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Thread: ROTC Basic Camp - Fort Knox 1978

  1. #11
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    Back in the old days, you got a "yearbook" for your time at Fort Knox for Basic, and Fort Lewis for Advanced. Here is the cover of mine from 1978. I also managed to show up several times, but I wanted those here to see how we did Rifle Marksmanship. I got my Expert that summer with the M16 and Grenades. Keep in mind that college ROTC contributes around 65% of all Commissioned Officers in the US Army. My 20 year old son would have done the same route if he hadn't received his appointment to West Point.



    A young OH58D getting his M16A1 rodded thru to check for any rounds. Note the watch on the right wrist and compare to the photo in the OP. Also note I was just under 6 ft 3 and weighed around 165 lbs. Great looking two-tone upper and lower on the weapon I carried. Also note in these pictures the fatigue shirts out of the pants. At that time, Army Regs allowed you to leave the shirt out when temps hit a certain level. That summer of 1978 we were having temps at Fort Knox hovering @ 100 degrees.
    Last edited by OH58D; 03-08-20 at 17:57.
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

  2. #12
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    Some M16A1 pictures from my 3rd Platoon fellow cadets, and range time. Photos from the Alpha Company, 13th Battalion, 4th Training Brigade yearbook, coming up on 42 years ago:



    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by OH58D View Post
    That video pre-dates my first time at Fort Rucker. I arrived in the middle of 1982. Now you also have other schools at Rucker for Warrant Officers, including those in AG.


    Outstanding - another family of ROTC cadets. Did you continue onto advanced camp the following Summer? That would have taken you to Fort Lewis, which I did in 1979. So you got to stay in the old barracks south of Eisenhower where Human Resources is now. Since you have been back, the old CIF buildings still exist and they are next the Copple Center for Army ROTC. I have a bunch of photos from 1978 I haven't scanned yet, but maybe I should include some here. Cadet Command wants to use a lot of my pics. I have more to include below.

    So your son was at Knox in 2017? A friend of the family had a daughter there in 2017, and she was with the 5th Regiment that Summer. I was there for her graduation. They have a family day event at the Waybur Theater, around the corner from the Officer's Club. That theater was where I saw the movie Grease that summer. The 5th Regiment Graduation had to be held indoors because of rain the next day.

    My youngest son at West Point went to Fort Knox in 2018 to serve as Cadre for the 9th Regiment that Summer. Is your son an MJC student or four year school? If MJC, just like you he is Early Commissioning Program. From 1966 to 1978, ECP was MJC only. Then in 1978 it was four year colleges until 1991, when it went back to Military Junior Colleges.
    I transferred to another college (Auburn University) after my freshman year at MMI. If I had stayed, I would have gone to Ft. Riley Kansas for Advance Camp. As far as I remember, east coast schools went to Ft. Riley, and west coast to Ft. Lewis. I have a yearbook as well, and maybe sometime I can scan some pics from mine. I spent some time in the ARNG as a Combat Engineer officer, so that probably influenced my son.

    My son was at Ft. Knox in Jul-Aug 2017. We also did the family day thing at the theater, and his graduation was outdoors. He actually went between his junior and senior years at Auburn University. After Ft. Knox, he did a follow-on at Ft. Carson, as a "shadow" to a PL, and then started his senior year in ROTC. He was commissioned in May 2018 (as a DMG), got a Regular Commission, and went to Ft. Knox about 10 days later, to serve on the cadre there, so he may have had some contact with your son. Afterwards, he went to Ft. Leonard Wood for EOBC (or whatever it is now), and is currently a Combat Engineer officer with a active duty unit overseas.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Glynn863 View Post
    I transferred to another college (Auburn University) after my freshman year at MMI. If I had stayed, I would have gone to Ft. Riley Kansas for Advance Camp. As far as I remember, east coast schools went to Ft. Riley, and west coast to Ft. Lewis. I have a yearbook as well, and maybe sometime I can scan some pics from mine. I spent some time in the ARNG as a Combat Engineer officer, so that probably influenced my son.

    My son was at Ft. Knox in Jul-Aug 2017. We also did the family day thing at the theater, and his graduation was outdoors. He actually went between his junior and senior years at Auburn University. After Ft. Knox, he did a follow-on at Ft. Carson, as a "shadow" to a PL, and then started his senior year in ROTC. He was commissioned in May 2018 (as a DMG), got a Regular Commission, and went to Ft. Knox about 10 days later, to serve on the cadre there, so he may have had some contact with your son. Afterwards, he went to Ft. Leonard Wood for EOBC (or whatever it is now), and is currently a Combat Engineer officer with a active duty unit overseas.
    And both Basic and Advanced Camps are now at Knox. They're running 9-10 Regiments each summer there for both. Sounds like your son did the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) when he shadowed the PL at Carson. Enlisted Army Reserve Cadet as an MOS 09-R.

    I retired at age 39, and I still keep in contact with some of the cadets I was in Basic Camp with. Good memories from a long time ago. Never thought in Basic Camp I'd end up in aviation, getting to go to the places I did. It all worked out.
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

  5. #15
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    Very nice!
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    One thing I notice among retro AR builders is the focus on the upper and lower matching in anodizing color. Seeing all the M16A1's I did over the years, it was all over the place with that. Sometimes even the lower was lighter in tone than the upper. For me I don't worry about it. If the weapon is well used, and spent time in an armory, it probably won't match.
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

  7. #17
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    Great seeing all these old photos - as a Navy guy I didn't see too many Army bases while active but see them a decent amount now in my civie life.

    I did do the "Airborne Shuffle" the summer of '95 at Benning while in college and the barracks looked just like the ones photographed here. 1/507 IIRC.

    It certainly was "Navy Appreciation" after spending 3 weeks learning to fall out of an airplane over the Chattahoochee river with the Black Hats nagging everyone.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by OH58D View Post
    One thing I notice among retro AR builders is the focus on the upper and lower matching in anodizing color. Seeing all the M16A1's I did over the years, it was all over the place with that. Sometimes even the lower was lighter in tone than the upper. For me I don't worry about it. If the weapon is well used, and spent time in an armory, it probably won't match.
    I agree. I see a lot of newer guys building that want the receivers to match perfectly. I will attest that I never saw 100% matching receivers. In most cases, the uppers were slightly lighter than the lowers. Colt was renowned for variations in their anodizing. Not every batch was the same. Personally, I like distressing my receivers, barrels, and other parts to give them is "been there, done that" look. I DO NOT want my retros looking new. They all have wear to some degree.
    "A Bad Day At The Range Is Better Than A Great Day Working"

    USMC Force Recon 1978-1984
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    M16/AR15 shooter since 1978, gun collector and AR builder since 2004

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Renegade04 View Post
    I agree. I see a lot of newer guys building that want the receivers to match perfectly. I will attest that I never saw 100% matching receivers. In most cases, the uppers were slightly lighter than the lowers. Colt was renowned for variations in their anodizing. Not every batch was the same. Personally, I like distressing my receivers, barrels, and other parts to give them is "been there, done that" look. I DO NOT want my retros looking new. They all have wear to some degree.
    What's your thinking on the scopes we were issued (in post #9)? If you blow up the group pic, you can see them installed on the M16's. I have always been an iron sights guy, mainly because I carried the weapon in the aircraft with me, it was considered a back up or as needed form of defense. Depending on the aircraft, you stuff it over the cockpit avionics against the windscreen, or strapped in the back against the bulkhead.

    I have seen various scopes for the AR, but none identical again to what I was using in 1978 and 1979. The latter year was ROTC Advanced Camp at Fort Lewis, Washington.
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by OH58D View Post
    What's your thinking on the scopes we were issued (in post #9)? If you blow up the group pic, you can see them installed on the M16's. I have always been an iron sights guy, mainly because I carried the weapon in the aircraft with me, it was considered a back up or as needed form of defense. Depending on the aircraft, you stuff it over the cockpit avionics against the windscreen, or strapped in the back against the bulkhead.

    I have seen various scopes for the AR, but none identical again to what I was using in 1978 and 1979. The latter year was ROTC Advanced Camp at Fort Lewis, Washington.
    The scopes may have been a U.S.-produced Leatherwood Realist 4X or 6X ART Scope.


    http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/foru...6a1-art-scope/
    "A Bad Day At The Range Is Better Than A Great Day Working"

    USMC Force Recon 1978-1984
    US Air Force Res. 1995-2004 (Air Transportation)
    M16/AR15 shooter since 1978, gun collector and AR builder since 2004

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