So why don’t you…
April 28th, 2005 by GoldFalcon
explain some of the obscure crap you write?
A: Cuz either you’ll get it or you won’t. I was always a fan of Monty Python, Dennis Miller, MST3K humor: lots of references that you either get or not, no time to stop for explanations. Same here, I write the stuff I want to, some days you’ll get it, some days not. My readership is back down to between 200 -300 a day so my guess is that there is a small group of people who get me, and a larger group that just shrug.
Q: Why don’t you write more about military stuff? Isn’t this a military site?
A: Yes, it is. I tend not to write about stuff that is already being covered all over the place and being analyzed in a much better fashion than I could do it. I also tend not to write about casualties or inspirational soldiers or soldiers support organizations YET. Why? Because I haven’t figured out a way to do it that 1) won’t contribute to white noise that detracts from the soldiers and causes 2) truly expresses how I feel. To give you an idea, I get all misty eyed at stories of soldiers and their sacrifice, and just saying “My sympathies to the family” doesn’t begin to cover a fraction of how devastated I am by their selflessness, so I say nothing until I can find a valuable way to express how I feel. In the Army I would have drawn myself to attention and snapped my sharpest salute with unashamed tears streaming down my face. I can’t figure out what the digital equivilant of that is, but I am looking for it.
Q: Some of your stuff just sucks.
A: Yep
Q: Why do you even have this site?
A: There is only one other site that mentions the 4/325AIR in a significant way, and its primary mission is to sell stuff. I wanted to set up a place that former Gold Falcon’s could get in touch. The unit was deactivated in 1996 and we reflagged to the Blue Falcon’s (3/325AIR). For those of us at the last banquet, the last of the Gold Falcon’s, the unit holds a special place. I was in half a dozen units, none even approaches how I feel about being a Gold Falcon. I still have the Gold Falcon unit PT shirt, it is one of my most treasured posessions. Most Gold Falcons that saw the unit go –that I know of– still have their shirts.
Do you know offhand much about the chronology of the 4/325 and the 3/325?
I was with the 3/325 from ‘85 to ‘88, which included moving lock, stock and barrel from Bragg to Vicenza, and I can’t even remember there being a 4/325. Was it created in ‘85 to fill the hole we left at Bragg? Were you deactivated and reflagged as 3/325 when 3/325 was replaced by (reflagged as?) 1/508 in Italy?
Or maybe a better question would be, do you know any sites that keep track of this sort of thing? I’ve tried googling and end up finding stuff scattered all over the place that’s pretty hard to assemble into anything coherent.
Dude, write what you want to. Yep…either peope will get it or not. You like Monty Python, you are looking forward to the new Firefly move, and we worked for the same brigade (if my memory of 4/325th being in the 2nd Bde, 82nd) is right. So basically there is nothing wrong with you…keep writing your way…and if they can’t dig it…who cares. : )
CL
Yes, the 4th was created when the 3rd went to Vicenza. In 1989 they were attached to 1st Brigade and jumped into Panama. The scuttlebutt on the street was that someone didn’t like the fact that 1st and 3rd Brigade’s had “red”, “white”, and “blue” battalion’s (Red Devils, Blue Panthers, etc…) and 2nd Brigade had “Red Falcons”, “White Falcons” and “Gold Falcons”, so it was decided to reflag us back to 3/325 Blue Falcon’s for uniformity, who knows if that is true, but it was the rumor. Anyway, in the summer of 1996 the commander of 3/325 flew over to the states and handed us the 3/325 guidon and the 4/325 was deactivated and they reflagged to 1/508th.
I’ve had a hard time finding any sort of official history of the 4th/3rd swaps, the Regimental history doesn’t even mention the creation/deactivation of the 4th but does refer to it for Just Cause and the airfield seizure operation. Good to see another Blue Falcon here on my little blog, maybe I’ll try to do up some sort of history of the Falcon brigade “The only Airborne Infantry Regiment in the Army”*
*For those of you jokers who are writing furious responses to this assertion, the 325th is the only airborne unit designated A.I.R., Airborne Infantry Regiment. All others are designated P.I.R., Parachute Infantry Regiment. This is a holdover from when it was a mixed unit transitioning from G.I.R. Glider Infantry Regiment
How can this site or another help get in contact with people I served with. 4/325 91-95
Served in Alpha Co. 4/325 A.I.R. from AUG ‘89 through MAY ‘92. operations Just “be-” Cause and Desert Shield/Storm. Glad to be from there; no regrets.
Now this is a SOLDIER!
WASHINGTON (AP) — A 23-year-old sergeant with the Kentucky National Guard has become the first female soldier to receive the Silver Star — the nation’s third-highest medal for valor — since World War II.
Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, who is from Nashville, Tennessee, but serves in a Kentucky unit, received the award for gallantry during a March 20 insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq. Two men from her unit, the 617th Military Police Company of Richmond, Kentucky, also received the Silver Star for their roles in the same action. (Full story)
According to military accounts of the firefight, insurgents attacked the convoy as it traveled south of Baghdad, launching their assault from trenches alongside the road using rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Hester and her unit moved through enemy fire to the trenches, attacking them with grenades before entering and clearing them.
She killed at least three insurgents with her M4 rifle, according to her award citation. In the entire battle, 26 or 27 insurgents were killed and several more were captured, according to various accounts. Several Americans were also wounded in the firefight.
“Her actions saved the lives of numerous convoy members. Sgt. Hester’s bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism,” her award citation reads.
Hester, in an interview, said she was just doing her duty.
“I’m honored to even be considered, much less awarded, the medal,” she told the American Forces Press Service, a military-run information service. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with being a female. It’s about the duties I performed that day as a soldier.”
Hester, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, joined the Kentucky Army National Guard in April 2001 and moved to Nashville in 2003, according to a biography provided by the Army. She works as a retail store manager. Her unit deployed to Iraq in November 2004 and remains in the Baghdad area, escorting convoys and assisting the Iraqi Highway Patrol.
Hester’s father, Jerry, also of Bowling Green, said: “I’m overwhelmed at what she’s accomplished in Iraq. It’s something to be very proud of, and my wife and I are. Leigh Ann is a very good soldier.”
He added: “She played softball and basketball all through high school, and she’s won a lot of games. But those games didn’t mean nowhere near what this medal does and what she’s done for her country.”
Also receiving the Silver Star for that action was Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein of Henryville, Indiana, and Spc. Jason Mike of Radcliff, Kentucky. Five other members of their unit received other medals for the action, including another woman, Spc. Ashley Pullen of Edmonton, Kentucky.
The awards to Hester and Pullen come only weeks after some Republicans in Congress abandoned an effort to curtail the roles of military women in combat zones. The Pentagon and some Democrats and other Republicans opposed the measure. (Full story)
Current Pentagon policy prohibits women from serving in frontline combat roles — in the infantry, armor or artillery, for example. But the nature of the war in Iraq, with no real front lines, has seen women soldiers take part in close-quarters combat more than in any previous conflict.
4/325 94 - 96 HHC Mortars. Went to C Co. after redesignation to 3rd. The off to Korea in late 97. My blood always runs GOLD and proud of it.
I was one of the cherries that got placed in A company ” The Force” 3/325th right out of jump school cuz the Lt Col piss tested so many troopers out of the 3/325th they weren’t going to be able to deploy in the big experiment to deploy a battalion to Vicenza to see if it saves the USARMY any money. We replaced the 4/325 which went back to bragg and were decalred unfit for combat by Bragg standards. - Jump into Normandy twice on the 44 and 45th anniversaries to D-Day. Had the time of my Life - cold weather cadre up at Folgaria (Old Nike Missle Base), Buca Blasts!
I was in Aco 2nd Platoon 3/325. 1stSgt Lane and Capt. Rocha. I was on the advance team that went to Vicenza. We arrived the day after Pres. Reagan dropped a bomb on Libya. Worked in S3 in Vicenza. Got out 1/1989.
Live in Florida now, after all the cold weather training.
I made the move with 3/325 from Bragg to Vicenza, I was the Commo Chief with HHC at Bragg, and then took over the Commo position in Aco in Italy, as Sgt Grissom mentioned I was very familiar with 1SGT Lane and CPT Rocha, they where a pleasure to work for, 1SGT Lane was one of the most knowlegable NCO’s in the BN, I also worked alot with the BN CMD’r and CSM, CSM Hernandez for those of you who never got to know him, was a highly decorated tuff dude, alot of guys didnt like him however, I will tell you, he was a no BS type of NCO, and I appreceiated that, he had no favorites and managed all the enlisted personal equally, in my opinion their wasnt many NCO’s that conducted their troops in that regard.
I can atest that Akins was there. What an ass you were. But, even from asses you can learn some things. I hope things are going well for you.
Akins was there and Grissom (Dive Master). I deployed with Aco 2plt from Bragg to Italy. Stayed till May 89( deployed to Ft Gordon Ga, Knee injury). Jumped in on Normandy on the 44th, many jumps into Graf Germany, Cold weather training, Turkey, Berlin …Remember 1stSGt lane well, “Deal with it” & Cpt Rocha, and CSM Hernadaz “Rat Face/Rock Ranger” Got out 01/90, Currently live on 8 acres in the N.Ga Mnts, work as a pro musician and computer geek …
Ass Licking Videos…
Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me :)…
Cohort Bco.3/325 Oct.23,84 Dec.8,88. Bragg to Vicenza and for the rest of my life as far as I’m concerned… Miss you all, and yes I remember CSM Hernandez(Yoda) CPT. America And definitly remember Larry O.. But most of all I remember each and everyone of the fine men that I was allowed to serve with! All of you! Thank you all regardless of 4/325 or 3/325(a.b.c.t.) We all sank in the same mud, crawled through some of the same dirt. and enjoyed some of the same ice,snow and slush! Many a place and dirt we’ve eaten together for sure!
Just for the record… 3/325(abn) inf. regt. began deployment to Vicenza around May 1986-Aug1986. All things considered I guess it went well.. although as COHORT 3/325 we all went through hell and back after getting to Bragg, becoming “ARTEP” certified…(had fun with Cpt. Clapp and the “pigs”, LOL) then the recently redesignated 4/325 from the 1/509 had no idea how good and easy they had it until they were sent to Ft. Bragg to take our old barracks and had a “First Call”… nothing against them… I wish I had been in Vicenza a cpl years sooner! LOL! Just the way it was… When the 1/509 became the 4/325, then they became afilliated with the 82nd…. which remained until 1996 when I was back again to Bragg to see the change of Colors… 3/325 returned to Bragg. 4/325 disbanded… 3/325 very soon to become 1/173… and once again returned to SETAF (NATO). All Said and done…. a great lineage for us all, and think only of those fine men and women serving and sacrificing for all of us now!
yeah, whatever - like you were even there. 4/325 AIR 88-92 you eternal cherry.
I was in Dco 4/325 AIR 1991-94 (AT-4) what a great unit. I just got back from “All American Week” yesterday, still a great place but damn a lot has changed. Airborne!
I was in the 3/325 A Co 3rd Plt in Vicenza from 92-94 then back to Bragg to the 4/325 in ‘94 then when the 4th became the 3rd again in around ‘96 was a Blue Falcon once again. 60 gunners rule!!
I was in Delta Co. 4/325 AIR from Jan 1987 to Jan 1988. Infantry Squad Leader. I was one of the few in the company who was not in the original 509th group of guys from Vacenza. (a 509th unit was reflaged as 4th Bat /325). AIRBORNE! Guys. LGOPs!!!!!!!!!
D co. 4/325 Airborne Infantry Regiment. Guys, Never forget the Rule of LGOPs (Little Groups of Paratroopers). ATW!
The LGOP Effect on the Battlefield:
After the demise of the best Airborne plan, a most terrifying effect occurs on the battlefield. This effect is known as the rule of the LGOPs. This is, in its purest form, small groups of pissed-off 19 year old American paratroopers. They are well trained. They are armed to the teeth and lack serious adult supervision. They collectively remember the Commander’s intent as “March to the sound of the guns and kill anyone who is not dressed like you” - or something like that.
Best damn duty station I had over my nearly 8yrs in…B Co 4/325 Dec 1983 - Jul 85 (they were starting the cohort shiite while I was on my way to Bragg).
We invaded Monte Berico like the Wild Geese…MP’s and Italian (local not ) drew down on us as we partied on top of Raasch’s old beater…we were all wearing uniform parts from other NATO countries that we had traded with at AMF exercises. 1SG picked our azzes up from Provost Marshal station and called us the wild geese (after the movie).
Then off to Bragg B Co 2/325 this time.
Jerry Basham