What was the "coolest" place you've been with the military?

2022-08-11T11:48:28-04:00

I'll start. Taq Kesera in Iraq.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2022 12:27 PM

2022-08-11T12:27:04-04:00

In a flight of twenty Army rotor-wing aircraft from Hohenfels, Germany to Graz, Austria. We flew through the German and Austrian Alps during a self deployment.

Response by SSG Laurie Mullen made Aug 11 at 2022 12:46 PM

2022-08-11T12:46:41-04:00

I took a cargo ship from Saudi Arabia to Bremerhaven as a 'Super Cargo' after Desert Storm. It was AWESOME!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2022 1:02 PM

2022-08-11T13:02:10-04:00

The mountains outside Seattle. Winter training. More than cool - it was cold!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2022 1:10 PM

2022-08-11T13:10:09-04:00

Swam in the Persian Gulf. As soon as I find the pic, I'll post that

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Aug 11 at 2022 1:21 PM

2022-08-11T13:21:12-04:00

the walled city of Harar, Ethiopia

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Aug 11 at 2022 2:06 PM

2022-08-11T14:06:45-04:00

Coolest Place? That's Easy. Adak, Alaska. Oh, wait, you didn't mean coolest that way. Never mind.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Aug 11 at 2022 2:59 PM

2022-08-11T14:59:59-04:00

Spent a year living in Jerusalem from July 2005 - July 2006. Experienced and saw a lot of crazy stuff

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2022 4:34 PM

2022-08-11T16:34:25-04:00

Small little Army camp....literally on the beach at the Persian Gulf.

Response by SMSgt Anil Heendeniya made Aug 12 at 2022 11:02 AM

2022-08-12T11:02:58-04:00

It would have to be Kakadu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory, where several scenes in "Crocodile Dundee" were filmed.

My flight surgeon, Major (Dr.) Baxter, and I were the medical contingent aboard the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP)* (or "Kneecap," as we called it) which supports the president whenever the POTUS is outside the CONUS. That mission was part of President G.H.W. Bush's busy trip to lay wreaths and pay homage to his fellow naval aviators of Torpedo Squadron 51* and others at Pearl Harbor, then attend two conferences in Sydney, Australia and arrange for F-16 sales to our allies, followed by the ASEAN conference in the Phillippines, and then a weekend conference with the Emperor of Japan before returning to the CONUS.

*At 18, President Bush was the youngest pilot in the US Navy in WWII, and flew 58 combat missions, accruing 1228 combat hours before being shot down (but losing his gunner). He was later rescued by a US submarine crew, which he remained with for weeks, helping to fish other downed aviators and allies out of the water. He earned the DFC and three air medals for his heroics and dedication to the effort.

The flight down to Australia was 37.5 hours, wheels up to wheels down, with three inflight refuelings. We circled Hawaii for 6 hours while the president made a few speeches and paid respects at the USS Arizona, then we took up the rear following Air Force One to Australia, breaking off to land in Darwin while the president's jet continued on to Sydney.

So we had a couple of days in a 5 star hotel on New Years Day in the sunshine heat--where during a jog, we saw several cars that looked like they'd just coasted to a stop at the curb, and the owners were fast asleep, having passed out after a night of New Year's celebratory drinking. And in Australia (at least up in Darwin), they have drive-through liquor stores! We saw more than a couple who were half in, half out of their vehicles, oblivious to the world and the heat (it was in the mid-nineties).

The next day a number of us in the aircrew took a tour of Kakadu. We walked fairly close to a lot of crocodiles, and we also got up close and personal with Burt, the real crocodile used in the scene with Linda Kozlowski. Burt was pretty big; around 6 feet around his middle, and 16.5 feet long, his head alone taking up nearly 5 feet in length. Our guide told us they tried to mate him with a couple of female crocs, but he bit their front legs off!

We got to hold a few baby crocs, and also walked amongst a few others, who were sleeping in the hot sunshine.

So it was a hot place, but certainly one of the coolest to tour.

The rest of our trip included a stop in Okinawa while the president was up north in Tokyo, and as it was my previous assignment as an NCO Academy PME instructor, the Leadership School next door asked me to teach a class on counseling, so I gladly complied, even though I only had one of my flightsuits with me rather than my blues. Then I enjoyed a great lunch with my former colleagues at the beach Tiki House next to the azure waters of the South China Sea.

*The aircraft is now called "NAOP" (National Airborne Operations Center).

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Aug 12 at 2022 9:04 PM

2022-08-12T21:04:45-04:00

We stopped and did swim call at the Marianas Trench (35k ft), while enroute to Guam.
Subic Bay Philippines, by far the "coolest" though. Beautiful country!