Military Service, Part 2

AIT was completely different from BCT.  Instead of being a bachelor, I got to live with Wilma.  Instead of living in a barracks with a bunch of guys, I got to go home to my wife.  And even though we ended up in a mobile home and the barracks were newish, I preferred the trailer.

My training included working with voice radios and morse code.  Some of the voice radios we could carry on our backs, PRC-77 was the designation.  Here’s a view .  Another one was an RT-524, which typically was installed in a jeep or perhaps in fixed position or a trailer (See here).

Those 2 were FM radios but we also got taught to use morse code with AM radios (no pics).  I got up to 18 words per minute, which was respectable.  I enjoyed this training so much that I applied to stay at Fort Gordon to be an instructor, but that was denied.

I believe we also received training on CEOI’s, which was for encryption.  Some of the equipment was used for that, I believe, and because of such I had to qualify for a Secret clearance for classified materials.  If I told you more, …

Training at AIT was much nicer.  We also enjoyed the ward we attended during this time.  It was our first Thanksgiving and Christmas together, which made it even nicer.

It lasted 2-3 months and then we were on our way almost to the other corner of the country – Fort Lewis, Washington just south of Tacoma.

 

Military Service, Part 1

I seem to remember having service in the military as a (possible) goal.  Not sure why.   I think I felt I owed a duty to my country.  Perhaps because my father had served in the Navy CB’s during WWII.

So the way it all came about was that Wilma and I were expecting our first baby by summer of 1974.  The problem was we couldn’t figure out how to afford him/her.  Now this was in the 70’s in the birth capital of the United States, namely Provo, Utah.  Can’t imagine now why we couldn’t figure that out, but we could not.

I looked into getting into ROTC, for they offered a stipend, which would have helped.  However my timing was off.

I looked over the various branches of service for enlisting.  Don’t think I seriously considered the Marines.  And the Navy would have involved too much time away from family.  So it was between the Air Force and the Army and because the Army offered a better “deal” I went with them.  They offered the chance to go to college during work hours 5 times per year.  Sounded good to me:  I already had 2 years of college and figured this was a way to complete my degree.

So, after 2 sessions of college at BYU in 1974 I entered active duty in the United States Army in August, I believe.

Basic Combat Training (BCT) took place at Ft. Knox, Kentucky which was not too far away from Louisville.  I believe it was preceded by some preliminary training/admin of about a week.  Our quarters looked to be WWII-vintage, 2-story wooden barracks.  As I remember they did not look 30 years old, probably because of the years of blood/sweat/tears and wax from trainees engaged in learning discipline through upkeep.

Our time was taken up with lots of PT (Physical Training) or exercises or 2-mile runs, pushups, situps, obstacle course, horizontal ladder and crab walk (I believe).  I had never been much for PT, but I did improve during BCT.  I found out that your hands form blood blisters when you do the horizontal ladder in October in Kentucky in the early morning – very cold bars.  Fun.

I was from a different background from most of the soldiers in my group.  I was LDS, married and 22.  Most were younger and single.  However, I did not have a hard time getting along with them.

About midway through the 8-week training period we had a break and were able to see family.  That was nice.

There was lots of training, shooting, throwing hand grenades, shooting machine guns, marching and learning various military jargon and practices.

Finally we graduated and went to our next phase of training, Advanced Individual Training (AIT).  Because I was selected for the Signal Corps (communications), I went to Fort Gordon, Georgia just outside of Augusta, where the Masters is played.