Posted on Apr 2, 2014
Where and when did you attend AIT, and have you ever been back there?
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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.
Edited 11 mo ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 77
Ft Gordon D-2-1, July 82-Oct 82... O5C....Radio Teletype School, nope have not revisited, yet.
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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.
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
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
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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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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Fort Lee, Virginia 1980.
Never thought I would see a fast food restaurant on any Post
Never thought I would see a fast food restaurant on any Post
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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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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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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.
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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Ft. Huachuca July 09 - March 2010.
Went back for TDY in August - September 2011 and then again for another TDY August 2012
Went back for TDY in August - September 2011 and then again for another TDY August 2012
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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
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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