His dad (my wife's brother) is in the Navy, rides one of those LA class U-boats. No exposure to green stuff at all. He was visiting his grandmother at the same time my family was visiting. I volunteered to take te boys to Knox, but since my sons have climbed all over tanks galore, he was the only one who wanted to go.

He had never been to the Patton museum or Ft. Knox before and was impressed by the fact that I knew as much as I did and what most of the vehicles inside were (I noticed a new Marder II inside and asked the Spec. on duty and he said it arrived last weekend). Heck, they even have an M981 and M577A2 complete with ARNG bumper numbers on display now.

He was depressed that he couldn't climb inside any of them, so I told him I'd drive him down to one of the motor pools or to the wash rack to see if any armor was sitting around. We went down to the wash rack and lo and behold a bunch of Strykers were returning from a 2 week field training exercise. (He thought I was kidding about taking him down to the wash racks).

I asked the crews if he could climb around, and they were more than happy to oblige. Made that 14 year old's day. Especially when I pointed out their M2 .50 caliber machine gun on the floor of the Stryker.

He said he wanted to be an infantryman, and I told him they were infantry. He said, "No way!" and then they confirmed that they were indeed 11Bs (except the medics in the Red Crossed Strykers). Their talk of 8-wheeling around in SUVs on steroids really got him excited. Told me it was the most fun he'd ever had, and this kid got to ride a nuke sub for 3 days with his dad.

I've converted another future soldier. I'll probably get a nasty e-mail from my brother-in-law for poisoning his Navy mind with thoughts of joing the Army.

Sabot,
That's the ticket... GET 'EM WHILE THEIR YOUNG!!! 14'sthe age I was when I saw an M113 ACAV up close and personal for the first time!

Now give him a good entry level Armor kit!
Good Luck
Chuck

Rob,

Care to 'adopt' a 50 year old?

Hooah, Rob! Happend to me when I was about his age; my Navy NCO dad took me to a display of M60s near the house and I was hooked. I even let himpin my butter bar on (he did so proudly) and honored him with a Silver Dollar when he offered the first salute.

Gee,I only got to spend Oct.1974 to March 1975 in Knox.
But at least I got to make the tanks go BANG!!!

Rob I know how addicting Knox can be. Moved there my freshman year in high school and stayed all 4 years to graduate (1972). Coutesy of an MG and Full Bull ended up at VMI instead of West POint. KNew from get -go that I was going to be Armor. You need to intro the kid to the Panzers bro. INfantry is fine and dandy but there ain't nothing like the boom of the main gun.

My two tours at Knox were for my basic course (Jul-Nov 87) and I arrived early for my advance course in Jan 91 only to be promptly diverted due to the needs of the Army. I spent Mar 91-May 92 at Knox, met my wife while clubbing in Louisville. One of the benefits is that when I bring the family to see the in-laws I get at least one trip to Knox for the day. I usually have the wife drop me off at the museum while she hits the antique shops on 31W in Radcliff. This trip I got two days at Knox.

Nice thing about commanding a satellite school of the Ordnance Center is frequent TDY trips to Aberdeen for curriculum and proponency issues. Nothing like being paid extra to visit one of armor modeling's meccas.

Early recruiting...

I have a 15 year old that probably is Army/ Marine material. Smart kid...Friggin' AAwesome with languages, aand in need of a bit of direction as well as some serious $ help with college.

Now I need that something extra to sink the hook...No Ft. Knox here in Michigan. He has had limited exposure to my Marine bud, who is training at Ft. Knox as we speak, the will be stationed at LeJune.

Ideas??

THANKS!

Jim/ Jaster

4 year ROTC scholarship and I think he would also be entitled to GI Bill. I know way back when that's what I used to get thru VMI and when I left active duty used it to go to Grad school at Alabama. There used to be a Navy base in Chicago. When it comes to the "frigid" north, I am clueless, I know of Ft Drum near Buffaloe (10th ID). So I don't know of any way to pre form positive military opinions in him.

No, one or the other, but not both. ROTC scholarship and Academy (USAF, USMA, USNA) graduates are not entitled to the Montgomery GI Bill, unless they earned it as an enlisted man prior to getting the scholarship. Only non-scholarship ROTC officers can get the GI Bill.


There is some stuff at Camp Grayling in the Traverse City area. I evaluated a National Guard unit up there one year when I was in Readiness Group Redstone (Alabama). I seem to recall seeing some armor up there. Of course, this was 1996 so it may be gone or converted to a leg unit by now.