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SERVICE REFLECTIONS
OF An Army VETERAN
Feb 2017

Doty, Richard CW3

StatusService Years
USA Retired 1970 - 1991
MOS
351B-Counterintelligence Technician
Primary Unit
1990-1991, 351B, 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion

Record Your own Service Memories

By Completing Your Reflections!

Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Profile Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life.

 
 

Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Army?

 
My buddy Skip on our first leave, December 1970

It was a confluence of events, with my best friend Skip Tracy at the catalyst that moved me toward enlistment. Skip had made the decision that he need to enlist, and he told me he was going (family issues). I asked him what on earth he was thinking, the Army was for idiots. Two weeks later I was in the recruiting station doing the exact same thing for the same reasons. It was the worst/best decision I ever made, with absolutely no regrets. I have to admit that I felt bad about blindsiding my mother (who had to sign my paperwork), but that's the sort of stupid stunt that teenagers pull.

The irony of our paths was the Skip had enlisted for something like a Communications MOS, and wound up in the Infantry. He's the one that did the tour in Vietnam as an infantryman.I enlisted to be a Helicopter Crew chief (aka Door Gunner during that time and war), and I wound up getting into the Intelligence business. The Army has an odd way of doing things like that.

I have absolutely no regrets about the path my career took, but I couldn't have possibly imagined where it would go when I walked into the recruiting station and told them I was all in.

 

Whether you were in the service for several years or as a career, please describe the direction or path you took. What was your reason for leaving?

 
Army Counterintelligence Badge

I was pretty much conned into Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) by one SSG Billy Rogers, who was the Army Security Agency (ASA) Field Rep at the AFEES (Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station) in Jacksonville, Florida. (ASA was the signals intelligence arm of military intelligence, and at that time in history was its own entity. It had not yet become part of INSCOM.) His job was to get people on board with good scores, and I was young and stupid enough to be sold on how cool ASA was. I reenlisted once with plans on what I wanted to do, which didn't materialize.

By accident I was introduced to people in the Counterintelligence (CI) business. That looked like it would be infinitely more fun than what I was doing as an intercept analyst. I applied as soon as I could, and went through the drill of getting ASA to release me. Once I was picked up by the CI program and trained and certified as a Special Agent, I had a ball for the next 16 years. I was really very lucky to get into the Technical Counterintelligence field (i.e, Technical Surveillance Countermeasures, or TSCM), which was the focus of my work for my last 11 years on active duty.

I only retired because I felt I had set myself up for an unaccompanied tour, and I thought that was going to be too tough on the family. Leaving was a really rough choice, as I felt that what I was doing counted, and I generally felt that I was reasonably successful. That said, it was the right choice then, and I would make the same decision again.

 

If you participated in any military operations, including combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, please describe those which were the most significant to you and, if life-changing, in what way.

 
War in Gulf Newspaper Headline 1/17/91

This was the other very difficult question to answer. While I had ample opportunity to serve in some military operations, that just wasn't where my career led me. I volunteered for Vietnam a couple of time (to include trying to reenlist for an assignment there), but I didn't manage to get there. It was not until I had over 20 years in that my boss walked into my office and told me to put together a team to go to Saudi Arabia. That was the only "combat operation" that I wound up in, and we were not in a combat role.

It was a complex, rapidly-changing environment, and managing a strategic intelligence operation was challenging. I worked with a great team there, and I'm actually very proud of what we managed to do. I feel that to a person on the team we were successful. It's tough to know whether we made any difference in what happened during the shooting phase of the war, but I feel like we did make a difference in the security environment for some of the most senior people in the theater. If that helped down the road, then we were a success.

 

Of all your duty stations or assignments, which one do you have fondest memories of and why? Which one was your least favorite?

 
Framed, Signed Shot of Pentagon

I have really good memories of several different assignments for very different reasons.

My first overseas assignment was at Hakata Air Station, near Fukuoka Japan. I was a young kid, and I really did have a blast. I still have very fond memories of the place, if for no other reason than it was my first overseas tour. It was my first experience with an "intelligence organization." Uniform standards were relaxed during the summer. We had a beard growing content (seriously) to raise money for the USASA Benefit Association. The mission was the bottom line.

My first assignment as a Special Agent at the 165th MI Battalion (which was then a CI Battalion) was memorable in so many ways. I had the opportunity to do a lot of things taught in school, that many Agents just don't have the opportunity to experience. From day one I was doing what I had been taught to do. My first Field Office assignment was really rewarding, as I was given a great deal of latitude to do my job. I also had two really good people OJT me. Kenneth Albrecht and Kenneth Gordon (both of whom were then SSG, and retired as CW3) did a great job. Along with everybody else in the Field Office, I owe a great deal to both of them, and the rest of the people in the Field Office. I also had the opportunity to work in a very unique organization that was more than memorable in terms of experience.

An assignment in the middle of my career was amazing in terms of giving me a much better perspective of the upper echelons of the Army. I spent a tour with the Pentagon Counterintelligence Force. Our clients were the OJCS, the DIA, the Army Staff, and some other dogs and cats in the building. My exposure to people at the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and four-star levels, was eye-opening. We got to do some really interesting stuff, but I think what we did made a difference. The highlights of my assignment included being able to brief the Secretary of the Army and the Army Policy Council on threats with one of my teammates, SFC Craig Griffith, and do work for both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Chief of Staff of the Army. Even if they didn't know who the heck I was, I thought it was pretty cool.

My last long overseas tour was interesting. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. My assignment at Headquarters Landsouth (a four-star Italian NATO Army command) was a wonderful experience, except for having the worst boss I had in the military. We butted heads from our first meeting, and it didn't get any better during my three years with him. Despite him, the assignment was perhaps one of the best I had in the military. The job was very gratifying, with lots of opportunity for growth. I made some great friends from several different nations, and loved what I did. I lived in a small town in the country with an Italian family, and had a great experience there. The overall experience was memorable, even if I had to struggle through my own chain of command on a routine basis.

Frankly, I was blessed with really good assignments almost from start to finish. My only "tactical" assignment was a ten-month stint at Fort Hood. While it was still not a bad assignment in terms of what I did there, and it was a great learning experience in terms of understanding the Army, it was almost completely a dead-end from an operational counterintelligence perspective. After being there for a relatively short period, I called DA and let them know that if I couldn't go back to a strategic counterintelligence assignment I would probably move on. I had orders back to Europe almost overnight. While I did make some friends there that have lasted, and I did learn some things about how the Army operated at a Corps level, from a counterintelligence perspective it was a complete backwater, and in that regards gets honors as my least favorite assignment.

 

From your entire service, including combat, describe the personal memories which have impacted you most?

 
Flag Orders to West Berlin

I had the incredible opportunity to work with some of the sharpest people I have ever known--or ever will know. They worked harder and more selflessly than any group of people I have encountered along the way. I can point to a host of people that helped me, trained me, mentored me, and gave me the opportunity to grow. I am still connected to some of them, and genuinely cherish what they gave me. I'm still incredibly proud to have served in the finest military in the world, during a time that it struggled (post Vietnam), and when it flourished (Reagan years). I brought nothing to the table when I enlisted, and left with more than I could have ever hoped for. I can only hope that my attempts to do my job in some way balanced the ledger in terms of what I got out of the bargain.

That said, one event really stuck with me. It provided the reason why we were serving in Europe in just a few seconds. Before coming back to the States from one of my tours in Germany, a friend in the Intel shop, SFC Dave Parker, invited me to Berlin, then a divided city, for a visit. Naturally, this entailed travel from West Germany into West Berlin through Checkpoint Alpha by POV (which is what the Flag Orders are about). I was given an opportunity to see East Berlin as a Tour Officer as part of the official US presence in the Soviet zone. While we were cruising through a Soviet officers' neighborhood, the driver of a car coming in the opposite direction did a quick look around to make sure nobody else saw, then flashed his lights and waved at us in greeting. Ten seconds, and it was one of the highlights of my trip, and a reminder of how much those in the East zone wanted to be free. Berlin today is one city again because of the US. (As an aside, you'll note the Flag Orders were in English, French, and Russian. The Germans didn't play a role in the transit across East Germany. Interesting stuff.)

 

What achievement(s) are you most proud of from your military career? If you received any medals, awards, formal presentations or qualification badges for significant achievement or valor, please describe how these were earned.

 

This was one of the two toughest questions to answer in the Reflections. While I'm proud of what I think I accomplished (I hope I did a good job), I think I'm actually proudest of having served. I look back on some of our accomplishments in the Army, and it's really satisfying to think back on some of what was done. I certainly got to do some very interesting and fun things, and it's nice getting recognition. However, at the end of the day, it was just being there with some of the most outstanding people I've ever know that gives me the greatest sense of pride.

As everybody here knows, the military, regardless of branch or job, marches to a different tempo than the rest of the world. The sense of urgency to get things done left a real impression. There was always a real mission, and people took things seriously. People jumped in to move things forward. It was very gratifying, and gave me some life lessons that have simply eclipsed any award I might have received.

 

Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations and qualification badges you received, or any other memorabilia, please describe those which are the most meaningful to you and why?

 

I was fortunate enough to have been identified as a Master Technical Surveillance Countermeasures Special Agent. (MTSA). Not exactly a mainstream type of Army award. When I was in the Technical Surveillance Countermeasures(TSCM) program, there were only 80 or 90 of us worldwide. When I was privileged to receive the identification as as MTSA, I was only one of a handful of people worldwide to have received it. Did it affect my "Army career"? No, not really. Yet it really was a source of pride that I would have been picked for something that I really respected. It's such an odd creature in the Army that there is no formal recognition for it (except a certificate), certainly no badge or anything else. It just meant that I had done more than my job, and had made it over a higher bar than I had anticipated. It meant a lot to me then, and I guess it still does. I was smart enough to figure out that getting the recognition also came because of the great people I had worked with, who frequently carried the day.

I was also fortunate enough to receive a personal Letter of Appreciation (and an autographed picture!) from the Chief of Staff of the Army to me. My team and I did some good stuff for him on the Technical Counterintelligence side of the house, and because I was the lead I got the credit. The letter wound up in my personnel jacket. I suspect that to have a letter from the COS did help my career, so in that regard it was really nice. It was also a source of personal satisfaction that we had been a complete success at that level.

 

Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having the most positive impact on you and why?

 

This is tough. As I mentioned elsewhere, I had a number of people along the way that certainly had an impact on me personally and my career. The list should be endless. With that said, there are a few folks that I look back on as really making a difference.

SSG Ben McKinney, who was my boss when I was a young and impressionable Spec 4 on Okinawa a lifetime ago. He really did care, and went the extra mile to get me squared away. He may be gone now (he was a Korean War vet), but I genuinely appreciate what he did for me. He was ultimately the reason I reenlisted the first time.

CPT Buddy Smith, who was my boss years later. He really did have his act together, and gave me a tremendous amount of guidance. He also put up with me, and taught me more than he knew.

I was also mentored by Sam Carlson (then SFC, retired as a CPT), who taught me how to be a TSCM Team Lead. As a brand new Wobbly 1 with less than a year out of the TSCM Course I was tasked with being a TSCM Team Chief (even though I was not certified and therefore was not supposed to be a lead). Sam came to work with me, and while I initially wanted to let him lead (he was much more experienced), he quickly let me know that I would be the lead. He gently nudged me into the right direction, and let me learn how to lead a tech team. It was invaluable.

Floyd (Mac) McCloud, who was my boss even more years later. He was one of the best people I worked for. He taught me a great deal about giving people the freedom they needed to get their jobs done. He really was an exception boss.

The last guy I want to include was my boss in Saudi. He had no experience with what my team and I did when we arrived in country, but he busted his tail making sure we had all of the opportunity we needed to do our jobs. Don Fox (then a MAJ, retired as a COL) was an absolutely outstanding boss. He worked very hard to support us, and then lobbied to get us out of country when we were finished. Serious respect.

 

Please recount the names of friends you served with, at which location, and what you remember most about them. Indicate those you are already in touch with and those you would like to make contact with.

 

There is no way to include all of my friends, and I'm sure I'll leave somebody out that's important. I was really fortunate to have some very good friends over the years, and I'm still in touch with several of them, even if not extensively. Then SSGs (both CW3 Ret) Kenneth Gordon and Kenneth Albrecht OJTed me when I was a brand new Special Agent. I learned a huge amount from both of them. SP4 Paul Behmke was both in my AIT company, and with me in Japan. We're still friends, and we still communicate. Then SGT Bob Shook (Ret CW4) and I were travel partners for quite some time. He was upbeat and enjoyed the travel, and actually made being a road toad interesting rather than one city after the next. Larry Schmiel and Bill Wiltfong, both with me in Saudi, are still friends.

There were also people over the years that took me in as part of their extended families. They opened their doors to me and made it feel like home. As those of us who have been away from family (especially) having an adopted family can really make a difference. Some of the people who took me in are still friends. Their friendships really did make a difference.

 

Can you recount a particular incident from your service which may or may not have been funny at the time, but still makes you laugh?

 

There were a number of events that took place over the years that were hilarious, especially in retrospect. I'll probably update this from time to time.

I was in my last year of service. A Special Agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been invited over for a lecture on something. As part of his show and tell he had an M-16 which I think had been modified for close-quarters, which he was waving around the room with the magazine in and the bolt forward. After he waved it in my direction twice my pucker factor was off the chart. (I had discharged an "empty" weapon when I was young, so my confidence that this thing was really empty was pretty low.)

I walked forward and asked if I could have his weapon. He was surprised, but he handed it to me. I dropped the magazine out, locked the bolt back, and handed it back to him, suggesting that the weapon might now be considered safe. I figured at that point he probably didn't have anything useful to say so I left the training session. I still couldn't believe that he was showing this thing off in that manner. I'm just glad nobody got shot in the process!

 

What profession did you follow after your military service and what are you doing now? If you are currently serving, what is your present occupational specialty?

 

I was truly fortunate to have been accepted into the Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (Technical Counterintelligence) program about halfway through my career. I had a great time, and learned more than I ever thought I could. When I made the decision to retire, I was given an opportunity to move into the technical end of Information Assurance because of my background. It was a heck of an opportunity, and ultimately led to my next career path. I have been in one of the many flavors of information assurance (cyber security) for almost my entire post-military career. I've generally had a good time, learned a ton, and have gotten to work with some really sharp people.

 

What military associations are you a member of, if any? What specific benefits do you derive from your memberships?

 
VFW Life Member

I'm a member of a couple of different military associations. I'm a Life Member of the VFW and a Life Member of the DAV. The derived benefit is mostly about belonging to a group of people with similar experiences. I only drop by the VFW once in a blue moon, mostly because they can also smoke there and I can't handle it. I do contribute to their fund raising, and enjoy the sense that I am helping some folks that can really use it.

 

In what ways has serving in the military influenced the way you have approached your life and your career?

 

I learned a great deal about responsibility, and the real meaning of authority. In terms of responsibility, I still strive to make sure that my work is what would be expected. That means what should be delivered and on time. It means that I should put the same level of effort into everything I do. I don't expect everything to be perfect, but I should at least shoot for that.

In terms of authority, that means that because I'm a supervisor I have the responsibility to ensure that I've taken care of the folks who work for me. I have to stand up for them, and give them the best shot at being able to do their jobs. If (when) they screw up they should be given the opportunity to fix it. When they do good, all of the credit gets passed down. These were incredibly valuable lessons that I learned as a young sergeant, and were carried forward for most of my career.

 

Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to those who have recently joined the Army?

 

When I had a few years under my belt and started to see how things worked, I started to take on the roll of a mentor (as any good NCO/Officer should). I always had two recommendations:

First, plan on being at the top of your game with 30+ years of service. If you want to stay enlisted, plan on being the Sergeant Major of the Army. If you want to go to OCS, plan on being a four-star general. Whether you actually get there isn't the point--plan on it and work toward it. If you decide to leave the military, you will be further ahead and better prepared than your peers. If you've worked on your education and training, you will always be closer to a promotion than your peers, and better prepared should you leave the military. The opportunities out there, whether military or civilian, are only there for those that are prepared.

Second was to always try to take the tough assignments. You will always learn more, get more satisfaction, and have more opportunities, if you actually volunteer for the tough jobs. If you have the chance to take on more responsibility, then go for it. If you can get into a tough school, take it. The paybacks are usually much more than the payment.

 

In what ways has TogetherWeServed.com helped you remember your military service and the friends you served with.

 
TWS and the US Army

So far it has been a great experience. I've reconnected with some friends that I haven't seen in a while. It has also made me sort back through some memories, and getting them down on paper (so to speak) has also been good. I've made a point of reaching out to some people that I've crossed paths with, so hopefully I'll do a better job of keeping those relationships intact. Frankly, I suck at such things, but as I get older I'm finding that it means something.

 
 
 
 

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