Posted on Apr 6, 2015
What's your funniest "The Military Just Came Out Of Me" moment in the workplace?
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We've all got one - that moment in your civilian job when the CPO came out of ya, or the LPO came out...maybe even the CO or XO rose it's head. What's yours? When did your military bearing come to play?
Posted in these groups: 
Civilian Career
Military Life
Civilian Career Military Life
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 151
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I teach certification classes and handgun qualification for License To Carry (open & concealed pistol) permits here in Texas. I often find myself reverting to military style in the classroom. And having been the SNCOIC of a pistol range once while on active duty, the grunt/drill instructor attitude often rears it's head when dealing with civilians and loaded firearms. In the classroom, after drawing my best knife hand, I always begin with, "Good morning people. My name is Marc Dickerson, and I will be your primary instructor for this period of instruction. For all of you that have ever heard that nonsense about there being no such thing as a stupid question, you were lied to. There ARE stupid questions. And they will NOT be tolerated in my classroom today." And on more than one occasion, I have had to forcibly remove a pistol from a shooters hand for being either stupid or dangerous. And that usually involves hurting someone's feeling by explaining to them in a military manner that they should not be allowed to ever be near a loaded firearm. Good times.
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My second civilian job after retiring from the Navy was a managing director position at a digital marketing firm. I had two of my dept heads come to my office to inform me of a problem they discovered (and a suggested fix - because I had trained them well). I agreed to their proposed solution and told them that they were responsible for implementing it, and authorized to make the decisions and task personnel as they saw fit in order to implement that solution. They then proceeded to start discussing - still in my office - ideas they had about how to proceed, as if somehow they thought it was necessary for me to be privy to those discussions in order to further agree to the details as to how they would proceed. After about a minute of this - with me trying to go back to what I was working on - I interrupted them and said “Ladies, I have assigned the two of you the responsibility of implementing your proposed plan of action. And I have given you the authority you need to make decisions as to how to implement it. Now get the f**k out of my office!” They both started laughing, as they knew me quite well by this point, so they knew I was just “letting the military come out of me.” They got up, said “Sorry boss,” left and closed my office door behind them. They loved telling that story at company parties for anyone who hadn’t heard it already.
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My Supervisor was not happy when I told him that his attempt at fixing a heavy piece of equipment had turned into a "Cluster F.....". He actually laughed, go figure?
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PFC Larry Cunningham
I use that term quite often at my current job. My current supervisors father was a Vietnam veteran and he just smiles and laughs.
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CPT Karen Nichols McAbee
"Charlie Fox" is one of my favorite phrases. an old (civilian) boss asked me to explain, when I did, he started using it too!
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I am now a school teacher. At the end of class the kids were standing by the door waiting for the bell. I needed out of the room, so as I was walking toward the door I yelled “Make a hole.” Nobody moved, other than to turn and look at me funny with a “Huh?” look on their faces.
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SSG Gregg Mourizen
I use that one all the time.
Make a hole and make it wide. Fat man coming through.
Make a hole and make it wide. Fat man coming through.
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SPC Jason Brown
When that doesn't work, I tend to quote Andre the Giant's "Everybody MOVE!" from The Princess Bride. Even at half-voice, grocery carts swerve to the side so quickly that sparks fly off the shelves. Even better when my kid asks me to "take point" because a crowd is being stupid and blocking our way. Like Moses at the Red Sea....
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SGT Ken Sisson
A firm "At ease, make way" usually works. If they turned and looked at you, you weren't firm enough. Lol
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Does having a field phone sitting on my desk count? If not, I guess I still gotta show up fifteen minutes early for shift and regularly use radio lingo when conversing on the phone.
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Sgt Dan Catlin
Civilians never get the metaphor for "Shackle" and "Unshackle" when speaking to them in "code" to exclude someone else from your conversation ...
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Posted before, but just thought of one. Power failure at the hospital where I was in plant operations. Generator not starting, hauling down the hall I could see a gaggle of people gathered staring toward where the generator should be roaring by now ... I yelled the first thing that came to mind "Make a hole!" That of course only resulted in them staring at me like I was a crazy man. I don't think I knocked any over as I barrelled through ... a few had to step smartly though ...
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LCDR Carl Jewett
I still say “Make a Hole” when there is an emergency or it’s something urgent where I need to quickly get through a gaggle of people standing around. Usually, the majority get the meaning and get out of the way. I’ve heard that “make a hole” is now banned in the military - or at least the Navy. It’s somehow derogatory.
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Eons ago I worked in HR employee benefits. The company implemented a new healthcare plan and the line outside my office was so long you would have thought the IG was in the building. The chatter got so loud it was impossible to hear the guy complaining. I very professionally got up from my desk, walked into the hallway and shouted "at ease people." The hall suddenly became deafeningly quiet, except for my AF reservist boss who was laughing hysterically. As a follow-up to that day my son bought me a "take a number" setup for my desk that was comprised of a fake grenade with numbers attached to the pin.
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Years ago I was mapping for the electric company that involved driving each road, mapping each pole and all lines, then going in the office and drafting it all ink on mylar. (Many years ago) I drove up to a National Guard unit and after seeing the flag pole, had to go inside to talk to whoever was in charge that day. The flags flying outside the unit were wrong. The Connecticut State flag was on the top and upside down, the US flag was then below. I was apoplectic. It apparently was no problem to those inside.
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LCDR Robert S.
This reminds me something my mother did. My father was in the Air Force when they got married, and having spent quite a few years as an Air Force wife, she had a pretty good idea of how things are supposed to run in the military.
While I was home on leave during my first enlistment, we were driving past the local reserve center as the flag detail was headed out to lower the flag at Retreat. So my mother stopped the car so we could get out and render honors. It was a little drizzly, and as we got out, I could see that the two soldiers who formed the detail were really unhappy to be out in that tiny bit of rain. They lowered the flag quickly and one wadded up the flag and tucked it under his arm and they started running back toward the building. In order to do so, they had to run past us. My mom stepped in front of them and started to chew them out for their shit sandwich of a ceremony. As she was chewing them out, a butter bar came running out of the building to see what was going on, and came up just as she was telling them to go back to the flagpole, fold the flag properly, and *march* back to the building like professionals. He saluted her and immediately started explaining that there wasn't an NCO available and that he was in the middle of a phone call so he couldn't come out and supervise them. She let him go on for about 20 seconds and then pointed out that if the wife of an Air Force enlisted man knew what his people were supposed to be doing and could take the time to make sure they did it properly, so could he. He looked really embarrassed and told her that he would never let something like this happen again.
While I was home on leave during my first enlistment, we were driving past the local reserve center as the flag detail was headed out to lower the flag at Retreat. So my mother stopped the car so we could get out and render honors. It was a little drizzly, and as we got out, I could see that the two soldiers who formed the detail were really unhappy to be out in that tiny bit of rain. They lowered the flag quickly and one wadded up the flag and tucked it under his arm and they started running back toward the building. In order to do so, they had to run past us. My mom stepped in front of them and started to chew them out for their shit sandwich of a ceremony. As she was chewing them out, a butter bar came running out of the building to see what was going on, and came up just as she was telling them to go back to the flagpole, fold the flag properly, and *march* back to the building like professionals. He saluted her and immediately started explaining that there wasn't an NCO available and that he was in the middle of a phone call so he couldn't come out and supervise them. She let him go on for about 20 seconds and then pointed out that if the wife of an Air Force enlisted man knew what his people were supposed to be doing and could take the time to make sure they did it properly, so could he. He looked really embarrassed and told her that he would never let something like this happen again.
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CMSgt Caryn Chipman
I once landed at an airport and saw the U.S. flag was being flown upside down. I went straight to airport security and insisted they get to the tower because they were under duress. They looked at me like I was a crazy person, but I convinced them to go check it out or at least ensure the flag was properly flown at an international airport. (And I’m the crazy one!!!) smh
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SPC Chris Parks
After years of Boy Scouts and four in the Army I have had to bite my tongue many times with my neighbors about their flag etiquette, and the carrying-on during the national anthem at professional sporting events is also very irritating.
While we’re talking about the flag I dislike how many times it is ordered to half staff. Sad and tragic events are sad and tragic but, though I’m not vexillologist, I know that the proper times for it to be flown so are very, very rare.
/rant
While we’re talking about the flag I dislike how many times it is ordered to half staff. Sad and tragic events are sad and tragic but, though I’m not vexillologist, I know that the proper times for it to be flown so are very, very rare.
/rant
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LCDR Robert S.
SPC Chris Parks - I had a neighbor who flew his US flag upside down for the entirety of the last presidential administration. I never met him (or even ever saw him), so there was no tongue biting. But I did have to resist the urge to knock on their door and tell them I was there to help them with their emergency.
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When told to go up to the office of the Chief of the station on my first day starting as a cleaner(pushing broom entry level job) I immediately went back to form ,smartly entered ,stopped three feet from his desk came to the position of attention and in a loud clear voice stated "SGT Roncari reports",he being a former Naval officer got quite a kick out of it.
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
SGT Philip Roncari Ah Philip!
Relaxing is a skill I have now perfected!
Relaxing is a skill I have now perfected!
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I’m retired from the USPS I was a lead automotive technician and the fire alarm went off so I yelled for everyone to go to MOPP 4 all the non-Veterans said what the hell. They were always on to me too let the military go you left that life. I guess I’ll never get out of that mindset. I will always count my service as an HONOR AND A PLEASURE
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