Military Service Thread

[Loudram]

Looking around I haven't seen a military thread so I'll start one.

If you're a veteran or active duty post it up. And yes I expect some good natured ribbing. For those who don't get it, as a vet we've earned the right to give each other a hard time in good fun because we all understand we're brothers .

To those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.

P. McCree Thornton



US Navy '88-'94 IC2/E-5
USS McCandless FF-1084
USS Saratoga CV-60

 

[Loudram]

 

[Belvedere]

Not a vet, but much respect.

Thank you for my freedom!

 

[lawmann8]

What's up brother of the 7 seas? Just found your military thread and thank you for posting it. US Army 83-90, Ft. knox, Ft. Polk and Germany.

 

[Loudram]

Nice pics brother.

Here's our tribute wall. I'm bottom center. As your looking at it lower left is my dad (Vietnam) lower right is my father in law (Korea) upper right is my grandfather (WW2) upper left is my grandfather in law (WW1).

 

[lawmann8]

Wow! Awesome tribute wall showing you and your family's valuable contribution to our Nation's defense. I thank you and your family for a lifetime of military service.

 

[sone]

Man I get grief when I mention I was in the USAF by other branches… ribbed about me staying in “Dormitories” instead of “barracks”, ate at fancy “Dining Facilities“ instead of “chow halls” and “MRE’s”. The Marines used to have a commercial snidely reminding people how much they do in the mornings before the world wakes up. Airmen just laugh it off saying Yea but the AF have to get up, do things even earlier to fly their butts all over the world.

Thank you all for your military services!

 

[lawmann8]

. So true brother. I had the opportunity in 1984 while serving at Ft Polk, LA to go TDY to an Air Base for 4 weeks conducting air load mission for my Army unit, and man, I tell you, it was amazing how comfortable and spacious the dorm rooms were and when you say eloquent dining, our minds were blown away! I never would have thought that a military dining hall would serve shrimp, crab and lobster every Friday. This doesn’t include the steak, fish and other delicious food that was served there daily. If I was younger, I would enlist just for the food🥹

 

[Svt40]

View attachment 153265

That was literally what I did in the Navy. See my avatar. I was an SH-60B aviation electronics tech.
US Navy 89-09. AT1(AW) retired.
HSL-42
HSL-44
HSL-46
NAMTRAGRUDET Mayport
NAS Key West SAR
CG60 USS Normandy
CG71 Cape St George
FFG29 USS Stephen W Groves
FFG32 John L Hall
FFG36 USS Underwood
FFG47 USS Nicholas

Typical day aboard a Frigate in the North Atlantic. USS Nicholas.

USS Underwood Iraqi Freedom

USS Normandy Desert Storm

 

[lawmann8]

Wow! You have served aboard many ships and looks like some times during rough seas. I’m not a water guy, except for drinking, and I could not even imagine being out there in all that water

 

[Loudram]

That was literally what I did in the Navy. See my avatar. I was an SH-60B aviation electronics tech.
US Navy 89-09. AT1(AW) retired.
HSL-42
HSL-44
HSL-46
NAMTRAGRUDET Mayport
NAS Key West SAR
CG60 USS Normandy
CG71 Cape St George
FFG29 USS Stephen W Groves
FFG32 John L Hall
FFG36 USS Underwood
FFG47 USS Nicholas

Typical day aboard a Frigate in the North Atlantic.

The McCandless was the same way that's why I love that pic.

 

[Svt40]

Wow! You have served aboard many ships and looks like some times during rough seas. I’m not a water guy, except for drinking, and I could not even imagine being out there in all that water

I was in helicopter squadrons. We deployed on whatever ship they needed us on. So I got to spend some time on a lot of them. The USS Normandy and the USS Underwood were the best of the bunch by far. We were on the Normandy for Desert Storm and the Bosnian war. We were on the Underwood when 9/11 went down and we actually deployed that very day to New York city.

Here is the George Washington sitting off NYC. You can still see the smoke from the twin towers in the background.

 

[Svt40]

The McCandless was the same way that's why I love that pic.

Were you still on the Sara when the Kennedy was going to replace her? That Mayport traffic sucked bad for a year with both carriers in port!!

 

[theblet]

Thank you for your service militarily folks!

 

[Loudram]

Were you still on the Sara when the Kennedy was going to replace her? That Mayport traffic sucked bad for a year with both carriers in port!!

I was on her from '92 to '94. Mayport couldn't handle that much. There was a second carrier there when I arrived onboard but for the life of me I can't remember which one. I know the Forrestal had just left and it was soon to be decommissioned. Two years later is was the Saratoga's turn.

 

[HSKR R/T]

AT1(AW) RET
95-15
AIMD Lemoore 96-02
HS-4 03-06
NRD Minneapolis 07-10
VFA-14 11-15
Did some time in every west coast carrier during my time. First deployment was the Nimitz world cruise to bring her to Norfolk for RCOH. Also made Reagan's maiden deployment.

 

[HSKR R/T]

 

[Geddyflea]

Thanks Loudram for starting this thread!
It is absolutely awesome seeing everyones pics and reading your stories!

MANY thanks to all of you and for what you have done / are doing.

 

[CLECSoft]

Looking around I haven't seen a military thread so I'll start one.

If you're a veteran or active duty post it up. And yes I expect some good natured ribbing. For those who don't get it, as a vet we've earned the right to give each other a hard time in good fun because we all understand we're brothers .


P. McCree Thornton



US Navy '88-'94 IC2/E-5
USS McCandless FF-1084
USS Saratoga CV-60

Auxiaryman mechanic on USS Bergall SSN667 1980-84

 

[Rock Crawler]

Thank you for your service and providing us with the freedom that we all enjoy. Much respect!
I have never served in the military myself, but our dog has and I’d like to show him some props.

Retired MWD Messi W459
Dual Purpose PEDD
Connecticut National Guard
Iraq Deployment
Many U.S. Secret Service Missions

Current Mission: Kong killer / Couch potato