My fellow Recruiters, what is the craziest thing to ever happen to you while trying to make mission?

CPL Anthony Slaughter — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 21:48:23 -0400

This was back in 05' when that God-awful Corporal Recruiter Program was around.

So I was at this kid's house, giving him my usual sales pitch, and (I swear to God this happened) his grandmother pulls a gun on me. She was scared that I was gonna take her little grandson away, and the next thing I know she's got a loaded revolver pointed at me, ordering me to leave.

So I left, and when I informed my Station Commander, he asked me if I tried to re-sell the Army, to which I restated the fact that you can easily see when a revolver is loaded. He then said that I should've tried to reason with her, but after I respectively asked him to go there and demonstrate where I went wrong, he dropped the issue. Gotta love USAREC.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2016 10:02 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 22:02:35 -0400

EPIC! Okay, so I'm with one of my Future Soldiers riding around knocking on some of his friends doors and other names I pulled from his school. I start going down this road and he's playing on his phone. After about 2 or 3 minutes of driving he looks up and SAYS...HUH "WHERE ARE YOU GOING" and I'm like blah,blah,blah address. He GOES, I WOULD TURN AROUND IF I WAS YOU. UNLESS YOU WANT TO STOP AT PEOPLES HOUSES THAT WILL SHOOT YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR SKIN COLOR, I'D TURN AROUND. I'M WHITE AND I DON'T GO DOWN THIS ROAD. Needless to say I Turned Around and made a note to self.

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Aug 26 at 2016 10:59 PM

SSgt Dan Montague — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 22:59:33 -0400

I don't want to incriminate myself.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Aug 27 at 2016 12:09 AM

CSM Charles Hayden — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 00:09:42 -0400

CPL Anthony Slaughter Great story!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 27 at 2016 10:25 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 10:25:33 -0400

I used to use Craigslist to find recruits, it also summoned some weird, random people too. I had this guy call me saying that he saw my ad. We talked about the Army for a minute and he said that he wanted to come to the office. I asked him about medical, high school graduate, and height/weight- all good. But when we got to law, he told me that he doesn't want to talk about it over the phone- that means what recruiters, DQ'ed law right? I told him that I didn't want him to come all the way in for me to turn him away, just get it over with and tell me. He refused and insisted that he come in, I said ok fine. He comes in with a backpack on and sits down next to me. I said "what's the charge?" He said, no bullshit: "one time I had a victim and-" and he looked at me and I must've had a mortified look on my face. He then said "I'd rather you read it instead" and he pulled a folder out of his backpack and he pulled out a paper. It said "hello my name is so and so and is love to work for your company. I just got out of prison after serving 7 years for sexual misconduct and criminal restraint-" I then handed the paper back to him and said "I read enough sir. You're disqualified, sorry." He left. My station commander came out of the office in the back and said "what the hell happened?" So I told him what I read. He said "holy crap! That dude was a rapist! Where the hell do you find these people anyway?!" Hahaha

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Aug 27 at 2016 5:45 PM

SFC Joseph Weber — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 17:45:42 -0400

I went to an appointment in Loma, Nebraska and wound up helping my applicant castrate her dog. In my Class Bs. Tried getting my shirt off after I realized what was happening. Got blood splattered. Afterwards I stood around with a few locals and drank beer. Semi-traumatic experience. When I was telling the counselor from the school I got no further than " I went to Loma the other night.." When she cut me off and said "Don't go to Loma, they're All crazy out there"! One of the guys I drank beer with did tell me all about never having a SSN and how I was a pawn of the great government conspiracy. I didn't really care. I just watched a dog get his balls cut off with nothing but a razor blade. No sedative or disinfectant.
As a side note, they filmed that Patrick Swayze Wesley Snipes movie 'To Wong Foo Thanks for everything Julie Newmar' there. Only paved street was the one the movie company paved for the film.

Response by SSG Heath Jewett made Aug 29 at 2016 5:17 PM

SSG Heath Jewett — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 17:17:16 -0400

Getting a call at 2 A.M. From a police officer that my business card was left at the scene of a hit and run.

Response by Lazaro Alcazar made Aug 29 at 2016 5:44 PM

Lazaro Alcazar — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 17:44:51 -0400

Daring as I am a had intelligently gone to reason...

Response by CW3 Matt Hutchason made Aug 29 at 2016 7:15 PM

CW3 Matt Hutchason — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 19:15:50 -0400

This is a true story. I was a Marine Recruiter in Gainesville GA from '94-'97. An applicant came in the office one day who was prior service Army. At the time, he was working as a prison guard. Part of the process was me obtaining character references, which I went to the prison to do (not from the prisoners, of course. From his supervisor). As it happens, a former Marine I knew also worked at the prison. I talked to him for a while, and he mentioned that the applicant was evidently popular, as 2 other guys were there just days before about the applicant. I didn't think anything about it. A few days later, after everything had checked out, he went to MEPS to process. Our recruiter down at MEPS was doing the final verbal screening, he asked the applicant "Have you ever killed anybody or been accused of killing somebody?" half jokingly. The guy answered "Yes". Our guy said "Tell me more". As it turns out, while in the Army the guy had been stationed in Germany. Long story short, he came back home after his tour and his wife and kid didn't. He had actually been charged by Army CID for 2 counts of murder, but dropped the charges as there were no bodies or evidence. Our guy called and said "Come get him". I responded with what I thought was the appropriate thing: "Fuck that, he can ride the shuttle. I might not make it home if I'm in the car with him for an hour". I never saw the applicant again. Oh, the 2 guys at the prison a few days before I was there...... Army CID still investigating, I found out later.

Response by CW3 Matt Hutchason made Aug 29 at 2016 10:43 PM

CW3 Matt Hutchason — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 22:43:19 -0400

And here's another one, still in Gainesville GA between '94-'97. We got a new recruiter in the office. He had been a recruiter before and was good at it. He was a Gunnery Sergeant. He was also the most vile creature to ever walk the earth. Every 3rd word out of his mouth either started with an f or was a body part. We were driving together to Ellijay GA for some reason on some mountainous roads. This road was one of those that was 3 lanes, with alternating passing zones in the middle lane. At some point, we approached a car in front of us in the no passing part driving slowly, very slowly. The driver was an old lady who we discovered looked to be 70 or so. The Gunny also smoked like a chimney, as he was at the time while driving. After a couple minutes, we got to the passing lane. When we did, he whipped into the passing lane and told me to roll down my window, which I did. He pulled along side her and matched her speed, cursed the woman loudly using his normal vernacular (calling he an no driving c***), and flicked his lit cigarette out of my window into her open window. That is a true story. I've got a ton of these.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made May 21 at 2017 5:56 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Sun, 21 May 2017 17:56:09 -0400

Mom came by and signed Juniors papers then told him to stop by and see me.

Young guy came in with his bag planning go now. I had to put him in a hotel for the weekend.

I put another slug in the reserves, he didn't ship. He told his friends he didn't want to get his hair cut. About a month later the Stockade at Ft. Dix called. Apparently his unit had reported him as a deserter. The New Jersey State Police had stopped him for a traffic violation. They ran him through NCIC and, much to their delight they had a deserter. Ft. Dix was a short ride so they turned him in. He got to spend a week or two learning how the Army does things, including a free haircut. Believe it or not his mother wanted me to go bring him home. He showed up by bus DD214 in hand