What was the worst duty you ever had to pull?

[sop2510]

I went to submarine school in New London after completing two years of nuclear training. I was a third class petty officer (NCO). While we were waiting for school to start they sent us the base's Navy Exchange grocery store to bag groceries. That's when I knew I would never make a career of the Navy.

[Oyaji]

I went to submarine school in New London after completing two years of nuclear training. I was a third class petty officer (NCO). While we were waiting for school to start they sent us the base's Navy Exchange grocery store to bag groceries. That's when I knew I would never make a career of the Navy.

Yeah but, were you able to keep the tips? Some of those Commissary baggers make some pretty good money, especially on paydays.

[Bill F]

I was an Army medic,91b20,had to work on a burn ward,1971

[Quadguy]

We burned the Sh(*&(*T house down , we forgot to pull the drum halves out of the thing before we lit them up with the diesel/gas mix . They let us only pull perimeter and convoy duty after that which is what we were there to do. Quad 50 gunner RVN attached to the 1/7 Cav.

[Dan Shapiro]

Cleaning the grease pit at Consolidated Mess #4, Ft Devens Mass, July 1967. My fatigues went into the trash can, couldn't wash the stink out of them.

[Ron James]

Deleted, not the time or place for this story Ron James

[High Plaines Doug r]

RVN 5/7th Cav 1970 Arclight BDA (bomb damage assessment) from the ground wasn't particularly pleasant, but MIA search and recovery after a couple of days sucked pretty hard.
Doug

[desert guy]

Generally, one duty station was the same as another. However, MCAS Futenma was especially demoralizing, as it lacked the basic creature-comforts for the SNCOs; four SSGT. GYSGT or MSGT sharing a room meant for one or two at most, is a prime example. Another period of time was January - December 1977 (when I retired), when Jimmy Carter was POTUS; he was bound and determined to underfund the military, much like President Truman after WWII. Semper Fi.

[Guamsst]

Grand Forks, North Dakota. POL (Base Fuels) Just doing my normal job, but doing so while it is lower than -60 degrees and you just stand with your back to the wind and wait in a trance for it to be over. They would say it was below -54 and close the flightline. Then planes would land and suddenly it would "warm up" to -54 and they would open the flightline. As soon as POL and the crew chiefs had recovered and refueled, the temp would miraculously drop back to below -54. Odd thing about the Air Force, my worst duties seem to always be stateside in peace time....lol

[Oyaji]

Not necessarily the worst but, Diego Garcia 1980....Once every couple weeks or so, each CPO had to stand duty as Assistant Command Duty Officer (ACDO).

For the most part the duty was uneventful except when it came time to close the Turner Enlisted Club. Now there wasn't a whole helluva lot of entertainment or off-duty recreation in Diego Garcia in the early years. The island was mainly inhabited by hardworking and even harder drinking Navy Seabees assigned to the various Mobile Construction Battalions. I remember one battalion was NMCB 40 aka the "Fighting Forty."

About all one could do to combat the extreme isolation and boredom was to drink copious amounts of alcohol. Every day after work secured, most of the younger Seabees would retire to said Turner Club and proceed to drink one alcoholic beverage after another until the place closed at 2300 hours.

The ACDO had the duty of ensuring the the club was vacated at closing time. Unfortunately, this was usually the time the most of the fighting occured. I used to dread having the duty and having to walk into the club, turn the lights on, and announce the the club was closed and argue with the drunks while escorting them out the door. More often than nought, fights would erupt and chairs, beer bottles, ashtrays, etc. would start flying.

I have the greatest respect for Navy Seabees. They are unique among our nation's warriors. Their motto..."We build, we fight" is one taken very seriously. Great group of fighting men, for sure.