what's your biggest military blunder?

jerry · 04-26-2002, 08:15 PM

let's try to leave out loss of limb, bodily harm etc. humuliation is ok.

I "stole" a HUMVEE when the battery died in our truck. Thought i was going to jump start thre truck and get back to the business of fixi'n aerospace vehicles. Wrong. a guy running at me frantically screaming something about 28 volts. Yup, if you don't already know those contraptions are 28VDC (or at least this one was)

It's rare but i was a bit embarrased. good thing i didn't make the connection!

04-27-2002, 12:51 AM

Came down from cruise alt to check out what I thought was two naked girls. Ends up they had tan colored swim suits on.

Oh yeah and the rotor blade had a chip in it from clipping a tree top. Good thing my bud worked in the blade shop and cleaned it up for us :-)

Kinda wondered what those girls thought of evergreen needles raining on them :-)

boneguru · 04-27-2002, 01:19 PM

does it count if it was an order to do something stupid.
an Lt. told me to drive our hummvee directly through a ravine instead of the angled track up the slope that would have prevented us from getting our " ambulance " stuck in such a manner that it took two hours of digging to get her out. the ambulance box on the rear changes the config of the vehicle and it wont go everywhere the same as a truck or troop version.

Mike the JAG · 05-02-2002, 11:52 AM

When I was a PFC, I was trying to get the CO's 1/4 ton unstuck from a mud hole. Pulled it over on its side with a 113. Dumped all his gear in the muddy water. Big Ooops!

Mike the JAG · 05-02-2002, 12:16 PM

The scariest thing was when I was a gunner on an M-48A5. We were at Ft. Pickett, VA, firing at night using the thermal sight. I kept scanning for targets, but couldn't see anything. I got disoriented and didn't know where the muzzle was pointed! I took my hands off the controls and told the TC I couldn't identify any targets. Not knowing where that 105mm muzzle was when there were other tanks on line and people in the tower was scary.

Mike the JAG · 05-02-2002, 12:21 PM

We didn't have thermal sights on the 48A5, it was an IR sight. Sorry, it was a long time ago.

Steve Peters · 05-02-2002, 06:43 PM

I was at the Ancon inn in Panama with strippers all over our table and the MPs came in to bust up the party and asked us who we were and who was our commander and we had to point up on the top of our table dancing with three strippers butt naked dancing with three strippers... Way to go Col...

jerry · 05-02-2002, 08:01 PM

Good for morale.

Klaus · 05-02-2002, 08:30 PM

I have been to a party like that in Panama. I see no reason for the MPs to have busted in on a private party. What was their justification?

jerry · 05-02-2002, 10:15 PM

depending on the time frame i'm guessing curfew. Plus most shore patrol I've met have been a bit more layed back than the average MP

Steve Peters · 05-04-2002, 02:39 AM

They were just making rounds and the local police the laguardia
i think that is how you spell it didnt like a bunch of long haired beardy americans having so much fun, the Marine MP's didnt have a since of humor either they didnt say anything until they found out we were GI's. They said Spec.Ops people were ruining the place.Panama that is..They thought they had a good thing going on there...

04-26-2002, 08:15 PM	#1
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 11,214 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	what's your biggest military blunder? let's try to leave out loss of limb, bodily harm etc. humuliation is ok. I "stole" a HUMVEE when the battery died in our truck. Thought i was going to jump start thre truck and get back to the business of fixi'n aerospace vehicles. Wrong. a guy running at me frantically screaming something about 28 volts. Yup, if you don't already know those contraptions are 28VDC (or at least this one was) It's rare but i was a bit embarrased. good thing i didn't make the connection! __________________ Joe the plumber is screwed

04-27-2002, 01:19 PM	#3
boneguru Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: arizona Posts: 54	does it count if it was an order to do something stupid. an Lt. told me to drive our hummvee directly through a ravine instead of the angled track up the slope that would have prevented us from getting our " ambulance " stuck in such a manner that it took two hours of digging to get her out. the ambulance box on the rear changes the config of the vehicle and it wont go everywhere the same as a truck or troop version. __________________ "Rangers Lead the Way"

05-02-2002, 08:01 PM	#8
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 11,214 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	Good for morale. __________________ Joe the plumber is screwed

05-02-2002, 08:30 PM	#9
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,382	I have been to a party like that in Panama. I see no reason for the MPs to have busted in on a private party. What was their justification? __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

05-02-2002, 10:15 PM	#10
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 11,214 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	depending on the time frame i'm guessing curfew. Plus most shore patrol I've met have been a bit more layed back than the average MP __________________ Joe the plumber is screwed

04-27-2002, 12:51 AM	#2
Armorer Guest Posts: n/a	Came down from cruise alt to check out what I thought was two naked girls. Ends up they had tan colored swim suits on. Oh yeah and the rotor blade had a chip in it from clipping a tree top. Good thing my bud worked in the blade shop and cleaned it up for us :-) Kinda wondered what those girls thought of evergreen needles raining on them :-)

05-02-2002, 11:52 AM	#4
Mike the JAG Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 55	When I was a PFC, I was trying to get the CO's 1/4 ton unstuck from a mud hole. Pulled it over on its side with a 113. Dumped all his gear in the muddy water. Big Ooops!

05-02-2002, 12:16 PM	#5
Mike the JAG Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 55	The scariest thing was when I was a gunner on an M-48A5. We were at Ft. Pickett, VA, firing at night using the thermal sight. I kept scanning for targets, but couldn't see anything. I got disoriented and didn't know where the muzzle was pointed! I took my hands off the controls and told the TC I couldn't identify any targets. Not knowing where that 105mm muzzle was when there were other tanks on line and people in the tower was scary.

05-02-2002, 12:21 PM	#6
Mike the JAG Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 55	We didn't have thermal sights on the 48A5, it was an IR sight. Sorry, it was a long time ago.

05-02-2002, 06:43 PM	#7
Steve Peters Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Belcher Ky. Posts: 14	I was at the Ancon inn in Panama with strippers all over our table and the MPs came in to bust up the party and asked us who we were and who was our commander and we had to point up on the top of our table dancing with three strippers butt naked dancing with three strippers... Way to go Col...

05-04-2002, 02:39 AM	#11
Steve Peters Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Belcher Ky. Posts: 14	They were just making rounds and the local police the laguardia i think that is how you spell it didnt like a bunch of long haired beardy americans having so much fun, the Marine MP's didnt have a since of humor either they didnt say anything until they found out we were GI's. They said Spec.Ops people were ruining the place.Panama that is..They thought they had a good thing going on there...