TexasBred said:
Faster horses said:
Again, thank you for your service BC. I regret that you were insulted for sharing your REAL
knowledge on this site. You have been in the trenches, not all of us have been.
I, for one, always learn something from your posts. I sent your information about Halal meat
funding terrorists to many on my contact list. I feel it is something more of us need to know.
Any "trench work" BC has done was as nothing more than a blue capped UN inspector. Lots of action there. He'd prefer to be known as a jet pilot except he's about 20 years to old.
Hi TB - nice to see you yet again. I spent an hour and a bit writing this and admit it felt good doing it - I should have been doing this long ago - it is all true.
While I never claimed to be special, I am not against telling you some of the things I have done.
First - your comment is not quite true - only spent 4 back to back tours as a UN guy and that was Syria, Lebanon and Israel - with a tiny bit in Jordan. (A Canadian "tour" is considered a 6 month stint in a country - lengths of stay are usually longer from 9 months to 14 months)
Spent a total of nearly 2 back to back tours in other spots in the Stan. My last tour was in Logar province running an Afghan company in a little FOB called Bagrami - we built it from scratch - not so sure where you got your info - but you do seem to like to follow me around.
Little tidbit for you - In fact I worked for the Pentagon on that one - no one else wanted to do it - so I volunteered for it - I was in the right place at the right time and my American boss in Camp Eggers allowed me to go and do it. The only Canadian until I pulled in two body guards to help me. The major who was initially assigned to the duty quit after one day - yeah - one day - he is now a civilian - they sent him home. He claimed it was too dangerous and he was not sufficiently trained to do the work. He was an armoured major - nice guy but not cut for that type of work. There were a total of about 10 guys there near the end who were not native to the local community and I was the boss. We started off a lot smaller than those numbers. It was a bit of a sticky wicket at times but we muddled through.
I led more than 250 foot and vehicle patrols out from behind the wire - brought everyone home. Sometimes the S'tan troops made me nervous but that was part of the job as many of them did not truly like people like me. It always felt strange to have to worry about those you were looking for and at the same time about those who were with you.
What we did on patrol was and is none of your business. I have a very nice letter from the Commander of the US Army at that time telling me I was a pretty good guy and verifying the number I just gave you. Walter M Golden Jr., Major General, US Army Commanding is the signature block.
The only Canadian killed on that mission was Greffie - a real nice kid - and he has the terrible distinction of being the very last Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan. VBIED in a bad place at the wrong time in Kabul - with about 15 other soldiers on additional training - they were preparing to train locals on police tactics and were attacked on their way to the job. The entire bus was killed - you lost a bunch of folks as well. It was a tough day. He was not one of my guys but I was one of the folks who cleaned up the mess. 16 total if memory serves me correctly.
So - a synopsis for you.
Spent nearly 20 of my 25 years in the military as a pilot - transports and search and rescue until 1985 - then Hornets until 1998. Lived in Europe, Central America, some parts of Asia, Middle East, some spots in South America as well. Retired from the military in 1998 the first time.
Spent a few years in Yuma teaching Marines and US Army to fly UAVs and a few other things - then back to Canada to teach military pilots how to fly jets with NFTC in Moose Jaw. Then re-upped in 2007. Back to Hornets at Maple Flag and then over seas in mid 2008 as a blue beanie guy. Returned home in mid 2010 wearing the blue beanie. Home for a while and then back to Kabul in very early 2011 and home in mid/late 2012. Those Stan tours were full up and at times somewhat nasty.
I managed a few trips to neat places for short duration stuff as well but they were seldom more than 14 - 21 days at any one time.
Interestingly when it comes to the topics we were discussing here until you poked me with your high class comment - I must tell you that I actually learned more dealing with
Hamas and Hezbollah and wearing the blue beanie than you might ever understand in your small world. They are determined and really quite ruthless.
Am recovering from some injuries - several MRI's and lots of medical work and attention - not too serious as I am still walking and many are not - but will require more work on me later - probably in another couple of months - right now it is physio one to two times a week on a weekly basis. Am up in front of a military medical review board for the third time but the first time as a retiree in a few months to see if there is anything else they can do for me. It all takes time. Hard to believe a veteran in Canada actually needs to take a lawyer with him but that is true as well.
What happened is none of your business but I will say it was not friendly fire (is there really any such thing?). I have some serious loss of use of my right arm and leg - continual pain in the mid back, rib cage, shoulder and believe it or not - my frigging pinkie. I would cut it off except they tell me the pain would simply move back into the hand or wrist. Or so they tell me. LOL The darned drugs are a pain though - I do not like them and try to not take them unless I have to - and I have managed to control the pain most days by mentally rolling it into the back room in my mind - and some funny looking positions I can contort my body into for a few moments.
There are a select few that know far more about this - but have been sworn to secrecy - those people are on both boards you follow. However I suppose it is now out.
I was given the golden handshake at age 60 - last February. And you are right - I should have stayed home - that last few years aged me big time and hurt me physically. However you are wrong about one thing - I do not miss the flying - the ground work was far more interesting and far more fulfilling.
So you can doubt me here and on the other board where I am known as Bez - yet I do not slander you - for some reason you follow me and snipe. Is it because you are jealous? Drunk? LOL Whatever, if you had simply asked I would have told you.
Be that as it may I probably should not have even responded to you - but this writing is a bit cathartic - and perhaps I needed it - I have spent an hour reminiscing with myself as I write and edit. I thank you for that.
I promise you that I will put you on ignore - even when you decide to smart mouth me again. Which seems to happen about once or twice every six months for some reason.
Best to you - may you be safe and be happy....
And best to all.
(Please no sympathetic comments or "BZ" - I wrote this for the hell of it - it actually felt good - think I will tell a couple of guys I know to start doing this - thanks TB!)