Show Us Your Rack!

[Stonewall]

I showed up to basic training on in 11 Jul 91, so I guess I qualify.

Not having really served during the cold war, I did grow up during that time.  I'll admit, it truly was a scary time in our history.  I remember signing up for a trip to Europe through school when it got cancelled due to some threat, possibly terrorism, before terrorism was as big as it is today.  I remember the "Nuclear Arms Race", "Star Wars" and the "Russian Bear".  I remember watching Red Dawn and praying that if they attack us, it's via invasion with troops, not by nukes.  I was young, give me a break.  Red Dawn, in my pea brain, could have been a reality.

As for those of you who did serve during the coldest of the cold war, my hats off to you.  I'm sure it wasn't easy.

[AlphaSigOU]

I showed up to basic training on in 11 Jul 91, so I guess I qualify.

...As for those of you who did serve during the coldest of the cold war, my hats off to you.  I'm sure it wasn't easy.

I may joke today about my time serving as a 'former inmate' of 'Spang-Quentin Federal Penitentiary' (that's Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany for the humorless) but it was a deadly serious time during the last years of the Cold War:

Monthly chem warfare drills, usually kicked off by the GIANT VOICE PA system by the playing of the William Tell Overture (the Lone Ranger theme, for those who don't know classical music) at o-dark-thirty in the morning, punctuated by 'BASE RECALL, BASE RECALL, ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO YOUR DUTY SECTION IMMEDIATELY!'. I still can't listen to that music and not be reminded.

Wearing hot, nasty chem war suits that left their charcoal residue on the pickle suit fatigues. Not very comfortable (to say the least) working in a kitchen - we were excused from wearing full chem gear while in the kitchen during drills; only time we put on the full get up was when 'EXERCISE ALARM RED' sounded.

Having the term 'the Russkies are only 15 minutes flying time away from wiping us off the face of the earth' (or some such variation) rammed down our throats. Learning BRASS MONKEY procedures while flying for the (now defunct) Spangdahlem Aero Club. (Simply stated, you didn't fly within 15 miles or so from the inner German border between then-West and East Germany, lest you get intercepted by the Zulu Alert birds from Bitburg.)

Sporting counter-propaganda stickers such as "SS-20: Nein, danke" ("SS-20: no thanks") and "Bundeswehr: mit Sicherheit JA!" ("German Armed Forces: YES to our security"). I still have the stickers plastered on one of my model rocketry range boxes.)

Looking back, it was an unusual time to live in, knowing that you were but a few minutes from being overrun by the godless Commies should war erupt. Aside from that, I came back to the 'Land of Round Doorknobs' with a preference for Deutsches Bier!

[DeputyDog]

I'll chip in. Here is mine (not too exciting):




Edit: I left off the bronze clasp on the Air Search and Rescue Ribbon. Oops.

[Snake Doctor]

AlphaSigOU,

At the risk of taking this thread off topic,  You were a point on the tip of the spear. 
What's better than a Bear?  An Eagle with Sparrows.

Bitburg AB '78-'80

[AlphaSigOU]

AlphaSigOU,

At the risk of taking this thread off topic,  You were a point on the tip of the spear. 
What's better than a Bear?  An Eagle with Sparrows.

Bitburg AB '78-'80

+10! And SPETSNAZ don't surf! 

[davedove]

Here's mine:

1.  Army Commendation Medal
2.  Army Good Conduct Medal
3.  National Defense Service Medal
4.  Army Service Ribbon
5.  CAP Leadership Ribbon
6.  CAP Membership Ribbon
7.  CAP Yeager Award

8.  CAP SAR Find Ribbon

Updating my rack because I got my first Find.

[Stonewall]

What did you find?

FYI...  I just looked at eServices and found that I don't have the comm badge listed but I showed it on my rack.  I know this is a major crime but I do have a CAPF 2A that says I'm legal to wear it.

[davedove]

What did you find?

It was an ELT at the airport.

[Pylon]

Cleaned up and reopened. 

[Stonewall]

Cleaned up and reopened. 

Personally, I think we should get rid of this completely and start over...  I cleaned up a few things on my host site and think I got rid of a few images that were shown before....  But that's just me.

Clean start?  Can we?

[MIKE]

Ok, no need for two active threads.

[Pylon]

This thread is a little long.  Post new material to the newer "Show us Your Rack Redux" thread.