I can't believe how young I looked when I first went on Active Duty! but then again, I was only 17 at the time...

I did basic Training at Ft Knox, Kentucky.  The process of turning civilians into soldiers was not the funnest thing to go through, but it wasn't so bad.

I spent a considerable amount of my time in Armored Calvary Units, which trace their history back to the Calvary made famous in the old West movies... so, I was a "trooper", rather than a "soldier"... I guess to be honest, it was about 50/50, but I still hold allegiance to the CAV, rather than to the Armored Battalions I served in.

I got that picture on the left out of my Basic Training yearbook...  I spent time with the guys I'm with off and on throughout my time in the Army... Armor is a small, tight group.

 
I remember Basic training as a good time... and over the years, I got to do things that I would NEVER have done had I not been in.  I even managed to get the opportunity to serve my country, and help preserve freedom, liberty, and the American way.

 
I REALLY enjoyed my time in the Army! How many other opportunities would I have gotten to fire a cannon?  While moving across a field?

 
FTX and Gunnery... I enjoyed them both

 
Yakima Firing Center has that spark that just gives the PERFECT feeling for a tanker... I LOVED going there to train!

And no, I'm not being sarcastic. :-)

I was stationed in Germany for more than 7 years all together... I have some VERY fond memories of training there, as well!

 

I made quite a few friends over the years, and have managed to keep in touch with a good number of them.

 
While I liked Ft Lewis, WA the most, I unfortunately spent the majority of my Stateside duty at Ft Riley Kansas... also known as the Armpit of the world.

It wasn't that bad, but it sure was HOT.  I did some good training there, though, not the least of which was training with MAC at the lowly Manhattan Municipal Airport...

 
Gunnery changed a lot over the time I was in, but it never got any less fun.

The picture on the left was at Range 15 in Baumholder... my first gunnery experience with the M60A3

 
Reforger training in Germany was awesome!

Most of my time in Germany was spent either on or near the East/West German border.

The border duty was toilsome, but once the border came down, I missed it... being stationed in Germany wasn't as fun.

I tore up a few tanks, and got tore up. 

That's my tank on its side.  I was ejected - one of several times where I got a concussion for my efforts, and on this occasion that was along with a dislocated shoulder.

  Good times.

 
Gunnery was where a tanker really got to cut loose and have fun!

Other than being in Desert Storm, I felt it was the closest to "doing my job" I got.

It was very challenging, and a lot of training went into it... but at the same time, I had a tremendous amount of FUN!

 
There's just something about driving a tank on a road in Germany...

An ITV fires a tow at Graf.  We were at Gunnery, and they were part of our Squadron, so they borrowed our range for a while.

I didn't get to see stuff like this all that much.

 
Of all the positions I held on the tank, I think I was the best at being a Gunner.

Even as a tank commander, I missed it.

Sunsets at the National Training Center... ah, the life! 

Even Maintenance and repairs had their place...  

 
I got to serve in Desert Storm... I'm very glad I got to 'do my duty' for my country.

 
The ammunition of the M1A1... APFSDS ("Sabot"), and HEAT.

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