NM. Not really that funny.

Fort Polk, LA gunnery range (40 Complex if anyone is familiar with Polk). It was in the early 80's as we still had the M60A1. We were conducting gunnery in the summer, very hot, very dry and dusty. All of the sudden you can here this little jingle playing. We look down the tank trail and here comes an ice cream truck. He pulls up to the tower and everyone takes an ice cream break. I am pretty sure he sold out that day.

FightnFarmerUSMC said:

---

Haditha, Iraq, 2005. We had been in country for about 5 months and felt pretty salty. We get 2 brand new butter bars fresh out of AAV school for OJT. Neither had ever had a command yet. I'm on vehicle watch inside the wire at dawn about 2 weeks after they get there. All of a sudden a barrage of mortars goes off. I light up a smoke and go back to pacing. About 20 seconds later one of the butter bars busts out of his hooch in silkies, shower shoes, and full kit. "LCPL, GET THE F*** DOWN!!! WHERE ARE THEY IMPACTING? WHAT ARE OUR TTPs?!" I give him about 5 seconds of silence and a smug look. "Those are outgoing, Sir. Go back to sleep. I'll sound reveille in about 20 minutes."

He's now a decorated Major and XO of the same battalion. Every time he saw me after the deployment he would chuckle and ask me if we'd had any mortar attacks lately. He was a real good sport about it.

---

Hey, good on him for being aggressive and displaying a bias for action.

Favorite funny moment deployment:

FOB Wright, Kunar Province 2013
One Sunday in October I decided to give my gun section a day off. All I wanted was PMCS of the M777 and stand your guard shift at the gun line. I am still in PTs and taking with my Smoke and our howitzer mechanic (one of our two M777A2 was deadlines) when the buzzing of a 107 mm rocket flying overhead and impacting the side of the mountain fills the air. We all dash inside our living quarters, grab ACHs and body armor and dash outside to lay the gun on whatever azimuth FDC is screaming over the radio. We begin to lay on said azimuth when we hear the "Incoming, incoming, incoming" alarm. My E5 Ammo team chief cracks with "better late than never" when th distinct sound of three more rockets flying overhead fills our ears followed by impacts just on the other side of the Hesco on the HLZ and again the mountains. Like cockroaches when the lights come on, we sprint for any cover that can be found (which was our reinforced ammo ready racks). At some point we realize hiding amongst a **** ton of 155mm projectiles and powder isn't the best idea. The mission gets sent by FDC and we shoot counter fire. The entire thing had us laughing out asses off while firing and afterwards. I was very pleased with my guys reflexes too.

Funny training

Fort Polk, LA September 2014 (my last Active Duty FTX)

About 4 or 5 days into a 10 day Battalion FTX we get told to "march order" the platoon. Instantly our advance party man (think Forest Gump type) gets with the Gunnery Sergeant and they split for the new firing point. We finish packing up and roll out. Advance Party meets us and gives initial deflection, sight to crest etc. as he's ground guiding us in I am filling out my section Chiefs report. I look up to see he's bring us in 180 degrees the wrong way. Hop out, throw my helmet across the field and proceed to correct the situation. Things begin to run smoothly until Gump runs aiming poles. He can't follow our Gunners hand and arm signals so I say "I'll do it". I sprint the 100 m bareheaded and get the poles aligned. As I'm doing this Gump is apologizing and saying how sorry he is. As we both are running back to the gun I straight up eat it. End up on my knees screaming obscenities and begin to throw a rubber mallet one way and then my FLC and eyepro another. The entire I'm still on my knees just cursing enough to make a sailor blush. The I hear my Smoke yell "HEY!! Get the f*** over here". Now I'm still pissed and thinking that getting chewed out is just going to make it better. I run over and he asks if I'm ok? I say " no I'm pissed". He says he and the rest of the platoon can tell. Then he asks "You want a Coke". " Umm sure. "Help yourself, they're in the back of the humvee". Sure as hell, there is a cooler with a twelve pack of cokes and more importantly ICE!! This is 4 days into an FTX and Fort Polk in early September. Hotter than hell. So anyways I sit down with PLT leadership and drink and ice cold Coke. Afterwards I return to my net and smoke the everliving crap outta Gump. Never had the problem again.

You an 1833? Third tracks?

Yup. Bravo Co from 04-08, then Crew Chiefs Course instructor from 08-10.

Very cool. Charlie and Echo here (2007-2010). Where are you now?

Sorry for derail. I'll add a funny story later.

I'm a teacher and coach in Katy. Are you Stocker?

JABQ04 said:

---

Favorite funny moment deployment:

FOB Wright, Kunar Province 2013
One Sunday in October I decided to give my gun section a day off. All I wanted was PMCS of the M777 and stand your guard shift at the gun line. I am still in PTs and taking with my Smoke and our howitzer mechanic (one of our two M777A2 was deadlines) when the buzzing of a 107 mm rocket flying overhead and impacting the side of the mountain fills the air. We all dash inside our living quarters, grab ACHs and body armor and dash outside to lay the gun on whatever azimuth FDC is screaming over the radio. We begin to lay on said azimuth when we hear the "Incoming, incoming, incoming" alarm. My E5 Ammo team chief cracks with "better late than never" when th distinct sound of three more rockets flying overhead fills our ears followed by impacts just on the other side of the Hesco on the HLZ and again the mountains. Like cockroaches when the lights come on, we sprint for any cover that can be found (which was our reinforced ammo ready racks). At some point we realize hiding amongst a **** ton of 155mm projectiles and powder isn't the best idea. The mission gets sent by FDC and we shoot counter fire. The entire thing had us laughing out asses off while firing and afterwards. I was very pleased with my guys reflexes too.

---

FOB Wright, Kunar Province 2011 Ah they got the guns back!

Same situation except mortar rounds and RPGs from the big mountain to the west. We were in our hard shelter and but kept going outside to see what was happening. RPGs flying everywhere along with PKM rounds whizzing overhead. We would dive back into the hard shelter on the close ones. As we were standing outside we heard 9mm shots from across the wall. This would be in the Afghan Special Forces Compound next door. There were ODAs over there too. I would have given anything for a picture of our faces when we heard the 9mm shots over everything else that was flying over. All we could think was that the Afghans had gone rouge or the Tallies were in the compound.

We had two ZSU-1 anti aircraft guns that the ANA brought in. One on the east side of the FOB on the ANA living quarters, the other one at the Afghan OP directly above us to the Northwest. They pinned down a RPG gunner on the hillside below Bull Run. The tracers were so thick that they looked like lava flowing down the side of the mountain. They probably burned the barrels out of those things that day.

PS. I didn't miss the 155mm fire missions in the middle of the night after they left.

You got me; interesting. I'm in Houston as well.

Email sent. I guess we can stop hijacking the thread. Small world and an even smaller Corps; gotta love the power of TexAgs.

JABQ04 said:

---

I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy blasting away at 0200 or so. Charge 4 or 5 Hotel directly back over the FOB towards the NE made me smile a little.

Also the climb to OP Bullrun sucked hard core. Did it once for a Soldiers reenlistment and that was it. I'll post a pic later if looking out towards A-Bad from it.

---

We had to go to hard shelter on some fire missions. They were shooting sabot rounds? Excaliburs? They also shot down the balloon one day. They were pulling hard on it but the arty boys had to shoot! Didn't get it out of the way in time.



These guys left just as I came in. Bravo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment. Shot over 6,000 rounds during their stay. I think this also included Bostic and Blessing fires. I Googled for a photo. Says it is Wright but doesn't look right.

That damn balloon!!!! There were severa missions we shot were I was looking up the tube waiting for the wind to blow it one direction or another before I gave the command to fire. My chain of command would have fried my ass for hitting it. And yeah those were Excalibur rounds probably that caused y'all to take cover for a bit.

Pic doesn't look like Wright either. Our building on the firing point had a flat roof on it.

Looking North East



Firing almost directly East

JABQ04 said:

---

Pic doesn't look like Wright either. Our building on the firing point had a flat roof on it.

Looking North East



Firing almost directly East

---

Looks like home!!!! On the one directly East. Ya'll had to be shooting over Ranger Mountain! OP Nevada on top of the mountain in the background. Saw two 500lbs JDAMS go off right in that saddle of the mountain center screen. The locals got very pissed off that one of their "Uncles" had been snatched. Attacked the OP one night soon afterwards . Looked like the Forth of July up there. Had an F-15 do two "Show of Force" runs right down the valley with afterburners. The next two runs resulted in small nuclear mushroom clouds.

I know this is not "Funny Moments" but to give others a perspective of what it was like in the immediate area:

1. An operation in which two Medal of Honors (Captain William Swenson and Marine Sgt. Dakota Myers)were earned took place in the valley on the other side of that mountain in the picture in Sept of 2009.

2. Navy Lt. Michael Murphy earned his in 2007 about 7 miles directly opposite of the direction you are firing.

3. Captain Florent Groberg earned his Medal of Honor in downtown Asadabad in 2012 which is about a two miles due north of your firing position.

NM

Cougar, email me at jalamia2004@gmail.com. Can send more pics and swap stories and such.

JABQ04 said:

---

I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy blasting away at 0200 or so. Charge 4 or 5 Hotel directly back over the FOB towards the NE made me smile a little.

---

One of the few good things about visiting Ft Bragg for Rolling Thunder was the seathing Facebook posts and phone calls about us blasting away all night long. Just knowing we were screwing with the army took a bit of the edge off of 2 weeks of 24 hour ops. I might have to be awake - but now you are too!

JABQ04 said:

---

Cougar, email me at jalamia2004@gmail.com. Can send more pics and swap stories and such.

---

Done