N00B reporting in from Afghanistan ( hometown Buffalo,NY)

[mjw4669]

How's it going my fellow soldiers??

I signed up a few days ago and after a little poking around I like what I see and have decided I'm here to stay!

A little about myself

My name is Matt Williams, I'm a 25 year old SSG in the Army National Guard. I hold the MOS of 91B - wheeled vehicle mechanic and 91L- Construction equipment repairer. My "civilian job" is a federal technician at the local FMS (field maintenance shop) I basically get to play army every day and still live in my home town. Couldn't ask for a better job. I have some experience with CUCV's, M35's and 800 series trucks, but most of them were already on the way out around the time I got in. A few are still lingering around, but not too many. The more modern trucks like 900 series, HEMTT's, FMTV's, 916's and all types of engineer equipment are my babies. We work on those daily back home.

I am currently in the middle of a deployment to Afghanistan with an engineer unit. This will be the LAST time I deploy with an engineer unit! Their motto is HEAVY JUNK. and that is 100% true! All of the equipment over here is used and abused every single day. When I go out on convoys for projects I have the honor of driving and sometimes living in a 1987 M944... aka bat wing/ battle cat/ bat mobile. Pretty neat truck... if it was 20 years newer. It's a little shady to be driving around in a 23 year old 5 ton with a light armor kit on it when half the other people have brand new MRAP'S and A4 HEMTTS. oh well. she hasn't let me down yet! I have some experience working on MRAPS over here. Most are still under warranty and are repaired by the civilian's over here making 150K+ a year ( yeah im not bitter about that at all ). The only time we get to mess with them is when they break down outside the wire or on the smaller FOB's

I drive a lifted 02 wrangler with just over 25k miles on it. Rolling on 35 inch rubber. Rubicon D44 with air locker up front and a Ford 8.8 with locker in the rear. 1/4 inch rock armor all over, custom tube fenders, and plenty of dings dents and scratches to show it's not just a mall crawler. I also own a 04 Infinity G35 coupe and a 05 Ninja 636. Won't go into much detail about those... figure MV guys wont care.

Once I get out of this dump of a country I plan on getting a Bobbed deuce, so the next few months i'll be learning as much as I can whenever i have internet access! Any questions/comments feel free to post away

 

[bratpackdad]

Welcome to SS, take a whiz on Bagram Airfield for me. Come home safe and send some pics.

 

[Chief_919]

Welcome aboard- and I feel your pain. I was a 63B and 62b before I went Warrant, and my last deployment was Afghanistan with an Engineer BN.

Odds are you are still pushing some of the heavy junk I left over there.

 

[fuzzytoaster]

Welcome to the site! Think of driving the m944 as a benefit, if it breaks you'd might be more likely to get something better rather than worse! (unless they went all mad max on you)

 

[Jimma]

Welcome to SS. Thank you for all you do in serving our country and keeping us safe. We owe you!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Blood_of_Tyrants]

Welcome and thank you for your service to our country. You'll be thankful for that 23 year old (and much less complicated) truck when the feces strikes the rotating atmospheric turbulence generator.

 

[Boss Doug]

Mjw4669, Keep up the good work brother and welcome to SS.

 

[mjw4669]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

bratpackdad- BAF is dump. It's like an over crowded ghetto that they are trying to make into something special. I've spent a total of 7 days there this year and hated it.

Chief_919- My plan was to go warrant after this year but have been selected for an E7 motor sergeant position. I just got E6 so i'll have to wait for my TIG to get E7. I figure I'll wait till I have 2 years as E7 then go the warrant route. Get instant CW2 once schools are done.

Katahdin- Boris is right down the road from me. And yeah fuel has been an issue on a few of the smaller FOB's around us. I was at Tillaman last week and we had to have C-130's do an air drop for us. That was something pretty cool to see! If you talk to him in the next few days tell him to keep an eye out for a SSG Williams with the 827 engineers. I might be passing through there sometime soon.

 

[Chief_919]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

bratpackdad- BAF is dump. It's like an over crowded ghetto that they are trying to make into something special. I've spent a total of 7 days there this year and hated it.

Chief_919- My plan was to go warrant after this year but have been selected for an E7 motor sergeant position. I just got E6 so i'll have to wait for my TIG to get E7. I figure I'll wait till I have 2 years as E7 then go the warrant route. Get instant CW2 once schools are done.

Katahdin- Boris is right down the road from me. And yeah fuel has been an issue on a few of the smaller FOB's around us. I was at Tillaman last week and we had to have C-130's do an air drop for us. That was something pretty cool to see! If you talk to him in the next few days tell him to keep an eye out for a SSG Williams with the 827 engineers. I might be passing through there sometime soon.

Sounds like you are in my old stomping grouns in Paktika. If you are at O-E or Sharana I know you are using some of the same junk I left behind.

My BN built the road from SHarana to O-E (I can only imagine how beat up it likely is now), and we had O-E to Bermal half done when we left. We also built all the K-span buildings at Sharana and a bunch of other stuff.

 

[Katahdin]

Small World! Here's some pics from a recent air drop at Boris my brother sent back. They let him outside the wire for the first time to collect the gear and burn the parachutes. He's with the 4-320th FA. Ask for Lt. Doody, you might be able to score some of our Mom's peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and other care goods he's been receiving.

 

[mjw4669]

Chief_919- yes sir same place. My "home" is in Sharana building K21, but i haven't been there since mid September and probably wont be till the end of the year. I've been working missions out of O-E. How long ago were you here? We 've expanded Sharana by a TON since we got here. added a HUGE HLZ and 3 big Tent cities on the west side of the post.

Katahdin- ahh what do ya know! and looks like your brother is one of the currahee guys that just got into country a month or 2 ago! I'll keep an eye out if/when i go there

 

[L999here]

...welcome...!!!

(SALUTE),Brother....Welcome to the site. Stay alert,shoot straight and come home safe. From an old retired vet who only got to 'teach' people to shoot...LOL....

 

[Craigster]

Get Home Safe, Thank you for your service sir.

 

[dc3coyote]

I am in Afgan right now, actually home ported in Bagram. Thankfully I get to do ALOT of travelling and FOB hopping. So I can limit my time here.
I am one of 6 Coasties in the entire country doing the Hazmat inspections. So we do stand out alot, unless there are a bunch of DA, (department of Agriculture) people near by.
look me up some time. It would be alot of fun to get the SS Afghan detachment together.
Branan

 

[milspecwrench]

Welcome! My son in law is currently there also, I never made it to ascrackinstan but Al Asad was bad enough, (From what i understand AFG is worse,)
I know what you mean about being a tech , I loved it untill I was retired (Medically, after an SRP )
While your over there don't forget to keep an eye open for job announcments, and apply for them! heck, all they can do is say no!
Make it back safely, and I hope to see you around the board!