This day a long time ago

Zipper046

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Thanks for your service Jerry! I missed the first go around....but got in on the 2nd one....ended up doing 2 one year tours back-to-back (2001 - 2002, 2003 - 2004)....saw my fair share of the Middle East and some other nasty, hot places....

Love the pic! One of the assignments I was on (OGA) had commandeered the "VIP" terminal up at BIAP....had fun raiding the main terminal for whatever we could grab for provisions.....LOL....
 

1Sgt_Jerry

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Thanks for your service Jerry! I missed the first go around....but got in on the 2nd one....ended up doing 2 one year tours back-to-back (2001 - 2002, 2003 - 2004)....saw my fair share of the Middle East and some other nasty, hot places....

Love the pic! One of the assignments I was on (OGA) had commandeered the "VIP" terminal up at BIAP....had fun raiding the main terminal for whatever we could grab for provisions.....LOL....
Thank you for yours.
I got both ends. In 2003 we took the 82nd to BIAP on our HERCS.
 

CECannonJr

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Thanks for your service Jerry! I missed the first go around....but got in on the 2nd one....ended up doing 2 one year tours back-to-back (2001 - 2002, 2003 - 2004)....saw my fair share of the Middle East and some other nasty, hot places....

Love the pic! One of the assignments I was on (OGA) had commandeered the "VIP" terminal up at BIAP....had fun raiding the main terminal for whatever we could grab for provisions.....LOL....
Thank-you also sir, for your service!
 

Bob Lee

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Thank-you also sir, for your service!
I would like to thank everyone who has ever served, or who is currently serving. Seems we treat those who are willing to die for us of their own free will with little common decency or respect as a daily thing. I'm just as guilty. So I'd like to say for EVERYONE who stands between others and the enemy we honor you always. This includes everyone who works to keep others alive. Physicians Nurses Police EMT's the list goes on. Mostly I'd like to honor my Savior Jesus Christ for the sacrifice he made for all who believe and who trust in Him for their salvation. May the Lord go with you all and may God keep you in his care. Thank you all also for allowing me to be in this wonderful group. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for all your help, and for your non judgmental
attitudes. This is an amazing group of people, and I am honored, and blessed to be a part of it.

God Bless you all.
 

Zipper046

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Thank you for yours.
I got both ends. In 2003 we took the 82nd to BIAP on our HERCS.
Hah....was at BIAP around March '03.....always heart warming coming across folks who chewed similar ground.

I'm assuming you were AF? Those HERCS were always a "Treat" to ride, LOL....especially in/out of BIAP when there were MANPAD threats.....interesting take-off's and landings, LOL.....
 

CECannonJr

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I would like to thank everyone who has ever served, or who is currently serving. Seems we treat those who are willing to die for us of their own free will with little common decency or respect as a daily thing. I'm just as guilty. So I'd like to say for EVERYONE who stands between others and the enemy we honor you always. This includes everyone who works to keep others alive. Physicians Nurses Police EMT's the list goes on. Mostly I'd like to honor my Savior Jesus Christ for the sacrifice he made for all who believe and who trust in Him for their salvation. May the Lord go with you all and may God keep you in his care. Thank you all also for allowing me to be in this wonderful group. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for all your help, and for your non judgmental
attitudes. This is an amazing group of people, and I am honored, and blessed to be a part of it.

God Bless you all.
And God bless you too sir, for your kind words and your obvious love for your country and fellow man.

1911 likes.
 

Babboonbobo

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I truly appreciate your service and sacrifice and from the bottom of my heart:
Thank You!!!!!! to ALL those who serve and have served!

I was in the process of joining the Marines in 1988 when I found out my wife was pregnant and decided I needed to be here.
I do wish I would have been part of that huge American family:) but I do not regret it at all as I've raised great patriotic children and grandchildren!

I also have a great SIL who has just retired from 12 years of military service!
 

TXPlt

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Thank you for your service, Jerry ! As you know we weren't that far apart in distance although I was a ground-FAC working attached to 2-69 AR BN 197th INF BDE as a dust eating Air Force guy.

We'd launch on the kinda west side of things, go up to and raid Tallil, and sit on the highway eventually migrating about 40K west of Basra blowing stuff up. It was a bit surreal when flying the EF-111 out of Dhahran later (over southern Iraq) to fly over where I'd been on the ground with the knowledge that we'd be back in a real bed and shower in a few hours. Those were few and far between when out in the sandbox.

Thank you for posting my good friend and God Bless you all.
 

CECannonJr

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Thank you for your service, Jerry ! As you know we weren't that far apart in distance although I was a ground-FAC working attached to 2-69 AR BN 197th INF BDE as a dust eating Air Force guy.

We'd launch on the kinda west side of things, go up to and raid Tallil, and sit on the highway eventually migrating about 40K west of Basra blowing stuff up. It was a bit surreal when flying the EF-111 out of Dhahran later (over southern Iraq) to fly over where I'd been on the ground with the knowledge that we'd be back in a real bed and shower in a few hours. Those were few and far between when out in the sandbox.

Thank you for posting my good friend and God Bless you all.
Thank-you also sir, for your service!
 

1Sgt_Jerry

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Hah....was at BIAP around March '03.....always heart warming coming across folks who chewed similar ground.

I'm assuming you were AF? Those HERCS were always a "Treat" to ride, LOL....especially in/out of BIAP when there were MANPAD threats.....interesting take-off's and landings, LOL.....
Yes sir AF
AD Shield /Storm ANG OIF/OEF
2003 wasn't the worse. With HERCS we were in UAE. We were in rotations for MRT (Maint repair teams) and got to cover Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, or wherever the sheens broke. You guys did the heavy lifting. Big Army was our #1 customer.
 

1Sgt_Jerry

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Thank you for your service, Jerry ! As you know we weren't that far apart in distance although I was a ground-FAC working attached to 2-69 AR BN 197th INF BDE as a dust eating Air Force guy.

We'd launch on the kinda west side of things, go up to and raid Tallil, and sit on the highway eventually migrating about 40K west of Basra blowing stuff up. It was a bit surreal when flying the EF-111 out of Dhahran later (over southern Iraq) to fly over where I'd been on the ground with the knowledge that we'd be back in a real bed and shower in a few hours. Those were few and far between when out in the sandbox.

Thank you for posting my good friend and God Bless you all.
Appreciate ya sir. Will always have a soft spot for FAC work. 04B6E283-A352-4C57-8BE3-84134341ED1B.jpeg
 

TXPlt

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Appreciate ya sir. Will always have a soft spot for FAC work. View attachment 10930
Thank you my friend--sure brings back memories

IMG_0332.jpg

(was both a Raven and Misty FAC in the 21st and 20th at Shaw -- and got the coveted Misty 69 callsign)

More from the old days

IMG_1594.jpegIMG_1595.jpegIMG_1596.jpeg

The first two are from Provide Comfort/Northern Watch right after the first war (we all were based out of Incirlik) and the last one from testing NORAD's stuff coming home over the Brooks Range in Alaska.

I think on the first two the airplane was "The Joker".
 

Zipper046

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Yes sir AF
AD Shield /Storm ANG OIF/OEF
2003 wasn't the worse. With HERCS we were in UAE. We were in rotations for MRT (Maint repair teams) and got to cover Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, or wherever the sheens broke. You guys did the heavy lifting. Big Army was our #1 customer.

LOL...no Big Army here....Navy all the way!! Was Navy Intel...."spooky squirrel" type in the SOC world. Heck, I know Army straight-legs that have more Sea time than me! BUT, I was honored to work with some top Tier talented operators from our various branches here (DevGru, 1stSFOD, 160th SOAR, Rangers) and other countries (British SAS, Aussie SAS, Polish GROM). BTW....those boys from the 160th can f'in FLY!!
 

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