My bold prediction: Baker benched after next game

I retired from the Army. Spent a LOT of time in the forests and mountains of Germany, back in the day.... Before your time I'm sure. Back in the days before the wall came down.  In the days when REFORGER was still a "thing."  In the days before 8th ID retired their colors....

As an AH pilot, I saw a lot of stupid stuff. On a "stupid scale", what we're seeing here today is just a "moment in time."  This too shall pass......

He was actually conceived in Germany right after I came back from Reforger '87   Both of his sisters were born in Germany, but he was born stateside.

My OPFOR Team was the first to shoot down a Cobra lol.  (Okay, we didn't shoot it down, it made an emergency landing in the snow and we all rushed out and claimed victory) 

You ever spend any time at Finthen Army Airfield?  I was at McCully Barracks, Lee Barracks in Mainz, Camp Pieri, Weisbaden, Gibbs Kaserne, Frankfurt, and did some *special duty* at Drake-Edwards Kaserne working for V Corps. 

I did some undercover work with CID, but that's all classified lol

LOL....Yeah, I know about that "stuff".

Yep... My last "Duty" station was at Mainz-Finthen with 8th CAB. Aviation assets were sort of spread around that area. I flew early Cobras AH-1Gs and early -S models. Then back to Rucker for a AH-1S FMC transition. (Fully Modernized Cobra..) with all of the "classified" goodies. Was the first FMC Cobra qualified pilot in my unit. Two IPs got qualified then also. The three of us led the transition team when "B" company traded in our early "S" models for the FMC version.  Spent lots of time up around Fulda. Enjoyed visiting the monastery up at Kreuzberg (Cloister Kreuzberg) several times. Finally got rid of the Cobras when we upgraded to AH-64.  Lived "on the economy" at Mainz-Gonsenheim (in the high-rises..). 

It was a good time. Enjoyed MLKV, and Rheinblick (golf course..). Spent some time at Baden-Baden and AFRC-Garmisch.  On one of our last deliveries when we were trading aircraft, I was PIC flying a UH-1 Huey ferrying 10 pilots home from Ramstein after turning in five AH-1S a/c. Filed IFR out of Ramstein direct Finthen. We were cleared for T.O. and were immediately "in the soup" at 500 feet. Clearance was to 5000 then direct Finthen "own navigation". Started picking up rhime ice at about 2500 feet, wipers were sticking to the windscreen. Strapped our crew chief on a safety line and hung out the open cargo door to check the FOD screen on the engine inlet. All clear.  Fuel load, plus passengers, plus ice, too heavy for climb to 5000. I was bumping against torque limits for the Huey. I requested a lower altitude and received clearance to 4000.  THEN....the enroute NDB went down. Back to Ramstein Deparure Control who grudgingly gave me vectors to keep me clear of conflicting airspace toward Finthen. Finally contacted Finthen Approach Radar and received clearance for a PAR into Finthen. Approach went all the way to the ground. Too heavy to hover. Twelve guys were mighty thankful when we touched down at Finthen covered with ice. Maintenance came out with a "tug" and towed the Huey into the hanger to defrost.

Just one adventure amongst many....