What is the longest you've had to stay awake while on duty and for what purpose?

2016-08-04T02:36:41-04:00

Response by COL Lee Flemming made Aug 4 at 2016 2:52 AM

2016-08-04T02:52:14-04:00

As a light infantryman I have conducted several "movements to daylight" those are long distance combat missions that start with a planning session, pre-combat checks, generally a dusk line of departure and a BMNT (before morning nautical twilight) assault. The assault is generally followed up by consolidation and the establishment of a defensive perimeter / eventual evacuation. So the short answer to your question maybe 36 hours with a two hour catnap at which point I was combat ineffective. Probably no different than your average infantryman, thoughts guys? And then there was that whole Ranger School thing!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 4 at 2016 3:37 AM

2016-08-04T03:37:15-04:00

35 hours: I was on staff duty. My relief was a SFC, who had PCS'd over a month before. All the 1SGs and the CSM were holding a promotion board, and the Company Commander of the company, that was suppose to replace me, wouldn't make the decision without his 1SG. Thank goodness they decided to break for lunch. I also had to turn around and drive home, not far, but on the I-5. That was the longest 15-mile drive home I had ever took. Thank goodness I live off of the first exit going into Lacey, Wa. from JBLM. Windows down, radio blasting, A/C freezing cold and willpower to see my wife and child again got me home...

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 4 at 2016 5:04 AM

2016-08-04T05:04:56-04:00

ENS Private RallyPoint Member - 72 hours without substantial break . . . mass casualty care. Sandy :)

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Aug 4 at 2016 5:19 AM

2016-08-04T05:19:27-04:00

Roughly 24-25 hours from the time I awoke in Seattle until I laid in bed at Kunsan about 50 days ago.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 4 at 2016 5:29 AM

2016-08-04T05:29:35-04:00

While in Viet Nam in 1971, serving on the MIDWAY in the Tonkin Gulf, I got caught in a cycle that had me up and at'em for 36 hours every fifth day on the wheel. As a QM, I'd do my regular 8 hours of daily routine, then compartment time, followed by 2000-0000 QMOW on the Nav Bridge. Then we'd find ourselves in the first of two bi-weekly UNREPs that would last six hours, usually. Most times I was the helmsman or the QMOW, again. From there I'd travel to the lowest and most aft part of the ship for the second half of the Dog Watch. Then, it's daily routine until 1600 and, finally, the 1600-2000 Charthouse watch. About every third or forth week, we'd catch a Ropeyarn Sunday, and I would often sleep non-stop for 10-12 hours, once actually sleeping for a full 17 hours!!!

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Aug 4 at 2016 9:33 AM

2016-08-04T09:33:35-04:00

Probably doing a SAR in my tracked vehicle in Antarctica. Around 2+ days. Huey went down in an ice storm. Tedious getting out to them. Set up better shelters, Preway heaters, etc. Pulled the batteries to keep them warm. Flight crew and my team slept like the dead for about 16 hours. Weather cleared, put the batteries back in, and they were off. Took a lot longer for me to get back to MacTown. VXE-6 put me on an open beer tab.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 4 at 2016 9:46 AM

2016-08-04T09:46:46-04:00

24 hrs. For Squadron Staff Duty Runner. There were no beds so no sleeping for anyone was allowed.

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Aug 4 at 2016 10:10 AM

2016-08-04T10:10:11-04:00

Maybe 30 hours on CDO. My relief was UA.
We did do 24 hours on and 8 off in Iraq. But we could sneak in a nap while on QRF sometimes.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Aug 4 at 2016 10:45 AM

2016-08-04T10:45:10-04:00

24 hours in a SCIF when my relief went UA. It's a hard life, Crypto.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 4 at 2016 12:22 PM

2016-08-04T12:22:20-04:00

I once had a mission that went overnight in a graveyard near Sadr City after a normal day of patrols starting at 0600. That mission dragged on and on as the Cav guys were searching for their quarry. When the mission finally ended about 0430, the CP got a call from 2SCR wanting a briefing to LTG Hertling on an ongoing initiative I was doing in Diyala Province that was showing some promise later that same morning. So I went straight from the field to Warhorse to deliver the briefing, still covered in dirt (that's a story, too), then when I was done head back out to the COP for continuing support. Made it to bed after evening chow (the only hot one of the day) at about 2000.
That makes 38 hours straight. I don't think I had my best night of report writing.

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Aug 4 at 2016 3:59 PM

2016-08-04T15:59:59-04:00

Stuck in the ComNavPhil SCIF in Subic Bay for 4 1/2 days when the striking base workers blockaded the gates. Most of the N2 shop was off base at the time, it happened around 1700. Most all facilities were closed because the workers were on strike. My Dept Head LCDR Nielson and the SSO LT Wade lived on base and brought me food to eat. Eventually (then NIS) NCIS and others went out in town and coordinated the recall of military (including my relief) back to the base via landing craft at beaches in Barrio Baretto outside Olongapo. A lot of the workers eventually crossed the picket line and came back on base thru the jungle and started working again. The strike lasted 12 days. There were also gangs of leftist/union/New Peoples Army thugs attacking service members stuck out in town.

The Angeles City bar girls and waitresses broke the Clark AFB blockade by attacking and chasing off the strikers. As the saying goes "only in the Philippines!" LOL. Didn't happen in Subic though, i guess because it was the union HQ.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-03-31/news/ [login to see] _1_bar-girls-subic-bay-pickets

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 4 at 2016 5:11 PM

2016-08-04T17:11:54-04:00

72 hours. The 9th Infantry Division had deployed to Vietnam as a unit and infused with other units in Vietnam (traded personnel) so that the entire division wouldn't all leave at once. Despite their best efforts, about 5,000 men remained with DEROS dates within a two or three week period. I was assigned the special task of identifying them, preparing orders for their return to CONUS, arranging transportation, requesting replacements, etc. The first three days were the hardest. We didn't have accurate lists of them so I had a team of personnel clerks check every 201 file (about 17,000+) to identify them. After the first pass, I did a spot inspection and when I found one they missed, had them repeat the process. It took about three sweeps before I felt confident that we had them all. While they were working on this I coordinated with USARV HQ arranging for replacements and DA requesting orders for next assignments. (DA suggested that we just cut most of them orders to return to Oakland Army Terminal where they would be relayed or given early outs) I also had to coordinate with MAC for transportation. I didn't get to bed until I had every ball in the air. It took a good bit of alcohol to settle down my nerves so that I could get to sleep.

Response by CWO2 Richard Rose made Aug 4 at 2016 7:29 PM

2016-08-04T19:29:57-04:00

96 hours followed by a couple hours of sleep and back up for 72 more hours. This was on the Wasp in the communications technical control to trouble shoot a serious problem with the automated SSECCS AN/SSC-10 System. Our problem was magnified due to being the battle group flag ship. 24 to 36 hours were not uncommon. 18-20 hours were expected. 48 months of that was ridiculous. Command Climate was the worst that I experienced during my career. I had some of the best young men this country has to offer.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Aug 4 at 2016 8:27 PM

2016-08-04T20:27:15-04:00

36hrs. I'd been on duty at Camp Virginia and the soldier who was scheduled to pull guard duty was needed as a driver for the next, so I pulled his guard duty shift. When the SOG called V Corps Rear for their guard, I answered up. She looked at me and said, "No SGM, I need your guard's name". I looked at her and ask, "Is there a problem with me pulling guard duty?" She didn't know what to say. Ended up I was out on the main gate with a dedicated Infantry squad. When I got there the SQD leader looked at me and said, I could go to the guard shack. I looked at him and ask, "If I was Private Daffy F&ck wad, where would I be?" He said I'd be out on the front gate inspecting incoming vehicles. I told him that's where I needed to be and treat me as a soldier, not a SGM. When the guys learned I was 11B and knew my job, they loosened up and I had a great shift-just one of the guys.

Response by CPL Anthony Slaughter made Aug 5 at 2016 3:35 PM

2016-08-05T15:35:27-04:00

Sapper School field phase... a long, long time.

Response by SPC Kortney Kistler made Aug 5 at 2016 10:12 PM

2016-08-05T22:12:34-04:00

I am an Engineer (heavy junk) cranes, dozers, all that fun stuff. Myself and a cohort were tasked to help an artillary unit load ammunition stockpiles and big rockets that were captured during and post invasion in IRAQ. 0400 wake up, grabbed chow and met up for convoy with an artillary unit running a CAHA called Bulldog in the Abu Ghraib. Got back to BIAP 1600ish. I had a 6 hour shift on the wall that night at midnight. When the shift ended, met up with the arty unit again and back to the CAHA we went. Back to BIAP 1600ish again. Exhausted and wired, I wasn't able to get to sleep until after 2200. So, my record is somewhere between 42 and 43 hours

Response by 1SG Bill Farmerie made Aug 6 at 2016 6:40 AM

2016-08-06T06:40:46-04:00

Over 100 hours awake during Desert Storm. We were up getting ready to roll and were moving the whole time of the war. After we stopped at the end, I think everyone passed out

Response by SGT Mike Bemis made Jul 28 at 2019 9:29 AM

2019-07-28T09:29:20-04:00

55 hours. It was in Iraq back back in 04' and this particular couple of days sucked hard.

I pulled a tower shift for 12 hours then got thrown in for a convoy. Unfortunately there was a couple guys who got hurt and we ended up back at Anaconda short on people for........another tower shift. After that it got really bad when half the dang base got an extreme form of food poisoning from the subway and I ended up being one of the few who didn't get the sickness. Last shift I pulled was at the coscom gate which was not my unit, but the sickness got them too. I might have lost my bearing a bit when a Major decided to scream at me for not opening the gate quickly enough. Finally got relieved and barely made it to my hooch without falling asleep on the way there.

Definitely wouldn't want to try that again. I was stunned to find out how quickly I started to mentally degrade after the 36 hour mark, by the end it was like I was having a bad drunk night. Props to CW02 Rose, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have kept up with you for that long.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2019 1:43 AM

2019-07-30T01:43:26-04:00

I honestly don't remember how many days it ended up being.
RIP 1992

Response by SPC Nancy Greene made May 15 at 2020 12:50 PM

2020-05-15T12:50:33-04:00

Between BCT at Ft Jackson 83-84
and ‘Alert’ assigned to 2nd Armored Division (FWD) (86-87), I lost track of hours after 5 days...adapt & overcome
(you can sleep when you’re dead...)

Response by LT Brad McInnis made May 15 at 2020 4:16 PM

2020-05-15T16:16:59-04:00

18 hours on watch while going through the Panama Canal, had to wait to get to Lake Gatun for a relief.

Response by SGT Jim Arnold made May 15 at 2020 4:38 PM

2020-05-15T16:38:22-04:00

3 days we started to put a autodin switch and tech control along with the circuits to work the autodin with satelite to Ft Detrick, Andrews AB, 1 in England ( name escapes me now)

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2020 6:09 PM

2020-05-15T18:09:23-04:00

LRRP training 1975 at Bragg, 3 days and 3 night, on the last night we were in a swamp with water high as your chest, we were told that we had 15 minutes to sleep, no one did. Lol

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made May 15 at 2020 6:44 PM

2020-05-15T18:44:51-04:00

Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise- as BN S3 Air NCO- 96 hrs from manifest and load plans to landing- 8 hr sleep, then 70 hrs re-deploying an BN Task Force with all attachments.

Response by PVT Mark Zehner made May 15 at 2020 8:04 PM

2020-05-15T20:04:09-04:00

Right around 40 hours

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 16 at 2020 8:26 AM

2020-05-16T08:26:20-04:00

ENS Private RallyPoint Member 3 days after drinking a whole pot of Irish Coffee, Large quantities of Caffeine and Booze don't Mix Well.

Response by TSgt Jack Oberholtzer made May 16 at 2020 9:01 AM

2020-05-16T09:01:48-04:00

Awake? I am not sure. 1978 Castle AFB ORI and I spent 28 hours on post as a close in sentry on a B52. I was an E1 and they forgot about me. No breaks, no chow, and afraid to walk off post. Eventually the air crew flagged someone down and got me relieved. The rest of my flight had worked 12 hour shifts and no one even knew where I was at.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made May 16 at 2020 10:05 AM

2020-05-16T10:05:20-04:00

About 24 hours. August 1990. I was USTRANSCOM Crisis Action Team on-call duty officer the day Sadam Huessain moved Iraqi troops into Kuwait. The Command Center controller called me early in the morning to come in to read some TS messages and get a J2 briefing. It was my job to decide if the whole CAT should be called in. I talked with the Deputy J3 and we talked with the J3/4, who was TDY. We decided to call in the on-call CAT members, no civilians or reserve officers. It took until the next morning to get the CAT staffed up. I handed off to one of the O6 CAT chiefs and went home. DESERT SHIELD was soon underway.