[mcdude]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

I was an 18 y/o buck private, March 1982. Just graduated jump school about 2 weeks before.

We got off the cattle trucks at Mackall (80-pax, they were called-shoulda been called 120-pax!). I was scared outta my mind, as I should have been.

SSG Laydon yelling at me "Hey Wildman, were do you think you're going?!! Do pushups!"

The instructors told us to dump EVERYTHING, in 30 seconds, to do a shakedown. Of course, I had packed everything into plastic baggies, to waterproof, etc. I did 10 pushups for every bag unopened. SSG Clayburn (older black guy, had been an R.I. at Dahlonaga with MAJ Howard, I was told) found about 25 unopened bags. I was quaking in 10 minutes, and in muscle failure in 20, before we even did PT.

"Hit it!-touch that ruck".

The gates swinging open, and swinging closed as we went around for a "mind-fuck lap".

MAJ Howard smoking all of our asses at morning P.T., then going out on a run at noon. He came back, and smoked us in the hand-to-hand pits around 1900.

Being on the land nav course was great. They gave us three C-rats a day, We did our land nav, and the TACs left us alone.

I was the first to finish the day phase, along with J.C. Dxxxxx. I came cruising in, thinking that I had failed. I looked around, and saw J.C. sitting about 50 meters from the last point, doing the rucksack flop. I thought, "Oh great--I boloed". Turns out that I had did it in 4 hrs, and we had 5. I read the timer dial on my watch wrong. SGT J-ski, a former 1/75 Ranger, was my grader on Land-nav. He handed me my packet, and says "Good job, killer. Go over there, and wait for the night phase."

I remember the first time I heard the term 'illustrious'. It was how our senior TAC, SFC Sharp described SFC Miller. We were doing pre-jump for the jump into the survival FTX. Two of the best NCOs I have ever been trained by.

During the 12 miler, I stayed right eside our XO, CPT Kelly. I knew if I stayed with him, I would finish on time. 2:40, as I recall.

Our team sergeant (then-SSG Ballogg) had to go to a meeting, so SSG Barron was making jokes, in formation. Just as he finished telling a lewd joke, MAJ Howard appeared out of nowhere, (as he often did!), and chewed our asses about profanity.

And the worst fear....worrying about the duffle bag drag back to Bragg. "Attention in the compound...the bus to Ft. Bragg leaves in 5 minutes. All recycles and dropped personnel need to report to the TACs office ASAP." Fortunately, I didn't have to answer that call.

(edited for first names--PERSEC concerns)