What is your favorite damn Privates moment? (Can insert for any rank)

SSG Richard Reilly — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:18:21 -0400

Ok I was legal so I may have a few dozen more than others. I had a PFC that probably could have been a SSG but he kept coming up hot on Drug test (this was during OIF time frame and unit needed bodies). He came to me and said.
PFC: SGT Reilly how can I stop getting demoted?
ME: Well, you can start by stop doing drugs.

Week later he was promoted again and 2 weeks later demote. That was a failed conversation.

Response by PO2 Sean Lacon made Aug 19 at 2015 10:19 AM

PO2 Sean Lacon — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:19:45 -0400

FULL METAL JACKET

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 10:20 AM

1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:20:40 -0400

Insert any rank? Putting a bumber sticker that said "don't follow me, I'm lost too " on the new Plt Cmdrs pack in a hike.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 10:28 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:28:59 -0400

My CPL, once upon a time ago when he wasn't a CPL (E-2 at the time), decided to go camping during one of our BTA weekends. The only problem was, he didnt go camping with the unit (but he did have female companionship with him). So, after Saturday work call ends, he packs his gear and goes camping (by the way he didnt tell anyone) in the mountains where there is no cell reception. Come Sunday morning, no sight nor hide of this Soldier is anywhere. No calls. Nada. Finally, come about 1300 hrs, his Team Leader finally gets a call from the Soldier. As the story goes, he told us he went camping in one of the mountain canyons around SLC, UT, and at some point during the night had dropped his car keys into the campfire, which in turn forced him to walk out of the canyon in order to finally get a signal on his phone to make a call.

Response by Sgt Brandon Rice made Aug 19 at 2015 10:29 AM

Sgt Brandon Rice — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:29:01 -0400

We had some new guys out on the gun line at night. We had them "spell out" gun 2 using glow sticks so the FO's could see our position. Also, sending them around to get the silencer for the howitzer.

Response by CPO Joseph Grant made Aug 19 at 2015 11:11 AM

CPO Joseph Grant — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:11:47 -0400

I had a ETSN(SU) who kept bouncing checks for his barracks phone bill. I took him aside and told him that we'd do some one on one counseling in the fan room if he kept it up. Next month I'm back in front of the Department Chief because dumbass wouldn't pay his bill. Dumbass's response: You told me not to bounce any more checks so I didn't pay the bill. I was ready to kill him.

He's still in and one rank higher than I was when I retired. He turned himself around.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 11:19 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:19:40 -0400

SSG Richard Reilly I love the example you used. My best one is actually an E-5/E-6. I had the same Sailor in two commands with me who made E-6 3 times. I want to assume he stayed and E-6 or maybe even made E-7 and was able to retire but honestly my gut doesn't say so.

He was probably the hardest working guy I've ever known and took care of all the junior Sailors who worked for him. He just had no tact. And by no tact I mean if he disagreed with a chief or officer he would tell them to go F themselves. He was demoted 3 times (proof of his inability to learn the lesson) and repromoted (proof of how good he was). Although disrespect and disobeying aren't excusable he didn't act the same way with the officers and chiefs he respected even if he didn't disagree with them. The problem is we can't choose which leaders we have and it's something he never really learned.

Response by MSgt Stephen Council made Aug 19 at 2015 11:37 AM

MSgt Stephen Council — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:37:34 -0400

I had an E-5 smack her subordinate (a real problem child) on the nose with a rolled up newspaper and say "NO!" when he was about to ask a stupid question. I was shocked and also had to fight HARD not to laugh out loud. I sent her to my office while i finished rounds and when I returned, I closed the door (something I NEVER did when counselling a female subordinate) and told her; "That was the funniest thing I think I have ever seen" "But if you ever do that again, I will have your ass in a sling!".

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 2:52 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 14:52:33 -0400

a PFC came to our unit and was assigned to a different squad, he came to me (not his Squad Leader) and asked why he has no money. I said let me see a bank statement and saw tht he was paying a lot of money every month for a car. I asked how much it was, he said it was actually a bike. it was a 2008 GXR 1000, he bought for 12k at 16.7% interest. a no return contract and no adjustment of interest for 3 years. the bike itself was only worth 3k.
then I told him that he was screwed after talking to the dealer and saw another auto payment from a jeweler. apparently he also bought a 2k watch..... also no return policy. that ends my damn private moment.

Response by Cpl Tou Lee Yang made Aug 19 at 2015 3:34 PM

Cpl Tou Lee Yang — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:34:09 -0400

We went to Fort AP Hill for training since we were stationed in Washington, DC. Our first training exercise was land navigation in a fire team. Since I was a Corporal, I was in charge of the fire team and I haven't done land navigation since boot camp. We were given a map to point A, B, C, and D. Our first two point was easy enough, we found our "Yield" sign and "portal john" in the middle of nowhere. However, from point B to C we got totally confused because all of a sudden there were like tons and tons of fallen trees stack on top of each other. It's probably at least 4-5 story high, we tried to go over it but it was too dangerous considering if you fall between those trees you going to have a hard time getting back out especially with all the sharp branches and what not. So we walked around at least 1/3 miles.

Since we walked around our azimuth was all screwed up and no one knew exactly where we were at. Then all of a sudden the Company Gunny decided to call us for our coordinates. Since we didn't know where we were, we tried to ignored his request by not replying on the PRC radio. 2 hours later we knew we were definitely lost and we couldn't ignore his constant request.
Co Gunny: "What is your coordinates"
Me: "(gave) BS coordinates"
Co Gunny: 1 minute silence
Co Gunny: "Can you repeat those coordinates"
Me: "(good thing I wrote it down) repeat the coordinates"
Co Gunny: "Corporal Yang, are you positively sure that is your coordinates?"
Me: "Affirmative Gunny, that is our coordinates."
Co Gunny: "Corporal Yang, are you absolutely positively sure that is your coordinates?"
Me: "Yes, Gunny, accordingly to our azimuth that should be our coordinates"
Co Gunny: "Corporal Yang, is your fire team on a rift?
Me: "No Gunny"
Co Gunny: "Is your fire team having a swimming break?"
Me: "No Gunny"
Co Gunny: "Well, according to your coordinates you and your fire team is in the middle of the F$*%ing lake!"
Me: "My bad, let me go back and verify my coordinates"
Co Gunny: "No need, get to the closest dirt road and we'll send a hummer to pick you guys up"

This was around noon time when we went and sat by the dirt road, we didn't get pick up until 9pm that evening when everyone was already sleeping.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Aug 19 at 2015 3:50 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:50:57 -0400

When Privates say, "I wish it was old school!".

Response by Cpl Chad Perry made Aug 19 at 2015 4:19 PM

Cpl Chad Perry — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:19:38 -0400

Had this PFC in our motor pool who came from a small town about an 8 hour drive from Pendleton. One time he was running late driving home from a 96 hour weekend, and he thought it would be a good idea to take some amphetamines so he could drive all night. Our unit had a whiz quiz after every holiday weekend and he was well aware of it. Of course he failed, and the CO gave him 30 days in the brig. A few months later he twisted his ankle playing softball. Instead of going to sickbay, he stole some Percocet from another Marine in our unit who just had surgery. And you guessed it, he failed his second whiz quiz. Never saw him again after that.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 7:00 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 19:00:41 -0400

In Basic (Ft Benning, GA) I was titled the Pots and Pans NCOIC. I did KP at least once a week, thanks to my freskin' PG PFC Gonzo!

Response by Sgt Jerami Ballard made Aug 20 at 2015 10:57 AM

Sgt Jerami Ballard — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:57:54 -0400

We had a new Armorer join our unit, a PFC. Kid is getting welcomed in by our Armory Chief (SSGT) and Armory Officer (2ndLT), and they're going off on how they are the leaders and we (the E-5 and below) are the worker bees.

ArmO: PFC ---, You know the difference a 2nd LT and a PFC?

Without missing a beat, kid responds, "I've been promoted Sir."

To this day, I do not know how our ArmO made it through OCS and TBS and didn't hear that on.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 21 at 2015 5:09 AM

PO1 John Miller — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 05:09:41 -0400

I had a Seaman Recruit convinced that it was legal in California to shoot a person for tailgating the car in front of them.