79 - Land Nav with SSgt R and his "one and done" Clorox raiders. During Phase 1 Land Nav they would road lurk and snatch those students during crossings. The first TngGrp dude to catch one, got the rest of the day off (we later learned). I still remember setting up on a 10m curve and watching as the jeep approached. All of a sudden the jeep comes to a dead stop, both instructors jump out and run into the woodline 20m to my left screaming "There he is... I got him.... There he goes" in hopes of spooking any hiding, bug eyed student. Both came out of the woods empty handed but belly laughing so hard, they were actually bent over. They fell into jeep - rinse, lather, repeat - 100m down the road they repeated the process complete with belly laughs. I remember it had been raining like hell for days and I was fookin' miserable, but still had to put my head down in my hands cause I was laughing so hard... That turned the switch on for me, I thought - Oh yea, I'm gonna like it here alot.

Sandytroop is not normal. Trust me, I know him. You never told me that story JT. Good thing, because I would never want to be in front of you on a ruck march again. LOL

It's ok to be in front
 

Just don't stop suddenly !

LOL - "Touch that rucksack!"

"Owww!"

Very young, just turned 18 with less then 4 months TIS.

Forgot to check the bottom of my ruck prior to arriving at the compound.

Ordered to empty rucks for inspection, I realize I have c-rat cans and hastily through them under the huts.

The senior tac, SSG F....was relieved because of too many med drops. Feb 1983. He was famous for bouncing the gate. As well as his ruck marches. After one episode, they had to air medevac an officer with heat stroke.

Got recyled for failing land nav.

Went through 1 more pre-phase and then phase 1 again. April 1983.

Passed land lav, second student in.

Chicken laid 2 eggs. Learned that you need Pam to prevent the egg from sticking to the canteen cup. Hardboiled the second egg. The last night before getting picked up an instructor drops by and warns about an approaching snow storm. Being from up north, I didn't think it would snow in North Carolina in April. Well it snowed and it was like the 4th of July that night. We probably lost 10 to 12 guys who quit because of the cold.

On the graded ruck march at the end, jumped behind Maj. Howard---what an honor.

Finally, arrived back to Bragg, released after formation and immediately drove over to I-Hop and then Shoney's. Ate HUGE meals at both places and then proceeded to get sick.

LOL I remember that story, too. They also told us about a guy that simply buried his rabbit, with only the back feet sticking out of the ground. The instructor saw the feet moving and pulled the whole bunny out of the ground like a carrot.

I had a chicken. Not very good for keeping warm. I killed him, ate him and used his guts for bait to try to catch a fox. I would have eaten that damn fox if I caught him, but of course I didn't.

The basket was simply called a "Fish Basket" as I recall.

I also remember only being able to walk out the gate at Mackall if you were taking trash to the dumpster. The dumpster was the type that was open at the end and you could walk right in. We took turns carrying trash cans to the dumpster so we could rummage for food. We found half bags of cookies, peanut butter, etc. I have often wondered if that wasn't arranged by the staff to see if we would be resourceful.

If you were in 3-84, you should have remembered it. "The Last Hard Class".

Graduated August, 1984.

TR

What do I remember most ?? That is a very difficult question !!!
I’ll start with our arrival at Bragg from Jump School. On a Bus, get on Post and what do we see, E-8s & 9s wearing Berets on-line policing up PINE CONES !!!! We all look at each other and go “WTF are they going to have us doing” ?!?!?!

We unload at the barracks and are invited into the “day room” for a welcome to Training Group speech and then we are told that the sodas and BEER !!!!! in the tubs with ice were ours and welcome aboard !!

The next few weeks we went through all of the testing, swimming, PT, etc and those of us that Passed drew our gear and were sent on to (the then) Phase I. We were “inserted” into Camp Mackall by way of a full equipment jump. Only one problem, we were on a C-123, the weather was for shit and we were flown around for about 2-3 hours waiting for the weather to break. During the leisurely flight one of my friends got airsick and puked in his piss-pot !! He passed it down the stick for the JM to dump into the pisser in the rear and when it was about halfway back the RED LIGHT ILLUMINATED !!! EVERYBODY, STAND UP!!! :eek: The wayward helmet found itself being passed back to it’s owner, without having been DUMPED !!! As the jump commands proceeded, the helmet and owner were reunited and he donned it, puke and all. There was puke running and dripping off of his nose, ears, and chin. He was covered in it, and we were going to find ourselves without bathing facilities for the duration of Phase I. (He ended up having to wear those clothes for close to a week!!) When we finally left the airplane, all that broke the silence was his continued barfing all the way to the ground !!!

Well, that about sums up the first few weeks that commenced around September-October, 1969. We spent Thanksgiving out at Mackall and graduated just in time to go home on X-Mas leave with a Beret/SF Crest (without flash). The SAGA will continue !

ROTFLMAO! And nobody thought you'd ever top NUMBA F'ING ONE! DO IT AGAIN!

My 1059 shows my class dates as 3-27-84 to 7-26-84. And if I'm reading it right, I was in 3-84. Small world, Bud.

Learned bunny baseball. Also remember an encounter between a very large E-5 type jarhead with a K-bar and a goat. Quite a demonstration for impressionable young minds! :D

talking to TR offline, I think that I was in the class behind you guys, 4-84.

one of the officers that started out with TR went down as a heat casualty, and was recycled back into my class.

long time ago.

things sure have changed. Mostly for the better, it seems.

The Last Hard Class
 

Dave, didn't "Demo" Greg D, Butch S and John C (18D) all go through about that time? WAY small world...

I don't know when they went through. I didn't know them until I got off active duty went to 12th SFG. It must have been close to that time frame though.