What is your most memorable moment from Basic Training?

I remember my division being smoked because a recruit got busted with gee dunk from the NEX. On a recent division trip to the NEX, it was put out - you are not authorized to buy x, y and z. Gee dunk being one - well he was busted with a small bag of peanut M&M's. The RDCs proceeded to yell "abandon ship" - which is the signal to push the bunks to the walk and get in the front leaning rest. They had the offender sit in a chair in the middle of the bay, while the rest of us were smoked. The RDC's had him eat his peanut M&Ms, slowly and one by one and the rest of us would pay for it until he finished.

I've never seen 65-70+ men hate an individual so much in my life until that moment.

Back in '67 at Ft. Lewis Wa there was a "reception" area where they parked everyone while we went through assessment testing (Can you find your way in the forest easily?). Then we were bundled up and rolled out to BCT companies. At that point life changed quite dramatically when we met out first Smoky Bear hats. THAT was the most memorable moment!

When I ate seconds the morning of the gas chamber. Threw up all over my DS shoes.

Best day ever.

We were doing some live fire drills and it was raining something fierce in about 40 degree weather. I went to the latrine to escape the weather and take care of business but, no toilet paper. I was in too deep so I had to scrounge in my pockets for what I could use. I ended up using a glove liner and an empty bag of cough drops. Had the worst case of swamp ass for the remainder of the day.

Oh so many fun memories, but the best one came at the last day at basic training, we had a trainee who was caught rapping in the chow line by the MSgt that unbussed us. This particular TI then said, well yelled, that he wanted a rap about BMT from this trainee at the end of basic training. On this last day, he came into our dorms for final inspections and sure enough, we hear from our bays in the dayroom, "Airmen X, where is my rap about basic training!!!" All 20 of us left from the flight went running into the dayroom to listen to this rap laughing like crazy that this Airmen was about to rap to a TI. As soon as we got there the TI started laughing hysterically and said "I'm just kidding Airmen" just as the Airmen started to rap about basic.

Best day ever!!

My first 2 weeks, I thought the DI's were assholes, but then I realized that each one of them had been in Vietnam and had lost comrades and friends. I realized they were how they were because they didn't want to lose anyone else on their watch if they could do anything about it. That epiphany changed my whole attitude and perspective.

The Hazeing we went through

Mine was getting the task of washing the white uniform shirts of the ladies in my barracks and finding something in the washer turned them all pink! Drill sgt went to PX got me some powdered bleach and saved the day!

Late Fall of 1980 in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. We had marched out to somewhere in the woods for the bivouac. As nighttime approached, we broke out our little shelter halves and set them up. As we were doing so, there came a shower of a kind of snow/sleet mix. I had just gotten really snuggly (not to mention dry) in my sleeping bag, thinking "man, I'm glad I'm not out in THAT"...enter SSG Frank Tyson, Drill Instructor. Walking amongst our sleeping area. Speaking from his diaphragm. Loudly. I do not remember the infraction (not important), but I DO remember how much I did NOT want to come out of my sleeping bag...but, of course I (we) did.

There were MANY other memorable things about boot camp. But, I figure this one will definitely be unexpected and different.

While at MCRD San Diego, I received a 30"x30"x30" box at mail call. The Drill Instructors had me open the box so that they could inspect the contents. Turns out, my girlfriend, Elaine, had baked about 20 dozen cookies and sent them with the idea that, if there were enough for all, maybe the Drill Instructors would trash me too much. Normally, if you received ANY kind of treat in the mail, they would force you to eat them in x number of seconds. Failure to do so meant bends and thrusts in the classroom.

In this case, the Drill Instructors moved the box into their hut.

When it was time for the smoking lamp to be lit and all the smokers were having their cigarettes, the Sr Drill Instructor had the rest of us fall in. He then proceeded to give me 2 cookies and each of my fellow recruits got 1.

This went on for several days, until all the cookies were gone. It was amazing to see how many smokers decided that they didn't need to smoke in hopes of getting a cookie instead, but the Drill Instructors simply told them to go have a smoke, the cookies were for the non-smokers only.

Turns out, she was right!