Have you met soldiers from one deployment on later ones?

SGM Mikel Dawson — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 11:08:47 -0500

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?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2015 3:08 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 03:08:09 -0500

Happens all of the time in Civil Affairs. It is a small world.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2015 1:20 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 13:20:02 -0500

OMG YES! I no sooner arrived in Korea when a sgt, FROM MY HOMETOWN ran into me, she and I served together at Ft. carson and she and her husband were serving in Korea. I cannot remember how or where we met up, but we did meet up and went up to Red Cloud and spent the weekend up there.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2015 2:05 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 14:05:53 -0500

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.

Response by MAJ Jim Woods made Dec 8 at 2015 11:23 PM

MAJ Jim Woods — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 23:23:19 -0500

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

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 3 at 2018 6:00 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 18:00:58 -0400

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.