What is the dumbest thing you did while in the military?

CSM Charles Hayden — Fri, 24 May 2019 22:30:05 -0400

SFC Krotzer’s E-7 rank may have helped, but MP MSG Jackson only said, “get Gone!” We did! Jackson passed us in a cloud of dust as we were hustling down the dusty road from Ki-an-Ni to the MSR where a Koream Army truck laden with civilians, chickens, etc, gave us a ride to an entry point to Camp Casey!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2019 10:48 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 May 2019 22:48:25 -0400

Went looking for keys to the DZ. . .

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made May 24 at 2019 10:48 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Fri, 24 May 2019 22:48:54 -0400

You would have to ask that question to my good ole Platoon Sergeant, SFC Audrey Smith ,he could have given you dozens or even hundreds of really dumb things I did from Basic to Vietnam,miss that old SOB ,don’t make em like that anymore .

Response by SSG Byron Howard Sr made May 24 at 2019 10:56 PM

SSG Byron Howard Sr — Fri, 24 May 2019 22:56:29 -0400

I was boarded for E5 while a student at the Joint Services Photo School I was 11B. The cut off score for 11B was 450. I was told I would graduate in 88 days so if I failed 1 block test I would get my E5 the cut off score for 84B photographer was 999 and no telling when I would get promoted. I graduated with my class and got my E5 3 years later. I should have failed one test.

Response by TSgt David L. made May 24 at 2019 11:03 PM

TSgt David L. — Fri, 24 May 2019 23:03:34 -0400

I did lots of stupid shit as a young EOD Tech. Lots of stuff that stretched my immediate chain of commands' limits of course.
Worst thing I did was I assumed that if I excelled at my job and took care of my troops, leadership would take care of me. Oh well. I wouldn't change much if I did it all over again.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made May 25 at 2019 12:38 AM

LT Brad McInnis — Sat, 25 May 2019 00:38:59 -0400

I volunteered to check a float sensor in a drained Main Lube Oil tank, went in, had the cover shut on me for a couple of hours...

Dumbest thing I ever saw that I didn't do, heard a sailor scream bloody murder in berthing one night before liberty. Turns out genius tried to iron his blue jeans while he was wearing them! Ended up with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his legs.

Response by SSG Laurie Mullen made May 25 at 2019 3:53 AM

SSG Laurie Mullen — Sat, 25 May 2019 03:53:49 -0400

Hitch hiked thirty miles alone in the middle of the night while drunk because I wanted to do something really dumb like my best friend. I was 21 and at my first duty station, Ft Riley, and my best friend had told me about her hitch hiking adventures when she was younger.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2019 5:46 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 May 2019 05:46:43 -0400

I’ll wait till retirement to answer this one

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2019 11:04 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 May 2019 11:04:59 -0400

Oh man, where to begin that list CSM Charles Hayden ......

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2019 12:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 May 2019 12:11:42 -0400

Was told to get spark plugs for the HMMWV.

Response by CPT Daniel Cox made May 25 at 2019 1:06 PM

CPT Daniel Cox — Sat, 25 May 2019 13:06:50 -0400

As a young Army lieutenant in Korea in 1983 (a volatile time in the ROK) I was the 1/38 FA HQ Quick Reaction Force leader. We had pulled into position and while setting up the S-2 and S-3 TOCs I heard machine gun fire on the hill next to our position.
Thinking Top had brought out an M-60 with blanks and was testing us, I grabbed the QRF and we started to fire and maneuver up the hill going "Bang Bang" as we did. Two-thirds of the way up the hill a ROK Major comes running down at us waving his arms and yelling "Stop".
When I stood up I could see more clearly it was a ROK unit practicing with live rounds down the mountain. They did not always abide by set Firing Ranges for their Training like we did (the civilians did not always abide by the Artillery Range warnings and often used the cleared areas as farmland).
I had never been more glad that we were not issued blanks.
Later that afternoon my S-2 TOC van (a modified 5-ton truck) was rocked with a series of nearby explosions. It seems a ROK Artillery unit was using the cliff (300-400 meters from us) overlooking the river next to our site for target practice. It could have been messy if a short round hit.
It was an interesting time in The ROK while I was there (10/82 to 12/83). PFC White defected to the North, KAL 007 was shot down over Russia, the NK tried to assassinate the ROK President in Burma, President Reagan made a visit, and the excitement of an NK unit that probed the DMZ, losing several men on our side of the DMZ and causing Guard Post Oullette to use its entire basic load and Four Papa One's 105 mm howitzers to be locked and loaded.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2019 3:50 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 May 2019 15:50:06 -0400

Break curfew in Korea.......... twice

Response by MSG Louis Alexander made May 25 at 2019 6:40 PM

MSG Louis Alexander — Sat, 25 May 2019 18:40:07 -0400

Had a village Papa-San cut my hair with a straight razor and comb while my rifle laid six feet away atop my ruck sack in Bien Dien province mid-1968. I did however have my trusty M-1911 on my lap, much good that would have done with my throat slit. That was not only dumb, but the stupidest thing I had ever done.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2019 9:57 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 May 2019 21:57:20 -0400

While in basic training I didn’t know how to lock my bolt to the rear and when my company commander said lock my bolt to the rear I said “I can’t do it drill sergeant”. He screams at me “lock your fucking bolt to the rear you idiot.” I proceed to attempt to do it and I call him drill sergeant again. I also ask if he could hold my ammo as well and he says to get the fuck out of his face. I even asked him if he could hold my magazine.... I was high speed.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2019 5:20 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 May 2019 05:20:29 -0400

I than did so much stupid shit in the military i cant think of of any

Response by CPT Brad Wilson made May 26 at 2019 11:49 AM

CPT Brad Wilson — Sun, 26 May 2019 11:49:36 -0400

As a young Fire Support Officer at our last Annual Training prior to going to the NTC. We were assaulting a position with the tank company we were assigned to when my FISTV broke down. My TC said there were some Bradley’s close by and thinking that they were the Bradley platoon attached to us I grabbed my compass map rifle and flagged one of them down to continue the mission. It turned out that this Bradley platoon was with the company that did the lane before us and was headed back to the assembly area

Response by SSG Byron Howard Sr made May 26 at 2019 12:17 PM

SSG Byron Howard Sr — Sun, 26 May 2019 12:17:12 -0400

I had 20 years to perfect my stupid stuff. Never got it right.

Response by SSG Byron Howard Sr made May 26 at 2019 12:20 PM

SSG Byron Howard Sr — Sun, 26 May 2019 12:20:08 -0400

I sent a PVT into tips office looking for a Prick E8 top called me and told me I had an hour to show him a Prick E8. I walked into tops office with a mirror, good thing I got along with him him and he had a good sense of humor.

Response by SGT James Murphy made May 26 at 2019 1:34 PM

SGT James Murphy — Sun, 26 May 2019 13:34:44 -0400

Under Orders or on my own? Under Orders I had to climb down a mountainside to retreive radios from a Jeep which recently came under attack and the area was NOT Cleared YET! And Yes it was very messy.............

Response by PVT Mark Zehner made May 26 at 2019 4:14 PM

PVT Mark Zehner — Sun, 26 May 2019 16:14:01 -0400

Ask questions! lol

Response by SP5 Dennis Loberger made May 26 at 2019 9:58 PM

SP5 Dennis Loberger — Sun, 26 May 2019 21:58:17 -0400

In basic on the way to bivouac, I lost my entrenching tool. The DI found it. I spent that evening digging

Response by CPT Tammy Watson made Oct 11 at 2019 11:49 PM

CPT Tammy Watson — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 23:49:08 -0400

Going to just watch the MTV show Ridiculousness