What unit(s) did you serve in with the 2d Cavalry?
Hco 2/2ACR and A trp 1/2 ACR
Where were you stationed?
Bamberg and Bindlach
What MOS or job description did you have?
19F,19E
What was your rank/title?
E1-E4, E5
What years were you assigned to the 2nd Cavalry?
1980-83,1985-88
Comments
So how about you? SITREP please.
You asked me how I was doing and the answer is fine. Completed 34 years (1980 - 2 enlisted (SMP), 1982 - 30 officer (CAV/SOF), 2012 - 2 volunteer to return to active duty (SOF)—without a break in service). I know, LIFER; right? Last deployment to Ass-krack-a-stan in 2012 with SOCEUR a couple months before my first retirement date. Last jumpmaster duty was here in Germany the day before I retired in 2012. Finally retired in May 2014. VA Disability of course. Live in Bamberg with my (Kraut) wife of 36 years (married her when I was in the Cav in ’85). Throughout my career, I have always maintained a residence in Bamberg no matter where I was stationed. One son (not in the service) 25 years old. The USGOV (Obama Administration) closed Warner Barracks in September 2014. What a mistake! It’s the only place with both a 300 meter .50 cal (subcal) range AND a harbor facility. Not to mention a low cost of living rate and great training area all on the outskirts of town. I have been in the Kaserne only a couple of times since then as entry is by invitation only—it’s both a Federal Police Activity and a Refugee Holding Area. Man-o-man, what memories. Have been to the 2ACR museum in Vil-Suck a few times as well. Donated a bunch of items. Can you believe they did not even have a border tab so I donated my Patrol Cap with border tab and name tape on the back. Perhaps they will display it and I’ll be famous. Ha, ha, ha. I am really grateful to have met good folks like you along the way to Fiddler’s Green. I hope I made even a small contribution to the success of those Soldiers placed in my care.
Truth be told, I recanted this “hypothetical story” at a joint 2/2 OPD/NCOPD session under the title, When Murphy Gets in the Turret With You once all three of the other crew members (you) left. Yes, you were driving open-hatched and wearing sunglasses. Believe you had already made E5 as did Higgins. We were in H-66 (CPT Roy Geiger’s tank because H-26 would not synch). The “alleged” engagement was over the right deck at about the 2 o’clock position. As I recall, as we drove back to the range from the CLV point (vicinity HopfenoheChurch), the conversation/fire commands went something like this….”TC: Let’s get some training in before we get to the range. Okay Higgens, you see that small hill to our right, that’s a T-72; got it?. GNR: Yes sir. TC: I’m going to slew the turret back to the left….here we go. Hinkley, get us up to a good steady firing-platform speed. Driver, move out. DR: Yes Sir! (tank gets to about 30mph and then the TC quickly slews the main gun to the right) TC: GUNNER, SABOT, TANK! LDR: UP! GNR: Identified! TC: FIRE! GNR: ON THE WAY! TC: TARGET (clear sensing of a TPT-- aka Baby Sabot-- impacting the center of the “T-72” (small mound), CEASE FIRE, WHAT THE F#@k!”. Now, of course all of this is purely hypothetical given the current command climate at the time in both H CO and at SQDRN HQ – which was zero tolerance. The ‘crute LDR, who was fresh out of AIT, did exactly that for which he was trained (can’t recall his name but he was a highly-motivated, good Soldier). At the end of the day, no one got hurt (thank God), no rounds landed out of safe (that’s why I switched to RNG CNTRL Freq to monitor), no one got professionally executed, we did well on table VII, and we lived to tell stories like this one. So, is that about right (that is, if you were telling this purely fictional story to your grandkids)?
Now would you be the same "SPC Hinckley" who drove the M60A3 and who, together with SPC Higgens (gunner), PV2 "A-something" (loader) and 1LT Lazaro (TC), inadvertently fired a 105mm main gun round at a hill at GTA while driving between the ammo point and the range?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK
Wishing you many more, from all of us at DragoonBase!!!
Jim
Welcome home Troop.
The Dragoonbase.com, has
plenty of updated features
(similar to MySpace), lots of sub-groups,
(Officers Club,F-Trp,Amberg,Medics,etc),
and links for “2nd Cavalry Assn.”
News and History Centers.
Robb Russell has posted some tips for
navigating the site(ie,photos,links,ect)
in the Forum.
Please feel free to stop by and read the
latest “Tacoma Dave's ‘Triva Quiz’”,
you can learn some 2nd Cav history,
and you could even, win a kool prize.
If you need any help, you may contact
Robb Russell, or any of the 5 admins listed
at the top of the page, or just yell out,
another member may be able to help you.
And our only wish is to,
‘Keep it clean’.
Use your real name and picture,
(pix from back in the day,work best
for searching for Brothers),
but any picture will do.
And that you please tell all your friends
about, where to find the DragoonBase.
Thanks again for joining Dragoon Base,
and for your Service and Dedication,
to Our Great Country.
Jesse Kelley
F Troop 2/2ACR
72-75