[Slater]

Since this topic has come up from time to time, I thought (and by suggestion) it should have it's own thread even though much of Mac's military career is speculation. It seems that:

(1) MacGyver was in the US Army during the Vietnam War. Whether he was a draftee or a volunteer is unknown.

(2) He was an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) technician.

(3) Most guys did a one-year tour in Southeast Asia. Would Mac have followed suit or volunteered for more? Unknown.

(4) More speculation here, but I'm guessing that Mac served in Vietnam during the 1968-1973 timeframe.

(5) Would Mac's duties have taken him into contact with agencies such as the CIA, who may have noticed his talents? Who knows.

(6) His aversion to firearms is well known, but at a minimum he would have had to qualify with the M16 rifle. As an EOD tech, he may have had to carry an M1911A1 pistol at times or possibly a shotgun.

(7) Not familiar enough with the entire series to say, but did any of his old Army buddies even make an appearance?

[MacGyverGod]

This was going to be addressed on my MacGyver timeline, not on the next post yet though but it will be on next week's post. Though MacGyver's military record is not that impressive actually. Even though they still did disarm 51 bombs. I think Countdown is pretty much your best shot at MacGyver's military service. But with 'not that impressive' I mean MacGyver barely made it to the Vietnam war since it was pretty much ending.

In my timeline, I have it so that MacGyver was drafted to Vietnam in the final year of the war after he graduated from college and that pretty much must mean MacGyver did only one tour.

His talents to disarm bombs must've been noticed by his superiors and which official government agency is not involved in a war? So it might be CIA. MacGyver did some government assignments before he met Pete though. After all Pete did not know Quayle for instance as MacGyver filled him in that he ran into Quayle once before who stole computers from the military and sells out everyone he works for. MacGyver stole the computers back in an older assignment not seen in the show.

He probably did get full military training including guns. Unless he was a conscientious objector but MacGyver seems experienced enough to know how to load a gun and how to disassemble it to use it as a wrench. So maybe he did had target practice or he was the next Desmond Doss.

Your 7th question. You really haven't seen everything. Take a look at Countdown. That's pretty much on MacGyver's time in Vietnam and he has an old army buddy called Charlie Robinson. Also Pete, Colonel Scott Woodward, Daniel Tobermann, Jesse Colton, R.T. Hines and Manny where characters who were in the Vietnam war.

Now, better start watching: Countdown, The Human Factor, The Spoilers, Second Chance and Tough Boys.

[Slater]

Sounds good. US ground involvement ended in 1973, so Mac must have been in-country at least by late 1972.

As far as weapons familiarization, he received the same training as every other GI so at least he was familiar with the M16 rifle.

[MacGyverGod]

In my calculations MacGyver was in Vietnam in 1974-1975 directly after college graduation. In Countdown it is explained that Mike Donahue was in Vietnam a couple of years (1971-1973) before MacGyver and Charlie Robinson were there. This is confirmed by Charlie Robinson himself. I take a couple of years are 2 to 3 years at the most. That would make sense with what comes later in the show since MacGyver won the barricade contest in 1973. If MacGyver was sent earlier to Vietnam Robinson's confirmation no longer adds up and MacGyver would've had his college education interrupted. Maybe that did happen, I don't know. And I also doubt MacGyver would've supported the Vietnam war but that he was more like called up and had to enlist. Also if MacGyver was in Vietnam by late 1972 and early 1973 he could have not been with Kate Malloy, nor he probably could've won the barricade contest.

I think MacGyver really was just at the very end of the war in Vietnam as maybe part of the sweep crew to make sure the retreat went as smooth as possible and had to dispose of unpleasant surprises like bombs. It's still amazing though they had 51 bombs to disarm.

That's just the inconsistencies of the show and I'm trying to rule them all out as good as possible with my timeline. Even if this means twisting and turning things to make it fit.