181lizard
Cave Dweller 
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Oct 7, 2006 15:14:29 GMT -5
If anyone here has insight to this, I'd love to know.
A friends X-husband is leaving next week to go somewhere in the middle east. (he's knocking on 60) He served in Nam in the Army. As of right now, this man works for HUD in Oregon and was a higher muckymuck in Lucent Tech.
He's telling his family that he was contacted by gov. ? to perform a specific job over there & it's his patriotic duty to go. Now...
Hubby says he's full of crap. (actually he said another word!) They don't take people that old back into active duty. But I did hear something on the news days ago about the oldest person over there so far to die. It was a woman & I'm thinking they said she was around 60. (memory is starting to fade quickly)
Does anybody have any thoughts about how this situation may or maynot be accurate?
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 7, 2006 18:08:41 GMT -5
Maybe it is a CIA assignment.
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Post by cpdad on Oct 7, 2006 18:11:42 GMT -5
hey lizard...not sure if this helps much.....but yes some will be contacted...my father in law was contacted at the beginning of the first gulf war to come back and *teach something* so he said...he was in pretty bad health..but wanted to go...mother in law said no way...he spent 30 years in the military.
they also called him about 6 years later for the same teaching thing...but he was 100 percent disabled by then....he still tell us nothing but it was about *teaching*...this man has never spoken about certain things...and it seems he wont either.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Oct 7, 2006 18:12:55 GMT -5
At that age, it would have to be intell, seriously doubt that he will be on the front lines.
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Oct 7, 2006 18:41:15 GMT -5
Hey liz, I think I gotta go with your husband on this one. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.....  This simply sounds to "Hollywoody". Ron |
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Post by BAZ on Oct 7, 2006 19:16:34 GMT -5
Our friends dad, a Lebanese/American man who attended the U.S. Army War College goes back and forth to the Mid-East for weeks on end as an "expert in the Middle East". He is well past retirement age but keeps going back for "conferences".
He always comes back with a smile and a joke and that is it. There is a lot of silly sh*t going on over there in my opinion so I wouldn't doubt that your buddy is legit.
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Post by BAZ on Oct 7, 2006 19:17:34 GMT -5
PS: silly = spooky!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,504
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 7, 2006 22:52:59 GMT -5
Liz: A guy from a ranch neighboring mine up at Hornitos just got back from a tour in Afganistan with the Special Forces and he's darn near my age (upper fifties). Guess if you have special skill and are still in the reserves or something, you can still be asked to go. He went over for a year. Think his designation was special weapons and tactics so he was probably hunting Osama....mel
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181lizard
Cave Dweller
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Oct 8, 2006 13:23:00 GMT -5
Well, for his families sake...I hope the guy hasn't popped a coronary or something. I believe his current wife doesn't work, he has a son in Minn. that's an attrny who's also expecting their 1st child, and he also has a son that lives with his Ex. that is blind and autistic. (although very high functioning)
I guess it's not out of the realm of possibility that this could be legit but geeze...from the sounds of it, just what does a man with his knowledge (or lack of) and his age have that the gov. needs to send him into the hell of middle east?
I've known this man's ex-wife for about 10 years now. According to her, he served the same "tour" in Nam that everyone else did & came home just like everyone else. She said he has never brought up any subject that would lead her to believe that his service record had anything out of the ordinary. All I can think of is either something in the telecommunications field or some type of government housing issues.
Thanks for all your feedback guys...If I hear anything concrete, I'll let ya know.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Oct 10, 2006 12:20:31 GMT -5
He might be a Civilian contrator- I know someone from my Metal detecting board who went over in his 60's- Not to see active duty- but as a consultant (civilian contractor)
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Post by Alice on Oct 12, 2006 7:35:52 GMT -5
My hubby has been over seas for the past 3 years doing exactly that (US military contractor).
There are people of all ages over there (even men and women that are 60+) years old.
Military contractor doesn't mean that they will throw him in a combat suit and give him a gun to kill all the "bad guys".
Military contractor means that he will more then likely have a desk job, doing jobs that the military no longer does (Computers, Purchasing, janitor, administrative, chef, accounting, etc...). Military now days pretty much only do combat, and they contract out the other jobs.
Pays very well. Will be good for him to retire on.
If he is loosing his memory as you say. they might hire him for a few months (or even keep him for the full term of his contract) until it starts affecting his work. He does have to pass a physical before they hire him though
Hope this helps
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181lizard
Cave Dweller
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Oct 12, 2006 12:16:06 GMT -5
Alice...it was ME that's losing the memory!  The guy going over there is probably close to genius in the brain power meter. Thanks for everyone's input. I imagine he is doing just as Alice states...probably doing jobs "for" the military. Time will tell! |
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Post by Alice on Oct 12, 2006 21:03:09 GMT -5
ooops, my bad
Sorry Lizard I didn't read your initial post throughly. I just sped read through it.
I'm 100% sure the guy was hired as a military contractor (perhaps hired by KBR Haliburton or one of the other gazillion compaines that contract out there). He's much too old for the army. They'd never stick him in combat. Desk job on the other hand, is another question.
Any idea where he's being stationed?
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181lizard
Cave Dweller
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Oct 12, 2006 23:30:07 GMT -5
Haven't heard where yet. Fri. nite we usually all meet at the Pub & I'll be hearing more then. I'm thinking he's gonna be leaving within the next day or so. I'll let everyone know when I hear cause I'm thinking we're all sorta interested to see what's up!
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41infantry
starting to shine!
Jump or Die!
Member since October 2006
Posts: 48
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Post by 41infantry on Oct 13, 2006 4:59:06 GMT -5
The oldest guy here Afghanistan still wearing a uniform is a Dr. he is 70...yes I said 70 he even insisted on carrying his own duffel bag off the plane. he is not working in a hospital rather touring the country and and helping at a bunch of local Med clinics and villages conducting VMO's (village medical outreach) he is the oldest I know of. however we have in my Unit a number of old farts that have been in NAM and or been called out of retirement to help over here, most are Maj-Col in rank. and any soldier who is retired can volunteer to serve again as long as they pass the physical. Hope this helps
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tacomaguy
starting to shine!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 39
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Post by tacomaguy on Oct 13, 2006 12:01:35 GMT -5
I think he might be wanting to go over there on his own and wants his friends and family to think it wasn't his idea so they don't get mad at him for his decison. I've seen guys in uniform at the airport in thier late 50's, ealry 60's that are in the Guard or Reserves deploying to Iraq/Afghanistan. ALOT of them are former Veitnam vets.
41Infantry: You stay safe over there alright!! Don't go being a hero or something, just do your job and keep your buddys safe.
One of my friends from my old unit died over there. One of my friends from my OSUT training died on Thanksgiveing last year in Iraq. ( He was the MP SSG that went out on mission so his soldiers could enjoy Thanksgiveing and got nailed by a roadside bomb. He was a true leader and a great man in my book. )
- Eric
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181lizard
Cave Dweller
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Oct 13, 2006 13:26:03 GMT -5
Thanks for the info 41...I'll pass that info on to his family should they bring the subject up again. (I don't want to make them talk about it if they don't want to)
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The guy going over there is probably close to genius in the brain power meter.
