Military Members sound off!!

[SnakeEyes]

Just curious as to how many military (or former military) members are here at the tank! Thought it'd be cool to do a roll call and maybe discuss what kind of influence GI Joe had on your enlistment! So, FALL IN and SOUND OFF!!!

[VIPER 48]

Well i guess i will fall in. Basically collecting gi joe over the years inspired me to join up right after high school. It was the best time of my life, the gas chamber, obstacle coarse, even the funky food in the mess hall. I specialized in weapons, tank turrents and field artillery, so basically, if you got it, i can fire it...I also was in the infantry for most of my enlistment. I wouldn't trade the time i spent there for anything. Collecting gi joe was the jump start that gave me the incentive to join to be who i am today...

[slim19722]

Gi Joe didn't inspire me, as I was already involved with the military before the fig's came out. It was my dad, who was a Army Drill Seargeant at the time, who inspired me to enlist. But he did fuel my Joe collecting as he would buy me everything as it came out. 19 years spent as a Army Dependant and 4 years Active Duty Army, as a Quarter Master(supply guy), till a bad car accident pretty much ended my Army career, but VA Disability takes excellent care of me now.

[VIPER 48]

Gi Joe didn't inspire me, as I was already involved with the military before the fig's came out. It was my dad, who was a Army Drill Seargeant at the time, who inspired me to enlist. But he did fuel my Joe collecting as he would buy me everything as it came out. Spent 4 years Active Duty Army, as a Quarter Master(supply guy), till a bad car accident pretty much ended my Army career, but VA Disability takes excellent care of me now.


That was nice of your dad to fuel the fire. Quarter Master sounds like a cool job, i must have missed that one, when i enlisted. You were the guy i came to whenever i needed anything. I am sorry to hear about your car accident, but it is nice the VA's disability takes care of you.

[Wylde Weezle]

I always looked up to GI Joe as a kid, but never thought to do anything like that. Well after getting my degree in Journalism from Indiana Univ I opted to do the loan repayment plan through the Army -- and got offered a combat camera MOS doing exactly what "Scoop" does LOL

Good thing, too - 'cause the civilian equivalent jobs I looked into didn't have the pay and benefits or the time off that the military was offering, and my wife and I had our first daughter on the way.

In my 8 years, I've been to Kuwait and Iraq, and I'm just chilling in Korea with AFN, Stars 'n Stripes, etc. for another 8 months before I go to Fort Bliss to be a part of 1st Armored Div.

[SnakeEyes]

[QUOTE=Wylde Weezle] got offered a combat camera MOS doing exactly what "Scoop" does LOL [QUOTE]

LOL...Hasbro forgot to make a figure with my MOS. I'm more like Pauley Shore from "In the Army Now". I run water purification units and deliver potable water to the guys. It's a cool job, though! You become somewhat of a celebrity drivin' the water truck!

[riverlos]

I join from 92'-96' my MOS was a 62E. Combat Heavy Eng. operating bulldozer, scrapers and graders. We we're suppost to build or upgrade roads but that never happen , we were always attached to an armor unit to go do fighting positions for tanks since all 4 years I operated a bulldozer I was always outhere. I have some great memories of those 4 years. I serve in Camp Edwards Korea 2nd Inf. Div. (western corridor). and Ft. Riley, KS. 1st Inf. Div.

[salaciouscray31]

I was in the Navy working on avionics. I never set foot on a ship and was stationed in Willow Grove, Pennsyvannia and San Diego, CA. Both Naval air stations. I have worked on P-3 orions, F-18s, various helicopters and on some night vision goggles too for the Marines. I had been into Joes since I was a little kid growing up in New York City. I now reside in Atlanta, GA and still collect.

[ShadoViper]

I'm in the Air Force Reserves. 4 years active duty i worked avionics on C-130s (P and H models). Currently, i'm in the same job field but working on KC-10 Extender aircraft. I've always dug GI Joe as a kid, didn't have many growing up and i'm making up for the lost as an adult.

[Twnbrother]

I've been in the Army for the past 18 years as an Airborne Medic. I'm currently at Fort Bliss attending the Sergeants Major Academy with a follow on assignment to Germany. My combat deployements include Desert Storm and three deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a child I collected the 3 3/4" GI Joes, but it was not the deciding factor in my enlistment. That honor falls onto my family heritage as paratroopers with the famed "All American" Division.

[gunslingercbr]

Served in the Navy from the age of 17 to 21 -- one of the best experiences I've had in life. I never connected my love for Joe as a kid and my joining the service, but my having served definitely influences my love for Joe now.

[AirborneRigger]

Currently an Army Reservist. Joined straight out of high school in 2002. I'm a Parachute Rigger and I get to jump out of all of the "Not-so-Perfectly-Good" Airplanes and Helicopters. Currently attending Clemson University and plan to commission upon graduating. Been to Germany, Italy, and even Ft. Bliss, TX (Biggs Airfield in Tent City) for training.

[Blowtorch]

Four years in the US Army I joined in 88 in the delayed entry program. After basic I spent most of my years with a Rapid Deployment Force before going Special Weapons. Went thur Airborne, Air Assault, J4 and NBC school. Did some training went with the 3rd of the 75th Rangers in Fort Benning, GA and went to NTC for desert warfare training. Got to see a lot of the world places like Kuwait, Turkey, Germany and other parts of the Middle East. Every now and then I miss it. GI Joe was sort of an influence. After my 4 years active duty I spent another 4 in the Army Reserves.

[Free Fall]

i guess one of us had to be the bad apple? ive been in about 3 years now, (currently in iraq), and ive never hated anything more:) hahah. i mean, the army is great if you want to make a career out of it, but its just not for me. of course my recruiter was like: "Oh...11B?...thats a great job."

So ive spent 9 months in afghanistan (that was ridiculous) and now im finishing up 15 in iraq. probably get stop lossed to do another tour to afghanistan by the end of 09:( oh well. ive just loved joes as a kid and i ever stopped collecting them. i joined the army because my friends did:) ahah lifes crazy like that i guess

[Blowtorch]

i guess one of us had to be the bad apple? ive been in about 3 years now, (currently in iraq), and ive never hated anything more:) hahah. i mean, the army is great if you want to make a career out of it, but its just not for me. of course my recruiter was like: "Oh...11B?...thats a great job."

So ive spent 9 months in afghanistan (that was ridiculous) and now im finishing up 15 in iraq. probably get stop lossed to do another tour to afghanistan by the end of 09:( oh well. ive just loved joes as a kid and i ever stopped collecting them. i joined the army because my friends did:) ahah lifes crazy like that i guess

Well the only thing I can say is keep your chin up. Even though you may not be happy you should be proud to serve your country. We're all wishing for your safe return.

[Marine_Deadpool]

I am coming up on my 9th year in the Marine Corps. I would venture to say that this was the LAST job in the world that anyone I grew up with thought I would take. I was more into drawing comic books like X-Men, GI Joe, etc... I played with GI JOE growing up and would think that it had a significant impact on me enlisting in the Corps, but its hard to say. I really just wanted to see the world and do interesting things that no one else had done before.

[Jambi]

This is a great thread and one of the few I have read from start to finish. I sincerely thank all of you for what you do. That can never be stated enough.

[minstrelboy]

I started a thread like this a month ago but got no replies. Maybe I titles it wrong. Anyway...

I enlisted in the army in '95, did basic and AIT at Ft. Jackson where I was trained as a 63S (Heavy Wheel Diesel Mechanic) and with the MOS identifier H8 (Vehicle Recovery Specialist), then ended up in Ft. Hood in the 62nd Engineer Bn. where we deployed to the Mexico border to improve the roads for the Border Patrol.
I got out, spent some time in the reserves in Alaska, then I reenlisted and went to Germany, under the Big Red One, in an Aviation Support Batallion. 3 months later, 9/11 happened. I never deplyed to Iraq (we were supposed to, coming in thru North Iraq from Turkey, but Turkey said no), but I did deploy to Hungary for a couple of months to assist the Apache gunners qualify. My last few months were spent at Ft. Bliss, before i got out in 2003.
Then, looking for a job, I went to Iraq as a civilian contractor, working on wheeled military equipment. I was sent to Tikrit, and ran into all my old buddies from Germany, who had finally deployed.
Now I'm going to school at Pittsburgh Technical Institute on the GI Bill, learning to be a CAD draftsman. Only a few more months left, and I've already got my internship.
I've been with GI Joe since the original 3-3/4 RAH line. Earlier I had some Star Wars, later some Transformers, but the Joes were my main choice. Can't say they made me want to join - I joined more as a way to get out of economically depressed Pennsylvania. 13 years later, I'm still here. But I've literally been all over the world - Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Germany, Amsterdam, France, Hungary, Dubai, Iraq, New Zealand, and a few places inbetween. I miss it, but it was also a real pain in the butt at times.

[genoneguy]

U.S. Air Force for nearly 13 years now. I am a C-130 and C-17 crewchief / flying crewchief as well as a qualified C-130 loadmaster and aircrew member.