to be honest..and this pisses off a lot of Ranger Tab holders..I was more proud of myself when I passed Jump Master School. I WAS airborne. I was a Squad Leader, Master Breacher in a Ranger unit and somehow managed to miss every single major engagement. B Company went to Mogidishu, A Company went to relieve..lo and behold, I was C Company. I was the Jump Master for the invasion to Haiti, by shear fluke. I just graduated Jump Master School and my platoon sgt put me in to JM the night training jump into Florida to get my Star. So, I do that and it turns out that was rehearsals for the airborne invasion of Haiti and all positions were frozen..no one knew at the time. I look back and it still cracks me up. We clamshelled, got the go from the President.. the plan was nuts, it was a full moon jump, they knew we were coming, they were told we were coming..then..engines shut down, some Major comes on board and says 'stand down'. Hindsight.. I've got kids and a great wife. That night, who knows, could've been impaled by the cut cane and none of what I have to be thankful for today exists. Now.. on another tangent..the fabulous self marketing SEAL's had to 12ft boats to destroy, which made up the Haitian Navy..I bet that would have ended up as a movie somehow.
