# The hijinks and horrors of boot camp **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 30, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277 "2024-05-30T13:52:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/41 "2024-06-21T19:56:19Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Sergeant Airborne looks at me “What the Hell, Special Forces?” He yells. “Drop and give me push-ups.” > > So I drop right there and start cranking them out. “One, Sergeant Airborne! Two Sergeant Airborne!” > > I get up to 8 push-ups and he yells at me “What the hell are you doing in my drop zone? Get the hell out of my drop zone and give me push-ups!” > > I hop up to my feet “Yes Sergeant Airborne!” And run away from the training area, drop down, and started cranking out more push-ups. > > I got to 8 again and he yells “Not there! I told you to get out of my DZ!” So I jump up again and yell “Yes Sergeant Airborne!” again and I run out of the sawdust pit of the training area and start doing push-ups again. > > “Not there! There!” > > “Yes Sergeant Airborne!” > > “Not there! There!” > > “Yes Sergeant Airborne!” > > “Not there! There!” > > “Yes Sergeant Airborne!” It’s probably a good thing I didn’t join the military. I don’t know if I could ever respect an organization that would put such a passive-aggressive asshole in a position of authority. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/42 "2024-06-21T20:56:00Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It’s probably a good thing I didn’t join the military. I don’t know if I could ever respect an organization that would put such a passive-aggressive asshole in a position of authority. Meh, I disagree. I was being a bit of a smartass and he responded. Making me do a few more push-ups when I was in the best shape of my life was no big deal and he was otherwise a pretty easygoing and engaging guy. He even gave me an approving nod and said “Great job, Airborne” at graduation when he gave me my blood wings. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/43 "2024-06-21T21:10:03Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Meh, I disagree. I was being a bit of a smartass and he responded. Sure, if he thought you were out of line and wanted to assert some discipline, that’s fine. If he thinks you deserve 50 push-ups, he should assign you 50 push-ups. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. The whole “move ten feet and start over” thing is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/44 "2024-06-22T00:33:48Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > > Meh, I disagree. I was being a bit of a smartass and he responded. > > Sure, if he thought you were out of line and wanted to assert some discipline, that’s fine. If he thinks you deserve 50 push-ups, he should assign you 50 push-ups. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. The whole “move ten feet and start over” thing is bullshit. Just say you don’t get military humor and leave it at that. I would have laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/45 "2024-06-22T01:21:29Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > > > > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > > > > Meh, I disagree. I was being a bit of a smartass and he responded. > > > > Sure, if he thought you were out of line and wanted to assert some discipline, that’s fine. If he thinks you deserve 50 push-ups, he should assign you 50 push-ups. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. The whole “move ten feet and start over” thing is bullshit. > > Just say you don’t get military humor and leave it at that. I would have laughed. Yeah. I get in “trouble” all the time because of that military humor. Especially in places like Church Council (leadership) meetings. Man, these civilians, they don’t get it, they’re soft, their feelings get hurt easily, and on and on… At least my wife gets my humor. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/46 "2024-06-22T02:52:35Z")
Yeah, the humor gap. And the “Oh, after the meeting you went ahead and did that? We were only just kind of talking about doing it there.” ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/47 "2024-06-23T16:42:32Z")
I was in the Canadian Militia in the 1970s, so “boot camp” was several weeks of daily training at the armoury, with nothing really of note, but I learned at our first summer camp that you could, if wearing the jacket as well as the shirt and pants of the Canadian combat dress, smuggle a complete 24 case of beer cans out of the mess tent in the multiple capacious cargo pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/48 "2024-06-23T20:40:31Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > you could, if wearing the jacket as well as the shirt and pants of the Canadian combat dress, smuggle a complete 24 case of beer cans out of the mess tent in the multiple capacious cargo pockets. Which is what it was specifically designed for. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277/49 "2024-07-20T17:34:21Z")
This is more in the horrors category. Ask anyone who went to Basic at Fort Knox what the three worst things were and they will answer Agony, Misery and Heartbreak. Those were the three hills you had to go up and down on ruck marches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hijinks-and-horrors-of-boot-camp/1002277.md?page=2)