AGE Rangers -- Sky Cop Augie Doggie duty RVN "Ben Hoa AB" 1966 -- Stacy Marsh on the Left and "Jake" Jacabson on the right -- Marsh and Jacabson 1966
We have Choices ! Both postings are intriguing .. as a side note, I recall DINSTAAR as far back as 1976 .. it appears, the meaning of DINSTAAR is and always will be rooted in your heart from the first time you heard, seen or scrawled our special chant out on a piece of paper and the obligation you felt within yourself to share your thoughts with other AGE Rangers. Having said that, each and everyone of us are "DINSTAAR" and your version, however embellished, wherever rooted and whatever meaning .. is yours to share .. and continue to share .. you must..... darryl
Stokes told me that AGE troops were called AGE Rangers because of their time in Vietnam. Not for perimeter defense or because Charlie was stealing oil carts...but for basic survival. Stokes had said a lot of AGE guys were shot trying to service equipment. According to him, snipers would take pot shots at the troops moving around the perimeter or wherever they could be seen. Since lightcarts and other equipment were supposed to be deployed IVO perimeter and EOR, these made easy targets for the snipers. So, when the AGE troops had to pull up to service the equipment, one guy fell out to hitch while the other covered him with his rifle. The SPs, upon either seeing this or seeing the AGE guys on their way for servicing would note the weapons and were rumored to have said "there go the AGE Rangers" as a sorta joke. That's all Stokes had said on it. It's possible that somehow it got out and it could have been told to some AGE guys by some SPs in a bar somewhere, (I can't see AGE and SP ever sitting down to drink tho') to which the AGE guys may have answered: "Well, you know .. danger is no stranger to an AGE ranger." But, before anyone gets spun up over that, just realize I don't believe that last part. I was just sitting here thinking about it. I never heard of DINSTAAR until I got to the desert.. where they seemed to make a big deal about it. And I certainly never heard it in tech school, and that was in 1986. I think it was founded in TSgt Stokes' story and the acronym just tacked on like a previous poster had said...as some sort of way to slight AMMO with that stupid thing they do. That's the tale I've been telling to the troops I've had...flight line, FACP or otherwise. It's more believable to me than AGE troops saving a base from being overrun. DINSTAAR, started in Vietnam when the AGE people had to guard the inside perimeter of the base. A situation came up where a base was being overran by the enemy and the AGE "Rangers" protected the aircraft from damage and repelled the enemy. So the name "AGE Ranger" started ... and because we fear No Danger! Posted by Mike Selle on 8/11/2000, 11:33 am , in reply to "Who came up with DINSTAAR?" |
