What’s the rarest assignment you had during your career? Was a good assignment because it was rare or bad because of that?

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:26:57 -0400

Mine is my current assignment to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a Diplomatic Attaché for Foreign Military Sales and an Advisor to their Airborne and Parachute Rigger Schools!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2021 1:48 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:48:22 -0400

When I was a intel analyst and peon. I was the lowest ranked person of group of 8 that were deployed to support an SF analyst request.

As the military works, only 4 were needed. When the original submission was sent for 4 no one filled the mission role. So SOCCENT sent out the mission request again for 4, but failed to remove the original request. Then my USAR unit answered BOTH request for 4 each and send them EIGHT.

So I get there, and I'm the low man on the pole for 8 with only 4 being needed. They "could" send me home, but that would be harder than just sticking me in the sticks somewhere.

Back story, 4 of them went to 1st world conditions, and 4 of us (me in this group) went to AFG. The folks in a real country were told civilian office attire and had the offerings of the country to them. The rest of us were behind BAF fortifications at the flag poll.

Fast forward, once I get there the flag pole wants to pawn me off to somewhere else. So I get sent outside the wire to support an Alpha Team as an additional intel analyst. Now........ I'm being told I have to wear civilians and grow my beard out and basically look like a Black Water Op.

By the end of it, the remaining 3 at the flag pole got caught up in all that HQ nonsense, they also had to deal with an astronomical breach in TS/SCI protocols which ended up being part of our out processing brief when leaving country (you know, those stupid things you wonder what happened that someone is now briefing you not do to, well someone had to do it first, that was my unit).

Then, the other 4 in the first world conditions, there was a change of command that happened right when they got there, and well, now they all had to wear uniforms none of them brought. Off post adventures also came to an end. Furthermore, 3 of them got involved in an EO complaint that went all the way back to the states and I had to provide a deposition myself as part of the investigation.

Little old me, the one no one wanted to deal with when I got there ended up spending 90% of my time supporting operators and playing X-Box in a safe house with Green Berets.

I have the ARCOM and DA638 to prove it.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2021 2:06 PM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:06:59 -0400

For anyone following and reading the comments I guess I should have added this is an absolute dream assignment other than being away from the wife and kids for a year! I have a huge two story private villa that’s three bedrooms 2.5 baths on a private compound in the mountains of Tabuk near the Red Sea and Egyptian Boarder 12 hours away from my HQ! So no where near the flag pole! Only three other Military here my buddy same rank, and our two bosses which happen to be a Major and LTC which isn’t bad for my last NCOER before retirement! Also, you get a MSM for this Diplomatic duty for just a year! Not bad at all! Private pools, jacuzzis, gym, restaurant, small store!

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Oct 27 at 2021 2:49 PM

LTC Kevin B. — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:49:50 -0400

I knew a guy who had an assignment as the Army Liaison to the Film Industry. He was stationed in LA and served as the point person for movie producers and directors whenever they needed to rent tanks, helicopters, etc., from the military.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2021 12:05 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:05:55 -0400

I guess mine was when I was the Paint Ball Team NCOIC for the NCNG. There was a time that Recruiting had a team that set up paint ball event for recruiters. I would set up a large net and we used rubber balls. It was a random gig that I had for about a year.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Oct 28 at 2021 10:39 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 10:39:07 -0400

Magazine Editor. I was a pilot and flight safety officer. I applied for and was accepted as Associate Editor for a Major Command Flight Safety Magazine. In the USAF at the time there were about 20 people with that job. All were either at HQ USAF or on MAJCOM staffs. I worked at HQ Military Airlift Command (now called Air Mobility Command). We published a monthly, 32-page, two-color, magazine. I wrote and edited factual and fictional articles. I flew
Executive Jets part time. Working there greatly helped me get promoted to major. Also set me up for a great follow-on assignment to Alaska.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Oct 28 at 2021 1:02 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:02:36 -0400

Rarest? Probably two Shortest was Adak 1 Year Unaccompanied I was a Young Unmarried Spook at the Time and 1 Year on Dodge, Now Dodge is Heaven on Earth, Fish, Swim, Drink, Dive, Maybe Work, Rinse and Repeat.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Oct 28 at 2021 1:25 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:25:44 -0400

Semi rare was Adak, which has its own "charm". Rarer yet was Antarctica including various inland stations including the South Pole. Glad you didn't drop down into the mission category. It sometimes got crazy at that level.

Response by SFC John Kraft made Oct 28 at 2021 1:59 PM

SFC John Kraft — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:59:42 -0400

Saudi Arabia as a SFC, USMTM-KSA (USASATMO) in 2003-2004 @ KKMC - great year! When I was a SPC, I worked for 6 months as building maintenance at Heidelberg High School (there was a hiring freeze and needed help - my unit sent me).

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Oct 28 at 2021 2:28 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 14:28:14 -0400

Melbourne, FL. VERY small (single digits) detachment doing systems testing and integration for an MI platform.

It was awesome, not because of the rarity, but because we were away from big Army and stupid rules. For instance: helmets are NOT required to drive a HMMWV. That is just an SOP so many places it has become the rule. Not in Melbourne!
Plus, no barracks = no staff duty or CQ, no motor pool = no motor pool Monday (our 2 vehicles almost never moved, so we checked them a week before missions, just to give time to order parts, and otherwise left them alone), no field time = no TA 50 = no messing with CIF's idiocy, etc.

I was dead set on ETS after 8 years. Assignment to Melbourne, FL literally kept me in for 20.

Response by SPC Zach Lockhart made Oct 29 at 2021 8:57 AM

SPC Zach Lockhart — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 08:57:02 -0400

I met the Canadian military attaché to the Caribbean while at a bar in Nassau. He said that it’s basically a vacation.

Response by MCPO Chuck Feeney made Oct 29 at 2021 8:19 PM

MCPO Chuck Feeney — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 20:19:04 -0400

As Command Career Counselor on a Submarine in the late 80's, a MM1 (E-6) said the only way he'd reenlist was for duty on a dairy farm. I jokingly told this to his detailer. Did you know that the Naval Academy had a dairy farm from 1913 to 1998? That reenlistment was one of the ones that contributed to that command being awarded the Atlantic Fleet Golden Anchor award for retention.

Response by SFC Don Ward made Oct 29 at 2021 10:50 PM

SFC Don Ward — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 22:50:46 -0400

Not so rare, but a great assignment - Command Chauffeur for an O-6 in a Brigade Sized command as a Buck Sergeant. Really eye opening and a guide for the rest of my career.