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Encampment stories

Started by Kal, March 28, 2008, 12:24:31 AM

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SSgt Rudin

First encampment circa winter 1998 Homestead ARB - fire drill right in the middle of shower/personal time, next year the ops order was very specific on the types of underwear permitted and required a bathrobe or "beach towel" and the fire drill was moved to a different time.
During contraband check a cadet had fireworks confiscated from him, he said they were for New Years.
I also learned at that encampment that while I was able to deal with blues shoes that were a little too small for 2 hours once a month, I was unable to deal with it at encampment. Didn't help that I had 4 ingrown toenails.

Summer 2003, Camp Blanding FL - not really funny, but over 20 cadets completely ignored the bold "drink plenty of water prior to arrival" in the ops order and passed out during in processing. Black flag conditions all 9 days of encampment.

SER winter encampment 07 - in the middle of a staff meeting the entire staff was mobilized to search for a missing flight sergeant, he was latter found in his bed, asleep "mummified" in his blankets.
This was also the encampment that I learned it can get down to single digits in FL. Nothing like running around to all the barracks at 2am with space heaters waking up and moving around cadets. I was waking this one cadet to move him from his bed to a different one so we could but a space heater there, he would not wake up for anything, including picking the bed frame an inch off the ground an dropping it, so I started snapping about 2 inches from his head. He finally woke up and went "duuuuddddeeee what the fuc... yes sir?" Another one wouldn't wake up and we still had 4 buildings to put heaters in so we got six people and picked up his entire bed and moved him, he woke up mid move, it was priceless.

SSgt Jordan Rudin, CAP

jimmydeanno

Quote from: 2d Lt Rudin on May 22, 2008, 05:01:28 AM
First encampment circa winter 1998 Homestead ARB - fire drill right in the middle of shower/personal time, next year the ops order was very specific on the types of underwear permitted and required a bathrobe or "beach towel" and the fire drill was moved to a different time.

1998, Westover AFB, MA.  Fire drill.  It was my first encampment - I was the Charlie Flight Sergeant.  The end of the night I went to take my shower.  Right in the middle of it the fire drill commences.  I gave my report, shampoo still in, holding my towel up with my left hand...I completely understand.
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

JoeTomasone


1983 or so, Plattsburgh AFB.   Survival training in a remote area of the base.   We are told to build shelters, and are given specific instruction not to approach nor build our shelters too close to a building a little outside the clearing we were using -- the Weapons Storage Area.    I wound up with a migraine that night and was sitting up in mid-suffer with the Senior staff when some SPs came by -- a little concerned that one group was a wee bit too close to the WSA.   They decided to teach them a lesson in the morning, and so reveille consisted of that group being surrounded by 5 or 6 SPs with pointed (but unloaded, I was told) weapons and commanded to exit their shelter IMMEDIATELY.   The looks on their faces as they came out and saw themselves at the business end was priceless, as was their faces 5 seconds later when they were asked why they were so close to the WSA - which was a Federal felony, etc, etc, etc...   They got the expected "DO NOT DO IT AGAIN" command and probably time to go change undergarments.

On CQ, I caught the Flight Commander (a real jerk, incidentally) and a female cadet mid-liplock.   Funny, I never got any crap from him after that night.......

We had one screwup from our Squadron who attended - a female cadet who spent most of her free time periods marching off demerits (can they even do that anymore, or does that tug at the CPPT heartstrings?).  We had an O'Grady Says competition the second-to-last day of Encampment which I won.   As they announced me the winner, she screams, "YAY, TOMASONE" (or similar, I don't recall now).  BAM - demerit for fraternization.    :D

Our rooms were along a standard hallway but there was one room at the end whose door was perpendicular to the hallway - so if you walked all the way down the hallway you'd wind up going through that door and into the room, facing the end of one double-decker bunk.   There was a chin-up rod on each door frame, and one of the things cadets liked to do was run down that hallway, jump, grab that bar, and swing.    So one day, that room has an unexpected room inspection.  Four cadets at attention next to their bunks, officers inspecting, when suddenly a cadet "goes for the bar" -- but he loses his grip on the bar, lands on his back, and slides completely under the bunk..   Priceless.

This wasn't at encampment, but during a Group trip to Washington, D.C.   We were staying in some armory in standard double bunks.  One barracks building for male cadets, and one for females, separated by a small grassy area.   It was somewhat after lights out when all of a sudden the male Senior Members come in yelling, "WHO WANTS MILK AND COOKIES??".   

Silence. 

"WHO WANTS MILK AND COOKIES??".

Silence.

"WHOOO WANNNTS MILLLK ANNND COOOOOKIES??!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!".

One cadet says, "Me, sir!"

Without a word they ran to his bunk, removed his blanket, rolled it up, laid it across his belly/waist, lifted his entire mattress up, and carried him out to that grassy area, where they folded the ends of the blanket under the mattress so he was essentially pinned there, albeit weakly, and ran off, leaving him there.   Of course, the commotion woke the females, who gathered at the window to watch as the cadet freed himself (in his underwear) and went back to the building.

Oh, the lovely days before CPPT when you didn't really have to worry about being immediately 2B'd... </sarcasm>


capchiro

Not real exciting, but just for a point of perspective.  Era 1963 or 1964, Chanute AFB, summer encampment.  I think the encampments were for 10 days or something.  Anyhow, we flew down from Wisconsin in a C-119.  While there we got to fly in a C-47 and I actually got about 10 minutes hands on experience.  That thing should have had power steering.  Worse than driving a truck.  We went to a lot of classes and observed a test jet engine firing on the pad.   Food was great (I think).  We stayed in open bay barracks, but no bunk beds.  We had wall lockers and foot lockers.  Off hours we were taken to the base pool.  We built camp fires and sat around singing.  One of the older cadets brought his guitar.  I learned "lemon tree" and "Cumbayah" along with "If I had a Hammer".  I guess we sang those songs about a hundred times.  We must have had some peaceniks in the group.  We did PT and ran.  We went to classes with the Air Force guys (that was pretty cool).  The only bad thing was there was a little guy that was a real whiner (and no, it wasn't me).  Anyhow, mid-encampment, a couple of the jocks (again, not me) drug him into the bathroom and smeared his private parts with some Red Hot Balm.  It only got worse when he started crying and smeared it in his eyes.  The Air Force medics took him away and we never saw him again.  I can't remember what happened to the jocks, but I think they may have gone away also.  This was a good lesson for me to learn.  When I was on active duty, I stayed in the center of the pack, never outstanding and never on the bottom.  Invisibility is always a good policy in herd mentality.  Anyhow, I hope I didn't bore anyone to tears.  Perhaps, my encampment was when National began thinking about cadet abuse??       
Lt. Col. Harry E. Siegrist III, CAP
Commander
Sweetwater Comp. Sqdn.
GA154

Sleepwalker

#24
I have served on staff (as a TAC "Senile Member") for many Encampments at several different Wings.

I have seen many funny things such as:


  • A Basic Cadet standing in formation during inspection had a big black raven land on his shoulder, stay there for a few minutes, then  fly away.  Give credit to the Cadet, he didn't move anything but his eyes.

  • First afternoon on the first day of Encampment I walked into the restroom after lunch as some Basic (out of surprise) shouts the restroom to attention.  The poor young men at the urinal snap up and a several belt buckles could be heard hitting the floor in the stalls!  I was sooooo embarrassed.  After lunch, a quick talk was given to the entire group about when - and when not - to call a room to attention.

  • One  Basic Cadet tried to use the pay phones in the dormatory, and shut the door locking himself in the phone closet.  There was no handle on either side, and as this was around 10PM, we had to call around to find someone who had access to the keys.  The Cadet was stuck in there for a good two hours -  and we all had to appologize to him because we couldn't help laughing a little.  The Cadet was a great sport about it, though seeing teh humor in the situation.

  • The best (and perhaps most unique) Encampment experience was when I was a TAC at the Colorado Encampment at Ft. Carson (my home state), and a freind of mine was serving at the exact same time as a TAC at the Georgia Encampment (my state of residence) held at Ft. Benning.  I called him on his cell phone to see how he was holding up and could hear one of the squadrons chanting a familiar cadence.  We both turned our phones to speaker and I had one of our Colorado squadron's chanting a cadence with the Georgia squadron listening and then the Georgia squadron would chant with the Colorado squadron listening.  Two Encampments, Two wings, two squadrons, having a Cadence-match simultaneously over 2000 miles apart!  You never know what is going to happen at Encampment.

List Fixed - MIKE      
A Thiarna, déan trócaire

Taber4

I was woken up early at the usual time at five o'clock.  I scrambled out into the hall and stood at attention quickly but still drowsy from sleep.  For about 10 minutes they had us stand there because some cadets were late and had to practice getting into the hall over again.  I wasn't really paying attention to myself, I just wanted to start my legs moving.  All of a sudden without warning I got lightheaded and passed out.  I was standing across from the bathroom which had a swinging door.  I went into the bathroom and pushed the door wide open, slamming my head on the tile.  The door closed onto my hand and it got caught underneath.  I think the pain woke me up but I was so out of it I just stood up and walked into the bathroom and took a piss in the urinal.  My flight sergeant came over and asked me what the h*** just happened.  I zipped up my pants and took a walk down to medical and that was that.  At least I got out of the morning PT :)
Wes Clark
C/CMSgt
MA-071: Pilgrim Squadron, Plymouth MA
Squadron First Sergeant
Alpha Color Guard Commander

SWASH

Quote from: 2d Lt Rudin on May 22, 2008, 05:01:28 AM
SER winter encampment 07 - in the middle of a staff meeting the entire staff was mobilized to search for a missing flight sergeant, he was latter found in his bed, asleep "mummified" in his blankets.
This was also the encampment that I learned it can get down to single digits in FL. Nothing like running around to all the barracks at 2am with space heaters waking up and moving around cadets. I was waking this one cadet to move him from his bed to a different one so we could but a space heater there, he would not wake up for anything, including picking the bed frame an inch off the ground an dropping it, so I started snapping about 2 inches from his head. He finally woke up and went "duuuuddddeeee what the fuc... yes sir?" Another one wouldn't wake up and we still had 4 buildings to put heaters in so we got six people and picked up his entire bed and moved him, he woke up mid move, it was priceless.

I remember that.  I was a flight sergeant and we had to take all of our cadets outside to get head counts.  We then preceded to get into mass huddles (like the ones male penguiens use during the winter).

It was terribley cold that encampment.  I ended up wearing all of of BDU shirts, long sleeve under armor, and every gloove and face warmer that was left over from handing them out to cadets.
CHRIS W. SAJDAK, C/SMSgt, CAP
2006-2007 SERWE Doolie, 2007-2008 SERWE Flight Sergeant
2008 ILWG Summer Encampment Flight Sergeant
08/09 FLWG Winter Encampemnt PAO

ol'fido

In the early 80's Volk ANGB, WI had a beer vending machine in the encampment area beside Bldg. 117.

The KC-97 on static display could be gotten into and was a prime make out spot. Also, under the F-102s when they were over by the base chapel instead of in front of the headquarters building.

Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

Chicago_Pilot

This thread is pretty funny.  I am signed up for my first encampment (TAC Officer) this Spring.  I certainly hope I don't run into some of these situations!

TEAM SURGE

Quote from: Kal on March 28, 2008, 01:47:40 AM
That's amazing.  :D  Here's another:

At a Army Ranger/Sniper demonstration, a group of people volunteered, including me. Best volunteer I ever made. They gave everyone a rifle, or in my case an M249 SAW, with blanks, and let everyone who volunteered shoot off some ammo. I had fun blasting away at invisible enemies, and stood up after my belt was gone. I looked over at another guy who had an M249 SAW.  He was firing a couple bursts.  Now this is one of those seemingly three feet tall, twenty pound guys (huge exaggeration, but you get the point. He was really small). He finally decided to let loose.  While wasting the belt, everyone watched as he was pushed back five feet. He finally stood up with a big grin on his face, covered in dirt.  Probably the coolest thing I have ever seen happen while someone shot a gun.

Also at the demonstration, "terrorists" drove up and kidnapped a cadet colonel. She was so scared, it was amazing. Of course, as the terrorists drove away, another sniper team moved in, took out some of the stragglers, while a Ranger detachment disabbled the SUV with two HMMWVs with Brownings and an M240B.

The coolest introduction was also at that demonstration. We marched out into nowhere, going "where are our instructers?" we marched past one, and stopped two feet in front of one. Both were hiding in the grass with their gillie suits on. One of the snipers was our TAC officer.

Where was this? I believe I was there!
C/Msgt. Messman
PCR OR-114
Northwest Coastal Flight

-Eagle Talon 3
-Cascade Falcon X

"You only Live Once"  

Eclipse

Quote from: Chicago_Pilot on March 09, 2009, 03:17:48 AM
This thread is pretty funny.  I am signed up for my first encampment (TAC Officer) this Spring.  I certainly hope I don't run into some of these situations!

Now that you've read this, the RST on Saturday will probably make a lot more sense.   :o

"That Others May Zoom"

Chicago_Pilot

Quote from: Eclipse on March 09, 2009, 04:07:34 AM
Now that you've read this, the RST on Saturday will probably make a lot more sense.   :o

Good guess!  I'm hoping for some amazing training.  So don't let me down.   :)

Mullins

This didn't happen to me, but a friend of mine was in charge of dealing with all the contraband the cadets had.  So he is sorting through the stuff, when he comes across a single Xbox 360 controller.  I guess some one else was going to bring the TV but forgot :D
Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Ryan Mullins
        NJ-067 Bayshore Composite
               Bravo Flight Sergent

notaNCO forever

 I remember one year helping with a contraband check and finding one cadet with a ton of individual tobasco sauce packets. I guess he was worried about poorly flavored food.

Polecat

At my basic encampment everyone was out in formation after chow waiting on some cadets to finish in the bathroom, and my battle buddy was one of those.  So my flight sgt. sends me to check on him cause by now he was the last one in there, and aparently my battle buddy thought it would be funny to make grunting noises.  I go back to the formation and tell my flight sgt. what the deal was so we wait some more, then my flight sgt. goes in to tell him to hurry up and comes back trying not to laugh.  Then my flight commander comes and the coversation goes like this:
Flight CC: "What's taking so long?"
Flight Sgt.: "He's grunting one out, Chief"
Flight CC: "Tell him to hurry up"
So my flight sgt. opens the door and yells: "Push man, PUSH!
Then all two squadrons bust up laughing and my first sgt. walks up and starts to chew us out for laughing at attention and gets mad at my flight CC who is dying laughing, and he tells her what happened and she busted out laughing too.

That was probably my favorite memory from encampment.

CAPC/officer125

One of my best encampment stories would have to be at Joint '08. We were about 3/4 the way through the week and all the staff were zombies. Well our command chief, while fighting to keep her voice, called the first stretch of the day for PT. Much to the surprise of all the basics and most of the staff, it was "The go back to bed stretch". Needless to say, the basics and about 1/2 the staff got an extra hour of sleep to start the day off. (For some it was really needed)
Also at this encampment, I had a cadet pretty much drink Listerine straight from the bottle(the big bottle). Now this cadet was like 4'10" or so, and was already suffering from a rash in an uncomfortable place that messed up the way he marched. So now you add drunkenness to the weeble wobble factor and you can pretty much figure out his nickname for the week. 
C/LtCol Priscilla (Pat) Temaat
Eaker #2228
Earhart #14523
KS-001- KSWG HQ staff
2012 Joint Dakota Cadet Leadership Encampment Cadet Commander

BrandonKea

Quote from: C/Command125 on June 07, 2009, 04:45:23 AM
Also at this encampment, I had a cadet pretty much drink Listerine straight from the bottle(the big bottle). Now this cadet was like 4'10" or so, and was already suffering from a rash in an uncomfortable place that messed up the way he marched. So now you add drunkenness to the weeble wobble factor and you can pretty much figure out his nickname for the week.

Why, oh why, would anyone do that ever?
Brandon Kea, Capt, CAP

SJFedor

#37
Quote from: BrandonKea on June 07, 2009, 06:36:24 AM
Quote from: C/Command125 on June 07, 2009, 04:45:23 AM
Also at this encampment, I had a cadet pretty much drink Listerine straight from the bottle(the big bottle). Now this cadet was like 4'10" or so, and was already suffering from a rash in an uncomfortable place that messed up the way he marched. So now you add drunkenness to the weeble wobble factor and you can pretty much figure out his nickname for the week.

Why, oh why, would anyone do that ever?

It's something we actually see pretty regularly in the ER. Bottles of mouthwash (the dollar store brands, mind you) have enough alcohol to get you tipsy pretty cheap. For example, the following picture is an actual picture taken in one of our trauma bays of the interesting collection a patient had on their person:



Note that along with the "40" and the vodka, there's a bottle of listerine. However, along with the alcohol in there (approximately 54 proof), there's some other things that really just aren't good for you to be ingesting.

But, why a cadet would be doing something like that, I can't even begin to imagine.

And, as an aside, is this something that is addressed in the DDR program?

Steven Fedor, NREMT-P
Master Ambulance Driver
Former Capt, MP, MCPE, MO, MS, GTL, and various other 3-and-4 letter combinations
NESA MAS Instructor, 2008-2010 (#479)

Gunner C

I've never heard anything.  You'd think something like that would have been passed up the chain to be addressed.

QuoteAlso at this encampment, I had a cadet pretty much drink Listerine straight from the bottle(the big bottle). Now this cadet was like 4'10" or so, and was already suffering from a rash in an uncomfortable place that messed up the way he marched. So now you add drunkenness to the weeble wobble factor and you can pretty much figure out his nickname for the week.

That kid had a real problem that needed to be addressed with the parental units immediately.

BrandonKea

Quote from: SJFedor on June 07, 2009, 12:01:51 PM
And, as an aside, is this something that is addressed in the DDR program?

I doubt it. And could you imagine cadets telling their parents "we learned in CAP you can get loaded from a bottle of Listerine!"

I've heard of people doing the Listerine thing before, and even straining Sterno through cheese cloth to get that alcohol. I have personally witnessed a person drink an entire bottle of Robitussin as well, that was pleasant...

I think DDR should be highlighting the dangers of ILLEGAL drugs (I realized alcohol is illegal until a certain age, but the focus should perhaps be on Marijuana, a drug which according to a CDC survey in 2001, 42.4% of students surveyed have tried.) Talk about the dangers of ABUSING alcohol, and drinking and driving. But at the same time, don't glorify drinking as some "Rite of Passage" that once you hit college, you've gotta be doing to fit in. That's a sure ticket for a youthful abuser of alcohol.

Brandon Kea, Capt, CAP