What is your wildest story from basic training?

I attended basic training at Lachland AFB back in 2008. We used to run tons of laps around the drill pads with the TIs barking and chasing after us the whole time. There was a girl in my flight who was pretty timid and almost never got her reporting statement right. She was so terrified of the TIs she'd avoid them at all costs. Until one day on the drill pad, a TI started pacing her and shouting. Suddenly, we heard him pause and say "What the hell?! What's that dribbling out your pants, trainee?!" Turns out, she was too scared to stop and perform her reporting statement to the TI and request to use the latrines. Poor girl peed herself on the drill pad.

I was a Navy Radar O'Reilly, or sorts plunged into the Seabees and as I was going to Vietnam, I had to have some training at Camp Lejeune. I became friends with my H. Co. Commanding Officer and he knew I was against the War so he told me to keep my trap shut and do everything I was told at my abbreviated boot camp. I was told when I got there that I was one of five being trained on the 106 Recoil less Rifle . Like the idiot I was I complained to him off the record saying I did not want to be of any value in weaponry, but for the rifle and 45! I said, "I thought we had a deal and I would go to Nam ,rather than go to jail!" He said, "You stupid ass I got you out of two extra days in the mud! We will have NO such artillary!" I told him I was sorry. I still remember all the specs. of that weapon, and had a blast, so to speak, firing that small monster. It was scary Great Fun. I joined the navy to avoid going to Nam and had to go anyway. I guess my big mouth got me what I deserved. I still remain stupid to this day at 77, but volunteer to help at Vet events. I was never against the veterans ,just the government. How come it is always the old farts to send our youth to war and always the young to die!!! But for WW2 and perhaps Korea we could have avoided all other wars if we made the politicians go before the kids! Boy this monstrosity won't be appreciated. I still ruffle feathers! Do to my flights being first and last and time changes I can just about say I went on Aprils Fool day and came back on Halloween. Do not stand next to me in a thunder storm! If anyone reeds this I have written plenty of these type of stories! Bil l Culotta

Fall of 1977 Ft. Gordon Georgia. We started in September and finished on a Friday with a whole weekend, for the most part, to ourselves, barring guard duty ect. As many should remember from those days, all we could get between 18 and 21 was 3.2 beer. This did not however deter some of my fellow Soldiers from drinking their weight in what we could get. Well, beer plus young men, on pass, who were to graduate basic training, don't really mix. If you have not seen "Operation Pacific" with John Wayne, this would be a close example, like in their case "Okolehao". Upon most of the platoons return, it wasn't long before somebody bowed up to the wrong person, which happened to be the biggest guy in our platoon. Turns out it was not a fight, but a big wrestling match, which went to the big guy, who stood up with everyone on his back, and flung "A Few Too Far."

During barracks inspections the inspector would run his fingers along the top sheet to insure the bed had been made with the catch edge down as required. If the catch edge was up his fingers would catch on it and you failed inspection. I failed that inspection once. The punishment was to run through every barracks in the battalion with a sheet on my head yelling "I am a catch edge shit bird".

Well the female bay I was sleeping in were told to get to bed. After the lights were out I went to sleep for a bit then I got up and started to write a letter to my kids. Two females were fire watch however one of them got dressed and reported for duty and about 10 minutes late one of the girl told the other she was going to the bathroom. And instead went back to bed leaving one at the besk. The drill sargent should up banging on the door. Well only one was there as I watched she did what she had to do. And got in trouble for something I don't remember what. So the next morning I told another drill sargent what happened and when she asked how I knew I had to tell her I was breaking the rules as well because I wasn't asleep like I was supposed to. Long story short I was thanked for being honest about the whole situation.

Pizza Party in empty bay, but as we hiding the pizza box, we found out , others had same idea.

I guess that would be Handguernade corse. 1978-1979 taining. It was winter time and we were to go through a course in the trees throwing handgurnades at target areas. We got to the course unloaded from the cattle trailer trucks. DI had us walking around a bunch of mess tents, First-aid and warm up tent in case it got too cold. It was snowing with a low temperature of around 6 degrees with a light wind. While the DI's were in the mess tent with their coffee nice and cozy going over their game plan for us a Blue Northern moved in and the temperature dropped dramatically with a high wind behind it, the temp dropped to about 45 to 50 below zero which also brought sleet mixed with snow. We were turning into walking popsycles. The senior Drill called the trucks back to come and pick us up. Unfortunately for us they were already on another run and the wait was about an hour and a half to two hours. The ground was frozen and the sleet was like walking on little ballbearings or BB's. When we got loaded up and crammed in the trucks like cattle the roads had frozen over and the journey back to the barricks took twice as long. Mind you we were cold/frozen already, but now we were sitting still in a cattle trailer/truck. No movement to keep our bloood circulating led to us being even colder than we were outside marching around. Needless to say the day after several were down sick with colds, fever, or the verge of phemonia. We didn't blame the DI's but we did blame the weatherman. There was supposed to be a break in the clouds with a little sunshine. Boy did he get it wrong. Bald heads under a steel pot is next to impossible to keep warm and the toes hurt for days. No one had frostbite, thank God for that. An experience to last a lifetime.

The night before weapons qual, we were called into the squad bay. I was in the shower and we were told to report immediately. So I wrapped my towel around my waist and hurried down to the bay. Approx 50 of us were crammed into the room sitting on the floor or whatever was available. One of our senior drills was talking and asking questions while one of our "2nd cycle" drills was standing in the doorway. I was called on to answer and question so I stood up and went to parade rest and began answering. Suddenly, I felt my towel beginning to slip. Just as it went, I reached for it, too late! It dropped to the floor and there I stood. The senior drill was speechless for what seemed like 15-20 seconds and I could see the 2nd Cycle drill out of the corner of my eye. He was doubled over laughing in the hallway! The senior drill finally (while trying to keep a straight face) told me to pick up my towel and sit back down while the rest of the room started laughing! Broke the tension for the evening!

During the final day of BCT, one guy confessed he made couple hundred by selling contraband...

Being close to 70 now, I still remember this like it was yesterday. My basic training was completed in San Diego before being sent to Great Lakes for schooling. A week before graduation me and two other recruits decided to sneak off the base and party all night with some girls that that one of the other guys knew. We thought we had it all worked out as we were going to sneak along the river banks to get out. Long story short about 1/2 way to freedom a patrol boat came out of nowhere and lit the place up and caught us. Needless to say i got set back to day 1 and had to start over. Since I knew the drills already I was allowed to carry the sword and lead the platoon for the remainder of my time, /