61st Annual 82nd Airborne Division National Convention
Rigger82 After Action Report
TUE 14 AUG 2007
PNET 6 and I deployed from MDY/Chicago 0905 and air landed at PIT/PA approx 1130 local. MM 6 sent Mortarman11c and vehicle for secure transport into FOB Rebel.
Conditions at the FOB Rebel were squared away after a command tour and inspection of the FOB and personnel (2 attached slice elements present operating in support of Rebel operations). PNET 6 and I were afforded the luxury penthouse Airborne Suite (and museum). Accomodations included airborne memorabilia, commanding view, private coffee service and of course our own private bath and walk in closet.
After settling in Mortarman11c and I moved out to a local LOG Base Butcher where we secured 3/4" prime rib for the evening chow. Upon return to FOB Rebel, all parties signed out and R&R commenced complete with generous amounts of alcoholic beverages, hospitality, food and conversation.
WED 15 AUG 2007
Late first formation at FOB Rebel and morning chow, all members excused from morning PT. Movement from FOB Rebel at 1130 hrs to Harrisburg PA AO for Operation Harrisburg at Harrisburg, PA Hilton Hotel by 1530 hrs. We signed in and met with many of the visitors already on site for the event and proceded to run an inspection on the hospitality suite. Our PNET task force was joined by Bytor11B2p, Bytor 6, Ertman, Ert 6 and new to the unit was drnurse representing the left coast. As typical of these events PNET personnel helped to close the hospitality room for the evening.
THUR 16 AUG 2007
While a live jump was planned with members of the 3/4 ADA, it was put out late Wed that the jump was scratched due to the DZ. Apparently, the DZ was the Harrisburg Airport which sees a good amount of traffic and they were unwilling to shut it down for the time needed to make the multiple passes required.
Since Task Force PNET had the time, all members piled into POVs and we headed out for our own short tour in Hershey PA. We visited Chocolate World, took the small ride/tour and ended in a room loaded to the gills with Hershey product (let me just say that Reeses with banana creme in them are the work of the devil and he washes them down with York Peppermint Patty Shakes which are equally evil)
Following our tour, TF PNET found an English Pub that seemed to be talked about with some regard and we shared a meal with some local fauna (the flies were an added bonus to the meals entertainment). Ertman just happened to be carrying his Geocaching equipment and found that there was a cache only 400 yards away so Ertman, Mortarman and Rigger82 all headed over to find it (with much teasing of Rigger82 for finding 5th cache!)
Upon successful completion of the standard geocache and a nearby virtual, all TF PNET personnel rallied on the hospitality room where many of us proceeded to attempt to empty the areas supply of Yuengling. Once again, TF personnel were on hand until the room was closed and we were forced out. We proceeded to move into the 504 PIR Association hospitality suite and then into the Golden Brigade Hospitality where for another year, they demonstrated effective use of alcohol and appetizers.
FRI 17 AUG 2007
First formation at 0800 for delegates and interested members for the association's delegate meeting. Members nominated Chet Cassidy as Delegate Spokesperson and Blake Hicks as Recording Secretary. A few items were raised but for the most part the meeting lacked any substance on hard issues and left nothing for the board to deliberate/discuss or vote on.
Second formation at 0900 for the National Directors meeting. Due to the lack of an All American Week this year, there was plenty to jump into and the National President was persistant in keeping discussions on items to a bare minimum because some members it seems were interested in a 1200 tour elsewhere. Further details upon the official business of the Association to be released in a separate AAR.
Led by an excellent recommendation by Ertman and Ert 6, some of the TF headed to a local Chinese buffet that had been given high marks. All TF members who attended agreed that the recommendation was dead on and this meal may have ranked as the best of the Harrisburg Operation. Once again after the meal completed Ertman shocked us by revealing he had his GPS and once again there was a cache just down the road. MM 6, PNET 6, Ert 6 and drnurse all pulled vehicle security while Mortarman, Ertman and Rigger82 moved out to find a spider laden cliff cache in a wooded area behind the local McDonalds.
All TF PNET members converged at 1700 in full uniforms for the associations Memorial Dinner. It should be noted that the females once again looked stunning to a point where most of the attendees were unaware we were in the room at all. Dinner operations were purely convention SOP and while the food quality was as expected for a group of roughly 600, the hotel staffing was definately underpowered and caused delays and quite a bit of irritation as courses were delivered staggered throughout the room. Upon successful completion of the meal and memorial dinner presentations, the All American Chorus performed in thier usual high speed low drag manner.
Immediately following the dinner all TF personnel fell out to rooms and got into light duty uniform for the remainder of the evenings hospitality room drinking and general carrying on. As stated previously, TF personnel maintained position until the room was closed.
SAT 18 AUG 2007
First formation at 1000 for drnurse, Ert 6, Bytor 6, MM 6 and PNET 6 for the ladies brunch. Mortarman11c also attended new 505th Association brunch (we'll call that the PINK LADIES brunch). Ertman, Rigger82 and a Chicago strap hanger hooked up and attempted 4 geocaches and found 2 in walking distance of the hotel grounds again.
All actively participating association members formed up at 1300 for the association General Membership meeting. While details of this meeting will be reported in the association AAR two of our TF PNET members (Mortarman11c and Bytor11b2p) gave solid candidate speeches to the assembled room or roughly 200 and while they held thier own on issues and ideas, a field filled with members from the 504 associaton voting block kept both of them a few votes short of making it to the directors chairs.
TF PNET members assembled upon the Final Banquet where once again dinner was as expected and not without the previous nights serving struggles. The women once again wowed those around them and made the husbands look good once again. A small technical glitch made the video presentation by AA 6 and all the deployed command staff a little harder to view but it was great that they took the time to work up a presentation that could be made so that the state of the division speech we normally get could be maintained. We were pleased to find out that AA week is a GO with only the 504 expected to be deployed in May of 2008.
At the risk of repeating, once again TF personnel retreated to rooms to get into light duty uniform and reform in the hospitality room for a final night of drinking and socializing with all members leaving as the lights came up and the band signed off for the night.
SUN 19 AUG 2007
ENDEX: Remaining personnel checked out of hotel and headed to rejoin home units. PNET 6 and Rigger82 traveled with Mortarman11c and MM 6 back to FOB Rebel where we learned air transport was delayed from 2010 to 2130. Mortarman11c provided escort down to PIT/PA where bird had been pushed again to 2150. After yet another delay and the bird deplaning its previous passengers, we got out and back to MDY/Chicago around 2300 local, picked up our slice elements and crashed 0200