Originally Posted by uplink5

When I was in AIMC classes, I was in what I think was the first BODY NAZI class. I don't remember all the cadre names but we had a medic named SFC Jordan. He was a huge Black fella who scared the hell out of me one morning when I started falling back during a ruck-run. Capt. Charters was running us up a sugar sand hill by the fairgrounds, I thought I was dying. All the sudden, “something" picked me up from behind and carried me to the top, ruck and all. When he set me down, he said, "fall back again and I'll stick this boot up your ass, and it won't be as fun a ride as you just got". I never fell back again. I realized later that Jordan was one of the nicest guys in the world but, I always refused to test him.

In PH1, we had an instructor named SFC Neptune; he was trying to demonstrate the proper techniques to accomplish "the Whopper", but couldn't climb the rope. Then out of nowhere, SFC Gallant jumps out from the wood line, and while calling Neptune everything but a child-of-god, demonstrates the Whopper for us, making it look quite easy. Of course, Neptune never did recover from this and another Cadre soon became our primary instructor. Perhaps the best teaching point was Neptune himself though because I knew, from then on, that I never wanted to be "THAT GUY". Years later when Gallant worked for me as a communications guy in one of the safe houses, he had quite the laugh over this.

In PH2, I had a family emergency and when I went to the CQ, (a SSG on admin. hold from the Q course) I told him that I needed to talk to the NCOIC, SFC Davis. The CQ refused to give me the number unless I told him what was going on. I told him it was none of his business then, one thing led to another, and I hit the SOB. 30 minutes later, while I was sulking on a pick-nick bench by the code room, I hear, "hey Wildman", it was Davis. I told him my issue and he informed me that it wasn't the end of the world but, the issue over me hitting the CQ might be. When we made it back to the CQ, Davis asked him what happened. The bonehead pretty much verified my version of things, and then Perry told him that he could press charges against me but he'd never graduate the course if he did. He never did. Since Davis went out to 1st GRP, I never did see him again but, to this day, I owe CSM (Ret) Davis a bottle of his choosing.

Finally, one of the proudest moments in my life was when I finished SFQC. Of the 310 studs who started, 68 ultimately finished I think, and though we still had a long ways to go once we got to our Groups, I knew I was ready. Of course, subsequent life and death events in 5th and 3rd GRPs, health concerns with cancer and other realities made my experiences from the SFQF seem so long ago. That said, I’d never have made it to where I am today, without having made it through the Q course first. It’s been one hell of a ride....jd