STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of SGT Michael Fouts, U.S. Army (1972-1976)

My father was in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, which included service in SAC and service in an AEW&C unit (full of C-121 Constellation aircraft) that patrolled the waters off the East Coast in the ’60s. He served during WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam eras. The Vietnam draft was still going on while I was in high school, and once I turned 18, I registered for the draft and then learned I had a very low draft number. Rather than being shuffled over in mass to Vietnam as a draftee (which was probably where I’d be heading), I decided to enlist in the U.S. Army to be a tank mechanic (I already had some experience working on cars and motorcycles at that point). By enlisting, I’d at least have some choice in terms of my permanent party station and would serve my country in the process.

I also needed to grow up a bit at the time (being 18 and all) and certainly needed some lessons in discipline (my parents were divorced, so my father wasn’t really a part of my daily life, unfortunately). The four years I spent in the Army helped me do both, which was definitely a good thing for me.

I received my Orientation and Basic Training at Ft. Knox, then my 11B Infantry AIT at Ft. Polk… unfortunately, the tank mechanic AIT I expected to go to Ft. Knox never happened. I figured my recruiter might’ve had something to do with that. And it could be that I was transferred over to Germany (along with many others) as an Infantryman to bolster the troop quality in some of the front-line Infantry units in the 3d Armored Division at the time. I would read about this ‘top-quality issue in the 3d Armored many years later, long after I got out of the service.

After my Infantry AIT at Ft. Polk and specialized REDEYE gunner training at Ft. Bliss, I was transferred to Germany and assigned to the 2Bn 48Inf, 2Bd (Gelnhausen) in the 3d Armored Division USAREUR. I was initially assigned to B Company, where ironically, I got a chance to do track vehicle mechanic work in the motor pool. I would later be transferred to the REDEYE Section in Combat Support Co, where I would stay until I left the service in 1976. I was offered the chance to reenlist before I left Germany… but after already serving 4yrs in the Army, I decided it was time to head home. I did leave Germany with mixed feelings, however. I was returning home to my family there but was leaving my military family behind. And it was definitely a hard look back at the barracks from the back of the deuce and a half as I left Coleman Kaserne for the last time.

I spent most of my time in the Army stationed in Gelnhausen, Germany (3 1/2 out of my 4yrs)… this was my permanent-party station- gone was the shock of Orientation and Basic Training, and to some extent, AIT. I had never been to Europe before… and now that I was stationed in Germany, I traveled around the country, visited Paris, France once, discovered the military audio/photo clubs, had a motorcycle, etc. Germany and Gelnhausen are beautiful places, and I have many fond memories of the time I spent there and the people I spent that time with. I hope to return one day, but I still haven’t managed to do that.

My least favorite place (experience) has to be my Orientation and Basic Training… it’s a big shock those first few weeks getting used to life in the military after being a civilian all of your life. It got a bit easier in my AIT and even easier (mentally) at my perm-party station… thank God for that.

One of my fondest memories, while stationed in Germany, was participating in the annual REDEYE live-fire exercise at the Grafenwoehr MTA in ’76. I represented my REDEYE section as well as the entire 2nd Bn, 48th Infantry in the process- scoring a direct hit on the ballistic aerial target (BAT) during my live fire.

Several different AD units were there that day, and I was one of the few gunners in the 3d Armored Division that scored a direct hit (as opposed to a tactical kill) on the target. As a result, I got to wear a red-orange cloth around my neck for the rest of the day to mark the occasion. I also received a small gold firing award pin from General Dynamics-Pomona Division, the manufacturer of the REDEYE missile.

Most of all, I faithfully served my country in the military for 4 yrs. I’m also proud of my service while stationed in Germany (especially with my REDEYE Section) and that I achieved the rank of SGT (E-5) before I left the service.

I suppose my ‘Distinguished’ banner for my REDEYE patch (on my fatigues) is pretty special… along with the red range cloth and pin I received during my REDEYE live-fire exercise in ’76. I also received recognition from the 3rd Armored Division for my performance during my last quarterly REDEYE non-firing proficiency test (best score in the entire section), as well as recognition from the 2-48 Bn Commander for my overall excellent performance while attached to the REDEYE section from Apr ’75 to Sep ’76.

My closest friends were Steve Hanks and Donn’ Otis’ Rice while I was stationed in Germany. Having friends like this- two very close friends- as well as keeping busy with my hobbies (photography and audio gear), kept me focused and helped me make it through the 3 1/2 years I would serve there.

I also had close friends in the REDEYE section in CSC as well… the REDEYE section was a pretty small unit (a bit smaller than a full platoon)- pretty easy to become friends with one another in a small group like that. That was a good crew… I still miss those guys today and remember nearly all of their names.

• First, there was an SGT Spear (while I was still in Bco) that once chased a rabbit through the woods driving his 13-ton M-113 APC while on maneuvers (with the rest of the squad in it and me). He never hit any trees. He was pretty proud of himself, and we were all pretty impressed.
• Another incident involved a jeep while on maneuvers, with me as the driver and the REDEYE Section platoon leader, SFC Mills, as the passenger. I nearly flipped my Jeep and trailer completely over, heading down a steep hill that day, and SFC Mills was unfortunately tossed completely over the safety strap next to his seat and out of the Jeep. He was shaken but fine, and I managed to keep the Jeep right side up. Not sure how much longer I drove for him, though.
• Another funny, Picture is of Mike Sheriff and me on the west end of the Glienicke Bridge (aka, the Freedom Bridge) in West Berlin- with East Germany on the opposite end of it. Our infantry unit (Bco 2-48) went to West Berlin for ‘Combat in Cities’ training in June of 73, right after I arrived in Germany. While we were there, we were also allowed to pass through Checkpoint Charlie from West Berlin into East Berlin for a brief tour. But before I could pass through the checkpoints, I had to shave my mustache off since I didn’t have one shown on my military ID card picture… our face had to exactly match the picture on our ID- name tags and unit insignia were also stripped off our uniforms as well. Needless to say, security was very tight when it came to allowing U.S. military personnel into East Germany during the Cold War. Location: West Berlin, Germany, Date: June of 1973
• Finally, my friend Mike Sheriff (long-deceased now, sadly) and I both donned a couple of (really) poor-quality long-haired wigs, walked downhill past the main gate at Coleman Kaserne, and headed to downtown Gelnhausen to have some fun. We were crackin’ up the whole way down the hill and, right past the gate? Mike and I always had a good time.

After my service in the Army, I enrolled in an Electronics Technology program at a local community college. After getting my certification, I worked in various electronics engineering groups in Silicon Valley for the next 11 years. After that, I changed careers, started working in the IT (Information Technology) field, and now work as a Sr. Network/Security Engineer supporting a worldwide network security infrastructure.

I’m currently a member of this board and some of the 3rd Armored Division veteran sites on the web. It’s a great opportunity to get in touch and stay in touch with friends from back in the day. Brothers in Arms, forever… that’s how I look at it.

The word ‘teamwork’ comes to mind first for me. The words’ field-expedience’ and ‘flexibility’ come to mind as well. To appreciate people with diverse backgrounds and from different places- all working together as a team to get the job done. These words don’t just apply to getting the job done in the military; they apply to getting the job done in civilian life, too- what team doesn’t work better when they work together as a team? I believe in the ‘we,’ not in the ‘me’ (or I).

I miss the stability and security of military life in terms of employment; there are no layoffs, no outsourcing of job duties, no lack of job security, etc.- especially important when you are on a single income, as I have been for most of my civilian career. I appreciated not having to worry about any of those things in the military, including not worrying about the cost of medical coverage. There are definitely advantages to military life. And plenty of risks to consider as well.

Wow, that’s a tough question.

For the U.S. military folks serving in battle around the globe (both men and women), rely on your training and execute what you’ve been trained to do. Stay focused, work as a team, and take care of one another- fighting your way through the battles until it’s your turn to come home finally.

For the U.S. military serving in non-combat zones (as I did)- hold your head up high during your watch, and don’t count the days if you have years left to go before your ETS date. Stay focused on the job at hand (do it to the best of your ability), and find something productive to keep you busy during your free time.

TWS has created a place for all U.S. military service members, past and present, to share their own personal stories of their life in the military. We can communicate with other service members and discover their personal stories, and we can make new friends, possibly even track down old friends we might’ve served with, etc. It’s been a military community for me to come back to after all these years, having served 4yrs in the Army way back in the mid-70s during the Cold War.

I’m very happy to be a member of the TWS community… thank you to all of the TWS staff members that make this possible. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the standard to measure other military community websites by.