|
Post by CPL. Mills 2nd Rangers on Aug 29, 2018 19:12:44 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by volkssturm on Sept 4, 2018 12:11:41 GMT -5
Those guys do a really amazing job. Very professional looking. And very pointed.
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Sept 5, 2018 18:45:55 GMT -5
I once was admitted to a hospital in Eillson AFB in Alaska while on an annual Joint Exercise (If memory serves called Falcon Thrust. I had a dislocated knee and broken ankle. A young privare beside me was having all of his toes on one foot removed due to frost bite. His foot was dark grey as depicted in the video but his toes were quite literally solid black. Vapor Barrier boots are supposed to protect your feet down to 40 below. Obviously they didnt. There is a nozzle on the outside which is supposed to stay closed "Unless Airborne". Which it says around the valve. In the 172nd Brigade every Charlie company is a paratrooper unit. ( Very unique Battalion structure)
His explanation as to why his valves were not sealed (granted this was under sedation) was that he was "Charlie Airborne". In the 70s there were far too many category 4 enlistees. (Boderline illiterate troops) Sad sad situation.
The real Army is very very different than airsoft.
It is always my thought that airsoft is supposed to be fun. All too often players forgst that and take themselves too serious. Clever vidsos.
|
|
|
Post by volkssturm on Sept 6, 2018 17:57:55 GMT -5
I was in A Co. 4/9th at Ft. Wainwright for a year. We did squad, platoon and company tests in the winter. It was something else. Might be why I'm still fascinated by Finland and the Winter War. I just looked up the 172d on Wikipedia. Seems it was deactivated, reactivated, deactivated, reactivated, deactivated repeatedly over the last 40 years. Currently deactivated. I suspect, like the Terminator, "I'll be back" when they need to expand the Army again.
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Sept 8, 2018 23:50:55 GMT -5
Our paths may very well have crossed as we were both "Tomahawk Apaches" and proud wearers of the " Army Blanket Beret". I enjoyed my assignment up in Alaska. The 172nd did deploy to Afghanistan at least once as I saw troops with the "Big Dipper" patch on some news reel footage.
My time in the Army had me in the 101st, 172nd, very briefly in the 4th ID, 2nd Battalion of the 75th and in the 9th ID at Ft Lewis Washington.
A bad day of airsoft is way better than most good days in the Army.
|
|
|
Post by volkssturm on Sept 9, 2018 11:07:30 GMT -5
I was at Ft. Richardson from Jan. 72 to May 73, then at Ft. Wainwright to May 74, then at Ft. Ord to June 75, though I spent most of my time at Hunter-Liggett.
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Sept 11, 2018 1:18:22 GMT -5
I was at Ft. Rich 73 74. In february there was an annual Joint Training Exercise called Falcon Thrust. It was held up by Ft. Greely In 74 (or 73?) there was a record low temperature. We were in the field in tents. Witb windchill it was minus 78 degrees. The tires on the deuce and a halfs literally split but didnt go flat! Gasoline turned gelatinous. We had lots of cold weather casualties. Training consisted of just surviving. A National guard unit killed several troops when their APC drove through several snow covered tents. There were also deaths due to carbon dioxide poisoning.
Not 100% sure if it was 73 or 74. Sounds like you may have participated in that insanity. Went on a night patrol and spooked a large herd of Bison all around us. An absolutely terrifying experience. A SF Halo group one of the years (when it wasnt so cold the exercize got called). Tried to jump and conduct a surprise raid on the compound my unit was defending. We spotted them as they came down and captured all six of them. The fenced in compound was in fact the Ft. Greely dump.
No odor of course as everything was frozen. Other times of the year we floated the Galkana and copper River. Took trips to King Salmon Pulled climbing garbage off Denali. Saw lots of spectacular wildlife and scenery. A largebrown bear dragged our Battalion commander still in hiz sleeping bag out of his tent. Everyone heard the God awful screams the bear took off when the CSMajor fired shotgun blasts in the air. No one was hurt but the arctic bag was no doubt DXd. If the tears werent significant enough the dry cleaning no doubt ruined it.
I enjoyed Alaska a lot. I had lived at Ft. Richardson when I was 4 and 5 as my dad was stationed there as well. The Command Sgt Major coincidently served under my dad when he was a PFC. He saw my name tag, looked at my face and had a deja vue moment.
My dad was shocked he stayed in the Army. The Army remains something of a small world. Volks we probably at some point ate in the same mess hall.
|
|