Posted on Apr 2, 2014
SFC James Baber
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Would be an interesting thing to see not only the locations, but a generational perspective on how changes to those locations may be for each and if it even exists anymore. Also have you ever returned to the location either as a duty station or just to see what is was like for memories and changes that may have taken place. I will lead off, Ft McClellan, AL: D10-1984. I went back in 1992 for another school but haven't been back since it shuttered it's doors to AIT in '99, have been to Leonardwood for few other schools and checked out their facilities, big difference to what we had at McClellan back in the day though. Would love to go back to McClellan today and see what the base looks like and what bldgs. still exist, or training areas are there.
Posted in these groups: Untitled MemoriesTrain2 Training
Edited 2 y ago
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CPT William Jones
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Basic and ait ft Polk la. 1964 summer, OCS Ft Bennington Ga 1965. Officer basic course. 1966 ft belvoir va. No returns to any of those posts.
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CW2 Jalistair B
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AIT? WOW haven't thought of that in years. Lenard Wood, 88M in 1996. Never returned.
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CPT Andrew Wright
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Edited >1 y ago
Attended Infantry AIT at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1977. The Harmony Church area had dozens of WWII wooden barracks, mess halls, a small PX, and the church its named for. The Ranger School was also there. Went back for mobilization in 2003 and the buildings were all gone and the area overgrown with pine trees and scrub.
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CPL Larry Garrett
CPL Larry Garrett
4 y
I was in B-4-2 which, at the time (1987) was right next to the Ranger school at the Church. One of the guys in that class of Rangers actually graduated with me a year b3fire from a little town in Texas. We spoke at the PX for 5 minutes and haven't seen him since.
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Sgt Scott McCleland
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Ft Gordon D-2-1, July 82-Oct 82... O5C....Radio Teletype School, nope have not revisited, yet.
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SFC Quinn Chastant
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I attended the Electrical Power Generation and Repairer's Course (Then 52B) at Ft. Belvoir VA. in 1976. While I've been back to Ft. Belvoir a few times after the Engineer School had relocated, many of the building and stand sites still remained. Some things change, and some are reutilized.

Also attended a Reserve School AIT for a MOS Reclass at Ft Indian Town Gap, Seems some things there had remained fairly static as well structure wise.
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SFC James Baber
SFC James Baber
7 y
I did a short stint as an AI at the school for 82B (Construction Surveyor) because I had the knowledge and background from before military, so I was pulled from regular MP duties and did 2 classes in late '87 while there was a instructor shortage, I believe the school relocated in '88/89 due to the continued inst. shortage, and after DS/DS they did away with many of the MOS's as well.
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SFC James Baber
SFC James Baber
7 y
Most of the bldg.'s that existed during my inst. and MP days are long gone as all the WWII type barracks and bldg.'s were replaced in mid-90s and then even more with renovations of mid-2000s. I did a OPSEC leader's course there in '09 and hardly recognized most of the installation, and when they shut down Walter Reed a few years back they split the personnel and units between Belvoir and NIH in Bethesda, the old Dewitt Hospital is long gone replaced with a Billion dollar facility that you can get lost within a few minutes of walking in the door.
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SPC Dana Goins
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I had AIT at Ft. Lee in 1968-69 which I hated. The smell was suffocating from some chemical plants in the area and if the wind was blowing in our direction it was unbearable. Plus as a 19-year old soldier (at the time) we would go to Richmond on the week ends for a littlr R & R but at that time Richmond was in a dry county so there were no bars as we know it now. There were only clubs and you had to stop by a state store and buy your booze by the bottle and take it with you to the club. Needless to say it wasn't very hard to pick up women. When I finished AIT at Ft. Lee, our entire class received orders for Vietnam. But when I got there, the CO of the unit where I went in DaNang told me that there was no need for my MOS so they converted me to an MP where our duties were escorting convoys. Imagine that!!!!! The only thing I got out of AIT was an automatic promotion to SP4. So I went from an E1 to a SP4. Oh to be able tp go back and do things over. Basic at Ft. Benning and then Ft. Lee. WOW!!!! What a trip.
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
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Fort Lee, Virginia 1980.
Never thought I would see a fast food restaurant on any Post
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PV2 Billie Jo Wilson
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I attended AIT at Ft Bliss, TX in 1984. Looking for anyone who was there in late 1984, early 1985.
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SFC Martin Goss
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Ft. Polk, La June 1974. Infantry AIT, They called it little Viet Nam at the time. I have never been back.
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MSgt Stephanie McCalister
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Edited >1 y ago
Army: Fort Eustis, AIT 1977, returned for a visit out of curiosity in 1992, hardly recognized the place.

Air Force:
Keesler AFB, first visit, while father was there TDY in 1965, I was 6 yrs old.
14 years later, 1979, I was back, prior service, for AIT. The hotel we stayed at in 1965, was now a mall, and Hurricane Camille (1969) had destroyed the mini-amusement park on the beach, it was now a ghostly wreck out in the water, the remains of the rusting roller coaster rising out of the water during high tide. But the base child care center still stood, with the wooden train carved & painted on the front that I remembered from my childhood visit, and my own daughter, just 11 months old, stayed there while I was at classes (being prior service, I didn't live in barracks with the new recruits).
Fast Forward to 2002, now a disabled veteran, my husband & I traveled to Florida, & on the way, we stopped & spent the night in Biloxi. Went on base at Keesler, and found I recognized a fair amount of the base still.

Altus AFB: Flight Engineer School 1983-84, went back a couple times over the years later flying; & mid-2000s for a visit, faces had changed, but much else, stayed much as I remembered.
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SSG Instructor
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Ft. Huachuca July 09 - March 2010.

Went back for TDY in August - September 2011 and then again for another TDY August 2012
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SSG Aircraft Mechanic
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19D OSUT, Ft. Knox, KY, AUG-DEC 1998 3rd PLT A TRP 5/15 CAV

31B Reclass, MAARNG RTI, JAN-JUL 2008

15T AIT, Ft. Eustis, VA, OCT-FEB 2012-2013 H Co. 1-222 AV
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SSG Aircraft Mechanic
SSG (Join to see)
4 y
I can now add 15R AIT, Ft. Eustis, VA, OCT-MAR 2019-2020 H Co 1-222 AV
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SSG Richard Stevens
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Ft still ok Aug of 1980
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
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Fort Lee, Va. 1980 yes the post has changed alot
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SPC Eric Francis
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I went to AIT at D Co 447th Sig. BN at Fort Gordon, and honestly i have not been back since. Too many bad memories.
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SFC Istvan Nagy
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I took Basic and AIT (OSUT) training as a 12C Bridge Crewmember at Ft Leonard Wood, MO in 1980. In 1993 I went back for ANCOC and then in late 1994 I got assigned to the Engineer School, Directorate of Tactics, Leadership and Engineering as a Senior Training Developer/Instructor/Writer and later I got assigned to Libby NCO Academy as a Senior Instructor for 12C/B BNCOC. One of he best work experience in of my career PERIOD
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CW2 Geoff Lachance
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I love this question!!! Responses are great!
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CW2 Geoff Lachance
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Ft Dix, NJ, 1971/72. Always wanted to go back but never did.
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MAJ Operational Contract Support Cell/Mortuary Affairs Oic
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I attended OSUT at Ft. Sill, OK (Sep-Dec 1992). I was told 3/321 no longer exists. I received orders to Sill in 2002, but because of my Airborne wings those orders were deleted and I was sent to Stewart.
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CPL Larry Garrett
CPL Larry Garrett
4 y
I feel for you. They closed my base, Ft. Ord, back in 1993. No more 7th ID. However, they brought back 2/27 INF Wolfhounds later. Put them back in Tropic Lightning (25th). Grateful the Wolfhounds are still around though.
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1SG First Sergeant
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I attended AIT at Fort Sill in 2001, then I was stationed there for 9yrs! I went back last year as were traveling through the area (visiting old friends) and they made some good improvements. I went through AIT the 2nd time (reclass) in April 2009 and went back the same year for ALC, in Oct! I'll be heading back in Feb 2015 for SLC.
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SFC James Baber
SFC James Baber
11 y
Spent my 1st 3 years of my career there from '84-'87, was much different from when you were there, we still had the open bay wooden WWII barracks for basic/AIT Soldiers. When I was in DS/S we had a few MP's that were assigned to us from Sill, and even then they had made major upgrades at that time, Sheridan road was a four lane road, when I left in '87 was still only 2 lanes coming into main gate. All the wooden barracks were being torn down by then as well, something about quality of living for trainees, LOL. I probably wouldn't recognize anything on the post now.
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SSG Mark Ives
SSG Mark Ives
11 y
I went to Basic/AIT in the 6000 area in Feb 1978, across the highway from Main Post. I looked it up on Google Earth and not sure if it's still there. My recollection of most of Sill is when I PCS'd back to it in '81 - '82 & was with 3/9th FA. Main thing I remember is there being a tornado touch down on the airfield in '81 and tearing up a lot of trees, powerlines, etc!
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