Do you have any funny boot camp stories?

2015-08-17T21:40:20-04:00

I went to Orlando for boot camp (during summer, which sucked great big donkey balls, but that's another story). Our company had 80 recruits. So, in the barracks, 20 sets of bunk beds along each side. In other words, plenty of room for the Company Commander (CC) to pace...which they did frequently. Whilst torturing us for the idiot that didn't fold his t-shirt correctly. One day, we'd been at it so long that many began to tire of the pushups and the 'hold the pushup' evolutions.

It started with a few. He would pace past them, and they would drop flat. Just before he reached the end and turned, they'd go back up into position. Pretty soon, the entire company (yes, even me, I was a worn puppy) was doing a slow wave as he passed. Down....pace...up....pace...down. Eventually somebody started laughing, and then we all did. That...did not go over well.

How about you? Got a funny Boot story?

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Aug 17 at 2015 9:43 PM

2015-08-17T21:43:14-04:00

Yea, it was always someone taking the fall for the PLTs issues, somehow I was alway getting blamed- me of course. But I endured to laugh it off!

Response by Sgt William Biggs made Aug 17 at 2015 9:53 PM

2015-08-17T21:53:35-04:00

We had a guy clog the head during grass week at Parris Island. We had been specifically instructed not to use a specific toilet and this kid did. The DI started screaming in the head when he saw this thing. "OMFG, It looks like a GD pterodactyl dropped a deuce in this thing!" He continued until the whole squadbay was in tears laughing with that recruit (don't remember his name) mortified. They gave that recruit gloves and made him fish it out to help unclog it. We were all thrashed shortly after. Totally worth it.

Response by CH (MAJ) Thomas Conner made Aug 17 at 2015 10:05 PM

2015-08-17T22:05:22-04:00

When I joined the Army, I arrived at Fort Dix, NJ straight from a Southern Pentecostal Church. My DSs began swearing at us and using language I had only heard in the boy's locker room at school! I backed away from the DS. Of course I caught his attention. He looked at me and began screaming, "where in the %÷#!*^$ do you think you are going?" I replied, "nowhere Drill Sergeant, I just don't want to be standing next to you when God strikes you dead!" I think my handprints are still in the asphalt!!

Response by SGT Roberto Mendoza-Diaz made Aug 17 at 2015 10:26 PM

2015-08-17T22:26:17-04:00

Once during morning the DS asked "who ate these oreo cookies?". We knew who done it, but we didn't say who to the DS. Of course we got smoked. From that day on we called the private the Cookie Monster.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Aug 18 at 2015 7:16 AM

2015-08-18T07:16:07-04:00

IN the first week or so of Marine boot,one of the privates pulled a weed from the "grass"(sand for those who are not familiar) while we were raking it.One of the Drill instructors ask him why he pulled up his "flower",then proceeded to have him get a pot replant the "flower"and nurture it from that day until the day before graduation.By the end of boot the weed was a couple feet tall from being given plant food and care by the private.The day before graduation the Drill Instructor steps out of the duty hut,looks around,acts as though he sees this plant for the first time and says"Where the F*** did this weed come from? grabs it up and flings it away.The private looks as though he may cry.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 20 at 2015 7:38 AM

2015-08-20T07:38:44-04:00

Where should I start?
The crazy guy?
The sleep walker?
The guy who tried to hang himself, twice?
The guy who got caught with a camera in his P drawer and rather than man up said he wanted to kill himself?
The guy whose wallet fell into the crack behind his P drawer and swore that somebody somehow picked his padlock, stole his wallet (with his freshly cashed paycheck in it), and relocked the padlock? (Okay, that was me. LOL)

Response by AN Carolyn L. made Aug 20 at 2015 1:31 PM

2015-08-20T13:31:48-04:00

Trained with all women (I totally support this), but while listening to a lecture on "Starboard" vs "Port", a lady thought it was being called "starBIRD".....Just a reflection on the recruitment of less-than-qualified women during the early 80's. 30 years later, I still work with young women who lack basic english skills (not to mention just plain commonsense)

Response by SGT Craig Northacker made Aug 15 at 2016 12:56 PM

2016-08-15T12:56:24-04:00

We had a lot of roaches at Fort Polk in 1973. The guy on my bottom bunk liked to ghost, so I was about to apply vaseline to the bunk bed stands when I thought about it and just applied it under my bunk so the roaches could not get to my face when I was sleeping. He got them all...

Response by SPC Roger Giffen made Jul 9 at 2017 6:13 PM

2017-07-09T18:13:13-04:00

When we finally got out of reception station and went to the regular barracks, they had been empty for at least one cycle. Dust everywhere. Big job cleaning it all up. When we were about to leave for AIT, the DS told us we had to leave the barracks the same way we found them. He really didn't think it was funny when one lowly trainee asked where he could find several pounds of dust. Good old Ft Leonard Wood

Response by SPC Jeffrey Reese made Jul 9 at 2017 9:57 PM

2017-07-09T21:57:47-04:00

I don't know how this would go over in today's ARMY. But we had a cruit that was truly a screw up. So any time he left the barracks door one Drill or another would say did I just hear PVT Rodgers exit the building Drop Rodgers you know the drill. It didn't matter where we were That kid must have done 50,000 push up's and 60,000 sit up's in the time we were there. He couldn't keep step His cadence was always a half a beat off as his DI said He was F'd up from the floor up. But by Graduation he maxed the final PT test lol I have 2 more that are Killer but they happened in AIT.

Response by Cadet 1st Lt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2017 11:33 PM

2017-07-09T23:33:48-04:00

AFROTC cadets don't go to basic. Our equivalent (I know it's nowhere near equal) is LEAD. We had a guy who lost his weapon before the final exercise, when asked how he'd participate, one of our flight mates piped up and said "he'll be the Chaplain."

Response by Cadet 1st Lt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2017 11:36 PM

2017-07-09T23:36:37-04:00

AFROTC cadets don't go to basic. Our equivalent (I know it isn't equal) is LEAD. We had a kid lose his weapon before the final exercise, when asked how he'd participate our flight mate piped up and said "he could be a Chaplain."

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2017 12:15 AM

2017-07-10T00:15:57-04:00

Ok this one happened to me: it was time to shower and for whatever damn reason I was running behind and my side had already been in for about two or three minutes which didn't leave me with very much time. Well I was speed walking to the head (since running wasn't allowed) and ended up slipping on the wet floor right in front of my SDI. Towel went flying and I'm sitting there, butt naked in front of my senior in a state of shock. After a tense few seconds, he finally says, "Son you better cover that thing up quick and get in the head." Hilarious to look back on now

Response by SPC Brad Pratt made Oct 26 at 2019 4:16 PM

2019-10-26T16:16:58-04:00

4 Jul 89- Ft Benning, GA
Basic Training Holiday Treat- Company gets to watch “Full Metal Jacket”... well up until the D.I. gets shoot. Entire company starts cheering.
Yeah it was dark before we left the sawdust pit.

Response by PO2 Seth Carron made Oct 26 at 2019 4:41 PM

2019-10-26T16:41:25-04:00

Had a guy get explosive diarrhea and shit his drawers, he put his dirty skivvies into the laundry, which went unnoticed until everyone's whites came out tan. Had to make a special trip to the exchange so everyone could get replacements.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Oct 27 at 2019 11:14 AM

2019-10-27T11:14:42-04:00

I don’t remember anything funny happening at PI, mostly is was fucking hot and humid and in general a miserable 13 weeks for everyone. Being from Pa I learned what sweating was in that horrible SC heat in July - Sept.

Response by SN David Dillon made Nov 30 at 2019 1:35 PM

2019-11-30T13:35:32-05:00

Boot camp in Orlando, 1982. Recruit paid the price (hard) for getting caught UA Smoking in an empty compartment. The put him on the Division Sidewalk and we were all told to go to the window to see the discipline doled put. The CCs proceeded to put all the cigarettes in his pack into his mouth and lite them. Then an office trash can with a sign”I am a UA smoker” was put over his head, and they told him to puff away. As smoke billowed from the bottom of the upside down trash can, we could see the Recruit get weak in his knees. Moments later he got sick all over himself, but even worse, all over the Division Sidewalk, sacred ground to the CCs. They pulled the can off his head and a cloud of smoke hit the air. Then they handed him a swab and made him clean the sidewalk. True story, and I’ll never forget it!

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Nov 30 at 2019 1:48 PM

2019-11-30T13:48:30-05:00

The only thing that comes to mind was the confidence course and the slide for life over the water pit.
You fall your supposed to yell Marine Corps before you hit the water. For some reason there was brass out that day and if I remember right some wife’s were also taking in the course, had to be third phase. Guy falls from the ropes and yells oh fuck before he hits the water. That poor guy got his ass blistered, he’s probably still doing bends and mother’s. I’m sure even the DIs laughed at that one in private.