Full Version: About Me
Well, I've only been visiting the board on occasion lately, and posting even more rarely, but now seems as appropriate a time as any for an intro. I actually felt like I had to do this, as I recently was reading a thread where one poster used an earlier statement of mine to support his position and another was then calling my background into question. If anyone is going to take my statements that seriously, I guess I should put background on the board.
I am currently transitioning into life as a civilian - I just retired after more than 21 years of service in the US Army. I started in Reagan's Army, facing the Evil Empire, as an artilleryman for my first four years. I spent two years of that on an isolated nuclear artillery detachment in Turkey, with the mission of nuking the Bosphorus Straits should the Soviets attempt to seize control of them in an amphibious assault. Hard to picture that in hindsight.
I learned Turkish while I was in-country and developed a deep interest in that part of the world – I switched over to the Military Intelligence field when it came time to re-up, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. I’ve worked the Middle East my entire MI career and speak Turkish, Arabic and Kurdish – in descending order of fluency.
I was what is now called a Human Intelligence Collector, which is a vague term for a career field that has a broad mission spectrum. I was lucky enough to spend my early years in MI with SOF and working with a number of Vietnam and Lebanon vets, who really put a lot of pressure on me to perform. Those days have heavily influenced everything I've done since.
The transition into the new career field was very timely - the operational world was changing rapidly, and I rapidly got sucked into the new conflict spectrum. Desert Storm led to Provide Comfort - I spent a cumulative 2 years in Iraqi Kurdistan, split up into six month rotations. I bounced in and out of a number of other countries in the region throughout the years, but always came back to Iraq, Turkey, and the Kurds. Operation Southern Watch continued, and Provide Comfort transitioned into Northern Watch. During this period I was also lucky enough to be selected to work with UNSCOM on a Biological Warfare Inspection Team, which gave me an on-the-ground appreciation of the harsh realities of Saddam's Iraq.
Most of my MI career I spent working out of Ft. Bragg, NC – but I did spend a fantastic 3 years stationed in Germany. I deployed out of that place into the Mid East, just like I have from every other location I’ve been assigned, but I did have the opportunity to work a bit with the Germans and Dutch while I was there.
In the final years of my career I've had a tour in Afghanistan and two in Iraq - finishing up with just over a year at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey.
We do everything jointly these days, and I've been able to work with every other branch of service in a variety of operations, as well as having the opportunity to train and/or work with several federal agencies - overseas as well as domestically. I've had a great career, and I loved my job - but it was time to move on. Hanging out with the door kickers may be great fun, but it is not conducive to developing any type of family life. I'm continuing on in the intel field, but on the civilian side of the house in a position where I will not be called upon to depart suddenly for six to eighteen months at a time.
Hobbies? I haven't had a lot of time for anything not related to the job. I admit to still having issues with the transition. I do love 60's era muscle cars, I collect WWII fixed blade fighting knives, and I still enjoy getting out and running at 0530 in the morning. (Over 40, spent over 10 years falling out of airplanes, and my legs and knees are still good)
I'm a firm believer in the adage the more you learn, the less you know. Every topic I focus on leads in so many directions, and a thorough understanding of one aspect always seems to lead to information gaps in another. I may know a lot about certain specific areas, but I am still ignorant on so much.
That's me. My views on various topics are best ascertained by the manner in which I post on the board.
I am currently transitioning into life as a civilian - I just retired after more than 21 years of service in the US Army. I started in Reagan's Army, facing the Evil Empire, as an artilleryman for my first four years. I spent two years of that on an isolated nuclear artillery detachment in Turkey, with the mission of nuking the Bosphorus Straits should the Soviets attempt to seize control of them in an amphibious assault. Hard to picture that in hindsight.
I learned Turkish while I was in-country and developed a deep interest in that part of the world – I switched over to the Military Intelligence field when it came time to re-up, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. I’ve worked the Middle East my entire MI career and speak Turkish, Arabic and Kurdish – in descending order of fluency.
I was what is now called a Human Intelligence Collector, which is a vague term for a career field that has a broad mission spectrum. I was lucky enough to spend my early years in MI with SOF and working with a number of Vietnam and Lebanon vets, who really put a lot of pressure on me to perform. Those days have heavily influenced everything I've done since.
The transition into the new career field was very timely - the operational world was changing rapidly, and I rapidly got sucked into the new conflict spectrum. Desert Storm led to Provide Comfort - I spent a cumulative 2 years in Iraqi Kurdistan, split up into six month rotations. I bounced in and out of a number of other countries in the region throughout the years, but always came back to Iraq, Turkey, and the Kurds. Operation Southern Watch continued, and Provide Comfort transitioned into Northern Watch. During this period I was also lucky enough to be selected to work with UNSCOM on a Biological Warfare Inspection Team, which gave me an on-the-ground appreciation of the harsh realities of Saddam's Iraq.
Most of my MI career I spent working out of Ft. Bragg, NC – but I did spend a fantastic 3 years stationed in Germany. I deployed out of that place into the Mid East, just like I have from every other location I’ve been assigned, but I did have the opportunity to work a bit with the Germans and Dutch while I was there.
In the final years of my career I've had a tour in Afghanistan and two in Iraq - finishing up with just over a year at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey.
We do everything jointly these days, and I've been able to work with every other branch of service in a variety of operations, as well as having the opportunity to train and/or work with several federal agencies - overseas as well as domestically. I've had a great career, and I loved my job - but it was time to move on. Hanging out with the door kickers may be great fun, but it is not conducive to developing any type of family life. I'm continuing on in the intel field, but on the civilian side of the house in a position where I will not be called upon to depart suddenly for six to eighteen months at a time.
Hobbies? I haven't had a lot of time for anything not related to the job. I admit to still having issues with the transition. I do love 60's era muscle cars, I collect WWII fixed blade fighting knives, and I still enjoy getting out and running at 0530 in the morning. (Over 40, spent over 10 years falling out of airplanes, and my legs and knees are still good)
I'm a firm believer in the adage the more you learn, the less you know. Every topic I focus on leads in so many directions, and a thorough understanding of one aspect always seems to lead to information gaps in another. I may know a lot about certain specific areas, but I am still ignorant on so much.
That's me. My views on various topics are best ascertained by the manner in which I post on the board.
Nice intro, Mustang 
.
Do you speak some Russian, too, since you linked to a Russian website for a movie review in the casual forum (at least I think it was Russian
)? Also, you mentioned family...do you have children?
. Do you speak some Russian, too, since you linked to a Russian website for a movie review in the casual forum (at least I think it was Russian
)? Also, you mentioned family...do you have children?
Welcome, Mustang! 
I, for one, welcome your unique reality-based perspective. We do tend to get a little too Ivory Tower here sometimes.
Big Izzy Hugs!
I, for one, welcome your unique reality-based perspective. We do tend to get a little too Ivory Tower here sometimes.
Big Izzy Hugs!
Thanks for the intro, Mustang. I've always looked forward to your posts. You don't post often, and when you do, it's always worth serious attention. Also, that's quite a resume and quadrilingual to boot... 
QUOTE(Mrs Pigpen)
Do you speak some Russian, too, since you linked to a Russian website for a movie review in the casual forum (at least I think it was Russian )?
No, I don't speak any Russian at all; a good friend of mine who does recommended the movie to me and I thought I'd pass it on.
I did spent a bit of time in Kazakhstan a while ago, and I wished I spoke Russian at the time. Before I arrived in-country, I thought perhaps my Turkish would help, since Kazakh is a not-too-distantly-related Turkic dialect. But nope, they all spoke Russian - none of the soldiers we worked with or the locals seemed to speak more than a few words of Kazakh.
Mustang, you come across as a 'traveller' (one who enhances his/her life through the cultures that he/she meets) err, that's my definition of a traveller. I was never in the military, but backpacked through many counties. I, too, am fond of Turkey and their people.
Often, on this board, the military comes under attack. Don't take it personally. There's a tiny minority that hates anything to do with armies and war, but I think that many posters don't make it clear that their problem is not with folks who pull on the uniform but with the use they are put to by various governments. It is politicians who wage war, not the soldiers who have to fight them (wars). It always has been, and always will be. Sometimes this gets lost in the argument. So, if people bash the Iraq war, or whatever war, it's not a dig at the soldiers.
I know a man (a Colonel) who is currently overseeing a military prison in California. I am shocked by how poorly he is paid, given his intelligence and responsibilities. When he gets out, I hope that he finds work in the private sector that pays him his dues. I hope that for you, too. I will never understand why a Government bus driver earns far more money than a Government worker who gives up his life or limbs. All the best.
Often, on this board, the military comes under attack. Don't take it personally. There's a tiny minority that hates anything to do with armies and war, but I think that many posters don't make it clear that their problem is not with folks who pull on the uniform but with the use they are put to by various governments. It is politicians who wage war, not the soldiers who have to fight them (wars). It always has been, and always will be. Sometimes this gets lost in the argument. So, if people bash the Iraq war, or whatever war, it's not a dig at the soldiers.
I know a man (a Colonel) who is currently overseeing a military prison in California. I am shocked by how poorly he is paid, given his intelligence and responsibilities. When he gets out, I hope that he finds work in the private sector that pays him his dues. I hope that for you, too. I will never understand why a Government bus driver earns far more money than a Government worker who gives up his life or limbs. All the best.
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