E-4 Mafia Stories: What do you have to share? What can you share?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 21:54:53 -0400

I am convinced there is almost nothing the E-4 mafia cannot do. They are the unsung heroes that really do the lions share of work. With a nod to the lower enlisted, what amazing feats have you seen the pack perform?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 17 at 2014 7:49 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 19:49:38 -0400

Sir,

1st rule of the E-4 mafia: You do not talk about the E-4 mafia.

I've heard some good stories about items being procured and paperwork that spontaneously self-generates, but my favorite involves a computer-savvy specialist (a "friend of a friend" from a unit far, far away) who covertly inserted text into the PMCS procedures of a TM to appease the higher powers who insisted that there just HAD to be a line number in the TM associated with the faulty equipment that he/she was trying to deadline.

These are all just folk tales, however.

Response by CH (CPT) Heather Davis made Jun 18 at 2014 8:43 PM

CH (CPT) Heather Davis — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:43:54 -0400

Sir, in my thirty years in the military if is not the big sturdy mountain that over towers that you have to have caution with, it is the tiny pebble that can break your ankle and wreck your career!

I say that because when I was an SPC, I had a 1LT come to me crying, and it was due to the COL was putting sexual demands on her. I provided her with pictures of the ARMY Ball, and he had his hand on every enlisted female's knee. She took them to IG and a week later he resigned. Justice was served!!

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made Jun 18 at 2014 8:45 PM

CMSgt James Nolan — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:45:56 -0400

Too funny CPT LaFlame. Back in the day, we had what was known as the LCpl Protection Association. They were tightly knit.

Response by SPC Charles Brown made Jun 18 at 2014 11:13 PM

SPC Charles Brown — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 23:13:15 -0400

I was a SPC in supply long, long ago, and some of my fellow supply clerks and I were often well known for our creative requisitioning of items needed, and of making things that were "malfunctioning" or broken disappearing with the replacement items already in stock despite the fact that there was no paperwork for either in coming or outgoing items. Things got done, and no one asked questions about where they came from. One of my favorite movie lines was uttered by Jim Hutton who played SPC5 Peterson "The good fairy brought it".

And just the other day I struck a blow for the veteran E4 mafia by finding a patch that was blurred in a picture and helping someone find a piece of his family history.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jun 28 at 2014 8:51 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 20:51:13 -0400

E-4s in the Navy may be Petty Officers but in certain respects they are still don't have a lot of Authority. Now my 2nd Classes. My E-5's I swore by their knowledge and skill. I counted religiously on my BM2 when I was OOD and in the Shop there was none better than CTO2 Greg Mitchell.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2014 12:02 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:02:55 -0500

This term 'mafia' is a new school kind of thing because in my day, we had clubs --- literally!!!

Response by SP5 Joel O'Brien made Aug 1 at 2015 9:52 PM

SP5 Joel O'Brien — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 21:52:14 -0400

This is the "Poster Boy" of the E-4 Mafia.

Response by CPL(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2015 4:11 PM

CPL(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 16:11:25 -0400

In AIT I took note of the patterns the NCOs and Officers had. In the hold-under platoon we were charged with mindless details that were highly unnecessary. I took mental notes for a week then shared my findings and plan with the rest of the guys. We made sure to put one or two men visible at all times cleaning the hallways. We had one guy each morning with the mop and Zamboni cleaning the hallway directly in front of the commander's office. The visibility helped keep him off his NCO's backs about getting people to do things, plus the wet floor kept him in his office a lot longer. We had two guys running dust mops slowly up and down the hallways. Then we went to our rooms and opened our sock drawers and left them out for display as if we had been working on them. We sat on the floor with our backs against the wall so that any platoon sgt would not see us sleeping and steps would wake us. Later on I started waxing the floor in my room which caused the room inspections to pretty much go away. Sorry for any 15T that had to go through C222 for making your lives that much harder... they kept this tradition since. Let's see, it was legitimate but while at AIT I did form a soldier choir, and many soldiers that sing like the seagull from the little mermaid ended up shamming out of inane formations.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Aug 3 at 2015 10:33 AM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:33:16 -0400

Actual image of the E-4 "Invisibility Device"
When carried properly will render the user totally invisible to other ranks.
Use with additional spell "Supply Run" if stopped.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Aug 4 at 2015 3:31 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:31:04 -0400

In 1985, they cranked orders for me making it possible for me to travel from one Latin American country to another while under one primary orders, sheer magic. I wish I could say more, but!

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 5 at 2015 12:50 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:50:01 -0400

Well one I heard was some of the company needing handmics for radios the supply not giving the company rolled with mics and came back a box of handmics was found in a connex that no one thought was opened before the event

Response by SPC William Weedman made Aug 6 at 2015 12:48 AM

SPC William Weedman — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 00:48:52 -0400

When I was but a young impressible private the curtain to the E-4 Mafia was pulled back for me briefly to show me the wonders my next promotion would give me. During an FTX in Korea "slicky boy" managed to get his hands on 48 medical blankets, too many to be written off as a field loss. The E-4 Mafia via the civilian contractors on post had some rather questionable contacts who were known to obtain military equipment for a price. Once the price was agreed on (liquor & cigarettes, very highly controlled items) and paid a nondescript truck pulled up to our front gate and 6 blanket cases with 48 medical blankets in them were literally tossed out and the truck pulled away. All I am allowed to say was I had a part in the "recovery operation" but no more.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 9:08 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 21:08:32 -0400

I know nothing. They would hide my coffee...

Response by SFC Clark Adams made Aug 21 at 2015 4:26 AM

SFC Clark Adams — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 04:26:31 -0400

Medical Platoons of Infantry Battalions back in the 70's were rife with smart SP/4 draftees who lived to get by doing what it took to get by. Our platoon was unique since we had 15 SP/5's and it drove the 1SG crazy that there were so many E-5 s he couldn't use a NCO's for his trash details.... We all covered each other more than the E-4 Mafia ever could, in three years the CoC only managed to pick off one of us for our behaviors.......

Response by PO3 Chooee Lee made Aug 27 at 2015 10:47 AM

PO3 Chooee Lee — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:47:03 -0400

All I know is that when I made E-4 I didn't have to do anymore walking watches outside on the flight line in bad weather. Also as a Rigger all I did was stand Duty Rigger when I had duty. Really pissed off the Lead Chief.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Oct 8 at 2015 3:48 PM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:48:17 -0400

If we told you we would have to kill you after.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2015 7:30 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 19:30:43 -0400

Nice try sir. We don't part our secrets that easy!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2015 10:30 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 22:30:48 -0400

Sir,
If you've ever been there, you know we'd be banned for even confirming that such an astonishing group of individuals even exist!! Lol

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 27 at 2015 11:32 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 23:32:06 -0500

I don't know what you are talking about. There is no such thing as the E4 mafia...........................

Response by SSG George Holtje made Sep 10 at 2018 9:28 AM

SSG George Holtje — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 09:28:20 -0400

E4 mafia is supposed to be the eyes and ears of the institution. The Army started making the power of the SPC to play big brother to the new soldiers go away in favor of the paper trail that does not enhance combat power and does not instill comraderie and brotherhood. The heavy handed wall to wall counseling to deal with the whiners, smartmouths and opportunists had created an environment of distrust that led to more issues in the lower ranks.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2018 1:37 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 13:37:07 -0500

I may or may not have acquired some LMTV trailer jacks and dental class 8 in my time.