What was the worst decision that you ever made during your career?

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 07:30:05 -0400

What was the worst decision that you ever made during your time in the military? Did you learn from it? If so, what did you learn from making that decision?

Response by LTC John Mohor made Aug 21 at 2017 11:20 AM

LTC John Mohor — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:20:51 -0400

Applying for the active component ILE course at Fort Levenworth. Not being a Walk on Water OER recipient throughout my career I should have known I had no shot at attending much less being accepted. While mobilized serving as a BN XO in an AC/ RC unit I thought I needed to be available for my BN CO when he came in for drill weekends. Three of my peers started the first Reserve ILE weekend course and practically had it finished when I came off Mobilization. The whole time I was awaiting results that told me I wasn't selected. Instructions for selection included not being allowed to start the course in any other fashion. The second worse decision was trying to do the correspondence version! I tell anyone I know in Reserves to do the RC one weekend a month in addition to drill/ BA weekends and a couple extra weeks to do it that way before correspondence or retire as a Major at 21 years( extra year wawaiting 20 year letter for planning purposes).

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Aug 21 at 2017 11:38 AM

SGT Philip Roncari — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:38:31 -0400

Had to be deciding to go bar hopping on my R+R in Hong Kong with some Austrailians Service members to say it was an epic drunk just wouldn't do it justice!

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Aug 21 at 2017 11:39 AM

MSG Dan Castaneda — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:39:08 -0400

Spending 9 years in the Infantry and not coming into SF earlier.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Aug 21 at 2017 4:01 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 16:01:30 -0400

I don't regret this choice, but I had a company commander once who felt I should have gone OCS instead of Enlisted (I had a good GT score and a degree), and that if I had, he remained me that I would have outranked him by that point.

Response by SGT Aaron Atwood made Aug 21 at 2017 9:37 PM

SGT Aaron Atwood — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 21:37:26 -0400

I flipped off my drill instructor once.

Response by MAJ Raymond Haynes made Aug 22 at 2017 3:01 AM

MAJ Raymond Haynes — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:01:42 -0400

During SERE school I spit on a SEAL. Don't spit on SEAL's.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2017 6:42 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 18:42:12 -0400

I wish i had grown up faster. My immaturity got me 4 Articles. I am lucky i had leadership that saw something in me.

Response by SSG Christopher Conklin made Aug 22 at 2017 7:51 PM

SSG Christopher Conklin — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 19:51:43 -0400

The first day of BT. We all getting off the cattle trucks and the DI is yelling to get off his f truck, and I called him sir. I got lucky and did not get that DI.

Response by AA Joseph Moody made Aug 22 at 2017 8:27 PM

AA Joseph Moody — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 20:27:40 -0400

That would be putting things on hold to help my paps after my mother's stroke.

Response by SGT Jim Arnold made Aug 22 at 2017 8:28 PM

SGT Jim Arnold — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 20:28:08 -0400

Getting out of the Army

Response by CW2 Rob Janke made Aug 22 at 2017 8:48 PM

CW2 Rob Janke — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 20:48:20 -0400

Deciding to retire at 20 instead of waiting until 30 :-(

Response by SSgt Jimmy Jackson made Aug 22 at 2017 9:44 PM

SSgt Jimmy Jackson — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 21:44:23 -0400

Shooting bottle rockets out of my dorm room at people playing tennis. Yes, adult beverages were involved. Article 15 time...Keep stripes, but lost $50 bucks. Glad I had a good record until then. Haven't bought fireworks since.

Response by SSgt Lynn Bourchier made Aug 23 at 2017 8:02 AM

SSgt Lynn Bourchier — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 08:02:31 -0400

Not staying in/re-enlisting after my mother's death. Would have been retired by now.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2017 12:15 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:15:26 -0400

Not a decision I made...When I was in Air Force technical school at Sheppard Air Force Base Texas I witnessed a bad decision. One of the troops in our dorm saw a group running in formation up the street. He leaned out the window and yelled something to them...Can't remember what he yelled but he was mocking those troops who were running past our dorm.

The NCO in charge of the formation ordered the flight to halt...and then deploy. They stormed the barracks looking for the guy.

It turned out those troops were PJ's who were in training at the base. PJ's aren't anyone you want to screw with.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2017 12:17 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:17:19 -0400

I'm sorry but I can't remember any decision I made during my 24 years that was bad. I'm sure I did but I just can't remember one.

Response by PO3 David Davis made Aug 23 at 2017 11:59 PM

PO3 David Davis — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 23:59:24 -0400

Worst thing I ever did on active duty was make a compression bomb out of liquid nitrogen putting it next to an ambulance Bay I used about a thousand CC bottle so it was quite a noise. Luckily I didn't get caught but however I did learn from that incident. And no one got in trouble for it.

Response by LTC Russ Smith made Aug 24 at 2017 12:44 AM

LTC Russ Smith — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 00:44:02 -0400

Went back to the Cal Guard as an AGR major in 99. Destroyed my career. Politics were so dishonest... If your a T-10 AGR stay put. I tell young officers I meet now not to worry about their next assignment or promotion. And not to be constantly looking for the next assignment or advantage. Sometimes you just need to grow where you're planted.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Aug 16 at 2018 7:34 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 07:34:34 -0400

Not staying in till I had 30 yrs.

Response by SSG Jim Whitt made Jun 22 at 2022 2:08 AM

SSG Jim Whitt — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 02:08:34 -0400

Chased the CQ with a running lawn mower. Beverages previously were involved. Art.15, Rank, money, restriction and extra duty. I deserved it.

Response by SPC Benjamin Patterson made Jul 2 at 2022 7:38 PM

SPC Benjamin Patterson — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 19:38:28 -0400

The absolute worse decision I ever made was during P.T. one morning when we were broken up to squads and my Squad leader then had us pick up and flip a hemet wrecker tire for P.T. My decision to try and flip this tire absolutely ruined my life. I have 2 herniated disks and a pinched nerve on my back because I didn't disobey him this one time. If I knew what was coming you better believe I'd have told him no I'm not flipping over this 200 pound tire. The thing weighed more than I did.

Response by SGT John C. made Jul 2 at 2022 10:24 PM

SGT John C. — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 22:24:33 -0400

Telling a CSM that he could give my Sergeant stripes to someone who was staying there. I was less than 30 days to PCS to inactive from Active Duty, and the last 30 days were on Extra Duty after telling the CSM that. He told my Top that and even though Top was laughing, he still put me on Extra Duty for the last month of my Active Duty. The Extra Duty was nothing, but because I went back and found an Active US Army Reserve Unit, that wanted a Radio Tech. That was part of my life path that I wanted to do. Another 8 years in the Reserves was what I needed to kick start my Tech career. They promoted me to Sergeant under a Grandfather Clause, as they called it. Became the Section Sergeant for the Reserves.

Response by SFC Donald Lockwood made Jul 3 at 2022 5:07 PM

SFC Donald Lockwood — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 17:07:13 -0400

Not re-upping for my present duty station in 1971, nor did I know that the unit relocated from Germany to Italy, Found all this out about 15 years later while I was serving with the ANG at camp Darby. SFC Lockwood ARMY US RET.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Jul 3 at 2022 6:34 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 18:34:13 -0400

It's a 4-way tie. Enlistment, 1st re-enlistment, 2nd re-enlistment, 3rd re-enlistment.

You'd think I would have learned my lesson.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 29 at 2022 3:40 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 15:40:03 -0400

"Dental school shouldn't be that hard."

Response by LTC Trent Klug made Oct 29 at 2022 6:23 PM

LTC Trent Klug — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 18:23:37 -0400

Leaving the Marines after my first hitch.