SFC Kathy Pepper

Army | Voice Interceptor

Dates of Service: Apr 1981 - Apr 2016

RETIRED

100% Complete

10 Endorsements

26 Contacts

Influence Score: 102,090
833 out of 865,841 Veterans

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Bio

I grew up in LA, and joined the CA ARNG in 1981 because it seemed like a good idea at the time. I turned 24 in Basic (2nd scariest day; 1st was when I got caught in a rival Company platoon [by "Dr Death"]). One year later, I joined the Regular Army (RA); four years later, I got out and got married the next day. I reenlisted into RA 18 months later, and was in and out of USAR until I retired in 2016.

Military Experiences

Jul 1987 - Sep 1991

Voice Interceptor, Czech

66th MI, 3rd SQDRN, 3rd CR, III Corps | Fort Bliss, TX

I reenlisted for the paycheck, but there still wasn't anything for a Czech linguist to do, so I became Personnel Actions Center (PAC) Finance Clerk; I was the 3rd best known person in a 1000 Soldier Squadron (it didn't hurt that there were only about eight females in the unit by then). After getting into trouble with the CSM (how does that keep happening?), I returned to my company, and became the Company Clerk. Through attrition, the Army got rid of all females in the Squadron, but there were only four places in the world for Czech Interceptors, so I was the only female for 18 months. I used to say that I was the best female Czech linguist on Ft Bliss.

Feb 1984 - Mar 1986

Voice Interceptor, Czech

66 MI Co, Spt Sqdn, 3 ACR | Fort Bliss, TX

1 Endorsement

There was not much to do as a Czech (Czechoslovakia) linguist on the US/Mexican border, so I got into a lot of trouble (mostly by trying to get a "real job"). I finally became the Regimental TDY Clerk; I married the Regimental Comptroller.

Deployments

(1 year, 5 months)

Sep 2010 - Jul 2011

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)

Served with ODIN V (Observe, Detect, Identify, Neutralize, 5th rotation; member of B Company [AKA Stigma]) at COB Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq. I performed Manned Aerial Surveillance (like a UAV, but I sat in the back of an propeller airplane); it sounds more interesting than it was.

Oct 1990 - Mar 1991

Operation Desert Shield/Storm

1 Endorsement

A Czech (Czechoslovakia) linguist/interceptor in the Middle East? Yeah, that works. We were supposed to go to NTC (National Training Center in Ft Irwin, CA, in Death Valley), so we called our war-time mission "NTC Live Fire."