How many Combat/Humanitarian tours have you particpated in during your military career?

2015-12-03T21:51:40-05:00

I am proud to say, I deployed a total of 5 combat and 1 humanitarian tours in my career. Here is a brief snapshot:

SFC(R) Davis has deployed to Operation Uphold Democracy Haiti,1994-1995-3/62 ADA FT.Drum, NY; Operation Iraqi Freedom I, II, and III (2003, 2004-2005) respectively with the 513th TC FT. Lewis, WA; OIF-VI, HHC ASG Camp Arifjan Area Support Group (ASG), Kuwait 2008-2009, and Operation New Dawn, 6th Trans Battalion 2011-2012, Operation Enduring Freedom, BAF, Afghanistan 2013-2014 15th BSB 2/1 CAV DIV

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Dec 3 at 2015 9:54 PM

2015-12-03T21:54:21-05:00

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL And- you still managed to promote to SFC? Congratulations!

Response by COL Mike Walton made Dec 3 at 2015 9:57 PM

2015-12-03T21:57:31-05:00

Eight.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 3 at 2015 10:06 PM

2015-12-03T22:06:48-05:00

None I would qualify as "Combat" but two tours in "Combat Theater" That's the first step in becoming Cdr in the Local Vfw which I eventually did and 1 time, Very Unintentionally Found myself in the Middle of a S**t Storm that is how I got my JMUC my Highest Award. It was Fiery Vigil, Eruption of Mt Pinatubo Largest Volcanic Eruption in 100 years anywhere and all I was doing was trying to meet up with the Arkansas CGN-41 to go to Desert Storm/Southern Watch. Next time I want to be further away than 18 miles and it was very poor form of Mother Nature to hit Luzon with a Typhoon at the same time!

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Dec 3 at 2015 10:16 PM

2015-12-03T22:16:19-05:00

My deployment was in the Cold War which most of us were thankful that it did not get nuclear SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 10:37 PM

2015-12-03T22:37:41-05:00

1 Combat: OEF 2006 and 1 Humanitarian: Operation Continuing Promise in 2008

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Dec 3 at 2015 10:56 PM

2015-12-03T22:56:36-05:00

Operation Joint Endeavor Third PLT, 92nd MP Co 95-96, Operation Enduring Freedom D CO 101st BSB, 1st BDE, 1st ID ETT Teams 08-09. Honduras was just fun Dec 2000-Jun 2001

Response by SN Greg Wright made Dec 3 at 2015 11:19 PM

2015-12-03T23:19:39-05:00

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL I had to help set up, on Yokota AF base, thousands of cots for possible incoming American evacuees from China for Tienanmen Square. Does that count?

(I jest. I know it doesn't. Just throwing a little humor, SFC!)

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Dec 3 at 2015 11:20 PM

2015-12-03T23:20:17-05:00

OJE - Dec '95-Sep '06,
OJG-Mar - Sep '01,
OEF/OIF- Jan '03 - Mar '04

Response by SGT Robert Deem made Dec 3 at 2015 11:24 PM

2015-12-03T23:24:42-05:00

Only deployed one time. Operation Joint Endeavor in '96 and carried over into Operation Joint Guard in '97.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Dec 4 at 2015 12:28 AM

2015-12-04T00:28:15-05:00

Dual Housing allowances sure adds to the cost of SMs.

Response by SFC A.M. Drake made Dec 4 at 2015 1:09 AM

2015-12-04T01:09:46-05:00

Desert Storm....activated only
Now in AGR as Rctr....never deployed but provide the strength for about 18 more months! It makes me upset to not have earned that combat patch, but grateful that God had other plans!

Response by SSG Michael Hartsfield made Dec 4 at 2015 1:48 AM

2015-12-04T01:48:59-05:00

5 Combat Tours:
OIF Camp Blue Diamond Ramadi Mar-Nov 2005
OEF US Embassy, Kabul Afghanistan Sept 2006- Feb 2007
OIF COB Speicher Tikrit Jan-July 2009
OEF VSP Talakan, Panjwai District, Kandahar Province Jan-Aug 2011
OEF Camp Henderson, Shindand District, Herat Province Mar-Oct 2013

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Dec 4 at 2015 9:22 AM

2015-12-04T09:22:24-05:00

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Planned, deployed, and participated in several Medical Readiness Missions to South America and one stateside (the Flood of 93) along the Illinois River

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Dec 4 at 2015 10:09 AM

2015-12-04T10:09:53-05:00

Four to eight - depending upon how you count them (tours, operations, campaign, assignments).
Service in Korea continues to be equivalent to service in Saudi/Kuwait during the Gulf War Ceasefire.

What about the MFO and UN deployments? For the Cold War era warriors would you count REFORGER, FLINT LOCK, TEAM SPIRIT, ULCHI FOCUS LENS, ATLANTIC RESOLVE, or duty in Berlin?

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 4 at 2015 11:07 AM

2015-12-04T11:07:13-05:00

Desert Storm, Bosnia and Croatia, Iraq Freedom I&II

Response by MAJ Glenn Bergeron made Dec 4 at 2015 11:38 AM

2015-12-04T11:38:07-05:00

4 Deployments
DS/S - Aug 90-Mar 91 - 1-325 AIR/82nd Airborne Division (Mil)
OEF - Oct 02-Mar 03 - CFLCC / CFSOCC (Mil)
OEF - Sep 11-Apr 12 - 2-5 Inf/1st Armored Division (Ctr)
OEF - May 13-Nov13 - 6-8 Cav/3rd Infantry Division(Ctr)

1 Humanitarian
Hurricane Katrina Relief - Aug 05-Feb 06 - TF Viper (415th MI Battalion) (Mil)

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Dec 4 at 2015 1:56 PM

2015-12-04T13:56:34-05:00

5 combat, 1 peace keeping

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2015 4:43 AM

2015-12-05T04:43:11-05:00

What do y'all count TDY's as?

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Dec 5 at 2015 9:02 AM

2015-12-05T09:02:04-05:00

3 tours: OIF I Jan-Aug 2003 Kuwait to Baghdad; OIF-III Jan-Dec 2005 FOB Brassfield-Mora, Samarra; OIF/OEF/OND support, Mar '10-Mar '11, HHC, ASG-Ku, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Response by MSgt John Carroll made Dec 5 at 2015 10:14 AM

2015-12-05T10:14:28-05:00

Kuwait '00
"Deployed" in place for Space Shuttle Columbia recovery '03
Data Masked early '04
North Korea '04
Kuwait '05-06
Afghanistan '07
Iraq '09
Afghanistan '10-11

A lot of extended (30 days or more) TDYs

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2015 5:07 AM

2015-12-06T05:07:47-05:00

I am currently on my 5th Deployment. 2003-2004 OIF, 2005-2006 OIF, 2010-2011 OEF, 2012-2013 OEF, and 2015-2016 OFS/ORS.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2015 6:58 AM

2015-12-06T06:58:24-05:00

Since 1982, I'm on number 10...not those Air Force 90 or 180 day types either. 6 bona-fide combat (although one was fobbit-based in Iraq), and #7 was labeled "humanitarian" and later credited combat (Honduras during the day-Nicaragua at night)... Then the Bosnia & Kosovo & twice to Korean DMZ (don't know what the hell to call that...but no family & no fun). What I have noticed over the years....it's about timing and chance...not the individual. You can get assigned to a unit right after they came back, so no deployment for you....or you could come home from a deployment and get assigned to another unit going back. Timing and chance, and being Combat Arms MOS seems to have a hand in it too. No small surprise that I served with the postee SFC (R) Davis when he was in 2/1 CAV together in Afghanistan. As I sit here in Korea with 2/1 CAV this makes my 4th time with 2/1 CAV alone....2nd BDE, 1st Cavalry is the most deployed Armored Brigade in the Army (and some of us are pretty damned tired!)

Response by PO3 Brad Phlipot made Dec 6 at 2015 7:24 AM

2015-12-06T07:24:56-05:00

I personally was involved in no humanitarian operations, I wish we were as it would be a great feeling to have been the ones to bring aid and a smile to a child or persons face in their hour of need. Thank you to all of you who did participate in a humanitarian aid op, you are somebody's savior or angel if you think about it.

Response by MSgt David Haupt made Dec 6 at 2015 9:02 AM

2015-12-06T09:02:18-05:00

Operation Sea Signal (Humanitarian) Sept 94 - Feb 95 GITMO
DS/DS Al Jaber 98 (response to Kenya Embassy after bombings)
OIF Kirkuk AB Oct 03- May 04
OIF Balad AB, July - Oct 09
OIF/OEF Manas AB, May - Nov 07
OEF Kandahar AB, May - Nov 10

Response by SSG David Dickson made Dec 6 at 2015 9:23 AM

2015-12-06T09:23:50-05:00

All hero points in this post to go Mambear. My wife is more of a deployed spouse veteran than I am. I racked up 2 "hardship" tours in Korea (Yongsan), and the tailend of OND. So mad props to Mamabear for keeping the fam in check and held together while I did Uncle Sam's bidding.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2015 10:52 AM

2015-12-06T10:52:05-05:00

OIF '08-09
OEF '13
And the most interesting one so far (in terms of mission) was the humanitarian deployment to Liberia for the Ebola outbreak called Operation United Assistance (OUA) in late '14 to early '15. What an interesting experience that was!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2015 2:37 PM

2015-12-06T14:37:44-05:00

OIF 3/4 with 116th BCT FOB Warrior Kirkuk Iraq 2004/2005 as an LNO to 2-116 Cav. In OEF 2008-2009 with 426th CA BN PRT Farah, Afghanistan. CERP Project Officer. We fixed/built wells, built or upgraded schools, set up solar lights, upgraded the ring road in RC West and gave wheat seed to farmers to plant instead of Opium. We spent a few million in various projects. I also was on a title 32 tour of guarding Dugway Proving Ground, Utah in Operation Noble Eagle III 2003/2004. 3 mobilizations for almost 3.5 years of time away from home in the USAR/ARNG.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Dec 6 at 2015 7:08 PM

2015-12-06T19:08:36-05:00

Six combat, one humanitarian..

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Dec 7 at 2015 9:48 AM

2015-12-07T09:48:28-05:00

More than my fair share, but frankly I could have been on a lot more had the Army allowed me. Back in the 80's and early 90's, there was this thing called "stop movement" when Desert Storm kicked off. I was locked down at Camp Zama, Japan overseas due to it and could have very well served in Panama and Desert Storm had I gotten my way. Looking back on it, it is not a wise choice to wish to go to these foreign countries to display your training, but rather a calling when your name comes up. Being in the initial invasion of both Afghanistan in 02 and Iraq in 03 gave me enough appreciation to know what it looks like "austere". The later deployments didn't feel like deployments when I signed for a room key and lived with a sole roommate. Just my .02

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2015 11:14 AM

2015-12-07T11:14:27-05:00

Does state active duty for tornado and hurricane relief count? My guard unit was activated and we were sent to the Gulf Coast for Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Rita. I spent a month doing tornado relief/clean up in Tuscaloosa after the storms in '11. Almost every year that I was in the Alabama Guard we either got mobilized in the spring for tornados or in the fall for hurricanes.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jan 7 at 2016 8:18 AM

2016-01-07T08:18:16-05:00

Just one, DaNang RVN July'70-July'71

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Jan 25 at 2018 8:11 PM

2018-01-25T20:11:42-05:00

4 conflicts, 5 HSM tours/deployments

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Feb 1 at 2019 2:17 AM

2019-02-01T02:17:09-05:00

I did one tour" a full year in the Vietnam war n 1968-69