Posted on Dec 5, 2015
SGM Mikel Dawson
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March 2001 I was headed into NATO HQ located in Pritina, Kosovo, J1 section to check in. As I approached the door a U.S. Army Major came walking towards me. I rendered the salute which he returned, then his eyes popped open, "Hey SGM, I know you!" I "looked" at him and sure enough I had worked with him on many V Corps FTXs when he was assigned to the 130th BDE. We had a great 6 months working together.
It was about two months into the same deployment, I was walking down one of the streets at Film city when a 1SG approached me and asked me a question. I answered the question, then he said, "Hey were you in Croatia in '96?" I replied yes. We got to talking, I found out my BDLT team had done the base defense assistance stop for his platoon. He was the PS I had worked with. I'd figured up all the materials he required for their unit's defense.

How many of you have met others later down the road?
Posted in these groups: NATOImgres Deployment577963 465023533533674 1675317474 n Service
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Responses: 5
MAJ Jim Woods
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In 1969 I ran into 2 Sergeants that were with me in VN 67-68..... I was in Pleiku western 2 Corps and they were still on the beach in Qui Nhon....... good reunion.... then I ran into a few OCS Classmates ..... we all told lies...... LOL
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SGM Mikel Dawson
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MAJ Jim Woods I've got a good friend who was in Pleiku in '67. Visit him every year in Portugal.
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LTC Hardware Test Engineer
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Never met anyone from a previous deployment. However, I taught HS science for 10 years at an inner city school and I have lost count of the number of former students I have ran into while deployed, mobilized or attending military school/training. My favorite was at Ft Benning. I was as shiny new 1LT and was walking into the PX. I approached a group of E5s and one of them stopped and then ran up and hugged me and said "It's great to see you Coach". He then realized that he had just publically hugged an officer and got very nervous/embarrassed and apologized profusely. I simply laughed and told him not to worry about it. He had been one of my students the first year I taught and I had coached him in football for 3 years. I remember him being a good kid from a horrible neighborhood/background and I had always encouraged him to join the military and get away. Brought a tear to my eye when he told me how much he had appreciated me taking an interest in his welfare and taking the time to give him advice. He said that if it hadn't been for my encouragement, he would have probably wound up dead or in prison.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SGM Mikel Dawson
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Wow, Great story. Thanks for the share
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MAJ Ken Landgren
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One of the soldiers during our Kuwait deployment was a SPC. Fast forward a decade and a half, I see him in Iraq as a 1SG. I never expected him to rise to the rank considering he shot a cow from an M1 at Ft Hood.
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