Have you ever felt like you were a ping pong ball as you served in the Military?

2015-07-11T17:58:43-04:00

Each of us has been considered to be a "newbie," "cherry" or some other term for brand new members of units, organizations, etc.
I remember being sent on wild goose chases for sky hooks and left handed wrenches in 5 ton truck combat engineer units as an enlisted man. Later as a cadet in a signal unit I was sent to ask what turned out to be a nonsensical question to a serious senior NCO with predicted result. Later in a mechanized infantry unit I saw young soldiers subjected to the search for sky hooks for M113 APCs, track tension for M113s and and a different can which was used only for the M577 command vehicle. I expect many of us were subjected to these quests for the Holy Grail and similar elusive items :-)
[7/12/2015 Update as I remembered a few other wild gooses chases -- get a can of squelch for the PRC- 77 radios and a different can for the APC mounted radios; a reel of shore line; watch out for shrapnel from bursts of color :-)
I also expect a number of us subjected other service members to these searches with some or no regrets :-)

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jul 11 at 2015 6:08 PM

2015-07-11T18:08:54-04:00

I have been a ping pong ball while I was an enlisted man and a cadet at the United States Military Academy and attempts were made as a young officer. I participated as a referee in some of the ping pong tournaments using newbies in a mechanized infantry officer. Later in a more serious vein as a staff officer trying to advance an issue sometimes various staff offices had world-class abilities to move actions un-acted upon through them. We joked about "Teflon" staff members who always seemed to be able to deflect actions, blame, etc.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Jul 11 at 2015 6:22 PM

2015-07-11T18:22:44-04:00

A crushed ping pong ball.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jul 11 at 2015 6:37 PM

2015-07-11T18:37:17-04:00

Not in the military, but I did in civilian life prior to entering the military. I had a Supervisor and his Manager telling me to do different jobs.

One would set me to work on a task and leave, and the other would pull me off that job and set me onto another task. Then the first one would come back and ask me why I wasn't doing his job, and set me back onto the first task. This went back and forth several times.

Both of them were well above my pay grade, so I willingly did whatever the last one said. If they had a problem it was with one another - not with me.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Jul 11 at 2015 7:48 PM

2015-07-11T19:48:24-04:00

I got sent after 5 yeards of flight line as a Private in the Marine Corps. The first person I asked was the section Gunny....he brought me in on the gag and told me to disappear until afternoon formation, then called my shop SGT and asked him to send me to see him. Gunny had my shop sergeant messing his pants looking for me until I reappeared at final formation.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Jul 11 at 2015 7:48 PM

2015-07-11T19:48:52-04:00

100 yards of gig line.
50 feet of felopian tubing
a bucket of steam
an irish penant.

I have heard all of these. Inever fell for any of them. We had Aguy in A School who went for the bucket of steam.

Response by SGT Sarah Hoyt made Jul 12 at 2015 6:29 AM

2015-07-12T06:29:09-04:00

My situation was very different. As soon as I got to my first duty station, I was assigned to HHC. Met my NCO, he told me to report to this place at this time for PT, do PT, then go to DFAC and start working (I was a 92G). No problem, right? WRONG. There was a specific company just for cooks, Charlie Company, that I was supposed to be doing PT with, and ranges, and everything else. So I got my fanny handed to me when I came to the DFAC. Then I got my fanny handed to me AGAIN when I didn't show up for PT with HHC. I didn't know where I belonged. I just figured I would listen to whichever 1SG was scarier.

It was Charlie Company's, by the way.