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I went to Air Force basic training in September 1976 at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. It was challenging, but not as bad as I had anticipated. I remember my TI's (training instructors), SSgt. Gecsey and Sgt. Gonzalez. I was in great physical shape at the end of basic training and proud to have completed basic training. I'm happy that I joined the military. I learned a lot from that experience and I grew up.
Tank Hill, Ft. Jackson august of 1980. Sgt's Hood and Gonzalez. Gonzalez reminded me of Boo Boo, with his smokey bear hat. Hood was not what I expected and wasn't there much. I figured he was the senior sgt. and popped in now and then to make sure the troops were being trained. During our 7 mile run in the "O dark thirty" hours, he told me that when I made Spec. 4, to go to the academy. Naturally, when I did, I applied for the Drill Instructor training. I wonder if I'd had been a gluten for punishment, as I was the only female DI student of about 40 men, but was physically fit for the punishments being an amateur body builder at the time. DI Training is hard and if you thought boot camp was brutal, the DI training is worse! LOL After training and graduation, I was assigned to Ft. Leonardwood, MO (misery). Lordy bee, I realized why the sgt's. screamed and yelled so much.
We had a Vietnamese kid named Nguyen in my boot camp platoon who seemed to have a bit of a thing for Michael Jackson. I remember one day when it was silent hearing him blurt out the MJ song that goes "...I always have a feeling someone's watching me". Anyways, the drill insturctors left the squad bay for some reason or another while we were cleaning and this kid moonwalked for a couple seconds and then went about his business. About twenty seconds later a drill instructor comes storming in
WHO THE <explective> JUST MOONWALKED IN MY SQUAD BAY?!!??!?!?!
the kid ended up getting thrashed. It was pretty funny. I don't know how the drill instructor could keep a straight face while saying that.
In Navy bootcamp, my Company Commander was CMC Turner. CMC means "Construction Mechanic Chief" [Petty Officer]. So, he was a seabee. But he would swear it meant "Cool Mother-f---- Chief". In any case, he was a short man in stature. But whenever we screwed up, which we inevitably did, he would make us push the racks (beds) back and get into the pushup position. While we were doing that, he would rush to his office and come back with a big boombox. Then, we held "Turner's Disco"... while we were doing pushups, he played music on the jukebox and danced on one of the tables. Tough on the arms, but a blast looking back at it!
I remember another time. Since it was December/January in Great Lakes, Illinois, it snowed quite often when we were outside on the grinder (in between barracks buildings). Not having been in snow a lot (from California Bay Area), the flakes would often fall on my face slowly melting, and itching as the water beaded up.
One day we were all in formation. The company commander and assistant company commander were also in formation in front of us and we were all facing forward (including the CC and his assistant). Wondering why we were just standing there, I briefly reached up and wiped some of those "itchy snowflakes" from my face (a BIG no-no while at attention in formation). A couple seconds later, my CC turned around and said "Alright... I saw that!!! You have 3 seconds to get out of ranks before I come pull you out!!!"
Of course I was thinking there was NO way he could have seen me, was there?
"ONE!!"
It's impossible.. there were no reflections in the windows, no mirrors on any buildings!!
"TWO!!"
Oh my God.. what if he did see me?!?! What's he going to do if I make him come get me? But there's NO way he could have seen me!!
"THREE!!!"
Me and about 7 other guys stepped out of ranks. He just smiled....
I am looking for anyone that took basic training at fort dix newjersey 1970..d-6-2.our drill instructor was sgt.whitehead.ALSO TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THE YEAR BOOK AT GRADUATION..DOUGHBOY FIELD.ANYONE KNOW OF A PAGE OR WEBSITE I CAN CHECK OUT FOR THIS??THANK YOU.I ALSO WAS IN FORT DIX WITH A BUDDY FROM LEBANON PA.HIS NAME IS ALPHONSE MARIO.TRYING TO TRACK HIM DOWN.HE SHOULD BE AROUND MY AGE..56YRS...(ARMY)
Anybody remember "this is my rifle, this is my gun..... Saw some of the guys in the barracks behind us get caught with this one. Since we didn't have guns, they made us do pushups.
Anybody remember "this is my rifle, this is my gun..... Saw some of the guys in the barracks behind us get caught with this one. Since we didn't have guns, they made us do pushups.
Vintage...my WWII Vet father told me this one.
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