officer I took it seriously and had massive responsibility as an E5 in an E7 slot as a 21 year old.

[Mooneymite]

I flew a Navy quadrasaurus two tours..... I got an L-188 type rating, whatever that is....

A B-727 can do 350 Kts at sea level.  The P-3 is barber-poled at 407 indicated at sea level.  At 200' it seemed pretty fast.

[Andy95W]

Go Army, Beat Navy!

[Hank]

7 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

Go Army, Beat Navy!

Sorry. It's 14-7 at the half, Navy.

--Son of retired Marine

P.S.--I'm not sure which stat is most surprising, that Navy is 9-2 or that they are ranked! (#23)

P.P.S.--my Father in law retired from the Army . . .

[orionflt]

Go Navy 

[aviatoreb]

I never wore the uniform but I did teach as a civilian asst professor of mathematics for two years at West Point (Go Army!  Beat Navy!) then followed immediately by 5 years as asst professor then associate professor with tenure at the Naval Academy in Annapolis (Go Navy! Beat Army!). Who do I root for?  You can call me fickle when it comes to football.  But I’m not fickle... Go USA!

Edited December 15, 2019 by aviatoreb

[aviatoreb]

On 9/19/2016 at 11:17 AM, M016576 said:

Navy- 1997-2011

USAF (ANG) 2011-present

Go Navy, Beat Army!

Air Force?!  Wasn’t that just the Army Air Corps? :-)

[DXB]

Just saw this thread. It's actually kinda remarkable that >2/3 of voting Mooney aficionados served in the military!  Even with some likely selection bias for people who served chosing to vote in the survey, it could easily be >50% in real life.  It's a regret of mine to have not served - I'm kinda envious, but also proud to be in such company.  Thank you all for your service!!

[Andy95W]

Army 7, Navy 31

Oh, well.  It's still better than losing to Air Force!  

[daytonabch04]

Active duty Army here. Stationed in KY. 14 years down, 6 more to go. 
 

Unfortunately, we couldn’t squeak out a win today. 

[EagleDriver]

USAF 1995-2018; aircraft maintenance, then enlisted aircrew, retired from F-15 test.  They ran out of jobs, so I left.   I miss the jet, always will.  757 isn’t cutting it, so I now need a Mooney, a super decathlon, and a carbon cub on floats.  

[Mufflerbearing]

I regret not serving myself, but proud of my father who served in the Army and now my son serving in the USAF.  We all enjoy freedoms because of the high cost of freedom paid by our brothers and sisters.  I cannot express my thanks adequately but by being the kind of citizen that is worth fighting for.

[Ned Gravel]

Mufflerbearing:

Thank you for the kind words and I wish you success in living up to your own expectations.  I can tell that you are probably the kind of person you wish to be.  

I will also tell you that those of us who served will not (mostly) judge our own citizens as being worthy or not of the individual and collective effort of our folks in uniform.  All are worthy - and we tend to not differentiate.  In a democracy we trust you to elect the civilians that provide our leadership and oversight.  We serve whomever you elected and we will not ever attempt to change that.  If we did, it would no longer be a democracy.  I have seen all sides of this proposition in service around the world - in uniform and out of it.  I like how we do it better than the way it is done using other approaches.  

If I were to have one request for you - it would be to help maintain that approach from within.  We look to the outside and face those challenges.  That is what we signed up for.  But we look to you to keep the democratic process alive from within.  We cannot get involved, other than to cast our vote (a small percentage of the overall electorate) because the use of military force ("extension of government policy by other means") does not bode well for the maintenance of a democracy.  We have all seen the stories of how it goes in other nations and I have seen some of that first hand.

I will not attempt to influence how you vote or for whom to vote.  I served, so I remain apolitical, and I will not get involved in politics.  But if you are committed to the maintenance of the democracies (I am from Canada) we serve, then I am sure you will do whatever is best for you, for your family and for your nation.

In paraphrasing an old saw "they also serve who stand and wait" (in reference to the loved ones we left behind at home), I will say to you "they also serve who stand and vote."

Thank you for your service.