Mark Conley
Active member
Our training site in texas had a sizable staff from all over the US military: Army, Navy, Air force, and yes, Marines all played a part in teaching the Doctors field war skills that dealt with medicine. usally, most of the younger members of these components served as logistical staff for the encampment in the field: they hauled the water, fuel, food, and trash and made the experience bearable for the teaching component and students at the site. As they gained experienced from the older staff, they became teachers or even administrative technicians.
all except one army private: his main occupation at that time was to simply do the best logistical job when directed, and to get as much sleep with the rest of the time that he could. When off-duty, he would crawl into his mummy sleeping bag, zip it all the way to the top, and knock the hours away while waiting to do the next task.
one day, he fell asleep in his sleeping bag on top of the picnic table. his fellow log mates, coming back from a log run, found him there and decided to kinda pay him back for all the rack time he got at the course. Seiezing a roll of duct tape, they carefully wrapped him in the bag from head to toe without waking him, and then proceeded to tie a rope around his ankle area and hoisted him up the largest branch overhanging the main road that led to the teaching area. Needless to say, he woke up and started wiggling and shouting for people to let him down. in actuallity, he looked like a large catipillar cocoon hanging from the branch, only making noises.
Well, one group of students passed under him, and didnt do anything. then two. three. Finally the whole student body had passed under the tree and didnt do anything for the poor soul. Later, we asked them why they had ignored the guy. The collective answer was "we thought it was some sort of test to make sure we wouldnt break ranks"
Finally, a school ranking officer pulled up in his jeep, looked at the still wiggling person, and asked who it was. When he was told his answer, he looked again, went "Heh.Heh.Heh" , asked how long he was going to be left up there, and hinted that if he wasnt down in the next couple of minutes there was going to be a new leadership position open in the log ranks, and drove on.
His fellow loggies cut him down real quick after that, and left him with a plastic butter knife so he could free himself. What crawled out of the bag was a very changed person. He stayed vertical after that for a long, long time. And never slept in a sleeping bag out at the site ever again. :twisted:
all except one army private: his main occupation at that time was to simply do the best logistical job when directed, and to get as much sleep with the rest of the time that he could. When off-duty, he would crawl into his mummy sleeping bag, zip it all the way to the top, and knock the hours away while waiting to do the next task.
one day, he fell asleep in his sleeping bag on top of the picnic table. his fellow log mates, coming back from a log run, found him there and decided to kinda pay him back for all the rack time he got at the course. Seiezing a roll of duct tape, they carefully wrapped him in the bag from head to toe without waking him, and then proceeded to tie a rope around his ankle area and hoisted him up the largest branch overhanging the main road that led to the teaching area. Needless to say, he woke up and started wiggling and shouting for people to let him down. in actuallity, he looked like a large catipillar cocoon hanging from the branch, only making noises.
Well, one group of students passed under him, and didnt do anything. then two. three. Finally the whole student body had passed under the tree and didnt do anything for the poor soul. Later, we asked them why they had ignored the guy. The collective answer was "we thought it was some sort of test to make sure we wouldnt break ranks"
Finally, a school ranking officer pulled up in his jeep, looked at the still wiggling person, and asked who it was. When he was told his answer, he looked again, went "Heh.Heh.Heh" , asked how long he was going to be left up there, and hinted that if he wasnt down in the next couple of minutes there was going to be a new leadership position open in the log ranks, and drove on.
His fellow loggies cut him down real quick after that, and left him with a plastic butter knife so he could free himself. What crawled out of the bag was a very changed person. He stayed vertical after that for a long, long time. And never slept in a sleeping bag out at the site ever again. :twisted:
