# Military Hard Labor **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-hard-labor/216509 "2003-12-02T15:36:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-hard-labor/216509/1 "2003-12-02T15:36:24Z")
In the U.S. military, what does the punishment of hard labor consist of? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-hard-labor/216509/2 "2003-12-02T16:50:24Z")
The brig rats I saw on Adak, AK back in the 70s were digging up the posts that guard rails are attached to (made from cut pieces of telephone poles) and sinking new ones. All done with pick and shovel. I’m sure there are many other chores that can be done by machine that these guys and gals are required to do by hand, such as ditch-digging, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-hard-labor/216509/3 "2003-12-02T18:03:00Z")
Work in carpentry shops, screen shops, masonry shops, clean up crews, ditch digging, field clearing, lawn mowing, weed whacking, breaking big rocks into little rocks, trash and butt pickup, etc… All around crap work involving base maintenance/beautification