Do you believe that "Fragging" happens--or is it just "Friendly Fire"?

I enlisted in 1979.  About a quarter of the people I went to my AIT with were Vietnam vets.  I heard this referenced all the time.  I heard it over the years.  I got out went in the Guard, worked for the VA.  I heard plenty of talk about it again but in the end I only ever heard of one guy who claimed they actually shot their LT in combat on purpose.  In Iraq, I heard it threatened several times but again, no cases of it ever happening.

SSG Watkins...some say the life expectancy of a LT was not very long in VN perhaps as a result...but it was the NCOs who used to talk about being in the middle between soldiers and young officers--either one who might get them killed. In those days the NCOS were more likely to be married with children than the others. In my platoon in Tigerland, Ft Puke; nearly all of us destined for VN..we were pretty much 50-50 Black.White.Hispanic.Native American, with about 20% real thugs. When they dumped our gear out popped guns, switchblades, brass knuckles...lot of fun. Clay floor, screens, no air conditioning. Fire patrol including fire ants. Someone didn't like you they sprinkled sugar on your sheets. More ants. People disappeared. Vanished. Fights, blanket parties...not recruiting poster perfect. I lucked out as Platoon Guide with the Senior Drill being the most outstanding NCO I ever encountered then or now. He was tough and didn't take any crap. We had 1LTs and even 2LTs as company commanders due to a shortage of Captains and most were from OCS.

MSG Archer, very true. Hadn't looked at it that way! During the draft, when I still a teen, soldiers we knew joked about dropping a "lifer's" 201 file behind the file cabinet so they'd miss a promo board or PCS...that was in 70s when most things were still driven by paper. So now you connected that dot!