Getting older. What goes around comes around.
 

I knew I was getting old(er) when I saw a First Generation M1 Abrams sitting on a concrete pad in a park II think the Army is on it's 4th generation now - or is it third?). I remember when this particular version was high-tech cutting edge technology. Heck I remember the day the Army had a big roll-out for the press in the Spring of 1981. Finally we had a tank that could beat the Soviets. Now it's a static display for five year olds to play around on. I commanded one of those first generation Abrams and now if I tell a young kid that he/she will look at me like I looked at a WWII veteran when he told me how he used to operate a dual 40mm Bofors gun on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. That was in 1974. The Bofors gun was (and still is) a static display in the city park in Rigby, Idaho. What goes around comes around I guess.

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In the parks around me, one has a Howitzer, a Sherman tank, a Vietnam era Huey.

That's probably one of the mild steel prototypes. As far as I know, the ceramic armor on the M1 is still classified. The Army Ordnance museum used to have one, but I think they lost it to the Patton Museum.

If it makes you feel any better, the Bradley I crewed is now in the National Infantry Museum.

Something having to do with being one of the first Bradley into what was then Saddam International.

The city of Mountain Home, Idaho,(about forty miles east of Boise) has an M1 on static display. Mt. Home has an Air Force base so it didn't come from there. Anyway you're probably right about the steel. I had a secret clearance back in the day and went through training about the steel as well as the depleted uranium sabot rounds. However I'm talking about the fact that I'm now experiencing things that I never though about twenty-seven years ago when I was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. ,armor branch, Army Reserve. Back then I didn't even consider the fact that one day I would be one of the middle-aged veterans.

I later went on active duty as an enlisted man (1993-2000). There was a bad recession in full swing at the time and I needed a job. I could get active duty as an enlisted man. At the time their were very few slots for junior officers in the Regular Army. The commission looks wonderful framed and hanging on a wall, but I couldn't eat it and it wouldn't pay the bills. During that time I met many Korean, Vietnam and WWII vets. Even in the late 90's there were still a small number of Vietnam War vets serving on active duty in the Army. My last duty assignment was with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. In the summer of 1999 the division hosted the reunion of the 10th Mountain WWII vets. The division saw heavy combat in Northern Italy during the last six months of the war. Those guys were great, but I never thought that one day I might be an old vet wearing a funny hat. I'm real close to fifty now and that time is on it's way. Seeing an M1 Abram in a park on display is one of those milestones. :eek::rolleyes:

I get the definite impression that I am probably one of the oldest members here on imfdb. Where's my cane and glasses?

Yes it does. :D

Hey man, I'm 30 and I look at the 17 year old kids joining my reserve unit now and I'm starting to feel like an old vet myself! Most of my platoon wasn't even in the army while we were in Afghanistan, in fact there's only 4 of us left that actually went. Even of those I'm the only one that has stubbornly refused a leaf, so most of the time I'm the only person with a tour in the room.

The Marines my age went to Iraq in the early 2000s and they were just out of high school and now...they look at the new guys coming in and they always tell me about feeling old and they are like barely in their 30s now.

They talked to me about the new gear the kids get these days. Qualifying with an ACOG instead of iron sights like they did.

May be a long shot but did you know a soldier named Boodhoo.

Shut up. lol.

I lie and tell my self that they put in a museum because of historic value; not the fact that it was an older variant.

Doesn't ring a bell off hand. Was he in the 3rd ID or the 48th BCT?

I remember watching 9/11 on television. Dad (AFSOC) deployed in about a week. I remember a conscious decision that I wanted to be a Ranger instead of getting the Air Force to pay for me to become a missile engineer.

Somes of my Joes now cannot remember 9/11 and yet have deployed in support of GWOT.

Our son shipped out for the U.S. Coast Guard today. Off to Cape May, New Jersey - United States Coast Guard Training Center - where he will do his basic training. Four year enlistment. He was three years old on 9/11.

Ok, now THAT makes me feel old.

There is a meme floating around Facebook (where I added Cordell *cough* cough*) that talks about how we were kids when the Towers fell but not any more.

I've referred to the GWOT as "The Forever War" to riff on one of my favorite books.

When the draw down occurred in Iraq I couldn't believe that the war I had always known was supposedly won and done. I went out and got drunk. Got in a big fight with my then girl friend and yeah, it was bad.

FWIW, I was 13 when 9/11 occurred. I distinctly remember hoping against all hope that by the time I was a Ranger there would still be terrorists left to fight.

Same for me as well. Saw it on TV at the brand new middle school I went to that year. I agree about your quote from the meme, too - The whole world got a bit darker overall and stayed that way ever since.. But I do remember the 90s very well, good times. But apparently that makes even me old as dirt now to some. :rolleyes:

I'm with ya JC - I keep thinking that tank is state of the art and then I remember what year it is and part of me thinks "Is the Army even still using tanks anymore?" Or something like that. Where does the time go? Meh.

Congrats and best to your little man shipping out, BTW. I remember when you first told us that he was going into the CG, wasn't that a few months ago now though? Bah, again, where does that time ago? I think somebody stole it. I should file a report with ya, JC.

My sister (now a LTC/Dr in the Army) couldn't stop crying that day. Dad ran the flag down to half staff and started packing. Mom started prepping FRG stuff.

And I wanted so bad to parachute into Afghanistan with an M-16A2/M-203. (hey, it was 2001)

Yes actually, he was in 3rd ID during the invasion and would always brag about taking saddam airport. His second deployment to iraq he transferred to the Georgia National Guard 48th BCT.

Interesting. When the Towers came down I had been out of the Army for approximately 18 months. I was thirty-three at the time.