Did you ever have a new Soldier who was so ate up that you said "how did Snuffy even get through Basic Training?" What are your best stories?

I had a new medic come in before our 2010-2011 Afghan deployment. kid was a weirdo. Didn't think he was line medic material at all. Skinny and a little weak. Great learner but no common sense. This kid couldn't possibly have passed basic in my opinion. Well, his name was Spc. Jameson Lindskog and on that deployment, on our last mission, he stood up and became a hero. receiving a purple heart and silver star. RIP Lindskog you beast of a medic.

Had the same thing happen when I was reclassing to 68S back in '09. We would do ruck marches for PT. Nothing serious, just a 1 hour 4 miler with a 10 pound ruck no weapon nor ACH. Bear in mind that the last ruck I did was back in 98.....but I was passing up these kids FRESH out of boot and these kids are huffin and puffin and damn near crying. I'm with you CPL Anthony Slaughter , I just don't fully understand. But one of the best moments during these Rucking PT sessions.......We weren't even 15 minutes departed from Company AO when one of the IETs was already hurting and falling back. We had these Marines training with the Company (my company was shared between Preventive Medicine and Behavioral Specialists), and the Marines were MPs that dealt with prisoners so they were going thru the Behavioral program....but one of the Marines was this short 5 foot 1 female Gunny (hard as nails since she made Gunny in 12 yrs) firecracker. As we are walking, I'm coming up to the kid (who stood about 6 foot even) that's hurting at about the same time she was and she looked at him while passing him and said "You want me to carry you and your ruck?" and just kept moving. We had a great laugh over some beers later that night.

When I was an acting platoon sergeant, I had given a newly assigned soldier specific instructions in mopping the basement floor where the platoon offices were located. They were point by point beginning with go to supply and draw a new mop head and a bottle of pine oil...when I got back from an errand, the entire floor smelled like vomit. I immediately knew the soldier had used a soured mop head that had been used to spread wax. When I summoned the new soldier and his team leader for some on point counselling, the soldier told me he had done the bet he could and if it wasn't up to my standards, perhaps i should mop it myself. As I initiated my verbal onslaught, the SGT handed me my hat and the vehicle status book while suggesting I go to the motor pool as he got into a more "in depth discussion" with his soldier.