Memories in the military

[ilovestrategy]

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

Hey JW, did you do Reforger 85? I participated in that one-coldest winter in decades-what a blast (from the east).

One special memory was at the end of the operation. I was the S2 for a tank Bn. Amongst the duties was acquiring and securing various reports from the line company's and reports to higher. These are considered sensitive items-not quite like a code book, but still very sensitive. Well, somehow (which I never was able to determine) one page came up missing when I turned in the log. The Bn Operations Officer called me on the carpet (I was a 1st Lt at the time). I did not know what to say, except I would find it. I went back out to the 577 (which was miles away) to look around-it was not there. So, what was I to do? I was bucking for a promotion and could not have this stick on me. I took a new form and, from memory, entered the various standard communications interspersed with some odd stuff for "flavor". I then took it and rubbed it on the floor and put a few wrinkles in it-it looked perfect for a lost document.

I took the document back to HQ and presented it. The Bn XO was there now. They both asked me repeatedly where I found it at-also, where did I get this, how did I get this and so on. They started to smile-I certainly was trying not to. They eventually accepted my story, so, I walked out of there a free man with a clean record-and a smile on my face. This certainly was not my style-never was, but sometimes you gotta do things...[:)]

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a really long time!

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

... I read it, but I don't believe it. I suppose it is not impossible that "return" is correct, but if it is, then a whole lot of guy's misspoke for a very long time.

The dictionary I used agreed w/an official military jargon site; most of my Google results came back as "Return," w/an occaisional "Redeployment" from Wiki sources.

As for mis-spoke, consider the following commonly accepted terms:

SOP - "Standard" Operating Procedure. Standard to what? It's "Standing," as in "currently in effect," and usu. refers to a written record of unit policy.

And how many times have you seen "Congressional" put before the MoH?

[TheBlackhorse]

REFORGER is most definitely "RETURN" of Forces to Germany.

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
And how many times have you seen "Congressional" put before the MoH?

Good point. That is why I said; "I suppose it is not impossible...".

[JWW]

These sources say "Return".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_REFORGER

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/reforger.htm

I always thought it was Return, but I would not have been surprised to have been wrong.

I loved my one REFORGER.  I loved Germany.  Wife and I spent two tours in Germany, one in Baumholder in the 70s, one in Bad Kreuznach in the 80s.  We loved the German people, loved Germany.  We still miss our favorite German foods and places and are going back one day for one last visit.

I want to cross the old border.  I remember walking a patrol along the West-East German border in 1988 during my last tour in Germany and thinking how insane it all was, to be honest, and then shortly after we returned to the US, the Soviet Union collapsed and the walls and fences came down.  I just want to find the old border where I walked that patrol and just walk across.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: JW

... I loved my one REFORGER.  I loved Germany.  Wife and I spent two tours in Germany, one in Baumholder in the 70s, one in Bad Kreuznach in the 80s.  We loved the German people, loved Germany.  We still miss our favorite German foods and places and are going back one day for one last visit.

Although I just missed the last REFORGER, I was able to see something of Germany when I was peace-keeping in the Balkans.
The Germans are big on holidays, even St Martins Day w/its ceremonial bonfire.

BTW, I think REFORGER became a TEWT, but I expect that all ended after reunification.