Quote:
Originally Posted by 723
Does anyone remember SFC Gumm or Asa Ballard from pre-phase training group?
There was another SFC who had his eyes altered while in Nam to fit in more with the indigenous but I can't recall his name.
Pre-phase training, endless gorilla drills, pushups, rucksack runs with that cadence of "R***, Kill, Pillage and Burn". The cadre got reamed for allowing that. More pushups and pt all the while someone screaming at us to quit and placing SFQC release forms in front of us through it all. I think it only strenghten our resolve. I don't remember anyone giving up although alot wanted to. We were the last class to start SFQC with Chargin Charlie at the helm before he moved to Delta.
Ph 1 Land Nav. "How the hell are you supposed to find this stick in the middle of nowhere". Appreciating just how BIG the outside perimeter of the airfield at Mackall when you had to run around it. You know, it REALLY IS dark out in Uwarrie at night. Going from point to point throught the night. Finding out other teammates got electrocuted when they touched the electrified fences (Ha, dam city boys). Others getting chased by the bulls in the dark or shot at by farmers thinking we were poaching on their land. All we wanted was to cross the property. Slide for life. 2nd time around in the winter, George Royster (RIP TmSgt) seem to find some strange pleasure in having me go down the slide 3x in a row in the ice water. Can't remember which was colder, the air or water.
Ph 2 Booms BIG BOOMS. I studied but not as hard as others. It just seemed like it was preprogrammed in me. It all came very easy, enjoyed every bit of it. We had some Force Recons in our Demo class. One was named Sully, can't remember his partner and they were accompanied with a Sgt Strevel. We called him Evil Strevel. Short guy maybe around 5' (I'm 5'6" and I towered over him) but he was built like a pit bull and had about the same temperment. Improvised munitions. Everyone checking out Radio Shack for ideas. hhehehehheh.
Ph 3 Having to train admin from 18th Abn Corps as indig. Leading patrols and getting lost ( Yes i got lost). Going 2 days of patrols and hard humping without sleep and passing out falling into a stream. Damn that water wakes you up fast. Note to self, train indig to fish your ass of of water if you fall in asleep. Don't let them look at you from the shore GRRRRRR !!!! SERE More freezing. Why do they always stick me with the guys with thin blood !!!!!!
Getting the Beret with Full Flash. Best day of my life up to that point.
Side note : Back in the day everyone had the beret but you were either a candy striper or a full flash. We didn't have SF tabs then.
Oh what fond memories
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I remember 1SG Asa Ballard "What's ought times ought" and I too cannot remember the name of the Training NCO. He was a good guy. I was in that "first" all Demo class. There were three Force Recons in the class. The young one was smart and made honor grad. Strevel was a pitbull - all act in my opinion. The Demo class had a field trip to SC where we visited the docks and a working nuke plant.
I was that medic taking the class while waiting on Goat Lab.