re: GoPro Video of Paratrooper getting dropped into BDS

quote:

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I was there for the stand up of 2-503 and subsequent deployment to Iraq. (2001-2004).

I spent 24 years moving from assignment to assignment. I ended up with 17 years on jump status.

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Well, I was trying to correlate the "Silverback" thing with Op Silver Arrow and wasn't having in luck in my head ... so you were there during The Rock years - under the 173rd.

Did you get your gold star (on your wings) by chance? Bashur DZ? Or was that before you? Because I know several of the guys who were with the 173rd as well as several more who were with 10th Group for that jump. I'm assuming you were there under Mayville?

Or were you with the RDF that deployed with the 2nd ID out of Korea? The CSM of that deployment was one of my former FDCs Chiefs at Bragg.

We have to know some of the same people if you were on jump status that long.

Owell, it's a small world. There are some years separating our service dates. I was there, (Vicenza), for example, in '84 for the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion and was part of the Honor Guard at St Mere Eglise and Normandy when Reagan spoke, but I had just returned from Urgent Fury. So I can relate to the 18, 24 and 36 months tours of duty and getting reassigned wherever we were needed for years and years. It was tough on the first wife. The years with the GKs were even tougher because we were always gone doing a show somewhere.

One of my dear friends, a roommate of mine at three different duty stations, Bragg, Vicenza and Hunter, just recently retired as SOCOM and Africom CSM. I can't remember which came first for him, Africom or SOCOM, but he was in both of my weddings and he and his wife will be down here staying with my wife and me for Thanksgiving. Another of my dear close friends retired as CSM of 5th ID, we all served together at Bragg and Vicenza. Another retired as CSM of the XVIII Corp - we'll be seeing them in Fayetteville in December.

I've got a pocket full of coins - next Bama-SC game you are invited to tailgate with us at the Cockaboose - bring your coins.