Did you get an Article 15? What was yours for?

Sounds fishy!

First day at Edgewood Arsenal,Md, as a Pvt E-2, I reported to CQ Hqtrs in the A.M. After checking in with the Captain & Lt. was asked to help another GI in the office carry two 50 gallon cans of wax to Co.B’s 3rd floor closet.

The PFC named Bluto (not real name), and I each took one can and departed the CQ office. Once outside the PFC said, “Hold on a minute, I gotta use the bathroom.” With that, he went back into the HQ building and I sat down on a wax can and waited for him to return.

About 20 minutes later, I realized, “I’d been had!” and angrily picked up both cans and began a fairly long walk to Co. B, while holding the two cans, one in each hand, by the thin wire curved handles attached, which hurt like heck!

Company B was located in a large three story building and access to the 3rd floor was up a series of steps that led to small walkways at each landing. As I reached the landing leading up to the 3rd floor I looked up, and there was PFC Bluto and a small group of 3 or 4 other soldiers. They were looking down at me holding the two cans and outwardly giggling and chuckling aloud.

I realized they had been watching me slog around outside through the 3rd floor windows. After resting for a few seconds I picked the two cans up and climbed the last set of stairs, reaching the landing I placed the two cans down and then punched Bluto, as hard as I could, smack in the face, bloodying up his nose.

I turned away and left and returned to my own bunk located on the 2nd floor and promptly forgot about it all. Until roll call the next morning when the Sargent called my name and announced I had to report immediately to HQ.

There I was interviewed but the Lt. and Captain and advised I’d broken PFC’s nose and they wanted an explanation of my side of the incident. After telling my side they both kind of looked at each other and shrugged.

Finally, they decided I would have to be punished for what I did, but smilingly said they kinda agreed with me. I was then formally given an ‘Article 15, Oral Reprimand!’ Which they explained would be placed in my folder.

It never came up again, and PFC Bluto avoided me for over a year and never mentioned it thereafter.
So, I guess I would admit today, I am quite proud of my Article 15, “Oral Reprimand!”

The OIC of the signal shop I worked in in Germany in 1969 put me in for a field grade max (E5 -> E3, six of this, six of that), for disobeying his direct orders not to repair equipment for Corps Artillery during a field problem. Arty had more failures than their field repair resources could handle, and they were actually losing circuits. I, on the other hand, had an excess of resources, and invited the COL who was having these problems to send the stuff to my shop van, which was right near by.

OIC apparently had some sort of political feud with another officer of some sort in signal supporting arty, and I was screwing up his plans for this guy to fail big, or some such.

That was gloomy news, as my wife would have to return to CONUS and we would be a bit strapped for cash. At the end-of-week formation, I was surprised to hear my name called by the 1SG. When I got to the front, I was presented with a letter of commendation from Corps CG, extolling my acts during the field problem. The exact same acts for which the Article 15 was requested. The only thing I heard from the Bn CO after that was a letter of commendation, with my name misspelled.

My wife didn't have to go home, until I was somehow put on the levy roster for PCS to someplace in Viet-Nam. OIC didn't win that round, either, as while we were dealing with preparing to leave Germany, they announced that the Mark was no longer pegged to the Dollar, and our cost of living doubled overnight. And here we were with the expenses-paid relocation. Lucky Ducky.

Not realizing following last orders led to my "first" Article 15 in basic. I say "first" for a reason. Believe it or not, I was somewhat of a disciplinary problem having issues with authority. I know that seems counterproductive, especially being in the military, but I wasn't there by choice having been "volunteered" by my parents after being expelled for life from high school.

My only saving grace, and probably what made me feel invincible, was the fact that I had a skill that the Army was in need of and was recruiting me when I was in high school, but couldn't sign me due to my age.

Once I was kicked out of school, all my parents had to do was sign their rights over to Uncle Sam and I was good to go. For my part, I had to pass some aptitude testing, psychological examinations, and some advanced knowledge questions.

Being an overachiever, I scored so high during testing, I was guaranteed fast advancement through the ranks, and choice of duty station (yeah right...) I was fortunate enough to forego jump school convincing Uncle Sam I would be more useful rappelling than I would be hanging onto cargo ropes and refusing to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Let's just say that before I got to my AIT station, I had a handful of Article 15's for ticking people off, but, my MOS was too valuable at the time for me to see any brig time. That said, I was very much a team player with others like me; working people who actually knew what they were doing and didn't sit behind a comfy desk all day polishing a seat with their backsides.

Got my first be in Okinawa back in 1979 . Many more to follow . I was young and immature ! Drank a lot . By the time I got out of the Corp I had 13 NJP’s . Not the best days at all .

No Article 15 for me but I was a 5831 Corrections Specialist in the USMC. One day the front desk got a call from a Lieutenant who wanted to have a PFC locked up. "No sir, it has to be for a violation of the UCMJ..." We all got a laugh out of it.

Never got one

I went to OSUT with the guy who jumped with his goldfish

I didn’t receive any but did pass out a few. Highest grade to receive one from me was E-7 for missing formation he was supposed to conduct.

hope one day my contributions to the Old Soldiers Home will come to play.