After serving 4yrs in the U.S. Army, I enrolled in an Electronics Technology (ET) program at a local community college. I had taken Electronics classes all 3 years in high school prior to entering the service, and after leaving the service I decided working in the field of Electronics was what I wanted to do for a living. I completed the ET program 2yrs later and worked initially as an Electronics Tech (later as a Jr. Electronics Engineer) at various companies in Silicon Valley for the next 11yrs. After this I decided to change careers and started working in the Information Technology (IT) field, which I did for the remainder of my working years. I first started working in the Network Security field in 2000, and now work as a Sr. Network Engineer in a team supporting a global network security infrastructure.
UPDATE: I officially retired in early 2018... I had worked for a total of 38yrs in Silicon Valley and decided it was time for the next chapter in my life. So what do I do with all of my free time these days? Pretty much whatever I damn well please! Retirement is a wonderful thing.
Other Comments:
Info on my MOS (at the start and at the end of all of my unit assignments):
- Ft. Knox (Reception, BCT): 09B0O (Trainee) at start, 09B1O (Trainee Unassigned) at end.
- Fort Polk (Infantry AIT): 11B0O at start, 11B1O at end (note the 1O: MOS Skill Level = 10, SQI = O).
- Ft. Bliss (Redeye Gunner Crs.): 11B1O at start, 11B1OR6 at end (R6 = Redeye Designator).
- Coleman Kaserne, Germany (2Bn 48Inf, 2Bde 3AD, USAREUR): 11B1OR6 at start, 11B4OR6 (MOS Skill Level = 40) at end. (I also earned a 63C (Wheeled/Tracked Vehicle Mechanic) SMOS while I was stationed in Germany, which was upgraded to 63C4O by the time I left the service.)
Add'l info on my MOS (SQI and ASI):
The fifth position in the MOS is called the SQI, or Special Qualifications Identifier- note this is a letter field for enlisted ranks, not a number field. If you have no special qualifications that fall into this category (like me), the letter 'O' is listed in this field to indicate that- not a 0 (zero). There's apparently been a lot of confusion about this over the years- even my own military records occasionally list a 0 (zero) in this position instead of the correct letter 'O'.
The sixth and seventh position in the MOS is called the ASI, or Additional Skill Identifier. An ASI (which is either a letter/number combo or a number/letter combo) indicates add'l training that you've received related to the MOS the ASI is attached to. For me, the 'R6' ASI at the end of my 11B PMOS indicates add'l Redeye Gunner (Air Defense) training I received- a skill which would've been used to protect our 2-48 Infantry Battalion from airborne threats during combat.
Signed,
SGT Michael L. Fouts
PMOS: 11B4OR6 (Infantryman, Redeye Gunner)
SMOS: 63C4O (Wheeled/Tracked Vehicle Mechanic)
CSC 2Bn 48Inf (Dragoons), Bn Motto: 'We Set the Pace'
Coleman Kaserne, 2Bde (aka, the 'Iron Brigade')
3AD, USAREUR / Gelnhausen, West Germany
Description The US Army's Manpads Crewman Redeye Gunner's Course is a specialized training program designed to prepare soldiers for the operation and maintenance of Redeye missile systems.
The Redeye is a portable surface-to-air missile system that was developed by General Dynamics in the 1960s. It is designed to be used by infantry soldiers to provide air defense against low-flying aircraft.
The Manpads Crewman Redeye Gunner's Course is typically offered as a two-week program, and it covers a range of topics, including missile assembly and disassembly, missile tracking and engagement techniques, and system maintenance and troubleshooting.
During the course, soldiers will also receive instruction on the safe handling and storage of missiles, as well as on the rules of engagement for using the Redeye in combat situations.
Upon completion of the course, soldiers will be qualified to operate and maintain the Redeye missile system, and they will be prepared to serve as part of a larger air defense team in support of ground operations.
Type General Military Training
Location/Country Fort Bliss / Texas
From Month/Year Feb / 1973
To Month/Year Mar / 1973
Rank Private (E-2)
Last Updated: Apr 18, 2023
Personal Memories
Your memories of this course
Note on this unit assignment (for my Redeye Gunner AIT at Ft. Bliss):
The actual unit I was assigned to at Ft. Bliss for my Redeye Gunner AIT was C-2-1 (Btry C, 2nd AD Training Bn, 1st AIT Bde (AD)). Unfortunately I have no way of adding this unit info to this training schools entry at this time, since this unit is not listed in the TWS database. Unknown if this issue will be addressed in a future TWS database update.
In addition, once I successfully completed my Redeye Gunner training at Ft. Bliss TX a Redeye Designator 'R6' was then added to the end of my MOS. I would've added this R6 info to my listed MOS in my profile, but it looks like TWS doesn't support doing that at this time. (Not sure if the R6 added to the end of my MOS is technically an ASI (Additional Skill Identifier)- I only knew it as a Redeye Designator when I was in the service.)
