What was your favorite field prank?

2015-03-10T11:14:05-04:00

Looking back over the last 15 years I can remember some really funny field pranks. Some may have almost crossed the line, but still made me laugh as the victim. For example, saran wrap on the porta john seat, koala-fying the new private, mre heater with hot sauce, etc.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2015 11:22 AM

2015-03-10T11:22:42-04:00

Back when I worked commo in 1989 - 1992, we would have the new guy "test" the splices in the WD-1 line by holding the bare ends 50 meters out. We connected the other end to a TA-312 and cranked as fast as we could. When we heard the PVT yelp, we knew we spliced well. That would probably be considered hazing today.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2015 6:34 PM

2015-03-10T18:34:42-04:00

I fell for the exhaust sample...Later I had a guy take all the summer air outta the tires and replace it with winter air... Then 1SG walked by and destroyed me... I had gotten what I deserved....GOOD TIMES!!!!!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2015 7:19 PM

2015-03-10T19:19:34-04:00

Having a private reset the zulu clocks for daylight savings time

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2015 8:06 PM

2015-03-10T20:06:50-04:00

I asked a 2LT pilot if he had cut his grid squares for his flight plan. I almost had him convinced to cut up his map before my CW3 MTP chimed in over the intercom. Ahh the good times lol.

Response by SSG Rob Cline made Mar 10 at 2015 8:43 PM

2015-03-10T20:43:10-04:00

I had a Soldier make, and subsequently use, a 'Concertina File' to make sure our perimeter wire was sharp ;)

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2015 6:58 PM

2015-03-25T18:58:59-04:00

One that was played on me. Guy took the little bottle of hot sauce out of an MRE dumped it on my lips, while I was sleeping. I wake up, reach for my camel back and take a quick swig of water. That's when I realized he had also filled the mouth piece of my camel back with hot sauce!

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Mar 25 at 2015 7:01 PM

2015-03-25T19:01:41-04:00

Sending the new Private for:
A can of T.R.E.E.

A can of Squelch from the TOC

A Box of Grid squares from the FSgt.

Having him shake a tree so you could look on the map and find your location.

These are just a few.

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Mar 25 at 2015 7:01 PM

2015-03-25T19:01:46-04:00

Response by SSgt Todd Ricker made Mar 25 at 2015 7:15 PM

2015-03-25T19:15:44-04:00

Working the flight line would tell a jeep out of training to go into the pilot shop and ask for the keys to the plane so we can have it moved

Response by CPL Rob N. made Apr 25 at 2015 12:33 PM

2015-04-25T12:33:18-04:00

I wasn't part the prank, but a fellow Marine had a PFC go to the GySgt looking for replacement batteries for the 'PRICK E-7' radio. It didn't turn out good for the PFC at all.

Response by SFC Aaron Lutz made Apr 25 at 2015 12:48 PM

2015-04-25T12:48:52-04:00

When working the road @ Ft Hood one night (0200ish), my partner & I drove the MP car to the gate guarding the airfield (4ID Warrior Way). We informed the gate guards to let their NCOIC know that all the Apache ' parked in the blue lighted area were gonna get parking tickets if they weren't moved when we came back in 30 minutes becuz the blue lights indicated a "Handicapped Parking Spots". They fell for it, and then we got told to report to the Watch Commander...LMFAO

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jul 15 at 2015 7:58 PM

2015-07-15T19:58:51-04:00

I already discussed what we did to our XO in Antarctica on another post. But sometimes roommates go after each other. Down on the ice, you develop habits. Mine was to wear my bedroom slippers to the shower, about face at the shower and butt first in so my shoes were ready to go when I was done. My roommate was a dentist. Ray decided to grab a hot glue gun and glue my slippers to the deck while I was in the shower. It worked perfectly with me walking right through them. "Ray you sonofa!!!!" Word gets around Mac Town and everyone loved to discuss my habits at the club. The only thing I could do is give them a new target and that target was Ray. Since I got up early every day, I'd crack open my Swiss Army knife scissors, go to Ray's locker, take his belt buckle off the belt and trim one rib and put the buckle back on. I did that every day. About 4-5 days in everyone noticed Ray wasn't doing deserts. A week after, he was absent for lunches. Everybody but Ray knew what was going on and it was tough containing all that high pressure. About the third week in, Ray comes charging into the mess hall carrying two belts "Ball you sonnaofa....!!!!". Ray got a standing ovation.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2015 3:00 PM

2015-07-17T15:00:12-04:00

We were in the field and our brand new Butter-Bar wanted to have his wife come down and see how we were living. He escorted her into our tent and he saw that his cot along with all of his gear was duct - taped to the ceiling. He told us to take it down but ignored him, so he had to cut it down himself.

This other time, we had this new PVT running around to find spare barrel batteries for the M240Bs.

Response by SPC George Long made Oct 3 at 2015 2:05 PM

2015-10-03T14:05:43-04:00

Lacking much to do one day in a Galaxy far far away, the morale officer of some Brown Water Navy Vessels asked for my advice, me a SP/4 MP. He wanted to do something to up morale and I could not see a probled. So a stage was built up stream from Can Tho city along the bassic river. WE spent a couple hrs setting the "entertainment" up.IT was announced all over that a good ole girl would be putting on a bang up show ay 1900 and all were invited. Just stay behind the lines. At the stated time my new Navy friend walked out and acknowledged that the VC/NVA were keeping us pretty busy so he had designed a few minutes that he hoped would raise everyone's spirits. With that he drew back the curtain revealing an old old water buffalo. she was wearing a paddy hat and a case of c-4. Of course the crowd put forth many ideas as what was about to happen. To that old miners warning of 'Fire in the hole" the C-4 was detonated. The crowd went wild, the buffalo flew and a good time was had by all. Even the farmer I bought the Buff from was happy.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 3 at 2015 2:38 PM

2015-10-03T14:38:18-04:00

It was a moonless night and my platoon gave me an NVG that did not have batteries in it. I had to give the driver directions, I could not see crap.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 3 at 2015 2:50 PM

2015-10-03T14:50:52-04:00

So there we were...no shit....Ft Stewart GA 1995. Living the life in the field ie: Gunnery cycle straight into ARTEP evals. Setting up in Plt AA for night. Setting out LP/OP for night. Teaching young PVT all the ins and outs of doing said LP/OP to include the use of a TA 312 and TA1. Give young PVT other end of commo wire and tell him to head out to LP/OP to hook up TA1. I'm there with said wires already hooked to 312 waiting for him to get out of sight and close to his position, and commenced to start cranking the hell out of the 312. Needless to say the level of scream that came from him at dusk in a Tactical setting was priceless. PL comes running up thinking someone had been mauled by a wild hog or something. By the time we could stop laughing long enough and said PVT came back all semblance of a tactical setting was gone. O/C tried his best to keep his composure and be strict with us, but hence a FAIL.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 18 at 2015 7:39 PM

2015-10-18T19:39:38-04:00

Drove an M1 to lock a port a potty door.

Response by Lt Col Robert Canfield made Nov 24 at 2015 5:14 PM

2015-11-24T17:14:29-05:00

During the old "torn tape teletype days", we would send and receive messages using paper tape that had holes punched in it like IBM cards. A column of holes represented a specific character of the alphabet (you got to explain stuff like this for the young guys who have only experienced the internet). The tape was yellow and all the little punched out fragments from the holes went into a "chad box". When the tape roll was almost empty, the tape color changed from yellow to pink signifying it was almost time to mount a new roll. By coincidence, the paper cover sheets for classified messages, were also a similar shade of pink. Now; with that all being said, here's the prank. The NCO would take the chad box (that was full of mostly yellow chad, but also had some pink chad), and give it to the "New Guy". "New Guy" was told that someone had mixed the "classified (pink) chad" in with the "unclassified (yellow) chad". "New Guy" was told he had to separate the Classified chad from the Unclass chad so that the Classified chad could be properly destroyed. Some new guys took the task very seriously, sat down, and started sorting the little pink and yellow dots. Some would work for several minutes before they were let in on the joke (or heard someone bust out laughing).

Response by SSG Derek Varchulik made Feb 23 at 2016 10:30 PM

2016-02-23T22:30:02-05:00

MRE bomb, back in 99 when the heaters were real good for it..... lets just say.... ppl were pretty upset.. lol or telling new Private to get the dehydrated water!!!! oh my...

Response by SFC Frank Hoskins made Feb 25 at 2016 2:32 PM

2016-02-25T14:32:09-05:00

Tow missile simulators! Would bury one next the sh!!tter and wait for the unsuspecting private!

Response by MSgt Mike Ruikka made Feb 26 at 2016 1:00 AM

2016-02-26T01:00:51-05:00

Working in the AGE branch at RAF Lakenheath, we had several pranks for the new guys. Sent one guy to bench stock for a water fuse for a generator, another guy was told to change the knuter valve on the hydraulic test stand. And working near the planes, it was always fun to tell the new guys to go get 20 yds of flight line or a bucket of prop wash. All in good fun.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2019 8:49 AM

2019-11-21T08:49:41-05:00

I once put instant oatmeal in a certain Captain's boots.