The Legion
 

I was in 5th Group for a while. I recall Col. Noe, Col. Paxton and Col. Mulholland using "The Legion" phrase during group formations and ceremonies. The Strength and Honor phrase started at Camp Stronghold Freedom I believe. The Group was issued coins that had this on it when we were part of TF Dagger. I gave mine to Mike Roof for his youngster.

The 5th "Legion"
 

As a short timer in 5th Group (1998-2001) I heard the phrase The Legion all the time...As for Chip Paxton....well I won't say it. On my retirement plaque it states from the men of the 5th Legion....I also got an "x-ray" of a hand with six fingers.....yes six fingers.....But that may have been a 1st Bn thing caused by inbreeding..... :)

Having had the honor of serving in several of our fine organizations I can say with some authority 5th Group is truely a special unit to have been part of!!! CSM-H

It was being used well before Stronghold Freedom..............

I started hearing it right after the movie "Gladiator" came out, a good year and a half before "Stronghold Freedom" was envisioned..............

Don't forget Maximus B...
 

...who encouraged us to: "kill those bushels by the bastard-ful." Fortunately no one saw much of him once hostilities commenced. He loved him some "Strength and Honor."

The "Legion", how suiting. I was in 5th twice, from 82-87 then 96-99.

Now granted I was in two different roles, the first as a JR/SR commo, then the second as a TM SGT.

The first stint was at Bragg, grew up with some great folks, had a good time. The second of course was at Campbell (love the post BTW) as a TSGT.

It was very obvious that it was highly "regimentalized" with alot of 5th group only leadership. I could swear I was in RGR BN, that's all they knew.

I tried to inject some...."gasp" small unit JCETS, TM training, but they turned out to be company clusterfucks.

I wish the leadership (Co/Bn level SGM etc) had experienced life "outside" of the 5th. SF is a great thing, when ya get it smaller than company level....gee what a concept.

Attending TM SGT mtg's with the Co SGM and he wants to make all the tm rooms the same ie, all tm lockers stocked and locked, so if a guy goes from one tm to another, he could "find" something???????:eek:

Also, all LBV/LBE set up the same so everyone knows where everyones stuff is?????:eek:

C'mon, guys, we could handle that ourselves with our TM SOP.....

Frustrating to say the least.

I will hold 5th near and dear, since it was my first SF assignment, but boy.....has it changed.

Not all bad, I'm not downplaying them, they're doing what it takes to whack bad guys, so....carry on "legion"

A/3/5th SFG was my first assignment in SF. It is still my favorite assignment as it was the basis for my whole career. I met a lot of great people young and Old that set the tone for my future SF assignments. The Smoke Bomb Hill and the old division area just is not the same since 5th departed. Heard the term for the first time out a Bliss on my first DMV training trip......... Riding was much better than walking in that area.

Riding...what a concept...LOL.

When we first started the Desert Training Program (DTP) we were given a "few" mapsheets, an assload of water and directions of "go that way as best you can"....

We were always wondering....haven't these bone heads found their LRDG manuals/lessons learned shit.

I guess it finaly caught on, and they (they being B500 AKA the "GOD" squad (Guests' Operational Detachment) and the bunch started using these vehicles Fast V's and different variations of stuff or something like that. Damn things always broke the reverse gear, they were just some civilian stuff they tried to militarize.....eehhh, didn't work.

Anyone remember Dave Nicewander(sp?) RIP, he had that chevy 1/2 ton with duece 1/2 axles under it??? He also got a write-up in Army Times if I'm not mistaken...

I remember the FSV ie 4 seat dune buggy that broke its reverse in Jordan in Mar 85'. Also remember jumping into DTP in 86' and walking, walking and some more walking just to get onto the map sheet.

CD

Glebo, Dave N. and Frank Stonko and I hung out to together. We went through the Q course together then 5th Grp. RIP to both. After retiring, heard Frank Stonko was killed in a trucking accident out west.

Ernie...six fingers wtf lol? What the hell was that about?
Bowra used the Legion thing all of the time and it trickled down, before he started that I didn't hear it very often and can't remember it at all in the early 80's.

yeah, both of them kinda got mixed up in the wrong crod...Nicewandr anyway. I think he got capped by some bad guys, or something along those lines.

He was a bit of a "strange sort" per sey. But RIP Dave, I'm sure you're building your "desert vehicle" somewhere...

PRB, I think the "Legion" thing got started after the 1st Gulf Was, if I'm not mistaken. I never heard it in the 80's either..

Happy Turkey Day to All:D:D

I gotta go get in the kitchen.....wife said so.......:rolleyes:

Nicewander, hadn't heard his name in years....wish I had some pics of the vehicles we 'made' when we first started the desert thing. Hell, I'd a rode in a smart car after we tried walking across the desert to conduct ops. "Is it me or is that Mountain actually getting farther away"....
I think you are right about the Legion thing time wise.

The Truck...
 

Here is a picture of his truck in the background. Not a very good picture but I don't think you'll be able to find a better one.

Pete,
Thanks, what a hoot huh. I can't make out who's in the pic but some guys look familiar (kind of fuzzy blown up)...who's there?
I still have my first issue gortex cammy jacket like the one in the pic. That was magic gear in the day, high speed and all lol. Almost as cool as the Mott lake OD green shorts!

110 instamatic
 

Those 110 instamatics didn't take very good pictures to begin with. Thats 575 with Nicewander and a support guy they attached to us for the survival FTX. Nicewander was dropping off one of our guys who couldn't do the movement into the survival area.