| Memoirs of a "Cold War" Signal Soldier SGT Michael A. Smith Part 3: Advanced Individual Training (AIT) |
| I had this photo taken on one of my journeys to the Regency Mall in Augusta... in one of those stupid photo booth things. I was 18 years old. |
31-Mike -- Multichannel Communications Equipment Operator
In due course we finally made it to Fort Gordon. After a few days of in-processing, I was sent
to my new unit: Alpha Company, 5th Battalion, 1st Signal Training Brigade. There isn't much
I can recall about AIT either. Like the memories of Basic Training, these have gently faded
into the past.
There are a few people I remember from AIT. SSG Williams (he might have been SFC) was
our Platoon Sergeant, and quite a character. He really didn't look like much of a soldier, let
alone an NCO. He wore dark sunglasses all the time. It didn't matter whether it was day or
night, inside or outside. Rumor had it he was always stoned which was the reason for the
sunglasses. He had a shaving profile, and grew his beard well beyond the limits of
regulations. He looked more like a civilian in Army-green fatigues, than a soldier. Often when
we returned from school at the end of the day, if you got too close to SSG Williams, you
could smell alcohol on him. None of us had very much respect for him.
Louis Slusarski and myself, and a young man I can only remember as Patton, hung out quite
a bit together. Slusarski was a good looking guy with dark hair, blue eyes and he was pretty
well built. The girls just loved him. None of them, however, even looked my way. Having seen
some photos of me from those days, I must admit I was a pretty goofy looking kid, so I can
see why.
We had most weekends off. We spent many an off-duty hour in the dayroom shooting pool,
playing foosball, or just watching TV. We managed to take in a few movies at the Theatre
("Endless Love" with Brooke Shields was one of the movies we saw), and made numerous
trips to Regency Mall in Augusta... mostly to check out the girls, more than doing any real
shopping.
One Friday night Slusarski and I decided to take a trip down to Broad Street in Augusta. We
had heard about the strip joints there and wanted to check them out. Back then, the legal
drinking age was still 18, so we could get in to such establishments. We took a bus down to
Broad Street, and by the time we got down there it was about 2200. The first person we
encountered greeted us before we could even get off the bus. He asked if we wanted to buy
some coke. We said "no" and then promptly hauled ass! I don't know how far we ran, or how
long we ran, but before long we realized we had no idea where we were. Before long we did
manage to find our way back to Broad Street where we paid a visit to a few establishments.
One of those clubs featured the "Snake Lady." I shall leave her performance to your
imagination. So much for our foray into the booming metropolis of Augusta. We should have
just stayed in the barracks.
The instructors stepped up the pace of our course because of the timing of it. Had we gone
on with the schedule that would have meant that we would have to return for a week or so
after Exodus. Exodus is a pretty major event that happens at Fort Gordon every year around
the holidays. The entire training center shuts down and they send the trainees home for the
holidays. It's called "Operation Exodus." The instructors wanted to have us complete the
course by Exodus, and so we did.
I don't remember much about the graduation ceremony. It wasn't as elaborate as the one for
Basic, but I was happy to get it over with. I did well in AIT, but I was still just an average
soldier. I was trying to learn my place in the Army, and learn my way around it. There was a
lot of excitement when orders started coming down for permanent duty assignments. I came
down on orders for Fort MacPherson, Georgia. Exodus was a major goat screw. There was a
sea of busses. But I did eventually get on a bus, and headed down to Florida to be home for
the holidays.
Fort MacPherson, Georgia
After the holidays, I drove to Fort MacPherson, Forces Command (FORSCOM)
Headquarters, which is right next to Atlanta. When I reported in, nobody knew what to do with
me. It seems FORSCOM had no positions for a 31-Mike, nor any need for one. They issued
me linen and put me in a room.
The buildings and environment of Fort MacPherson reminded me of some scenes from old
WWII movies. The whole place seemed to be a throwback from that era. Most of the
buildings were brick with wooden floors. My room was on the second floor of one building,
overlooking a golf course. It was a rather cozy post, if not quaint.
FORSCOM was a lot different than Basic and AIT. What I had learned about being a private
in the US Army, and all things dealing with military courtesy seemed not to apply to this
place. Military courtesy was very slack. NCOs and Officers alike called each other by their
first names. Everybody there was very relaxed, which was a bit of a culture shock after
dealing with the fast paces of Basic and AIT.
After a couple of days sitting on my ass, and everyone wondering what in the hell to do with
me and another private who just graduated from AIT, they finally gave us new orders: Fort
Bragg, North Carolina.
The next morning me and this other private jumped into my sunkist-orange 1971 Mercury
Montego MX and headed to Fort Bragg.
In due course we finally made it to Fort Gordon. After a few days of in-processing, I was sent
to my new unit: Alpha Company, 5th Battalion, 1st Signal Training Brigade. There isn't much
I can recall about AIT either. Like the memories of Basic Training, these have gently faded
into the past.
There are a few people I remember from AIT. SSG Williams (he might have been SFC) was
our Platoon Sergeant, and quite a character. He really didn't look like much of a soldier, let
alone an NCO. He wore dark sunglasses all the time. It didn't matter whether it was day or
night, inside or outside. Rumor had it he was always stoned which was the reason for the
sunglasses. He had a shaving profile, and grew his beard well beyond the limits of
regulations. He looked more like a civilian in Army-green fatigues, than a soldier. Often when
we returned from school at the end of the day, if you got too close to SSG Williams, you
could smell alcohol on him. None of us had very much respect for him.
Louis Slusarski and myself, and a young man I can only remember as Patton, hung out quite
a bit together. Slusarski was a good looking guy with dark hair, blue eyes and he was pretty
well built. The girls just loved him. None of them, however, even looked my way. Having seen
some photos of me from those days, I must admit I was a pretty goofy looking kid, so I can
see why.
We had most weekends off. We spent many an off-duty hour in the dayroom shooting pool,
playing foosball, or just watching TV. We managed to take in a few movies at the Theatre
("Endless Love" with Brooke Shields was one of the movies we saw), and made numerous
trips to Regency Mall in Augusta... mostly to check out the girls, more than doing any real
shopping.
One Friday night Slusarski and I decided to take a trip down to Broad Street in Augusta. We
had heard about the strip joints there and wanted to check them out. Back then, the legal
drinking age was still 18, so we could get in to such establishments. We took a bus down to
Broad Street, and by the time we got down there it was about 2200. The first person we
encountered greeted us before we could even get off the bus. He asked if we wanted to buy
some coke. We said "no" and then promptly hauled ass! I don't know how far we ran, or how
long we ran, but before long we realized we had no idea where we were. Before long we did
manage to find our way back to Broad Street where we paid a visit to a few establishments.
One of those clubs featured the "Snake Lady." I shall leave her performance to your
imagination. So much for our foray into the booming metropolis of Augusta. We should have
just stayed in the barracks.
The instructors stepped up the pace of our course because of the timing of it. Had we gone
on with the schedule that would have meant that we would have to return for a week or so
after Exodus. Exodus is a pretty major event that happens at Fort Gordon every year around
the holidays. The entire training center shuts down and they send the trainees home for the
holidays. It's called "Operation Exodus." The instructors wanted to have us complete the
course by Exodus, and so we did.
I don't remember much about the graduation ceremony. It wasn't as elaborate as the one for
Basic, but I was happy to get it over with. I did well in AIT, but I was still just an average
soldier. I was trying to learn my place in the Army, and learn my way around it. There was a
lot of excitement when orders started coming down for permanent duty assignments. I came
down on orders for Fort MacPherson, Georgia. Exodus was a major goat screw. There was a
sea of busses. But I did eventually get on a bus, and headed down to Florida to be home for
the holidays.
Fort MacPherson, Georgia
After the holidays, I drove to Fort MacPherson, Forces Command (FORSCOM)
Headquarters, which is right next to Atlanta. When I reported in, nobody knew what to do with
me. It seems FORSCOM had no positions for a 31-Mike, nor any need for one. They issued
me linen and put me in a room.
The buildings and environment of Fort MacPherson reminded me of some scenes from old
WWII movies. The whole place seemed to be a throwback from that era. Most of the
buildings were brick with wooden floors. My room was on the second floor of one building,
overlooking a golf course. It was a rather cozy post, if not quaint.
FORSCOM was a lot different than Basic and AIT. What I had learned about being a private
in the US Army, and all things dealing with military courtesy seemed not to apply to this
place. Military courtesy was very slack. NCOs and Officers alike called each other by their
first names. Everybody there was very relaxed, which was a bit of a culture shock after
dealing with the fast paces of Basic and AIT.
After a couple of days sitting on my ass, and everyone wondering what in the hell to do with
me and another private who just graduated from AIT, they finally gave us new orders: Fort
Bragg, North Carolina.
The next morning me and this other private jumped into my sunkist-orange 1971 Mercury
Montego MX and headed to Fort Bragg.