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The 1st Gulf War - a thread
1/
30 years ago on the celebration of MLK’s Birthday was nice enough to golf at Ft. Huachuca. Little did I know what awaited me at home. A message from my boss telling me I would not be going TDY with the CG the next day.
1/
30 years ago on the celebration of MLK’s Birthday was nice enough to golf at Ft. Huachuca. Little did I know what awaited me at home. A message from my boss telling me I would not be going TDY with the CG the next day.
2/
Instead I would be departing sometime that afternoon for Fort McPherson in Atlanta. At that time Ft. M was the headquarters for US Forces Command. Once there I would meet up with a retired CW4, now a DA civilian and fly to Saudi as soon as possible.
Instead I would be departing sometime that afternoon for Fort McPherson in Atlanta. At that time Ft. M was the headquarters for US Forces Command. Once there I would meet up with a retired CW4, now a DA civilian and fly to Saudi as soon as possible.
3/
A tasking had come down for a Signal Captain with the Intel school to help field radios to MI units in Saudi. There were 2 Signal CPTs at the school at that time. They actually tasked the first one, she responded with “oh you really want CPT W.
A tasking had come down for a Signal Captain with the Intel school to help field radios to MI units in Saudi. There were 2 Signal CPTs at the school at that time. They actually tasked the first one, she responded with “oh you really want CPT W.
4/
She has a radio background as an enlisted soldier.” So the task passed to me. I didn’t mind as I had actually volunteered to go earlier with the 11th Sig BDE. Tuesday I boarded a plain to Atlanta, and a week later I arrived in Saudi, along with the Chief and a pallet of radios
She has a radio background as an enlisted soldier.” So the task passed to me. I didn’t mind as I had actually volunteered to go earlier with the 11th Sig BDE. Tuesday I boarded a plain to Atlanta, and a week later I arrived in Saudi, along with the Chief and a pallet of radios
5/
The radios were meant for use by Air Weather folks and had a burst transmission capability. They were still in the testing phase (fun). We proceeded to put radios in the hands of MI units and teach them how to use them until the ground war started.
The radios were meant for use by Air Weather folks and had a burst transmission capability. They were still in the testing phase (fun). We proceeded to put radios in the hands of MI units and teach them how to use them until the ground war started.
6/
We also went out and helped when they wouldn’t work. Often it was just the 2 of us headed off into the desert to meet up with a unit that had moved since we saw them last. No GPS at that time, just a compass and a heading. We never got lost, amazing!
We also went out and helped when they wouldn’t work. Often it was just the 2 of us headed off into the desert to meet up with a unit that had moved since we saw them last. No GPS at that time, just a compass and a heading. We never got lost, amazing!
7/
Going around the Wadis was fun and challenging. Finding a unit in the dark with basic instructions were fun. Once the ground war came and went Chief left, I stayed and retrieved all those radios. Ugh, that was the worst part, in a fast moving ground war things are easily lost.
Going around the Wadis was fun and challenging. Finding a unit in the dark with basic instructions were fun. Once the ground war came and went Chief left, I stayed and retrieved all those radios. Ugh, that was the worst part, in a fast moving ground war things are easily lost.
8/
Yes I was a POG, but a POG that went to the “front” more than once or twice. No, I wasn’t there in the long semi-boring months of the lead up. Though I did try my best to go, after all that is what we are in the military to do.
Yes I was a POG, but a POG that went to the “front” more than once or twice. No, I wasn’t there in the long semi-boring months of the lead up. Though I did try my best to go, after all that is what we are in the military to do.
9/
There were a few times that scared me. I met some great people. Saw the unbelievable mass numbers of POWs, and felt I had helped accomplish something. I have wondered about that many times since. Were we there for the right reasons, should we have kept going, etc.
There were a few times that scared me. I met some great people. Saw the unbelievable mass numbers of POWs, and felt I had helped accomplish something. I have wondered about that many times since. Were we there for the right reasons, should we have kept going, etc.
10 - fini
If you have made it this far, you get to see a picture of a very young me installing an antenna on top of a parking garage in Riyadh. The Chief took this, we were putting the antenna up during a SCUD attack, after the photo, put on our protective masks and kept working.
If you have made it this far, you get to see a picture of a very young me installing an antenna on top of a parking garage in Riyadh. The Chief took this, we were putting the antenna up during a SCUD attack, after the photo, put on our protective masks and kept working.
