The last soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regimentredeployed to Germany after 15 months in Iraq a few days ago, amongst them being both my beloved son, and our very own doper Bear_Nenno.
My joy, relief and pride knows no bounds. Welcome home, and job well done. Have a beer or two (or ten) for me boys, and I’ll be coming behind you in just 2 short months!
Hey, my old unit! When the hell did they go Stryker?
IAc, welcome back to The World.
I’m glad they’re safe.
Thank them for their service, and tell them people have been praying for them
Please pass along my thanks and appreciation for a job well and nobly done.
Good job,** Bear.**
Good job, welcome home. How’s the Strykers work for you guys? I’ve been curious about how the ‘lighter than a tank’ idea would work in the field.
Glad to hear that A is back on safe turf. Didn’t know that he and Bear were in the same unit. How much has he changed?
I don’t know first hand…I’m still in Afghanistan until December, and it’s only a slim chance that I’ll make it home in time to see him before he has to go back to Germany from leave. 
My general sense, though, from the bazillions of online chatting hours we’ve done since he’s been there, is that he’s pretty much still the great person I know and love, just a little bit wiser and more…thoughtful, maybe.
Oh yes, and about that. It’s a very odd thing, since the boy got assigned there, it turns out I have a fair number of ties to that unit. Not only Bear, but a nephew of a dear long time friend of mine, as well. And now it seems that ExTank, whom I’ve met only once but remember as being a heck of a great guy, is an alumnus, as well.
Thank you so much for the Welcome Home!!
Sorry I’m only checking in just now. I’ve been trying to get my internet up and running all week.
E-Sabbath, they’re really nothing like a tank at all. Hell, they’re not even Infantry Fighting Vehicles, they’re simply Infantry Carrying Vehicles. It would make more sense to compare them to MRAPs or Hummers than to tanks or Bradleys.
As far as that goes… I would put them somewhere between the MRAP and the Hummer with MRAPs at the top. At least for patroling the cities and urban areas of Iraq, anyway.
In an MRAP, everyone can see what’s happening outside of the vehicle. In a Stryker, most guys inside don’t know what they’re dismounting into until they step off the ramp. I like them a lot more for other reasons as well, but FWIW, I’ve never actually worked with an MRAP, I just was inside one once. LOL. So maybe it’s a “grass is greener” thing. But I doubt it.
Anyway, thanks again everyone!! Being back in Europe is great!!! I’m renting a Mercedes right now while I await the arrival of my new Chrysler 300C. I’ve only been on the country roads this week, but I’ll hit the autobahn next week. It’s great to be back home. The freedom to just get in a car and drive is the greatest. And Bavaria has some of the nicest scenary to drive through!
Have a beer? Heck, look at some porn and eat some real bacon!
Good to hear from you, Bear! Where are you stationed in Germany? Is your wife out there with you now? Have a couple of cold, non-filtered ones on me.
In Vilseck. I love the location because it makes day trips to Prague and overnight trips to Paris hassle-free. I’m kinda not looking forward to moving to Italy simply because i wont be close to much… well except Italy itself, of course.
My wife will be here in a week. I can’t wait!! We will both be in Tampa around Christmas times if any of you guys want to get together. Maybe hit a gun range and dinner or something. I think I saw where you and/or Amp expressed interest in a visit to a gun range.
I still have lots of pictures to share. I know I still owe weirddave some pics of his beanies in action! A lobster and–I think–a moose were KIA but all the rest made it safely into the hands of a local child. The NYPD beanie I kept for myself and actually have him on my desk next to my souvegniers (sp?). Hope you dont mind.
All the rest of the soccer balls and candy made it out! My camera was broke, so I’m trying to get my buddy to send me the pics. They’re in a different unit and actually still in Iraq.
Thanks for all your support with the gifts and stuff for the kids–especially fisha and EJsGirl! It was great!
Hey, when you get to Ausfahrt, tell us. I saw all the signs going there, but I could never find the town.
Oh. and do NOT pass on the inside. Especially on ramps. Speed cameras.
You just need to turn down Einbahnstrasse, it puts you right there.
Let us know when and we’ll schedule a Tampa Dopefest around it. Make those lazy biotches from Orlando come out to us for a change. I only occasionally fire, but guess I could get with that if you like.
Welcome back!
Sounds great!!!
As for the range, I wouldn’t be going to the range otherwise. I thought I remembered something about people wanting a gunrange Dopefest in Tampa. If noone was exceptionally interested in doing that, there would be no point as far as I’m concerned. It’s not at the top of my list, anyway. There’s plenty of better things to do IMO.
I’ll be there from the 19th of December through New Years. Obviously the 25th and 31st are out. If you guys want to throw something together on any of those other days, I’m up for it!!