What’s the best prank in uniform you've seen? Comment below!

This isn't a prank but it was funny. I was in Afghanistan in 2012 on a base looking for space to store my stuff until I could get some green trucks in to move it the my base. I worked with a great guy and a friend Lee. So the guy that we contact first is a guy named SGT Head. Lee says we like to go by first names the SGT tells him his name is Richard. Lee couldn't hold it in why did your Dad name you Dick Head. that makes you SGT Dick Head. Well we didn't make any points with him but we did with his boss and we stored our stuff.

Under cover of darkness during the wee hours of the night a makeshift California flag and a sign stating *Surf the 34’ Wave* was affixed to the 34’ Tower @ BAC 01-86 @ Fort McCoy. Sure enlivened the morning formation when the Black Hats noticed said decorations. After the Cal Republic flag and surf instructions were removed all candidates from California were dispatched to the “gig pit.”

When a senior Marine NCO retires, traditionally the command will hold a parade in his honor. The troops form up on the parade deck. The CO gives a short congratulatory speech. The troops march by in formation rendering honors as they pass the podium. The final part of the tradition is that the retiree gets to give one final order which is usually "Dismissed" or "At Ease."
We had a MGySgt at MCAS Yuma have his retirement parade. When it came time for his final order, he stepped to the microphone and said, "Liberty Call!"
Complete chaos and the priceless looks on the faces of the officers.

The ground crew put a phone book on the ejection seat of the (very short) one-star general's F-16. Fortunately, he had a sense of humor.

I don't know if it "the best", but it's my favorite. I was the Bass Section Leader in the 82nd Airborne Division's All-American Chorus at the time. We had a TV spot on race day at Daytona on the 4th of July this year and family members of our group were invited to come to Florida. My wife was pregnant with my son at the time and watched us sing from the hotel room. When our group arrived back at the hotel, I called her down to the lobby. When she got there, she heard what sounded like me getting chewed out by the platoon sergeant. He blurted out, "DID YOU CLEAR THIS WITH THE DIRECTOR?!?" Then we all formed up and started singing Happy Birthday to my wife since it was her birthday. At first she was like, "F---...was I supposed to witness that?" But once we started singing, my son started dancing around in her belly! We got her good that day. It was pretty cool.

I never liked pranks on new naïve sailors pranked. They deserve our protection and training while they are learning. But pranking an arrogant, self important PO1 is absolutely FAIR GAME!

My favorite prank was "Hey Joe, there is a call for you."
Mack wasn't a bad guy he just didn't want to a be associate with his 85 shipmates on the USS SUNBIRD. Mack had explained that “I’m not really part of this crew. The Squadron Commander sent me to keep an eye on things.”

Long before wireless phones were popular we were three days out, on rough seas, in a little ship. PO1 Mack was conducting mandatory, inter-department, training in the crew's lounge. After Mack said “Mandatory Requirement” for about the fiftieth time we were blessed with an interruption: HTCM (E-9) Letchner walked through. The crews lounge was the only below decks route aft to the Dive Locker, Engineering, Salvage, and Supply. Mack “tolerated” the interruption.

Training in our little crew's lounge on the afternoon of our third day at sea wasn't too bad. There were comfortable seats, even if we did have to listen to Mack's "mandatory requirements" lecture. Then Master Chief came back through and without stopping said: "Mack, you've got a phone call at your desk." PO1 Mack bounded out the door saying "I wonder who it could be?"

Fellow Vets:
Most of you have never served in a crew of only 85. But I am sure you understand: a PO1 does not rate a private desk and certainly not one with his own telephone in an office that he has converted to his private stateroom. A STATEROOM for a PO1!?! So, this was not harassment of a raw, fresh, new, boot seaman. This was a comeuppance for a well deserving "SENIOR" Petty Officer.

Mack stayed gone maybe ten minutes. I never knew if he was trying to reestablish the landline connection over 500 miles of sea; or was he too embarrassed to show his face after a very well executed prank. We went back to work.

I was a brand new butter bar assigned to a National Guard Armor unit and was learning PMCS on the M1 Abrams, and being the eager young 2LT; i was willing to get my hands dirty and learn. Well they had me sit down and straddle the Wind Sensor and "Warm it up". Needless to say i took me a few seconds of hearing laughter to realize how it LOOKED "warming it up"! I was aware of a lot of "pranks" that may have come down from the Soldiers but they got me on this one!

Had another time we sent the new guy out for a water hammer. First stop was Engineering Supply, nope try S-1, and so on through all of the supply divisions. Finally he got to Aviation Supply on the aft hanger deck where they said sure we have one and pointed to a CAT piston secured to the hanger bulkhead. This thing is a good 15 feet long or more and weighs a few hundred pounds. Poor guys comes screaming on back, totally freaked out and saying have you seen the size of that thing. Our response was "Oh no , we don't need that one. We just need a small one." what most people don't realize is that there really is such a thing as a water hammer, ask any plumber and they can tell you.

Back in the old days in the Navy when I was on the USS Lexington was the “Sea Bat” gag. On the fan tail of the ship a couple of enlisted sailors would have a cardboard box with a hole cut in with words “See The Sea Bat.” The victim would get down on the deck to peek into the box. Then one of wags would hit the victim on the ass with a broom and shout “Sea Bat.”

We used to hook up the field phone to door knobs, when you heard footsteps you started cranking, who even was coming thru the door got a hot hand. One day it was the 1st Sgt who got lit, he was a big man and he kicked the door off the hinges and he cussed the hell out if us. If you hook the phone crank to a hand drill you can close to 800 volts from it.