perhaps a little humor would be ok here?

[m151mp]

as a new guy, i hope this is the right place for something that is intended to be a funny recollection. when i was in basic at ft lewis in july 69, there was a new yorker, whose name i shall leave out, that was in my platoon. he spent a good deal of his time trying to make us laugh whenever DI's or training cadre were any where nearby. this frequently caused us to spend a lot of time eating dirt, as he was pretty funny. it also brought him a lot of attention, which i would just as soon have avoided, but what are you going to do? there are class clowns every where in life, right? so one day, for the millionth time, he is once again enjoying a loud one sided diatribe from a drill sgt, who is so close to him the drill sgt's hat is pressing against the trainee's forehead. in the middle of the sgt's screaming fit, the guy from new york raises his hand chest high, and started poking the DI right in his chest with his fore finger, repeatedly, saying in a very loud voice, "remember, only you can prevent forest fires". after this he resumes the position of attention, and smiles at the DI. i'm one row behind him, and one guy to the side, so i see and hear the whole thing. i'm trying so hard not to laugh, i almost bit through my tongue. meanwhile, it looks like the drill sgt is going to have a stroke. it's one of the few memories of those days that has never left me. the next thing we saw was the trainee heading south with his M14 over his head. got to be one of the funniest times i remember. i'd like to hear any similar stories from any one else.

[ryksem]

Haha thanks for sharing that was hilarious!!!!!!!

[12A54]

In the Interservice Matches, my shooting partner was a Marine Gunnery Sergeant who told the story of when he arrived at Parris Island for boot camp. As his busload of fellow recruits assumed position on the yellow footprints, their new DI appeared. He addressed them and said, "If any of you think you can kick my azz, step forward right now." This big lanky kid from Tennessee does just that, so the DI takes him around the building they were in front of. Five minutes later, the kid from Tennessee comes around the corner wearing a big grin...and the DI's hat. They never saw that DI again.

[gomorgan]

I remember once putting on my DI's hat while he was upstairs in the barracks, and one of the guys taking a Polaroid photo of yours truly doing same, in the background of the photo stands you know who. I had to eat that picture in front of the platoon, while in the front leaning rest position. As I recall it tasted like crap but I held her down...That was 46 years ago next month.

[TRR]

In basic, we were all standing in formation for PT waiting for the 1SG and one of the guys in my platoon was getting real fidgety. He told the DS he needed to use the bathroom. Of course the DS said hold it until we were done with formation. He held it alright, in his shorts after he crapped himself right there never breaking ranks.

[Jack's Son]

There is alway time for fun on the forum! Things get too serious around here sometime!

[History Man]

Very funny stories, I really needed a good laugh.

 

Philip

[damcon3]

In basic, we were all standing in formation for PT waiting for the 1SG and one of the guys in my platoon was getting real fidgety. He told the DS he needed to use the bathroom. Of course the DS said hold it until we were done with formation. He held it alright, in his shorts after he crapped himself right there never breaking ranks.

I can speak from experience. Crapping yourself in formation SUCKS!!!. Mine happened to be food poison from our 4 star cuisine

[dave peifer]

good stories guys.........i went through bct at ft knox in 1971,i know myself i was carefull not to call any added attention on myself.the one guy i remember was always doing the opposite of what he was told,he wanted out in the worst way, many a day he would run around our formation when we marched pants down around his ankles m16 above his head and di smith would yell "tell us all how much you love the army booker"we had a blanket party for him one night,after that we didn't see him anymore,i think they put him in the fat boys platoon..............dave

[TRR]

I can speak from experience. Crapping yourself in formation SUCKS!!!. Mine happened to be food poison from our 4 star cuisine

 

You must have been in the Air Force if you had that many stars If it wasn't an MRE, it was something sopping wet in something else and that we only referred to as calories.

[rr01]

And let's not forget initiating the uninitiated. We went to the range a lot, lotsa different guns, gotta stay qualed. Scoring was by exception, ie the center of the target was usually blown out so points were subtracted for holes further out. The new guys stayed the new guys until they figured out that a lot of us were winging rounds over onto their targets into the outer rings. The more brazen would shoot at the other guys target even during a reload drill. Your tax dollars at work ;-}

[wolfpack5430]

Hello everyone! As a former Drill Sergeant, I must say that today's Army REALLY bothers me... Why? Because there is NO DISCIPLINE like there was in the old days! When I went to BCT at Fort Dix, NJ back in 1987, we got scuffed up and cursed at daily (but with reasons) - and if a DS laid a hand on you, you probably deserved it! Fast forward to 2000 when I went to Drill Sergeant School in Fort Leonard Wood, MO... As a NCO, we still got scuffed up and cursed at daily (still), but at least the DS was not allowed to touch you unless for training/emergency purposes... Although it was a more "professional" environment we still got smoked for no reason... Me personally, I didn't like getting scuffed up for no reason at all - and that was my motivation for wanting to become a Drill Sergeant Leader... But by the time I was assigned to the Academy in 2002, new regulations were passed and now you couldn't even curse at a soldier! I think the Army got "too soft" during this time and nowadays the discipline is all but gone... My wife shares stories from her unit (she's an officer) and I want to rip my hair out!!!! So although these are some fine stories (I have many as a trainee & a DS), in a way it is VERY SAD the direction that the Army has gone these last few years... *sigh*

Wolfpack

[Brig]

We had a 4'9" recruit that would do the Oompa-Loompa dance when the hats weren't around, until one day he turned around mid-dance and was staring at the SDI's chest...

[Alec]

While everyone in my platoon was waiting outside the chowhall in the wee hours of the morning we could all see one last recruit scarfing down his cereal at the "bang and go" tray station. Our DI was waiting at the door and when the recruit came out of the door he firmly,picked him up with one hand by the throat until his feet were dangling in the air.

 

The SgtMajor happened to be walking past and told the DI that when he was done choking the recruit and marched the platoon back to the barracks he was to come see him. The next day when I had day time firewatch in the barracks I saw my DI pushing a lawnmower cutting the grass.

 

Yes, of course it was 3rd Bn. Parris Island 1988.