Are any of you out there:
Former military?
Currently in the military?
Retired military?
Tell us a little about your time in the service and how you continued your hobby while serving.
I am still in and I have dragged my collection all over the place. The cool thing is that you can meet so many people from all over the world who share my interest in MR and you can see how the hobby is different and the same in other parts of the world.
I’m retired military – 26 years in the U.S. Army. While I was in the Army, I dabbled in modeling infrequently because the movers tended to break too many items. None of them seemed to know how to properly pack models of any type.
Retired Master Sergeant, USAF
Kept the hobby alive with minilayouts, club memberships, building locomotives and other rolling stock (most of which have survived, some in damaged condition) and railfanning. Now that I’m fully retired, I’m finally building the layout I always wanted.
Retired - US Navy Senior Chief Electronics Warfare Technician. DId 23 yrs. Started MRR after retirement. Spent most of my time on the West Coast and western Pacific.
Terry[4:-)][8D]
Why would being in the Military mean you have to stop model railroading?
If I may, I believe he indicated that his tolerance for broken items was low. He found that the movers would cause too much damage for his liking, so he spent less time in the hobby as his career progressed.
I was 29 years-plus in the Canadian Armed Forces, first in Cavalry (Lord Strathcona’s Horse, Royal Canadians), and latterly in Personnel Selection (recruiting, selection, applied research, occupational analysis, psychometrics, instruction, and HR policy analysis and generation).
Although i was only in four years, I understand the problems they have with moving. In four years I was at 5 different duty stations, you just don’t have time or room most of the time to be a really active MR. Heck I lived out of a duffle bag for 2 of those years. Sincerely appreciate your sacrifices, My whole family was military, I was the only one to opt out to civilian life.
I was four years active duty Air Force as a communications cable technician and spent a few years in the Texas Air National Guard (cross trained into weather) on a combat weather team. My wife is currently active duty Air Force and plans to do 20. She will be at 12 after her current assignment.
Any modeling was tough when I first joined because I was a single airman living in the dorms. My roomate’s bed was only a few feet from mine and personal space was EXTREMELY limited. I assembled a few kits, but pretty much gave up on model railroading for a couple of years until I married and we moved off base into our own house. Also, being a single airman, my income was extremely limited. I have gotten to the point now where I have a nice workbench and do quite a bit of modeling (primarily passenger equipment) but am still apprehensive about building a layout. I have heard horror stories from fellow modelers in the military in regards to the movers. I am considering trying the Mod U Rail system from Woodland Scenics and building some sort of lockable covers for the modules. In my opinion, clubs are a great way to stay in the hobby, although I don’t participate in any clubs.
You don’t have to stop, but it does become very difficult. While on ship I was standing duty one day every four (which means 24 hours onboard in addition to work days) and underway for the equivalent of 30 out of 48 months. Pretty much limited my MRRing to reading magazines and books. When I was assigned to a Marine Corp unit in California I had more time, but knew I would be moving so I limited my modeling to a diorama type layout and working on several smaller projects. Of course during my time in Mogadishu Somalia, modeling just didn’t happen lol. I am currently a reservist but have been warned to expect a six month recall to the Naval War College. While it will put a hold on the layout, perhaps I can concentrate on equipping my engines with decoders.
They are - I joined one when I was on active duty and it really got me interested in the hobby again after the usual college-and-girls hiatus. I spent five years as an artillery officer in the 82nd Airborne after college.
And I never let the movers touch my brass collection: I moved that myself.
currently serving my fifth year in the US Navy and loving every minute of it
Currently serving my 12 & 1/2th yr of service (after 6 yrs of AD in the US Marines and a 2 yr break in service…). I’m a AGR in the NY Air Guard, so no moving for me! [:D]
JP
I am glad to see so many responses to this question.
I’ve spent 18 years active (Holy smokes! That’s half of my life!). I got away from MRR for quite a while due to deployments. A tour in the first Gulf conflict, 3 tours in Bosnia, a NEO in Monrovia, Liberia 96, 3 tours in Kosovo, a tour in Afghanistan and a tour in Iraq, but I have started to wind down a little now (at least until next time). My wife is tickled with the fact that I found something to help me blow off the steam after the deployments. I will be happy when I can turn over the reigns to the young guns and settle down somewhere. Course all the guys I know tell me that will never happen.
I posted this question to get your guys to fess up about your military time and to thank you for it. I am glad that you all found the value of this hobby like I did. It has REALLY helped me relax as I get older and lose more of what little patience I had. Keep sending in the responses and let’s see how far this one goes.
Now in my 24th year active duty, CMSgt, US Air Force weather, currently deployed to Iraq (again[:)]).
My love for MRR never stopped since I was a kid. How I participated has changed over the years. First few years in it was limited to buying a few items here and there but no layout. Then, after getting married and getting to a more or less permanent location, I started building a layout. I say more or less permanent, my wife hasn’t moved areas in 15 years, and been in the same house for 11, however, I’ve moved around quite a bit. I joined a club when I got stationed in Kentucky, I highly recommend it to anyone considering it. I’ve met some great friends and learned a lot that I didn’t know before.
I still buy, technically I tell my wonderful wife what I want and she pays for it, plus I build some of the many structure and rolling stock kits I’ve collected over the years. Of course right now, I am limited to reading MRR magazines my wife sends and posting on this forum. This is a great way, for those of us with unblocked (yes, the military blocks these sites sometimes) internet access to keep up with the hobby.
Good luck to all
Rick
C’mon, JAAWIN is all you need![;)]
US Air Force 1965-1969.
And after reading other posts on this thread, I feel OLD. Shoot, if I’d done 30 years, I would have retired 11 years ago.
I subscribed to MR while in Vietnam and did manage to put together a Bowser 4-6-2 kit (NYC K-11) while there.
Now off to 2 week Carribean cruise with wife.
Andre
4 years Air Police 66-70. Mostly I kept up by reading MR. As a sky cop my average work week was about 56 hours. Between that and raising a family, there wasn’t a lot of time (or money) for trains.
Thank you to all who are now serving!
Tom
Med Ret Air Force 1985 - 1997 [Nellis AFB, Las Vegas - Osan AB, Korea - Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson]
… i’m an ex-college athlete, also played on numerous air force base teams, which eventually attributed to hip surgery and an early retirement. As far as hobbies go, other than working out and playing golf, model railroading has opened up a whole new world of joy for me. I love the surprise look one gets when they’re checking out my layout. Reason is; i don’t think there is a template of what a model railroader look like, but when it comes from someone that looks more like a power-forward for the Chicago Bulls… i just think it’s funny as hell.
Mac
My hat is off to you and all the rest of the Vietnam vets! Thank you. Glad you made it back.
I spent 9.5 years in the USAF in Computer Operations/PC Support from 1983-1992. Didn’t keep up with the hobby much other than sporadic buying of MR magazines! Spent time in Anchorage, AK; Lubbock, TX; Sicily, Italy; Aviano, Italy; and Denver, CO. Nice places all (except Lubbock [xx(], too flat for my taste).
USAF from 1974-1979 - Firefighter (Tyndall AFB FL, Zweibrucken AB Ger, McConnell AFB KS) Duty was 24 hours on - 24 hours off and living in barracks left no room for layout. I did build some aircraft models that represented the aircraft at the bases I was stationed (at first) however most got damaged from shipping to next duty station so that stopped.
Was out of MRR til just last year - no space.
Go Air Force[:D]
–
Brad