Friday, July 01, 2011

Fullbore Friday


Sometimes Fullbore is a battle, a campaign, a concept. Sometimes it is a moment in time - sometimes it accrues over decades.

Fullbore can be found everywhere - could be just down the table from you at the DFAC.
In 1969, Eugene Krueger left his young wife, Sharon, and headed off to Vietnam, where the 20-year-old's heroism as an Army pilot would be recognized with two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Bronze Star.

Krueger returned home, raised four daughters and embarked on a civilian career with Northwest Airlines while serving with the Washington National Guard.

But Krueger was not through with war.

As part of a marathon military career that ended this week with his retirement, he returned to the front lines as a pilot in Afghanistan. There he spent four months in 2006 flying missions out of Bagram Air Field.
I served with a few in AFG who retired in the late 80s and were called back from the Army. Mostly Special Forces guys who had a very good Civil Affairs background. A very untold story - I'm glad I've had a chance to share one here.

One little note: notice how the Army can still tap into its pool of talent decades back in the Reserves and National Guard - as a result it can do something the Navy can't - tap in to institutional memory.
He also chafed at inefficiencies he found in an Army that had become much more bureaucratic.

During the Vietnam era, for example, cargo could be quickly loaded into slings and then hauled by Chinooks to and from combat outposts. But during his Afghanistan tour, cargo was loaded inside the helicopter, a more time-consuming task that forced the helicopter to idle on the ground for hours with engines running so that pilots could escape quickly if the aircraft came under attack.

Krueger suggested that the unit consider slings, but to no avail.

"My argument is we could do the mission in half the time, thus saving half the fuel, half the crew time, half the maintenance, half the $$$," Krueger wrote in a journal entry. "This should be a no-brainer."
Chief Krueger; Fullbore.

Hat tip KP.

11 comments:

ewok40k said...

looks like real life version of that sarge from the Heatbreak Ridge...
heed the wisdom of the elder...

AW1 Tim said...

I understand his frustrations completely.  The loss of institutional memory is a crime that will always come back to haunt future generations.

AW1 Tim said...

And THANK YOU, Mr. Krueger, for your long and faithful service to our nation.

DeltaBravo said...

It's the "raising four daughters" part that got my attention.  Not a task for the weak of heart.

butch said...

I served with a guy like that in Iraq - prior to recall, he had been retired longer than most of the junior enlisted had been alive.

John said...

Chiefs are incredible assets to the service....even the Army kind!

Thanks for your service Chief Krueger!

Another example of the tremendous talent and patriotism that exist in our Guard and Reserve units.

AW1 Tim said...

 Yup. I've got two, and those are a handful.  :)

Grandpa Bluewater. said...

My two are raised, and I survived. All CincHouse's good work I assure you

Grandpa Bluewater. said...

More to the point, the Navy has worked too hard to eliminate the results oriented straight talkers. Only the smoothest survive. In hiding, far from the centers of power.

The plan is near fruitition. The gods of the market place are soon to triumph.

Bring back cranky; results oriented; devoid of ambition; old; men? Surely you jest.

ewok40k said...

raising teenage daughter is a penalty on a man for his sins of youth... because he knows exactly what a bunch of hormone-pumped boys is she going to school with :P

pk said...

minor problem:

the researve and guard units are tremendously politicized on the top ends.

C