How many military bubbas here?

[davedove]

I auditioned for the US Coast Guard Band; but didn't win the auditionand my ashma would have washed me out anyway. My father was in the Army (drafted during the Berlin Wall) and my Uncle in the Navy. A more intresting story was my Grandfather- he was too young for WWI but too old for WWII

Mar sin Leibth

darren

My brother is currently in the Army band as a percussionist. He has most recently been teaching at the joint music school in Norfolk, but is about to be transferred. He's headed to Ft. Campbell and a possible deployment to the sandbox (yes, they have the band over there too.)

[Mountainman]

Served 3 years active Army, Infantry, served in Iraq, currently in the New Mexico Natl. Guard.
Dad was a Navy Corpsman, grandpa was Infantry during WWII, served in Okinawa.

[shane the piper]

moms boyfriend was a Marine tanker in the first gulf war and is one of the few that has used the M-60 and M1Abrams in combat. He was discharged I belive for hearing issues because his M-60 tank struck a mine which left him with a messed up back and bleeding ears to which he had to go back through the mine field while getting shelled by Iraqi artillery ( he also said that the bottom of his tank missed an anti tank mine by about an inch, he described it as a british mine thats basically a long tube)

I also have a cousin who served in vietnam as a helicopter door machine gunner as you can guess he has never mensioned it and the only reason I found out was stories my father told me from when they use to get footage from him of the war (lots of nasty stuff) and from what I know all of his stuff was burned.

I also knew a man that lived near my grandparents who was a tanker in WWII who had recieved the bronze star in the battle of the bulge. He was the only one in his tank crew that wasnt injured and had had a bullet come into his tank ricochete off the inside and go through his helmet grazing his hair ( someone must have really been watching his back) he also showed me a pistol he traded for his rolex watch, photos, his rifle, and a nazi battle flag with the medals of german officers he had killed. Unfortunalty he too was also left scared by the war, he feels that he cannot go to church because god would never forgive him for what he had done.

[DrewO]

Navy JROTC - 2 years
Passed on my appointment to USNA and enlisted in the Marine Corps
Radio Recon (aka Romper Recon) during the first Gulf War
Father was Navy ('61-65)
Grandfather was Old IRA

[AckZel]

Currently serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in Lapland Air Defence Regiment, Finland (My profile picture is the regiment's emblem)

Finnish Defence Forces

[emolas]

Very interesting numbers in here. Over 70% of respondents are military.

I spent 12 years in the USMC as a parachute rigger and door gunner. I was a self-professed 'lifer' and even told my wife when I met her that the Corps would always come first before her. All that changed when my daughter was 2 and I realized on my next overseas deployment that I couldn't take being away from her and missing the important things in her life so I got out. I do regret leaving the Marine Corps but not as much as I would have regretted staying in and missing out on my children's childhood.

[BoldHighlander]

US Army 1/19th IR (11Bravo) 1990-91
Suffered a minor injury during training to my foot, and despite med care it turned into early stages of gangrene & I actually came within a few hours of having my leg amputated from the knee down. Received a discharge when I was able to walk again. I still suffer some amount of pain (in varying degrees) almost every day since.
Despite this experience I miss the service, and tried to get back in twice, Sept. 12, 2001 (note date)
& again during the build up towards the War w/ Iraq. Both times (all) services I approached thanked me for my prior service but said due to my injury & discharge/age status I couldn't rejoin.
Oh well, C'est la vie

[J.B. Simpson]

I was in the US Navy from 1990-1997. I was stationed on the USS Peleliu LHA-5, and at NAS Lemoore CA. I was an Electronics Technician and left service as an ET2 (E-5).

[thoth51]

Does conscription count?

[OFCJAX]

U.S Marine Corps

4 years 0351 Anti-Tank Assaultman 1st BN 8th MARDIV Camp Lejeune, NC 7/94-7/98
1 1/2 years 5811 Military Policeman MP Co A(-) Lexington, KY USMCR 7/98-12/99