In 1995 after some time with an Army Reserve Tank Battalion in Arizona I moved back to New England
and joined Company B 2-172nd Armor out of Westminster, Vermont. I had been in the 110th Cavalry in
Massachusetts but by 95 the unit was disbanding and many had transferred to Vermont.
I met some great people but the Clinton Administration had gutted the military so bad that after one year it
was time for me to call it quits for a bit. I had ten years in at that point between the Guard, the Marine
Corps and the Army Reserve. When asked if I would reenlist I informed them they would have to nuke New
York City before you would see me again.
On September 12th 2001 I called the unit recruiter and told them it was close enough. Most of the .Desert
Storm veterans reenlisted and it was great to see them there. Company B had gotten a lot of B Troop
110th Cavalry guys after the unit finally closed in 1996. Mike Kobel was the only person I ever served in
the Marines and the Army with was in Westminster as well. Jason Smith, and Andrew Raymond, both
whom had been Marines as well came back.
In 2002 the Department of Veterans Affair Hospital in Brockton, Massachusetts in formed me I would not
be allowed to reenlist, I was medically unfit for further service. I argued with the doctors for awhile and it
was agreed I could go on my final three weeks of training at Fort Drum and then that was it. At the 32
years old my time in the military was about to end.
I got to Drum and spent my time on a M 88 crew with Tim Bell and a guy named Howie.I spent my 33rd
birthday in the field knowing it was my last. We traveled around the field and watched the entire training
the whole time. B company and D Company were combined. The A Troop 110th Cav guys took over one
platoon, the B Troop Cav guys took over another and the Vermonters took over another.
That is what makes the National Guard great, the social structures they already had formed the new units,
Esprit De Corps was already there. In the Guard everything is based of the Company level, where as in
the Marine Corps it was the platoon. B Company went to Kuwait two years later, and Jason Smith was
detached and went to Iraq and lost three tanks in one year.
The United States can not win without the National Guard.
and joined Company B 2-172nd Armor out of Westminster, Vermont. I had been in the 110th Cavalry in
Massachusetts but by 95 the unit was disbanding and many had transferred to Vermont.
I met some great people but the Clinton Administration had gutted the military so bad that after one year it
was time for me to call it quits for a bit. I had ten years in at that point between the Guard, the Marine
Corps and the Army Reserve. When asked if I would reenlist I informed them they would have to nuke New
York City before you would see me again.
On September 12th 2001 I called the unit recruiter and told them it was close enough. Most of the .Desert
Storm veterans reenlisted and it was great to see them there. Company B had gotten a lot of B Troop
110th Cavalry guys after the unit finally closed in 1996. Mike Kobel was the only person I ever served in
the Marines and the Army with was in Westminster as well. Jason Smith, and Andrew Raymond, both
whom had been Marines as well came back.
In 2002 the Department of Veterans Affair Hospital in Brockton, Massachusetts in formed me I would not
be allowed to reenlist, I was medically unfit for further service. I argued with the doctors for awhile and it
was agreed I could go on my final three weeks of training at Fort Drum and then that was it. At the 32
years old my time in the military was about to end.
I got to Drum and spent my time on a M 88 crew with Tim Bell and a guy named Howie.I spent my 33rd
birthday in the field knowing it was my last. We traveled around the field and watched the entire training
the whole time. B company and D Company were combined. The A Troop 110th Cav guys took over one
platoon, the B Troop Cav guys took over another and the Vermonters took over another.
That is what makes the National Guard great, the social structures they already had formed the new units,
Esprit De Corps was already there. In the Guard everything is based of the Company level, where as in
the Marine Corps it was the platoon. B Company went to Kuwait two years later, and Jason Smith was
detached and went to Iraq and lost three tanks in one year.
The United States can not win without the National Guard.
