After taking the exam and making really high scores, I turned down an opportunity to obtain my college degree and become an Officer because I didn't want to make the long term commitment required. Also, I knew if I put in six or eight years, I would put in twenty. I signed up for two years active duty (the minimum). I wanted to go to language school but they required more than a two year hitch for that. The two year enlistment was available only to certain Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). I chose 76Y, Supply Clerk/Unit Armorer.
I processed in, in Montgomery, Alabama, went to Ft. Dix, New Jersey for Basic Combat Training (ten weeks at the time, I think they later reduced it to just eight weeks). From New Jersey I went to AIT at Ft. Lee in Petersburg, Virginia for Quartermaster School. I enjoyed my stay in Virginia. From Virginia I went to Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado for my permanent duty station.
Greg | 31 December 2023
Regrettably, I can't recall my classmate's name that I'm having a beer with, but I can tell you what song was playing on the juke box.
Army Airborne Parachute Riggers (92R), Air Force (AFSC 2T2/1P0/1A2/1A9X1) and Marine Airborne and Air Delivery Specialists (0451) all go to school there. "Might as well jump!" "Go ahead and jump!" Nobody would dare put money in the juke box because they knew Jump had already been paid for so many times that you would be waiting until next Tuesday to hear anything else.
When I arrived at Carson along with a pretty large group of "newbies", we were all on pins and needles again, waiting to learn what unit we would be assigned to. With a Military Occupational Specialty of 76Y you could be assigned to any unit!
I drew the 461st Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Unit and was attached to Delta Company, a Chapperal unit. All the talk was about "range time". Some units spend more time down range than others, playing war games. Some units never go down range, I wasn't that lucky this time.