Hello from Central Texas : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

GatoNegro · 10-25-2009, 11:49 PM

Hello all,

Proud owner of a 2009 Road King standard, bought it through AAFES when I was in Afghanistan, picked it up when I came back, and since June I have 5,000 miles on it. Good machine, very reliable.
I have 26 years active duty military and I retire within the next two weeks (yeah!) which means that if I get a part time job then I should have time to ride. But I also joined the Patriot Guard Riders and this particular chapter is a very busy one, sometimes we attend two funerals in one day, several a week, it takes a lot of time for the planning and the actual escorting/funeral home flag line.
Looking forward to being an active member in the V-Twin forum

Regards,
GatoNegro

trooper113 · 10-26-2009, 12:10 AM

Welcome, GN! I do believe you're one of my fellow CenTex PGR members.

T113

GatoNegro · 10-26-2009, 12:53 AM

Trooper,

I am. Small world, lol

Regards,
GatoNegro

trucky911 · 10-26-2009, 08:49 AM

Welcome to the forum.. I've been retired for 3 years now. Your gonna love it...Ride safe...

Trucky911

GatoNegro · 10-26-2009, 10:06 AM

Trucky911,

Thanks for the welcome.

I would have been loving it already, except that I got an 18 month stop-loss, lol. but I retire on the same day the S-L ends.

GatoNegro

Thinblueline0_1 · 10-26-2009, 03:39 PM

Gato ,
Welcome to the forum, Thank you for your Service and Dedication. Enjoy your ride. This is the group that I ride with
www.warriorswatch.org
Stay safe

Antonio Pendejo · 10-27-2009, 12:25 AM

I was with the 1/9 Cav 32 years ago. Amazing you did 26 years, whatever happened to the retire or get kicked out after 20 thing? I did 10 and could not put up with the "new" Army anymore.
Welcome home and best of luck in you future endeavors. Also, welcome aboard here.
AP

GatoNegro · 10-27-2009, 05:06 AM

AP,
You can't get out that easy anymore. If you are a senior NCO or Officer, you already have the right leadership and logistics schools plus key assignments that the army doesn't have the time to send new promoted senior personnel because after a deployment you come back stateside to train for the next one. Also, its not cost effective for the army to let you go when you already had those schools and key assignments. Now when we retire we can be recalled until the age of 62.

Regards,
GatoNegro

Antonio Pendejo · 10-27-2009, 03:06 PM

Things have sure changed, I am surprised anyone would even think of going down the career path anymore due to the obligations. Back when I was in, the Army would chew you up, spit you out after 20 and you were an old man at 40 years old. I made E-5 in 1974 and E-6 in '79, then after I got out I went back in the National Guard . I decided right before the first gulf war I was done with it, I saw the bad times coming. So this is the stop-loss you mentioned, We get involved in another conflict somewhere and they just say you been extended another 18 months, and they can play this game with you until you are 62? That is some OLD E-7's & 8's. At my age I still have good stamina and can stand in the sun all day with the best of them, but, I feel it every night when I get home. Don't know how you do it.
AP

GatoNegro · 10-27-2009, 11:18 PM

Yep, some old NCO's now a days. I swear I saw some in Afghanistan with a walking cane and I couldn't believe it. Old suckers, like they came out of a museum, lol. Also, If you loose a limb or two, say, your legs, you DON'T have to get out, they just reclassify you, there are a lot of active duty soldiers with handicapped plates. This was something inconceivable to me, until OIF and OEF kicked on. A very large percentage of the Army are females. It very well may be an 18 year old female that signed up for a supply or mess hall MOS, but now adays the Army is so small that supply will close and next thing she knows she is a gunner in an armored HUMMWV cupola. Same with the mechanics, you go to the motor pool and its closed, the vehicles get sent to a civilian facility (us contractors) because the mechanics are out doing patrol security. EVERYBODY goes out the wire.
Biiiiiiig changes.

GatoNegro