Posted on Jun 10, 2016
What's the most uncomfortable situation you've experienced in the military?
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Checking into base housing, my neighbor welcomed us. Well the young child saw me in uniform and called me Daddy. The mother corrected him by saying "That's not Daddy, that's your white Daddy". I was shocked because the husband was on a deployment at the time. The last thing I needed was him to come home and have his son calling another man Daddy. So what awkward situations have you been in?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 64
While in Okinawa I met a girl at a night club (of legal age). I got her phone number and went out the following weekend. After having a flirtatious evening she took me home. I seen a pic of her dad and then asked to see an I.D. It was all good. I asked her where her father was and she told me in Korea, but will be home on Monday. She said she wanted to take a shower and I followed her in. After sudsing each other up we hit the bedroom. - Great time I might add.
I passed out and in the morning we got "busy" again. Suddenly I hear "Cough Cough" I turned around and there was her father. A huge man who happened to be another Marine. A Major. Alicia's backside was sunny side up and I did like any other enlisted Marine would do....salute. Oh yes both appendages were saluting. The real bad thing is that we were in his bedroom. '
There was two ways out....the window or face him like a man. I put on my pants and grabbed the rest of my clothes while he stood in the doorway. Alicia just crawled under the covers. His hand was on the doorjamb and I tried ducking under it as he wouldn't move. While holding his hand out for me to shake, he then said, "Oh, a Lance Corporal! I didn't even catch your name son." My reply, "Lance Corporal Friend Sir." Boy was I shaking in my boots. He firmly shook my hand and punched my face with the other. I don't recall ever being his so hard in my life. I was on the floor and he was still holding my hand punching me over and over again. I crawled for the door, made it out and never looked back. This was my awkward moment
I passed out and in the morning we got "busy" again. Suddenly I hear "Cough Cough" I turned around and there was her father. A huge man who happened to be another Marine. A Major. Alicia's backside was sunny side up and I did like any other enlisted Marine would do....salute. Oh yes both appendages were saluting. The real bad thing is that we were in his bedroom. '
There was two ways out....the window or face him like a man. I put on my pants and grabbed the rest of my clothes while he stood in the doorway. Alicia just crawled under the covers. His hand was on the doorjamb and I tried ducking under it as he wouldn't move. While holding his hand out for me to shake, he then said, "Oh, a Lance Corporal! I didn't even catch your name son." My reply, "Lance Corporal Friend Sir." Boy was I shaking in my boots. He firmly shook my hand and punched my face with the other. I don't recall ever being his so hard in my life. I was on the floor and he was still holding my hand punching me over and over again. I crawled for the door, made it out and never looked back. This was my awkward moment
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
Great story. Bonus points for "saluting" an officer. Can't decide if he shook your hand for coming at him like a man instead of climbing out the window... or just so you wouldn't run while he beat your ass.
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LCpl Donald Friend
Cpl Justin Goolsby - He shook my hand while pulling me into the punch. Ya...he beat my ass like never b4
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While working at HRC-STL (Army Reserve's HRC) my coworker and mentor, a MAJ, was having a discussion by email regarding "women in the military" with a female colleague, a peer of his. He invited me into the conversation by forwarding the email thread and encouraging my input. Having gone from infantry to AG and being decently read on the subject, I weighed in. She did not reply to my comments.
A week later I discovered she disagreed with my rationale so much that, rather than approach me (a CPT), she filed an EO complaint, which I found out from my leadership. The EO officer encouraged me to apologize in writing and she expected a one-on-one. My supervisor insisted on coming but was thrown out of the meeting because they got into it. She was melodramatic about how personally she took my commentary and tried to chew me out and realized my nonapology apology was insincere (I apologized for emailing her my thoughts).
It was quite uncomfortable getting ripped for the audacity of having a difference of opinion on personnel policy by a senior officer who didn't have the backbone to come talk to me professionally about something like this in the first place.
A week later I discovered she disagreed with my rationale so much that, rather than approach me (a CPT), she filed an EO complaint, which I found out from my leadership. The EO officer encouraged me to apologize in writing and she expected a one-on-one. My supervisor insisted on coming but was thrown out of the meeting because they got into it. She was melodramatic about how personally she took my commentary and tried to chew me out and realized my nonapology apology was insincere (I apologized for emailing her my thoughts).
It was quite uncomfortable getting ripped for the audacity of having a difference of opinion on personnel policy by a senior officer who didn't have the backbone to come talk to me professionally about something like this in the first place.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
Definitely uncomfortable. Wouldn't be surprised if it was a setup to begin with. Seen way too many people get baited into a conversation only for it to go south right quick when someone claims they were offended.
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Tailhook.
In the midst of the scandal all the men in the command were brought into the base theater and informed that if we said, or did anything that was offensive to a woman, we were guilty of sexual harassment. Knowing that it would literally be impossible not to say or do anything that someone, somewhere would not find offensive, this was a frightening time. over the years the definition of sexual harassment changed several times to what it is now, but for quite a few years it was quite sketchy.
In the midst of the scandal all the men in the command were brought into the base theater and informed that if we said, or did anything that was offensive to a woman, we were guilty of sexual harassment. Knowing that it would literally be impossible not to say or do anything that someone, somewhere would not find offensive, this was a frightening time. over the years the definition of sexual harassment changed several times to what it is now, but for quite a few years it was quite sketchy.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
These days it still feels sketchy. Not so much with sexual harassment, but everyone seems to have a thin skin and everyone seems to get offended over everything.
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CDR William Kempner
The Tailhook response was a f@@kin' joke. They rounded up our entire command-(I had another appointment, but was told "So sad, too bad." ) and we were bussed over to Mare Island and sat in the Theater waiting for an hour for some one-star to show up.(I went out and got a cup of joe and the SF Chronicle) All of the O's and ass-kissers sat up front, and all the rag hats in the back.-big theater. I sat somewhere in the middle. The one-star came out and related the Tailhook story all over again, making it sound like there had been a massacre, or something beyond the pale (instead of some drunken aviators acting like a@@holes in a public venue). (There wasn't a single Airedale in the room-no one would have ever been there, but let's not confuse the issues with the facts. :) ) We then had to go back to a workshop on sexual harassment headed by our CO-who turned out to be the BIGGEST OFFENDER OF ALL!! (You can't make this stuff up!!! ) The guy actually had to move up his change of command to avoid being served papers -TEN COUNTS of sexual harassment!! The fox guarding the henhouse. An O-6. (sigh)
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PO1 Sanford Snyder
The lessons of Tailhook weren't taken seriously, by the pilots it seems, surprize. I was on leave when the Sexual Harassment lectures started and missed hearing them with my peers, instead sitting in with the E1 - E3s, small ready room. During a break the SDO sticks his head out of the Ready Room office and says "you wouldn't be here is some women hadn't got her titties touched". Prior to this I had respected this LT. I was offended enough that I shared this, in private, with the Command Master Chief.
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I was a SP4 (P) driving a jeep for the S-3 in our Combat Engineer Bn. at Ft Meade, MD 1979 - on an FTX and tasked to take a new butterbar on a route recon. Range road had a Bailey Bridge over a river, and the bridge was temporarily out (simulated bomb damage). It had rained enough the night before that the fording site (next to said bridge) was way too deep and fast for my M151A2, even with snorkel installed. Well, my butterbar OIC was not going back to the S-3 TOC with bad news, so he ordered me to proceed through the ford. I told him it was a bad idea, but the "West Point educated" officer was certain we could make it. I informed him it would take a written order from him, and he obliged, saying that "the Colonel would hear about this!"
I swam away from my jeep being washed downstream, and told the LT I would hustle back to the AO and get us a tow.
That night, I was chewed by the LTC S-3 for losing his jeep, until I showed him the water-stained written order in my little green notebook. He actually then broke down in laughter (I had to join in) at this "dumb-ass rookie butterbar" who was responsible. He told me I should try harder to keep these 2LT's from making idiots out of themselves!
I swam away from my jeep being washed downstream, and told the LT I would hustle back to the AO and get us a tow.
That night, I was chewed by the LTC S-3 for losing his jeep, until I showed him the water-stained written order in my little green notebook. He actually then broke down in laughter (I had to join in) at this "dumb-ass rookie butterbar" who was responsible. He told me I should try harder to keep these 2LT's from making idiots out of themselves!
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
Great story. I've always loved the attitudes of newly pinned officers who know everything before they even know anything.
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Walking through the airport in San Francisco under orders to not respond negatively to people calling me names and spitting at me.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
It takes a lot of strength to be able to maintain your composure. That's why I make it a point to thank every veteran I meet who came before my time period because I know the general public has turned their backs on the veterans more than a few times.
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PO2 Donna McIntosh
get a kick out of seeing the older vets' faces when someone thanks them for their service. I do it at the hospital where I work, mentioning I was in the Navy.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
I have two. Both, unsurprisingly perhaps, related to girls.
The first one was at CTO A school in Pensacola. One evening a young lady and I found a nice, unlocked lobby to..well, you know. So of course an instructor walked in. Hard to say who was more shocked, but quickly turned away and kept on walking. We made a hurried exit.
The second was in Japan. I was at my GF's house, and she and her roommate were arguing badly enough that I thought it was going to come to blows. Well it did. Only I was the one that got hit. See, the roommate, who had just gotten out of the shower and was wrapped in a towel, decided she'd piss off my gf by dropping said towel and laying down on the bed, with the intent of drawing my eyes to her. Being young and stupid, I cheerfully obliged, and didn't turn away. The gf screeched, swung at me, and I still have the scar from that scratch on my chest today!
I have two. Both, unsurprisingly perhaps, related to girls.
The first one was at CTO A school in Pensacola. One evening a young lady and I found a nice, unlocked lobby to..well, you know. So of course an instructor walked in. Hard to say who was more shocked, but quickly turned away and kept on walking. We made a hurried exit.
The second was in Japan. I was at my GF's house, and she and her roommate were arguing badly enough that I thought it was going to come to blows. Well it did. Only I was the one that got hit. See, the roommate, who had just gotten out of the shower and was wrapped in a towel, decided she'd piss off my gf by dropping said towel and laying down on the bed, with the intent of drawing my eyes to her. Being young and stupid, I cheerfully obliged, and didn't turn away. The gf screeched, swung at me, and I still have the scar from that scratch on my chest today!
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SN Greg Wright
GySgt Stephen Anderson - Hah, been there, Gunny! Both the place and the situation. Nearly got stabbed in Phuket. Interestingly enough, a Marine saved my ass by winging a bottle at the local who was gonna do the deed.
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That's a common occurrence with small children in the military. Daddy wears a uniform. They see a uniform and they think "Daddy". Believe me...when the child's father gets home he will be "Daddy" and that bond will be reestablished. Awkward situation...my then wife was a secretary for a high ranking officer, and got involved in the investigation of the base XO, who saw to it that our tour in Japan was cut short (he had us sent to Miramar in San Diego. Like that was punishment). I had two weeks to check out, and I had to check out with...that XO. I was just a PO2...and we had a stare down...I knew he was wrong...and he wanted to burn me. I told him just initial my sheet, or keep me there and charge me with something and I will request a court martial (as I had done nothing wrong, and I knew he didn't want that given what he was involved with). After arriving at Miramar we learned that commander was busted and kicked out of the Navy.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
I completely understood the child aspect, it was more the mother having me addressed as Daddy which was unnerving. Never messed around on my wife and I definitely wouldn't with a fellow servicemember's spouse. Great story.
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TSgt Robert Danley
Cpl Justin Goolsby - Well...let's hope her intentions were meant to be cute and innocent.
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Being pinched by a SMSgt. He was very handsy, all the young female soldiers tried to avoid being around him, especially alone.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
Well good on you for being careful around someone who clearly doesn't understand boundaries. It's a shame that some people never grow out of their adolescence.
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A1C Lisa Casserly
And, you know the hardest part was that he was careful not to touch unless it would turn into a he said/she said situation... and that always only leaves the younger female soldier looking bad.
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A1C Lisa Casserly
I can only hope... Geez, he looked ANCIENT back then... but I realize now he couldn't have been more than 40. And, this was... geez... 1985. What's that been? 31 years. Holy bananas, Batman. How did that much time go by? So, he's over "retirement age" by now, probably terrorizing nurses in the retirement home by now.
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I had left an airborne unit before females were allowed to jump. I was a jumpmaster and there were a couple of females that were pay hurts jumping. I was doing the JMPI and I said squat and hold. I was stomped for a minute and very uncomfortable. In the JMPI you are suppose to run your fingers inside the leg straps to ensure that they are not twisted. Young soldier said do what you got to do jumpmaster! I actually broke out into a sweat.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
Sometimes people are cool. Sometimes not. At least you didn't have sexual harassment charges waiting for you when you hit the ground. These days people are crazy.
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SGM Nathan Thomas
Well, it would not have flown because it is a command in Jump Master Parachute/Personnel Inspection JMPI for all paratroopers. It was just I had never had to do a female before. I was legal though. I was in the military 21 years before I ever had a unit with both male and female soldiers too! The best advice I received was from the Division Sergeant Major and that was be a leader of soldiers and you will be fine. The only ones that get in trouble are the ones that put themselves out there. Soldiers know when they have a good no nonsense leader! It proved to be true, never had not one problem. Course I retired in 1997, so I know things have changed as my youngest son tells me and my oldest 3rd generation soldier granddaughter that is now serving.
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Going to the funeral of a man that a vehicle in my platoon accidentally collided with on a highway in Iraq. As the platoon leader, I was tasked with representing my command, offer our condolences and distribute $3000 in compensation. I would say that was one of the more uncomfortable experiences in my entire life and I am actually surprised his family didn't kill us.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
That definitely is something I would not want to experience myself. Especially considering you weren't personally at fault.
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