What is the maddest you became in uniform?

2015-06-21T18:30:56-04:00

I was at Ft Riley and there was a tricky hill for vehicles because it was iced over. Soldiers were outside cheering for crashes. I was so pissed that I confronted them, and told them they were being Blue Falcons for not trying to warn the drivers. That was the second time I cussed in my career.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Jun 21 at 2015 6:50 PM

2015-06-21T18:50:39-04:00

In Iraq during the surge, were task force organized down to the company level (two Mechanized Infantry Platoons along with a Tank Platoon).....our tank plt leadership was very carefree in their missions and I was on their butts at every mission.

We lost our company cook due to lack of enforcing standards - he snuck out with the tank platoon to go on a patrol without eyepro and he was blinded by debris from an IED. I was furious that this 19 year old young man (the cook) would never see his daughter again - there was some hands on counseling immediately following the medevac at COP2 (Hit, Iraq), this was one of the times I was most angry in my career.

Response by PO3 David Fries made Jun 21 at 2015 7:00 PM

2015-06-21T19:00:06-04:00

My Company went to the Arizona memorial in uniform. We sat through the presentation, then sat through a bunch of idiotic comments about the death of the Japanese. Then when we went out onto the platform, a bunch of tourists were joking, laughing, and generally goofing around. They all got several ear fills from most of us and were lucky that we didn't brawl.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jun 21 at 2015 7:08 PM

2015-06-21T19:08:28-04:00

While stationed in a Mechanized Unit in West Germany in December of 1984. The Battalion Commander was walking through the motor pool and saw a driver for an M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier greasing the hubs of the roadwheels with GAA (Grease, Automotive and Artillery). The grease that he was putting in was AMBER in color and what was pushing through was BLACK. The Battalion Commander got in his head that the BLACK Grease was contaminated, so he went and checked random hubs using a grease gun, and most exuded BLACK grease, leading him to believe that most of the road wheels in the Battalion were full of contaminated grease. He called a Battalion Alert, call out roster the whole 9 yards and ordered that we break the seal on every road wheel hub, pull out the bearings, clean them with dry cleaning solvent and repack them with AMBER Grease.
He did not know that GAA comes in TWO colors, AMBER and BLACK, and that nearly all the GAA the Battalion had in the POL yard was BLACK Grease. We ended up in the snow for two days, because ONE MAN, who had the authority was wrong and not one single person, especially the Maintenance Officer had the "Testicular Fortitude" to explain to him that GAA, new from the can was mostly BLACK.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jun 21 at 2015 8:26 PM

2015-06-21T20:26:20-04:00

There are actually three times that come to mind, but I remember one time where I was leaving formation and one of my men came up asking a question, stopped mid-sentence and said, "Never mind Sergeant Sand, I'll come back later." and quickly exited the area.

It shocked me out of the mindset that I was in and l looked of over at a peer and asked if I looked 'that' upset.

He laughed and said, "I don't know, why don't you try asking Spec Young, if you can find him?"

I decided I might need to take a couple deep breaths and let some things go.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 8:53 PM

2015-06-21T20:53:12-04:00

I had just got promoted to SFC in Germany back 07 and I heard two people arguing outside my office and it was one of my SPC telling my SSG what he was and wasn't going to do. I listened at my door for about 5 minutes waiting to see if the SSG was going to get control of the situation and put an end to this blatant display of disrespect but that didn't happen. I jumped in locked them both up, destroyed the SPC and then took the SSG in my office and destroyed him too for not having a backbone. I swear I was going to have a stroke I was so pissed.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made Jun 21 at 2015 10:38 PM

2015-06-21T22:38:28-04:00

Not counting the time I unpinned my stripes, probably the maddest I ever got was while I was stationed at the NTC. I was the senior squad leader in my mortar section, and the platoon sergeant always grabbed me whenever he couldn't find the section sergeant fast enough to suit him (which seemed to be a large chunk of the time, especially down in the motor pool). The section sergeant and I had one of those special relationships ("Sergeant Clardy, you can piss me off just walking into the room."), and he regularly would bust my chops for "trying to run the section".

This one day, the section sergeant's chewing got under my skin a little more than usual, and I headed back to the motor pool in a less-than-happy frame of mind. When I got there, a couple of guys the guys had been trying to get the track hooked back together on a Sheridan for an hour, and had already ruined 2 track pins with a 10-pound sledge when I showed up. I uttered some choice words, had them hand me the last straight track pin they had, made a minor adjustment to the track jacks and then pushed the pin all the way in by hand. I told them to get the nut on the back side and get everything cleaned up and the vehicle parked, then headed over to the maintenance shed. For what was left of the afternoon, it seemed like everybody was being extra courteous whenever I walked up....

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 9:16 AM

2015-06-22T09:16:25-04:00

I was in a large lecture hall/theater at Surface Warfare Officers school in Newport RI when the OJ Simpson verdict came out. At the time there were not really cellphones but some people had small radios and were listening to the verdict while we were being addresses by an Admiral about Surface Operations. At one point he confronted one of the officers (all Ensign) who told him they were waiting for the verdict. So the Admiral stopped his presentation and after a few minutes the verdict came out. Some people got so excited they jumped up in their seats and cheered other were pissed off cussing and both sides were both unprofessional and polarizing. As a prior enlisted O-1E I was very disappointed in both groups, the Admiral just left. I was pissed because he was a great leader and I was very interested to hear what he had to say. Navy operations world wide were going through a transition, 9/11 had not occurred yet and the wall had come down so it was a very trying time for career sailors like myself.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Jun 22 at 2015 3:54 PM

2015-06-22T15:54:40-04:00

Sir, you can't just tell us the second time you cussed and leave out the first....just sayin'

Response by SGT Scott Kirk made Jun 22 at 2015 7:54 PM

2015-06-22T19:54:33-04:00

I was the POL NCOIC at Ft. Leavenworth and our underground fiberglass JP8 tanks had been taken offline due to high fiberglass contamination on the same day General Shinseki was flying in to give a speech. I was ordered to issue fuel into his aircraft even after i kindly explained to the good Major I could not issue the fuel per DESC. Needless to say, the Garrison Commander had to come down to the airfield and stand the Major down.

Response by SSgt Dale W. made Jun 22 at 2015 8:19 PM

2015-06-22T20:19:49-04:00

Andrews AFB, 1985. The American survivors from hijacked TWA Flight 847 were flown into Andrews for their return to US soil. The press was on hand and contained in a corral type area called the press pit. As the passengers were deplaning and beginning to walk past the pit, two "reporters" inside the pit began climbing over the fencing. Big nono. Myself and two other SP's, one a k-9 handler, refused to allow them over. We were shouted at by the two for preventing freedom of the press and were called pretty much everything from mindless baby killers to NAZI clones. No damn way was I going to allow those vultures to accost those people.
To give credit to most of the rest of the press in the pit, the majority appeared to be mortified or disgusted at the behavior of their peers.

To this day I refuse to watch anything from those two, Sam Donaldson and Maury Povitch.

Response by TSgt Erica Andrade made Jun 23 at 2015 12:44 AM

2015-06-23T00:44:12-04:00

I totally know the exact hill you are talking about. Been there twice - icy at least one time for certain. Like many training events at Ft. Riley they like to make you do something first, then train you for it afterwards. But when it came to that hill, we never got any traing about how to drive a Humvee down hill, let alone on ice. I got the sense that was one of the things they just liked to do for fun - at the expense of the airmen mostly (that was originally a refresher course for higher enlisted soldiers; wasn't meant for introductory training for airmen). I went there for training while stationed in Alaska, so I can totally relate to the frustration of having know-it-all jerks take pleasure in watching others struggle like this. I Remember worrying about some of my teammates who had yet to make it down the hill. I watched one slide down but luckily she regained control and everything was okay. I could go on all day about Ft. Riley - that place is the worst of my entire military experience. I can't even begin to tell you how much I can relate to your experience with the icy hill... I hope the rest of your experience there wasn't as bad. As horrible as it was for me, I did learn some great stuff and I just try to focus on that - the material, not the people - when I look back on those times.

Response by SSG Paul Setterholm made Jun 23 at 2015 1:22 PM

2015-06-23T13:22:31-04:00

Reagan bombed Libya and we were loaded on chinook helicopters flying south. Everyone was stone silent. I looked around and stares at the faces. Suddenly I started screaming,"yeah! This what we train for! Come on guys!" Everyone looked at me like I was an alien. I ketch screaming more of a way to release the fear and anxiety than anything. When the helicopters turned around and we landed in Italy. Then everyone else started screaming,"oh man! I was ready to go!" I laughed to myself and thought you were pissing your pants 5 minutes ago. A funny alibi fire. On our return trip home, we flew over Newschwanstien Castle and the copters circled it so we could take pictures. We went from combat troops to heavily armed tourists. Very surreal.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 23 at 2015 1:24 PM

2015-06-23T13:24:25-04:00

One time I was walking up a ladder well (stairs for you non-Navy types) onboard the USS Nimitz while we were entering home port. It had been announced that modified Zebra (meaning that all hatches were closed and one would have to use the scuttle to pass through the hatch) would NOT be set, so I did not bother to look up while I was at the top of the ladder. Some jackass had set modified Zebra on the hatch so I cracked my head, HARD. I was right outside my shop and my Chief and First Class both heard me cussing up a storm. They came out to see what happened and the guy who was behind me explained. My Chief was immediately concerned and was asking if I was okay. The First Class started laughing while I was in an extreme amount of pain. I screamed at her "Shut the fuck up bitch!"

She tried to write me up for disrespect but my Chief shot it down.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jun 23 at 2015 1:29 PM

2015-06-23T13:29:14-04:00

Don't really remember what was the cause was. but I punch a metal wall locker. At the front corner, you know wear it doesn't give much. I actually dented it. Hurt like a sun of a gun but didn't shake my hand or acknowledge that it did. My senior SL was there when I did it. Later he said that it looked like it hurt but saw I was really pissed so he didn't say anything. All I told him was, yeah it hurt a little. I was surprised I didn't break anything.

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Jun 23 at 2015 2:48 PM

2015-06-23T14:48:49-04:00

I had just gotten dressed and I found out that Shania Twain had not won women of the year. Man I was pissed.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2015 8:48 PM

2015-06-28T20:48:26-04:00

Today. l'm walking past a group of airmen and I see one wearing his fleece jacket. IT WAS 80 DEGREES OUTSIDE! And I couldn't think of a tactful way to rip his man card without getting a hurt feelings report. But if this the most anger ive felt this far then im pretty lucky.

But I mean c'mon, WHO WEARS A FLEECE IN THE SUMMER?!?!?

Response by SPC Rory J. Mattheisen made Apr 27 at 2016 11:34 AM

2016-04-27T11:34:03-04:00

The day our COC assembled the company to march a troop out of the company area in handcuffs, the guys needed help not to be made an example of.

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Jul 21 at 2017 12:38 PM

2017-07-21T12:38:40-04:00

I suffer from PTSD back then I suffered really bad and had no help, back then we brushed it off like it nothing, maddest I ever got in uniform was at Fort Lewis WA. in motor pool this had been an on-going thing with me and another senior enlisted NCO and he just had this way getting under peoples skin and this was not the day to mess with me. I know NCOs are to remain cool under pressure but when your Senior NCO and you let you soldiers go to lunch and remain in the motor pool to watch equipment while they are gone and some continues to pick on you or I guess pick the bones they called it. Cause I think they were trying to find a way to piss me off, Not a lot senior will pick up and clean the soldiers equipment for them but I was bored and the comments started to come from this individual that I did not know my job and I was too young to be a Gunnery Sergeant as E6/SSG and I should be cleaning equipment with the soldiers because I am and will always be a F%^& up and a few soldiers were around and I think I had it with this guy, and if your Artillery you know in the M198 world what material lifting handle is because I was about to take to his ass and I was removed from my position and put in a Museum for the rest of my time while I was at Fort Lewis WA. Now I'm not afraid to talk about because I've had my good and bad days in the Army but you have to understand that sorry Platoon Sergeant could write a Relief For Cause NCOER if his life depended on it because while I was working at the Museum. I was the only SSG to make the SFC list in the BN, and let me tell you, mad people. there were some mad people, but to this day I think someone higher was looking out for me. PTSD has it ways. true story folks.