Military Career

I enlisted in the Army in 1984 at the age of 17. After basic training and AIT at Ft.Sill, Oklahoma, I went to Ft.Benning, Georgia, for Airborne Training. I arrived at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, on December 28, 1984, and remained there until April, 1988.

While in Italy, I was assigned to Delta Battery, 4th (and later 3rd ) Battalion of the 325th Infantry Regiment, Airborne Battalion Combat Team (ABCT). Later (~late 1987), we were re-designated Delta Battery, 319th FA, attached to the 3/325. And, last I heard, the 325th had swapped assignments with the 509th. At the time, it was the only remaining Combat Team in the Army – a self-sufficient battalion-sized unit with its own artillery and mortar support, 3 line companies, its own supply, medical, and mechanical support, and because it was an airborne unit, its own parachute riggers.  The ABCT is part of a multi-national NATO rapid deployment force, called the AMF(L), for Allied Command Europe Mobile Forces, Land element (there is also an AMF Air element). We always flew out of Aviano Air Base, which is home to a squadron of F-16s which took part in the Persian Gulf War and in the bombings in Kosovo.

I enjoyed my time there – I applied twice for extensions of duty to remain for my entire enlistment. While there, I participated in 4 AMF exercises (Portugal,
1985; Turkey, 1986, 1988; England, 1987), 9 FTXs in Germany, 4 Mountain Cold Weather training exercises, and 2 foreign exchanges. 
The first exchange I took part in was in Belgium in Spring, 1986. 

About 100 of us went to the Citadel in Diest to train with the II Parachute Battalion, which also happens to be a ‘commando’ unit. We went through the equivalent of ‘finals week’ – we did cliff scaling and repelling, went through the combat assault course qualification tests (including getting run over and dragged by a tank – it doesn’t hurt if you do it correctly*), did a river boat assault, and, on the last day, went to do parachuting from observation balloons. Unfortunately, the winds were very high and only about half of the group got to jump – I was lucky to be one of them.

*This comment has generated some discussion, probably due to the ambiguity of it.  You are not run over by the tracks, rather, you allow the tank to 'hit' you, and you fall backwards (from a squatting position) and slip between the tracks.

Waiting for the wind to die down enough to jump from a little basket slung under the observation balloon… The drop zone is in Schaffen, Belgium.

The ‘basket’ under the balloon – holds 5 jumpers and a jump master….somehow...

Getting dragged after the balloon jump. Belgian parachutes, at the time, lacked quick-releases…

In Fall, 1986, I went to Bulford, England, to train with the British Army’s elite 1st Parachute regiment. The weather was much nicer there, and I ended up twice jumping from observation balloons and once from a Wessex Mark IV helicopter to earn British Parachute Wings.

Shooting a Sterling submachine gun.

Me (center) with Sgt. William Hunt (left) and John Butzer after running the obstacle course in England.

Me (center) with Phil Ide (right) and a wise-cracking British JROTC-equivalent cadet corporal.

A ‘popping’ chute after a balloon jump.

Running the “Trainasium” in British Airborne School. That was worse than the balloon jumps!

Also while in Italy, I attended the USAREUR (US Army Europe) Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare School and became the battery’s assistant NBC NCO. As such, among other things, I got to run the twice-yearly Mask Confidence course, which consisted of, essentially, running soldiers though a series of physical and mental exercises in the gas chamber.

I was promoted ahead of my peers, and in late 1987 I became a corporal after passing the NCO promotion board, for which I needed both time in service and time in grade waivers from my battery commander. In December, 1987, I was promoted to sergeant, at the time I was the youngest (20) NCO in the entire battalion.

In early 1988, the Gramm-Rudman budget cuts went into effect, and the military loving Republican congress and president (Ronald “I don’t recall that”
Reagan…) gave soldiers a tough choice – re-enlist for a minimum of 3 more years or be discharged 3 months early. I had never planned to make a career of the military, and so opted for the early-out. 

I had been enjoying civilian life for nearly a year when an in-service recruiter came to my apartment and talked me into going active (reserve). I was allowed to keep my rank, and I became the gunner of an eight-inch self-propelled howitzer for which I had never been trained. Disillusioned by the lack of discipline and BORING FTXs, I did not re-enlist when my commitment was up. In 1990, my obligation to the Army was fulfilled.

I have absolutely no regrets about serving, and would encourage anyone to do so, providing they do so for the right reasons and in the right circumstances.  In my experience, you never make the same type of friends anywhere else that you do in the military. I have kept in contact with several of my old army buddies, and was even in the wedding of one of them. Those friendships alone can be reason enough to enlist.

DECORATIONS

Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
Good Conduct Medal
Army Achievement Medal
U.S. Army Parachute Wings
Expert Marksman: M-60 Machine Gun; M-16 Rifle; Grenade

Foreign 
British Army Parachute wings
Certificate of Completion, Belgian Para-Commando Assault Course 

AWARDS

Note of Commendation, Supernumerary of the Guard, 1985
Certificate of Achievement, 1986 Cold Weather Training
Assistant Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical NCO, 1986-88
Certificate of Achievement for successfully taking all five CLEP general exams

Miscellaneous Pictures

Shoulder firing an M-60 machine gun.

Sling-loading a 105mm howitzer beneath a Blackhawk.

Waiting to board a C-130 bound for Turkey.

A British Puma coming in to pick up a howitzer and crew. Portugal, 1985.

I (kneeling) anchored the Battery’s tug-o-war team at the 1987 AMF(L) in England. We got slaughtered due to a last minute rule change – we were originally told that the teams would be determined by total weight. We figured the more legs, the better, so went for a bunch of smaller guys (and me). The morning of the competition, we were informed that the teams would be limited by number of members, not weight. Six little guys and me were no match for 7 huge guys…. Oh well….

A “mass tac” (mass tactical) drop. Forgey DZ, Italy.

Forgey DZ from the air. Same DZ, different day… plus a finger...