Have you ever given directions with a "knife hand"? What are some things you can think of that would make a civilian think you are crazy?

SPC James Butler — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:20:49 -0400

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Aug 14 at 2015 12:22 PM

SCPO David Lockwood — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:22:55 -0400

Using acronyms that military uses. They look at me like I have three heads.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 12:23 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:23:49 -0400

I caught myself explaining something to my wife using the knife hand...she was not amused...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 14 at 2015 12:26 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:26:51 -0400

I only use it when I am Homer Simpson's dad yelling at the clouds in anger.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 12:27 PM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:27:19 -0400

First time I went home after BCT during Airborne School we went to a buffet and I was standing in line at parade rest also ate 3 plates before my family finished first! They looked at me crazy I told them eat it now taste it later!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 12:28 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:28:43 -0400

I think it would be funny if someone is behind you at a red light honking and you got and started using the knife hand yelling at them for honking. Good way to make peeps think your crazy and make for a hilarious story to tell others later.

Can't say that I have actually used the knife hand though.

Response by SPC James Butler made Aug 14 at 2015 12:29 PM

SPC James Butler — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:29:48 -0400

I've noticed some people in the business world do not translate the word "execute" in the same way a service member would.

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Aug 14 at 2015 12:30 PM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:30:38 -0400

guilty. I had the "what the hell look" looking back at me?

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 12:34 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:34:54 -0400

SPC James Butler, all the darn time when I was a PLDC SGL. Shoot, I think that we were even taught that technique during the Instructor and Small Group Leader training courses. This technique was very effective in my opinion.

Response by SSG Buddy Kemper made Aug 14 at 2015 12:37 PM

SSG Buddy Kemper — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:37:56 -0400

Got caught in an action shot a last year ago and had modified "knife hand" thingy goin' on. Subconsciously, I suppose. Bless all drills, NCOs and instructors who made me who I am. Cheers& have a great weekend, warriors.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 1:00 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:00:43 -0400

Civilians think I'm crazy every day! All I have to do is be me.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 2:36 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:36:26 -0400

Hi, SPC Butler.

I taught as a substitute very briefly after leaving the AF. I called cadences when the elementary school classes and I marched from the classroom to lunch.

"Momma, momma, can't you see...what First Grade has done for me?"

Got in a little trouble for it. Had full-time teachers poking their heads out of the classrooms to see what was going on. But the kids had fun.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 2:57 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:57:25 -0400

I still do, it's habit-forming.

I get weird reactions sometimes when I slip out a "roger", "tracking", or "check" as an acknowledgment. Again, force of habit.

Response by CSM David Heidke made Aug 14 at 2015 3:08 PM

CSM David Heidke — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:08:03 -0400

That is "Fingers and Thumb, extended and joined," Specialist Highspeed.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 3:11 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:11:50 -0400

Yesssss. And as I am on the shorter side, it always has to go in an upward fashion. Lol

I also get blank stares when I acknowledge with "tracking" and had civilian email replies asking me what "V/R" means. :)

Response by SGT Christopher Churilla made Aug 14 at 2015 3:17 PM

SGT Christopher Churilla — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:17:59 -0400

I give directions with the knife hand all the time. And when dealing with civilians--even family--I try to speak their own language to them, but it is hard.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 3:29 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:29:43 -0400

The hardest thing for some civilians to "adjust" to is reticent notions of expediency and risk-assessment. The military focuses on mission, while the private sector focuses on metrics. If you have a 60% of winning stepping outside of procedure, they'd rather lose. Why? because at the end of the day, it costs more to litigate than reduce costs.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 15 at 2015 3:26 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 03:26:26 -0400

I knife hand all the time when explaining something to my wife, giving my daughter "direction", explaining something at work (luckily my co-workers are all veterans and National Guardsmen so they "get it"), you name it.

Once in a college English class where every last one of my classmates were veterans, one student knife handed our professor when answering a question.

When I was still active duty I knife handed while briefing my Commanding Officer to really illustrate something (bless his heart he didn't get mad or even say anything).

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Dec 2 at 2016 1:58 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 13:58:25 -0500

SPC James Butler Has to be eating. The ability to douse a five course meal in under five minutes and be on the move again. Just makes people stare in fear, panic, disbelief.

Response by SGT Cody Skinner made Dec 2 at 2016 2:24 PM

SGT Cody Skinner — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 14:24:41 -0500

All the time. My Son, who is almost 10, likes to say. There goes Dad knife handing the World. Lol.

Response by SFC George Smith made Dec 2 at 2016 7:56 PM

SFC George Smith — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 19:56:50 -0500

in the old school that was the way we were instructed ...

Response by SGM Laurie Scott Reyes made Dec 4 at 2016 3:13 PM

SGM Laurie Scott Reyes — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 15:13:12 -0500

I have not used it, but my husband has with others, not with me. I think that our sometimes "no nonsense" demeanor our obsession with excellence can drive some civilians nuts.

Response by A1C Charles Hagen made Dec 4 at 2016 10:12 PM

A1C Charles Hagen — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 22:12:22 -0500

"Bravo Zulu" One of my work crews went out to resolve a disaster at a customer site and restored order and operational status (life saving equipment went down). I called out a Bravo Zulu to all hands on the team.

My team lead looked at me and said "is that a good thing?"

"Roger that" I replied.

Now, they are used to me but it is funny as heck to get a new staff member.

Response by CW2 Ernest Krutzsch made Dec 5 at 2016 4:55 PM

CW2 Ernest Krutzsch — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:55:20 -0500

Always find myself getting in step with the people I am walking with, very frustrating when one ass is always out of step

Response by Cpl Carlos Fernandez made Dec 8 at 2016 1:53 PM

Cpl Carlos Fernandez — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 13:53:46 -0500

Singing cadence, shouting & using military terms as well as radio call signs.

Response by CPL Donald McKenna made Jan 27 at 2017 6:44 PM

CPL Donald McKenna — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 18:44:30 -0500

When I used to smoke I'd field strip my cigarette butts and put them in my pocket until I could get to a trash can. Made people around me wonder WTF I was doing.

Bad thing was, the wife doesn't check pockets when she does the laundry. Filters all over the inside of the dryer...

Response by SrA Thomas Niemitalo made Jan 27 at 2017 8:08 PM

SrA Thomas Niemitalo — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:08:01 -0500

Almost everyday with my afternoon Middle School kids.

Response by PFC Pamala (Hall) Foster made Jan 27 at 2017 9:19 PM

PFC Pamala (Hall) Foster — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:19:04 -0500

Use military speak. At times I can be soft, but when riled, I talk fast and mean

Response by SGT Tommy Silvas made Jan 28 at 2017 4:46 PM

SGT Tommy Silvas — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 16:46:01 -0500

after getting out of the military I always used army one liners like "Suck it up and drive on" my daughter is 25 now she just recently called me and said "do you know what the berst advice was that you ever gave me" i said "what?" "suck it up and drive on" she said, she explained that she has said that to herself through out her life high school, college, and so on. made me smile

Response by SGT Everett M. Cheney made Jul 24 at 2018 7:04 PM

SGT Everett M. Cheney — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 19:04:11 -0400

Every third day as a Battalion Chief in knife handing someone

Response by SGT(P) Khalid Wise made Jul 24 at 2018 7:41 PM

SGT(P) Khalid Wise — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 19:41:24 -0400

Just as offensive to inmates, as well... Lol (but that's not supposed to be funny, right?!?)

Response by PO2 Chester Evitt made Jul 24 at 2018 10:49 PM

PO2 Chester Evitt — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 22:49:23 -0400

I actually do it all the time teaching my tactical class s.

Response by SPC Tino Valentine made Aug 27 at 2018 12:23 PM

SPC Tino Valentine — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 12:23:22 -0400

Four-count exercise movements. Count them out around other people and they give you super crazy looks.
But the guy Salsa dancing up the Stair Stepper, Blindfolded, to no music? He’s fine.
“Preparatory Command/ Command of Execution”. It’s fun to try and turn everything into that.

Response by Sgt Raymond Godeke made Aug 28 at 2018 5:28 PM

Sgt Raymond Godeke — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:28:50 -0400

I have.
Driving the Civ crazy saying Copy That or Foxtrot Alpha!

Response by LCpl David Morrison made Sep 21 at 2018 9:50 AM

LCpl David Morrison — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 09:50:09 -0400

Standing at parade rest, EVERYWHERE I go lol, waiting in line at the restaurant especially lol

Response by PO1 Daniel Brock made Mar 9 at 2019 6:29 PM

PO1 Daniel Brock — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 18:29:29 -0500

My last Unit I was assigned to before I was HYT into retirement was Naval Coastal Warfare Embarked Security Detatchment. It was a Reserve Unit. After my last deployment and upon returning to my civilian job, I was standing with a co-worker in a "highly elevated" position. We both noticed a supervisor walking below us at around 300 yards away. Casually commented to my coworker, "I think I could take that guy out from here." It was then that I realized civilians didn't think about things like that. Lol.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Mar 12 at 2019 11:23 AM

CSM Richard StCyr — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:23:15 -0400

I had a rather terse conversation with one of the contractors after they cut a power line for the third or fourth time on one of the projects.
With out thinking I had knife handed him throughout the conversation as I pointed to the paint and flags the marking crew had used to show where lines were and told them that if there's paint there and there and a flag there and one there connect the fuckin' dots .. there's probably a line of some kind running between them. As I walked away one of the linemen there to make repairs leans in to me and says "hey Rick, your Sergeant Major is showing, knife hand and all".. Yup I felt silly, but the operator hasn't cut another marked line in two years.

Response by LCDR George Cullen made Jun 19 at 2019 10:33 PM

LCDR George Cullen — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 22:33:58 -0400

I was in the O Club eating a steak with my wife when the Commander of the base stepped up to introduce himself. I forgot to leave the knife on the table and not to use as a pointer or while waving my arms in excitement. Heck I had just put on my gold oak leafs, there as Senior Nurse and was so to take over the OIC billet while they deployed. We were 150 miles from the hospital so I had no one looking over my shoulder. Why was I so excited to meet the Commander? I was back in my 23K population desert home town. I had left 1977 to return to run the medical clinic and occupational health just 2u years later as 0-4 Now after making Chief Petty Officer in 10 years then almost 7 as a Chief. 3 of those years going full time to school. Motto of story: release all things in your hands prior to greeting base commander.

Response by SPC Chris Hicks made Aug 29 at 2019 1:58 PM

SPC Chris Hicks — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 13:58:08 -0400

I still do give knife hands! Half of my staff thinks I'm Brilliant while rolling 51/50

Response by LTJG Richard Bruce made Feb 2 at 2020 8:53 PM

LTJG Richard Bruce — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 20:53:02 -0500

Using two hands to explain how objects move in 3D.