15 Year Anniversary!

Today marks 15 years of civilian life after serving 4 years in the Air Force and many tours in the gulf. On this day 15 years ago I was set free, driving a 78 Buick Skylark with my giant guitar speaker cabinet on the roof and all my stuff packed around me like a sardine. I barely had enough room to drive but could remember that feeling of freedom. But, what would I do now, I can't very well go blowing things up and shooting people. Hmmmm! Time will tell.

Life has giving me so many opportunities adventures since then. I can think of so many skills and attributes the military instilled in me and see everyday how that training and thought process comes out in my every day routine.

Well anyway, I'll stop babbling but just though I would share my cool feeling of 15 years since my service. Peace everyone!:thumb:
 
Thanks Edge, I have really taken the time today to sit back and think about my last 15 years and of course like anyone else I imagine, there are regrets and things you wish you would have done a little different. Overall though, life has handed me a big bowl of cherries and someone already removed just about all the pits. One thing I would never take back though is my service time in the military. If it was not for that, I would probably be some meth addict hillbilly like just about everyone else I grew up with in my small town. Sooo glad I left and made that choice. It seriously changed my life.
 
Thank you for the protection and pride your country! :USA: It is greatly appriciated. Were you ever at the San Deagio naval base? My dad used to work there as a podiatrist for 8 months 20 some years ago.
 
Based on todays youth as a model I always thought it was a good idea for everyone over the age of 19 to have had atleast 2 years in the military service.... 90% of the other countries do it in this world why cant we.

Thank you for your service Rock Monster :hail: :rocker: :thumb:
 

James

Staff member
:USA: Thanks for your service. :thumb:

I realize that this is usually a touchy subject, but do you have a stories you can share?
 
:USA: Thanks for your service. :thumb:

I realize that this is usually a touchy subject, but do you have a stories you can share?

I have a lot of stories James, regretfully a lot of them would turn your stomach.

One of the craziest non combat things I ever saw was on the flightline in Las Vegas. I was assisting and being trained on an F-4G Phantom Ejection Seat explosive removal. I was sitting on the left intake watching and handing over tools when all the sudden we hear this loud explosion. I look over and the Ejection Seat from the plane two planes away from us had gone off with the crew chief in the seat. It launched him through the glass canopy and about as high and the big lights on the flightline (150') Since he was not attached to the seat he fell the remaining space to the ground and landed on his head. It made the loudest crack sound as it split his skull. The seat landed 5' from me on the left wing of the plane I was working on with parachute deployed. He landed at the base of our work stand so I was the first one to respond. It was scary. His head was split open and he was lying in a pool of blood damn near the size of himself. I checked for a pulse but there was none. The emt's showed up very quick and took the body away. He was a crew chief who was changning the battery on the plane and did not disconnect the power. When he disconnected the battery cables, they arced the rocket motor on the bottom of the seat. It's very sad but was his fault as he did not follow procedure. I was debriefed and sent to counceling for two sessions to make sure I was not tramatized by the incident.

I know a little graphic but most of my stories from the military are. I'll try and think of some happier ones but I felt like this is what you were looking for when you said touchy subject.
 
I have a lot of stories James, regretfully a lot of them would turn your stomach.

One of the craziest non combat things I ever saw was on the flightline in Las Vegas. I was assisting and being trained on an F-4G Phantom Ejection Seat explosive removal. I was sitting on the left intake watching and handing over tools when all the sudden we hear this loud explosion. I look over and the Ejection Seat from the plane two planes away from us had gone off with the crew chief in the seat. It launched him through the glass canopy and about as high and the big lights on the flightline (150') Since he was not attached to the seat he fell the remaining space to the ground and landed on his head. It made the loudest crack sound as it split his skull. The seat landed 5' from me on the left wing of the plane I was working on with parachute deployed. He landed at the base of our work stand so I was the first one to respond. It was scary. His head was split open and he was lying in a pool of blood damn near the size of himself. I checked for a pulse but there was none. The emt's showed up very quick and took the body away. He was a crew chief who was changning the battery on the plane and did not disconnect the power. When he disconnected the battery cables, they arced the rocket motor on the bottom of the seat. It's very sad but was his fault as he did not follow procedure. I was debriefed and sent to counceling for two sessions to make sure I was not tramatized by the incident.

I know a little graphic but most of my stories from the military are. I'll try and think of some happier ones but I felt like this is what you were looking for when you said touchy subject.

Having tons of friends in the service, they hardly ever have any happy stories... I would say 85% end in tragedy.. the rest are either someone got laid or so drunk they put them on a jump seat in a cargo plane and shipped them to the otherside of the world.... :smirk:
 
Having tons of friends in the service, they hardly ever have any happy stories... I would say 85% end in tragedy.. the rest are either someone got laid or so drunk they put them on a jump seat in a cargo plane and shipped them to the otherside of the world.... :smirk:

most the guys i know who were in IRAQ dont like to tell stories period... they will but you can see it in their eye that they have seen some shit that bothers them. I dont ever ask those guys about story's
 
most the guys i know who were in IRAQ dont like to tell stories period... they will but you can see it in their eye that they have seen some shit that bothers them. I dont ever ask those guys about story's



The longer the years go by the more I can talk about. The hardest part is watching the horrific look on peoples faces when I tell them things. That's when I realize I told the wrong person. You can't judge a combat soldier for what he has done until you have walked a mile in his shoes and seen the things he has seen. I do have a good story I'll share in my next post about a beautiful Turkish radio station DJ that I spent some time with in Turkey. She was awesome!
 
The longer the years go by the more I can talk about. The hardest part is watching the horrific look on peoples faces when I tell them things. That's when I realize I told the wrong person. You can't judge a combat soldier for what he has done until you have walked a mile in his shoes and seen the things he has seen. I do have a good story I'll share in my next post about a beautiful Turkish radio station DJ that I spent some time with in Turkey. She was awesome!

May have been Turkey, but I bet it tasted like chicken. :smirk:

And thanks for your service, 15 years ago my wife was preg with number 6. Dam he rides good.
 
Thanks for serving Rock:thumb: Now about that Buick Skylark...did you try and pretend it was a Chevelle?:smirk: I think the military instills what so many are lacking these days. When I worked for Fleshwound Films I would load up boxes of goodies to send to Iraq in addition to what they ordered. Those guys were jonsin to ride their bikes! A couple wrote me back polite thank you notes. A couple even gave me pics of them watching the movies, decorating their missles/bombs with Crusty Demon stickers and putting up posters in their bunkers. I also received a group shot of one batallion in front of their bunker. I had NEVER had a thank you note from ANY riders I worked with or sent stuff to. THAT is some of what I think the military instills. Value on life and the little things.:thumb:
 
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