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'Mail Call' host visits Hurlburt Field
Air Force Links ^ | Capt Virgil Magee

Posted on 03/28/2006 5:25:33 PM PST by SandRat

3/28/2006 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- "I wanna be on something that shoots," said retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey.

That's exactly what the host of the History Channel's "'Mail Call" got when he and his crew spent two days at Hurlburt Field filming for an upcoming show.

Best known for movie roles such as the hard-as-nails basic training drill instructor in "Full Metal Jacket," "Gunny" Ermey attracted a crowd wherever he and the film crew went.

The Airmen of the 16th Special Operations Squadron got a kick out of having a bona fide movie star in their midst as he strapped in for a flight on an AC-130H gunship. During the visit he ate lunch with the troops, posed for photos and shook as many hands as were extended to him without turning down a single person.

"This is great having him here and it's a great morale boost for the troops," said Maj. Mike Arnold, 16th Special Operations Squadron.

"I've always had a lot of respect for the Air Force, but I have a much better understanding of the Spectre now and what goes on while it's in flight," said Gunny Ermey.

The gunny kicked off his visit here with an early morning jog to catch up with special tactics officer selection course candidates running the “Monster Mash,” a grueling exercise that tests physical and mental toughness. The STO selection, which drives candidates to the extreme of exhaustion, impressed him.

“They don’t call it 'Hell Week' for nothing," he said. “The Army Rangers and the Green Berets may get all the glory but the Air Force special tactics gets it done!”

Gunny Ermey began his day Tuesday by sneaking into the Middle Eastern Orientation Class at the USAF Special Operations School.

After sitting in on the class, the cadre of the Dynamics in Terrorism course escorted him to the range where they demonstrated vehicle search techniques and gave a briefing on weapons used by terrorists around the world.

The gunny was offered the opportunity to add two new weapons to his list of weapons fired, the Israeli Galil and the Styer-aug. He also prepared what he called “50 caliber fruit salad” by disintegrating a watermelon with a Barrett rifle used by explosive ordnance disposal technicians to destroy unexploded ordnance on the battlefield.

"This is great stuff," he said. "Here at Hurlburt you can really see how the services are working together."

During the visit Monday and Tuesday, he told stories from his days in the Marine Corps.

"Back in my days, if you were on the ground with a rifle you couldn't always talk to the gunship that was right overhead. Now you can do that,” he said.

"The Airmen here make such a sacrifice, being away from their families and friends and going into harms way to keep us safe,” he said. “We should all be grateful for the dedication of the air commandos.”

(Capt. Elizabeth Paul, Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs, contributed to this article.)


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: ermey; field; gunny; host; hurlburt; mailcall; rlee; visits
R. Lee Ermey, host of the "Mail Call" military technology show, watches as Special Tactics Officer selection course candidates read their next challenge during the "Monster Mash," a grueling exercise that tests a canadidate's physical and mental toughness at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Monday, March 20, 2006. "Gunny" Ermey was at Hurlburt to film an upcoming episode of the show focusing on Air Force Special Operations Command. He is known for his role as a tough-as-nails drill instructor in the film "Full Metal Jacket."
(U.S. Air Force photo/Chief Master Sgt. Gary Emery)
1 posted on 03/28/2006 5:25:38 PM PST by SandRat
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To: HiJinx; Spiff; Da Jerdge; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; TEXOKIE; windchime; Grampa Dave; freekitty; ...

Now Read this Thread!

2 posted on 03/28/2006 5:27:21 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

3 posted on 03/28/2006 5:28:03 PM PST by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: SandRat

Fond memories of Hurlburt and Eglin. Great places to train.


4 posted on 03/28/2006 5:29:30 PM PST by TADSLOS (Right Wing Infidel since 1954)
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To: SandRat

Air Force Para-Rescue people (PJ's for Para-Jumpers) are about as tough as they get.

Spectre is nothing to mess with.


5 posted on 03/28/2006 5:30:45 PM PST by Supernatural
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To: SandRat

Wow!! Neat! That was hubby's last duty station before retiring. We were there -- literaly, as we had on base housing -- six years. He was sr. NCO at HQ/SOC.


6 posted on 03/28/2006 5:32:40 PM PST by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: TADSLOS
My Daddy came out of WWII and went to work at Tyndal. After a few years nearly the entire civilian work force was laid off.

He got back on at Eglin and worked there until he retired around 1980. My Sister worked at Field 9 (Hurlburt now) until she went to college.

I used to love visiting Eglin and Hurlburt. There was always something interesting going on at both of them.

7 posted on 03/28/2006 5:37:02 PM PST by yarddog
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Ermey is a retired Staff Sergeant, only an honorary Gunny.


8 posted on 03/28/2006 5:40:30 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: A.A. Cunningham
Ermey is a retired Staff Sergeant, only an honorary Gunny.

You took the words out of my mouth.

I will say also that he is a heck of Marine supporter as well as our other forces. Not to mention darn fun to watch him play with things that blow up and break!

9 posted on 03/28/2006 5:59:15 PM PST by llevrok (To hell with the PLM !)
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To: A.A. Cunningham
Medically retired.

I find it hard to believe he would not have ascended to the top of the enlisted ranks had he not been medically retired.

10 posted on 03/28/2006 6:03:55 PM PST by JCEccles
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To: facedown

http://www.coldbacon.com/sounds/movies/fmj-cowboy.wav

:^)


11 posted on 03/28/2006 6:17:34 PM PST by MaDeuce (Do it to them, before they do it to you! (MaDuce = M2HB .50 BMG))
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To: JCEccles

We can speculate until the cows come home about what might have been but the fact remains that while he plays a Gunny on TV in actuality he's a Staff Sergeant. By the way, he would have had to make a lateral move out of the wing to make it to Sergeant Major.


12 posted on 03/28/2006 6:37:34 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: A.A. Cunningham
He has never tried to hide the fact that his rank is honorary. I have seen him give a detailed explanation on his show. Clearly says it is honorary rank.

BTW, an honorary rank, degree etc. does entitle the person to use the term.

It would be less than honorable if he pretended it was earned but he doesn't.

13 posted on 03/28/2006 6:45:57 PM PST by yarddog
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To: SandRat

Ah, yes - TACAIR

"Death on Call"


14 posted on 03/28/2006 7:17:13 PM PST by ASOC (Choose between the lesser of two evils, and in the end, you still have - evil.)
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To: SandRat
. He is known for his role as a tough-as-nails drill instructor in the film "Full Metal Jacket."

I prefer his role in "The Siege of Firebase Gloria". Maybe not as good a movie, but his role in it was more "real" as was the basic plot of the movie.

15 posted on 03/28/2006 10:26:40 PM PST by El Gato
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To: SandRat

SIRYESSIR! (Creaking sound from every joint as BtD drops for 20. Wheezing. Sound of approaching paramedics...)


16 posted on 03/28/2006 10:30:50 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: SandRat


Here's Lee Ermey visiting my son-in-law, HN3 "Doc" Rust, a corpsman who was wounded himself while tending to the wounded in a firefight in Iraq back in November.

This was at the Naval Medical Center (Balboa) in San Diego in December. Mr. Ermey was there -- not with an entourage, or a gaggle of press people -- but just by himself to visit with, to thank, and to encourage the troops.

He stayed about 30 minutes in the room and his visit meant a lot to my son-in-law and the others he visited that day.

My daughter told me that just before he left, Mr. Ermey went into his "gunny" routine and "ordered" my son-in-law to get better. Of course, the Doc was delighted and now watches everything he can on the History Channel and other places where Mr. Ermey appears.
17 posted on 03/28/2006 11:11:09 PM PST by BobKat
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To: BobKat

The photo didn't come through but the story came in load and clear. Whether in his Gunny persona or just as R. Lee he is still a true NCO taking care of the troops. Wishing your son a speedy recovery.


18 posted on 03/29/2006 10:48:57 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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