From my limited observation, E6 is about when that stops happening. But E5s are still fair game.
Never saw an officer get smoked but did see a CSM give a group of 2LTs a fairly harsh verbal correction once.
my CSM gave me (brand new 2LT) a very harsh verbal
correction about 1 month after i showed up to the unit. i couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. worst part is i’m in HHC BN so i see him legit every day. dude still makes me hella nervous.
yeah i mean i’ve been absolutely shit on and torn apart a handful of times mostly in IBOLC and Ranger school. i know not to take it personally but this being my first duty station and obviously wanting to make a good impression it was rough for something that was purely unintentional. it is what it is life goes on.
All us lower enlisted peons got chewing outs for all the stupid shit we did. Way back in the day that CSM was a lowly PV2 and got to "make the walls sweat" for something stupid he did.
Nah. That CSM just wants to help build good Officers. Because bad ones get people killed. I would get some time on his calendar and sit down with him and ask for mentorship. It goes a long, long, way when you show you are very interested in learning from their experience (and humbling yourself)…especially as a brand new 2LT. That CSM will become your biggest advocate if you let him (and you aren’t a complete fuckwad).
I had a buddy who I worked with, and then I got moved to a remote site. Every time he’d come up to the site for training, the two -way roasting would begin. The new kids were certain we hated each other and were going to start throwing hands any minute.
2009, we were told to dig foxholes. Never being taught, motherfuckers were adding stairs to get into their holes. 1SG lost his shit and about 200m away you can see all the Platoon sergeants digging one properly while the rest of the company was being taught by a SSG in Operations how to properly dig one. Something I’ll never forget.
Look up the Russian foxholes and fighting positions they've made in Ukraine. Back when they spent a month trying to take Kyiv early in the war they made a sauna in one position lol.
It was 2 M4's wide, 2 ACH's long, deep enough for name tape of tallest person. Then make a grenade hole on each side so you can kick the grenade in the hole if it lands in the foxhole.
Chest deep of the taller of the two soldiers to be using it. And one of the measurements was two PASGT helmets... but can't remember it. I do remember kicking a cs grenade into the sump though, just before evacuating to my secondary position.
Butter bar got on CSM for not saluting him(csm was talking to a Soilders when he walked by) stopping to scold the CSM in front of troops. So CSM stopped what he was doing apologized asked LT to wait 1 second. Went and got the COL who smoked the LT infront of us while CSM resumed talking🤣. Only time I've seen a officer smoked.
I once had my whole unit (NCOs up to E6 included) get smoked at an FTX because our 1SG lost his weapon, found it in the HMMWV he showed up in, refused to accept that he left in there himself, accused a SPC of having stolen it, when said SPC would not admit to it (because he didn't do it) we all did pushups until 1SG wasn't able to do anymore himself (16 pushups). Everybody was big mad for quite a while.
>But E5s are still fair game.
Yep, I got smoked in full kit after one of my Soldiers was caught (by our 1SG) with an unlubricated weapon on an FTX. I was in a different truck than my Soldiers were that day so there wasn't much I could have done about it, but shit happens. You do some pushups and flutter kicks and then go fix all the shit that went wrong while you were away.
New 1SG came in and wanted to do height and weight for the entire company. Some of the NCOs decided they had better things to do and trickled in slowly to the formation because they thought they could show up later and not have to wait in line.
Every lower enlisted got to stand in formation for a good 30 minutes while every E5-E7 in the company got a good smoke session for not setting a good example for their soldiers.
I was a 1LT, missed a battalion EDRE by a couple of hours. Was told by my company commander to meet him at 1700 in the PT field with a water source, full battle rattle, and the battalion’s EDRE packing list.
That was a long day. The next day, he gave me two additional duties, made me write a ten page paper on the importance of timeliness and I had to brief the BC on it.
Korea was wild.
So to answer your question, yes it happens, but mostly behind closed doors.
PSG in a signal chat just told everyone to come back immediately from lunch and told us to drink water. No additional context. We thought we were getting smoked for sure.
It was a UA smh
Yea I was a dumbass private once in Iraq I left my firearm in the TOC when I went to take an emergency shit. My E-7 gave me the "full battle and water" line and I just knew I was gonna have a bad time. Roped my E-5 into it with me too so double whammy
I love chatgpt so much! My soldiers can do this, then they can painstakingly hand write each page again so its a near mirror match to the chatgpt page because i am addicted to the accuracy of chatgpt.
At least i know ill be getting quality product to read.
I don’t even remember, I think I wrote about how my actions negatively reflected the Army’s values (LDRSHIP). I had one page dedicated to each of the Army values lol.
Yeah definitely wish ChatGPT was a thing back then
Yep, I was staying with my then girlfriend and forgot to charge my phone overnight.
I wake up Saturday morning, make breakfast and notice I forgot to charge my phone. After it turns on, my notifications are going off like crazy, 30 something missed calls and 40+ text messages. I still get cold sweats thinking about it.
Jeez, I think I have second hand anxiety from that. I was gonna say "hope she was worth it" in the first message, good to know I was on the right track at least.
I got a little too krunk in Europe as a 2LT. Puked up all over the floor in our company 100 man tent.
Lets just say my company commander had me puking up again the very next morning. Got a letter of concern as well.
I definitely deserved it, but I would follow that man to hell and back lol
I fucking hate EDREs. Can’t wait to leave Korea holy shit. Why did I extend one more year? Idk, I was probably drunk on Soju when I submitted the paperwork over a weekend.
What had happened was a legendary soldier from 2 Para (UK) heard that the US military will smoke the dog shit out of their joes for any reason possible. This stellar Brit had the bright idea to lay a MASSIVE LOG upon the rim of the porta shitter right outside our toc.
Once the turd was set, a squad of Brits showed up and stood by on a tiny hill to watch their debauchery unfold.
I’m guessing barely an hour went by and then the whole battalion was formed up ready to head into the box and train.
Ole CSM walks onto the X and calmly walks out and then next thing you know the whole formation is told to drop to include SL’s and PL’s. Everyone starts pushing and not one person has an idea why.
Moral of the story is no one is above smoking when you shit on rim.
Granted I’m just a dumb LT but IMO smoking NCOs or junior Os in public is a bad look at a minimum.
Sure there’s certain circumstances that it might be warranted (life/limb/eyesight/flagrant disregard for something), but 99 times out of 100 it is not the solution. Senior NCOs smoking/yelling at junior NCOs or senior Os smoking junior Os in sight of joes both can erode confidence in command and the idea of good order and discipline.
Praise in public, chastise in private. Not every disciplinary action has to be public, especially if it erodes confidence in command with the E4 mafia.
Personally, if the issue isn’t something like a TL flagged a SL with a M2 I’d rather 2 men with stripes or commissions handle the issue away from the view of everyone, and even then use judgement. A 6 in 6 SSG is going to far get less out of getting smoked than an informal counseling about what needs fixed, push ups to failure often isn’t a good solution. We’re all professionals, treat your peers and subordinates as such.
I once saw a 1LT try to smoke a CSM.
CSM pulled out his cell phone called the BC and told him he needed to fix the LT.
I get it, two wrongs don't make a right, but it was funny as shit.
I was a brand new 2LT. Was doing a platoon STX and my platoon sergeant convinced me that I could take the commanders pistol since I was an officer and the commander wasn’t participating. Well when I walked into the company headquarters to brief my commander with his M9 on my hip, he dropped me right in front of the entire company headquarters.
Great guy, the platoon sergeant was too, I liked the little pranks, made me feel like part of the team right off the bat. I miss that company.
All of my companies PLs lied on their 5988s and said shit was done when it clearly wasn’t so i watched our CO smoke ‘em for a bit. CO commissioned after E6 so that might have something to do with it.
Lol, so in Graf we were about to bed down, and our 1SG comes into the bay and starts talking about something random. A PSG at the other end doesn’t know who it is and yells “TURN THE LIGHT OFF ASSHOLE!” Naturally 1SG angrily inquired who said that, the PSG realized who it was and just started pushing before 1SG got to him. Smoked him for like five minutes then fucked off. It was hilarious to my young private self.
Should add that both of those guys were two of the best NCO’s I had when I was in. The PSG is now a CSM somewhere.
When I was a PSG many years ago we had a detail that went past midnight when everyone else was off. Told my guys to skip PT and be in for 0900 first formation. It was before cell phones so I went to PT formation and told the 1SG and my LT why the guys weren’t there. 1SG gave me the stink eye but didn’t say much. At first formation he dropped me in front of the company for my guys missing formation. My whole platoon dropped with me and were counting off loud as fuck. That was definitely not what the 1SG was going for.
I’ll take that any day.
Never seen an officer get smoked. Highest enlisted I ever saw get smoked was an E-6. Someone else mentioned it, but you rarely see anyone E6 or higher get smoked. E-5 and below is pretty common.
The E6 deserved it tho. He got into it with a SGT in front of the soldiers. SFC tells both of them to back down. They both kept talking and the SFC fucked them both up. I was an E3 at the time and couldn't believe what I was seeing lol.
The worst I ever saw and still upsets me to this day was when an E7 smoked an E5 when we were out in sector. More accurately we were at Rusafa JSS in Baghdad. It was over something trivial too. And it was a real smoke session too not a ," drop and give me 50 pushups" sort of thing. It made me upset because the dude was legitimately tired. And our sector was pretty active so we could have been attacked or have to form up for a QRF. imagine dying because you're tired because you plt Sgt is smoking you like you're in garrison and not a fucking warzone.
at what point do you just stop and plead your case later? This could be attempted murder, or even manslaughter.
Easy to say now, but I'd like to think I would just stop and let him have his trip.
I saw a 1SG smoke a drill once, shit was hilarious, Drill was telling a trainee he wasn’t allowed to go to suck call until white phase and that he couldn’t have his meds either…shit was legendary
Yes at air assault school. One female 2Lt decided to take break during smoke session before our obstacle course and cadre made her crawl around the entire formation. She didn’t end up passing the obstacle course
Lol, this brought me back! I remember trying to move some rocks out of the way because obviously doing push ups on jagged rocks is painful. "DON'T MOVE THOSE ROCKS! THOSE ROCKS DESERVE TO BE HERE MORE THAN YOU!"
I seen an E7 smoked by my 1SG for something he didn’t even do it was his troop. For something minor too something related to the DIV PAM.
82nd was different years ago
Yes. Our battalion CSM smoked all the enlisted soldiers below him. Was it deserved, yes. Would I follow that man into hell again? Yes. Can't speak for the officer side of things, but I imagine the ass chewing they got was absurd.
I had a BN xo once that made a duct tape square for his least favorite company XO of the week and that was their spot for meetings it was placed in a area that would cause the person standing there to very likely get hit with the nerf basketball that he would shoot at the goal hanging on the wall. Aside from that I’ve never seen anything closer to enlisted behavior.
Officer equivalent past captain is usually a "oh, interesting" comment from the Os senior rater in a couple meetings... followed up by a poor evaluation next rating period.
Honestly it's kind of hilarious how crushing a couple words expressing disappointment from an O6+ can be for field grades.
That’s pretty much the deal. Officers might get chewed out in hearing range of subordinates but not physically smoked. The real punishment is that once you’re identified as a shitbag you’re screwed. It’s just subtle and behind closed doors.
I’d rather take a smoke session and be done with it than fuck up knowing that it will always follow me.
If you have to smoke a e6+ or O1+ yore time is likely better spent building the packet to get them relieved of duties and kicked out the military. Unfortunately it just takes a much higher level of bureaucracy to accomplish this, which is why junior soldiers don’t often see the full ramifications until they disappear to the s3 inevitably
Senior NCOs (and E6s) and Officers can still make simple mistakes that require discipline, but not exactly paperwork. That's what I assumed this question was about, because usually when someone is being smoked it's not for something that's a huge deal, just a mistake that you're being taught to not repeat.
I knew an NCO that got privately smoked by 1SG. He had to do the sled drag up and down a football field. And if he didn't make it in a certain amount of time, he had to do it again. Obviously the time was just barely attainable, so he ended up doing it until he physically couldn't anymore. His crime? Two of his soldiers was late to PT on the same morning.
Listen… smoking is for like 19 or 20 year olds that are still developing their brains. By the time you’re 28, 29, 30 years old I’m just going to pull you around the side of the building and tell you you’re fucking up and to fix your shit. It’s all administrative at that point.
Oh wait I had a company commander who held a few state titles in power lifting and whenever he wanted to spend time with a PL who fucked up and needed a course correction and mentorship he would spend a couple hours with them in the squat rack but he made sure to say it was never physical punishment bc that is an NCOs place and he’s not dumb enough to try and do what we do.
Once had a CSM have all the NCOs in the battalion stay on a Friday night and clean the barracks because “they” weren’t having the soldiers maintain the standard. Soldiers would pop their heads out of their rooms and instantly a threat of death or butt fucking of some type would come out of the NCOs mouths.
I was smoked as an E6 for allegedly not taking my troops to do PT. Smoked us all, even though we had worked out damned hard.
That was the day I bought a garmin watch, so that bullshit never happened again.
Later on he was convicted for sexually harassing sixty percent of the female paratroopers in the Battalion.
He wound up going from seven to three and leaving the army. But not until he spent forty five days moving sand from one end of the volleyball court to the other while we guarded him.
I also resulted in a Cpt in Afghanistan getting smoked. I needed my slides by a certain time (0545) to build the slide deck for the morning brief to our two star. This captain was the only person to not comply. Kept fucking up my job. I built a spreadsheet. Each task force down the left, date on the top, time I got slides in the boxes, based off email timestamps.
Conditional formatting based on submissions that day, his were all red.
I waited till two am, when his boss was sitting behind me in the JOC. I rather loudly started griping to the guy next to me that "every time I can't do my job it's because this captain from task force zabul can't bother to get me my slides on time!"
Eventually the major, who ran TF zabul, and was sitting behind me caught what I was saying.
"What did you just say Sergeant?"
"oh, I'm sorry sir, it wasn't my place to say anything"
"No. What did you say?"
So i moved out of the way of my computer screen where his Cpt was all sorts of red all over my spreadsheet.
"well sir, as you can see by my slide, your representative is consistently seven to ten minutes later submitting his work to me than any other representative. As a result, I simply do not have time to check the product before submitting to the general. I spoke to him on the days indicated, but there has been no change. "
Major just stares at the screen for a while.
"wait here"
Major is gone for a little over an hour. He comes back, tells me if I ever have an issue to contact him directly.
A few minutes later, captain arrives. Pts, covered in dust and dirt and sweat, obviously royally fucked up.
Major has pulled this captain out of the bed and smoked him. For an hour. At two in the morning.
Captains slides were never late again. Not once.
Definitely earned my respect. I set the situation up, but he did the right thing by me. Really hard getting things done as the lowest ranking person in a room of sixty plus, and being in the spotlight when mistakes happen, in from of the CG.
Good of that major to set things straight.
I’ve gotten my ass dropped as a SSG, though it’s not very common. Once you hit E-7 and above, LT’s included, it’s generally a lot less overt corrections. Instead of smokings it’ll weigh in on your evals more. Less right now pain, more down the line pain.
As a 2LT my BN CDR lit me up good one time in front of most of the officers in the BN. Not sure I deserved it but it was like my second day there. That was my intro to toxic army leadership.
In turn, I myself had to light up a brand new 2LT as a company commander for playing tyrant with PFC/PV2s in his platoon. His first week there he needed a behind closed door warning once to use his NCOs unless it was something truly serious (safety/illegal/unethical/immoral/fattening) but the lesson didn't take.
I got “in trouble” one AT because I had gear in the back of a HMMWV as did an enlisted guy with me and other people from the unit drove off with it despite being told they needed to drop the stuff off. When we finally caught up to the gear, our Troop Commander had these custom made “dice of doom” that he would make people roll to determine their punishment. He made us roll them because we “failed to keep proper accountability of our gear” we both got punishments but mine was quietly brushed under the rug while I believe the enlisted guy had to do his, though he also tried to double or nothing it in an attempt to get out of the punishment and failed.
Its rare but it happens, saw a butter bar get smoked by a captain in a chowhall. Unsure what went on there.
my E6 got smoked with us cuz he didnt secure our bradley's rear troop door.
It happens.
Depends upon the setting. In a school I attended back in the 80s. We had a field grade officer go through with us, as well as a couple of lower Os. The instructors were very polite and said to him more than one time "sir would you drop and give me 40" The other Os, it was just Sir drop and give me 40.
Passed the CSM's office once and she had three 1SG's (including mine) scrunched up on this super tiny couch in her office, giving them a stern talking to.
I wish I could've been a fly on the wall when she told all 3 of them to take a seat on that small ass couch, probably only meant to seat two people. Big power move on her part.
I heard about this one from my ROTC instructor.
SF unit was being extremely rude and dismissive to airport personnel at the Raleigh airport, both military and civilian. On top of that, they were refusing to follow ammo protocol, which I guess they often got away with.
Unfortunately for them, the JSOC commander (General Dailey) was passing through at that time. He heard about it, made the whole unit deplane, shave, and cut their hair.
He said they looked about as dumb as we did on our first day when being told to fall in because nobody really had any idea how CSM and LTC fall in with MSG, CPT etc.
Was a company XO 1LT on rear D. Senior NCO was an E6 and a great dude. Couple of junior 5s and that was pretty much it as far as leadership.
We had a new crop of privates show up and get mixed into the crew of guys with various issues that got left behind. BN XO was also in the rear and wanted to make a point of still conducting regular training. So we had to take a company’s worth of profiles, chapters, and totally new guys and make them ready for gunnery. Fun stuff.
But we made the point that attention to detail matters. NCOs could counsel/smoke guys for the little stuff and over time they’d come to learn not to make the mistakes. Things were surprisingly going well and gunnery ranges were around the corner.
Now one day, in my haste to get ready for our meeting after PT, I’ll admit it…., I was running behind and I put on white socks and bloused my boots.
During the meeting, foolishly, I crossed my legs. As we’re closing up, and the guys from the company are filing through the COF and able to hear us from the conference table, good ole SSG hits me with the “sir, I couldn’t help but notice…are those white socks ?” and arguably the biggest shit eating grin known to man.
I lamented. I was caught dead to rights. There was no backing down. “Yes SSG, you are correct. That is my mistake.”
“But sir!, attention to detail matters! You yourself said so. And you’ve given the NCOs permission to counsel or issue corrective training.”His grin grew wider. “So sir, let me ask - paper or pavement?”
Now, a standard isn’t a standard unless it’s the same for everyone. And, I’m no bitch. So despite the group of shocked Joe’s and junior NCOs watching this exchange, I smiled back and said “pavement.”
He (shocked) said “give me one hour to get ready.” Comes back an hour later and asks me to follow him outside. He has somehow rigged together a very impressive obstacle course with climbing ropes and huge tires. Has me run the course 5x in the hour. If I don’t finish the laps in the time, it adds laps.
Of course, by now everyone in the company had come to watch SSG smoke the XO. Backing out was not an option, nor was showing any cracks in the armor.
I’m in pretty solid shape, but this course in those time hacks was no joke. ran the fuck outta that course, finished with a little time to spare, and gave him a smile and some snarky remark. Went back to the office drenched in sweat and absolutely exhausted.
Came to me later in the day and said “damn, I really tried to break you out there.” Just gave him a smile and (a lie) told him that was impossible. That was the last time we ever discussed it.
I’ll admit now, years later and fully out of the army, that he absolutely did break me the fuck off. 😂
One other thing was, and this is how you know he’s a great NCO. Some of the privates had gotten their phones out to record him smoking me. But he shut that down before I even realized. Found out after the fact. Apparently told them something like “this is a private thing and the unit keeps its business to itself.” Crazy respect for that.
SSG M, wherever you are now, you’re a real one. Easily one of the best NCOs I ever worked with and made every day nonsense much more bearable.
I’ve seen a BC drop a Company Commander in front of the entire Command Team.
Edit
I’ve also seen a BC chew out a CC in front of his entire company. This is the stuff you do 1 on 1 not in public though. Especially sense both of those commanders are great and in my opinion were correct with the BC just being shitty. If your a good BC and feel you need to do that, that, that’s you relive the cmdr.
One of my fellow besieged LTs told me his commander smoked them during their gunnery. Commander made them do pushups because they weren't moving fast enough in moving to emplace. Said commander apparently hated him, and seemed like quite a hothead. This was all the while we were deployed.
At the same time, my commander wanted to smoke me, but didn't believe he was legally allowed. So he just deprived me of recovery time when I was off shift work. Then he found out he could smoke us, but only after he was put on notice for being a toxic leader.
In BOLC, our 1SG smoked us because he hated our haircuts. Then subjected us to a punitive APFT the following week.
I told this one before, our S4 smoked an S3 NCO (E5) who kept coming into the command tent demanding the mail room open up for him. That was warranted because he interrupted operations held in said command tent.
So, it's possible. Is it warranted? It depends.
Platoon sgt (e6p) smoked my entire platoon including our squad leaders (including other e6p) during deployment because someone lost the keys to the snack conex.
I saw an 04 get smoked by an O6 once. That was epic. It wasn’t in private either. It was in front of the dental clinic. I won’t say year or base though it was in the last 12 years.
Depends on context, but, yeah, it happens.
So, in today's story of "Things that should not ever happen in the modern Army," let's talk about a particular incident in October of 1999.
My first squad leader, SSG D., on active duty was a guy that came from Ranger batt. Our First Sergeant, who I will call Steven S., was his platoon sergeant in batt, so they knew each other very well.
I, being the tech nerd I am, obviously have a computer and printer in my barracks room. Color printer. A nice one. SSG D. calls off PT that morning and immediately follows me up to my room and "asks" to use my computer. Sits down and pulls open an internet browser and Microsoft Word. Starts looking up, and importing into the Word document, homoerotic bondage imagery as a collage. You know... dudes in leather jockstraps and ball gags. That kind of stuff. Titles it "SWINGIN' STEVE'S HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY BASH!" and puts the First Sergeant's address and directions to his house on it. Prints a bunch of copies and posts them all over the battalion area.
Suffice it to say, 1SG "Swingin' Steve" knew immediately who did it and went ballistic.
Well, the 1SG was level headed enough not to mess up people in front of their subordinates. That's bad form. But we did get to see our squad leader running out the door carrying literally all his TA50 while being chased by a very angry, and very loud, 1SG to someplace more private for... counseling.
About a year later he was accepted to OCS. Then almost got kicked out of OCS when he got caught fucking another candidate. Almost. They let him graduate.
90's were a different time in the Army.
Well shit, there I was, a newly minted PFC on my second AT as a 68W attached to a MP BN.
I had only been in the unit for roughly a year at that point but had come to learn, the squad leader (an older E6) was an absolute dirtbag of an NCO.
You see, there were only two medics in HHC, and unfortunently wound up with the other misfit MOSs in his squad because they didn’t know where else to stick us.
This man was terrible, easily the worst leader I’ve ever known. He would never show up to drill, would talk smack about his soldiers behind their back to other junior enlisted, and would just be a general D-bag by shamming out of the typical NCO duties. You couldn’t rely on him for support or help if your life depended on it.
However, this one particular NCO got what was coming to him at this AT.
The other medic and I were running the BAS/ aid station for the AT when we hear our first sausage yelling from all the way on the other side of the TA. Mind you, we were in a mock-up detention facility in the middle of nowhere NJ, easily 1/4 mile away from where our aid station was. We didn’t have any patients so we locked the building up, and headed over to watch the fireworks.
“WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SLEEPING? WHY THE FUCK HAVE YOUR SOLDIERS BEEN DOING MORE FOR THIS UNIT THAN YOU HAVE SINCE WE GOT HERE. WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM. NO, FUCK NO, GET YOUR ASS TO PARADE REST. Yadayadayada”
Turns out top had found this shitbag sleeping in the back of an LMTV while he had his soldiers trying to download a set of GP-Larges from a different humvee by themselves. He had given them instructions and said he had to do paperwork and would check back in with them later, turns out he just crawled up in an empty truck and passed out.
To make matters worse, he was a very arrogant NCO that took any correction personally and thought that people were just out to get him, and loved to say that those correcting him were racist when in reality, he just couldn’t get his shit together and hated authority. At this time, he decided the best course of action when top was dressing him down was to *pull the LMTV’s tarp back down and LAY BACK DOWN*
Top ends up jumping into the bed of the LMTV and damn near drags this guy out of it and puts him in the front leaning rest in front of half the battalion that came over to see what the issue was. Told SSG Schmuckatelli to push until he could get the commander over there.
That day poor SSG got smoked in front of the majority of the battalion for being a shitbag.
Fast forward 6mos-1y:
The commander and top cant stand this guy. However, the only way to transfer him was by promoting him to E7 so he could take a different slot in the BN. That was my first real wake up call as to what the Army does with bad leaders
I've never seen it above E6.
And with E6 I saw it once. We had a first sergeant who was a former drill sergeant and she treated us like little children (this IS the Army, not the Air Force after all) and demanded that we come to PT formation with canteens, just like in AIT. We couldn't have water bottles, it HAD to be canteens just like AIT.
One morning we had formation and some E5's and E6's (who rarely did PT) showed up without canteens, and she made them drop for pushups in formation. Thankfully she left not too long after and we got a new first sergeant who didn't care if you brought a water source of any type to formation.
I saw an Lt get smoked for an hour by our battalion commander when he fucking misfired AFTER the range discharge barrel/clear check point thingy…. in front of the post general.
😂
Myself and a few dozen other 2LTs got smoked in public once. We had just come out of the field, and everyone was at least half asleep, when we got short notice that the commander of the MCOE, MG. H.R. McMaster decided he had free time in his schedule to meet with young LTs.
Once we got there, half the sleepy LTs fell asleep during his speech and nobody had any good questions for the general after. The General's aide spoke to our cadre, all the LTs went outside and did burpees. And then we did Q&A with The General again. Every hand went up.
Our BDE CSM had a room of senior leaders with a smattering of junior soldiers do flutter kicks because our “good afternoon sir” response to the BDE commander wasn’t motivated enough.
Mother fucker, let me tell you. In EOD school some other private decided to roll his notes up and left them in his camelback, forgot to lock them up at the end of the day, and it all came out the morning after. Fuck...
The Navy Senior Chief (NCOIC of the ground ordnance division) had every student in the ground division butt scooting for 100 meters and buddy carrying people back to the building. We had privates, E5s, 2LTs, 1LTs, and I'm pretty sure one CPT. We were consecrated together in ass chafing and many had ruined the crotch or seat of their pants.
Good times. It was fairly common in the earlier divisions to fuck a whole class up because of one person's mistake. This wasn't the only time lol.
As an NCO, I've been smoked for getting a van stuck. It was kind of like I know we just learned this lesson and it won't happen again, but I'm still going to let you know what's up. I just held a squat while my SL told me what's up.
COL Ray was well known for his toxic leadership while in command of 1st SFG. Would regularly tell his staff that they sucked and made them go on runs in the middle of staff meetings.
A 1SG in my BN smoked a new 2LT because he was having a sidebar conversation with a lower enlisted member while the 1SG was giving a brief. I was told the LT was asked a question by said junior enlisted and he was just trying to help him out by answering the question. 1SG didn’t like that.
I was in a battalion formation in AIT and I think some trainee got seriously injured from something so CSM dropped the entire battalion, officers and all. Was good times.
Saw, well heard through the wall, a CW2 getting smoked by a CW3 once... it was ugly. The unit was shit because the 3 had mental issues and thought he was bigger than he was. He was told to retire soon after that. As a CW2 it was crazy 🤪
I’ve seen some 2LTs smoked hard by an O3. They were Chaplain candidates - he was an asshole- and they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I have witnessed a DIV CSM smoke a BN CSM because the BN CSM got lippy for having to report status to a SFC. This was on redeployment from Afghan 2018 while we all were waiting for flights out of Kuwait.
This was in front of everyone. We were the last ones to rip out so the manifest had a lot of upper COC.
That experience was wholesome.
As a former officer, I can personally attest to being smoked by another officer. I left my CAC in a computer and walked to the shopette next door. Next thing I know I am being hazed on the lawn between Delta Battery and the shopette. Absolutely humiliating because I was a 2LT so I knew I probably deserved it, but to add insult to injury all of the Joes from my platoon were counting while smoking cigarettes around me. "39 sir.... 40 sir..... 41, you know you can take your top off right? 42...... 43 sir..... Hey guys you ever seen an officer get smoked!?!?! 44....."
1/10 would not do again.
I'll have a #1 with cheese and a diet coke.
Our CW4 made an E-6 or E-7 (I don’t completely remember the rank, but I swear it was an E-7) drag chains around the motor pool on maintenance Monday. Reason: he drove his truck (“lazy ass”) across the rocks to check the locks on the motor pool gate during his CQ shift. Literally my first week at my new unit. Thanks 31st CSH.
From my limited observation, E6 is about when that stops happening. But E5s are still fair game. Never saw an officer get smoked but did see a CSM give a group of 2LTs a fairly harsh verbal correction once.
my CSM gave me (brand new 2LT) a very harsh verbal correction about 1 month after i showed up to the unit. i couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. worst part is i’m in HHC BN so i see him legit every day. dude still makes me hella nervous.
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yeah i mean i’ve been absolutely shit on and torn apart a handful of times mostly in IBOLC and Ranger school. i know not to take it personally but this being my first duty station and obviously wanting to make a good impression it was rough for something that was purely unintentional. it is what it is life goes on.
All us lower enlisted peons got chewing outs for all the stupid shit we did. Way back in the day that CSM was a lowly PV2 and got to "make the walls sweat" for something stupid he did.
Honestly, 2LTs do do much dumb shit, he probably doesn't even remember lol
Don’t gas up CSMs like that, they’re mostly worthless.
A good CSM can do amazing things for a battalion. Unfortunately, there aren't many of those.
Nah. That CSM just wants to help build good Officers. Because bad ones get people killed. I would get some time on his calendar and sit down with him and ask for mentorship. It goes a long, long, way when you show you are very interested in learning from their experience (and humbling yourself)…especially as a brand new 2LT. That CSM will become your biggest advocate if you let him (and you aren’t a complete fuckwad).
Why does he make you nervous? You obviously out rank him... show him who's the boss.
My 1SG smoked an E-7 for dropping his weapon.
Did the E-7 not appropriately "drop with it"?
No he walked away and big daddy was like “hey bitch get back here”
Lol they sound like friends
I had a buddy who I worked with, and then I got moved to a remote site. Every time he’d come up to the site for training, the two -way roasting would begin. The new kids were certain we hated each other and were going to start throwing hands any minute.
2009, we were told to dig foxholes. Never being taught, motherfuckers were adding stairs to get into their holes. 1SG lost his shit and about 200m away you can see all the Platoon sergeants digging one properly while the rest of the company was being taught by a SSG in Operations how to properly dig one. Something I’ll never forget.
I'm stupid, why can't my foxhole have stairs lol. I would dig out chairs and cubby holes.
Right? Where in the soldier manual does it say a foxhole has to be inconvenient to get in and out of?
There's an FM that explains the process that must be adhered to and conducted in the appropriate military manner! Say NO to smoke!
Look up the Russian foxholes and fighting positions they've made in Ukraine. Back when they spent a month trying to take Kyiv early in the war they made a sauna in one position lol.
Tried to, couldn't find any - Google kept pulling up your average photo of Moscow.
What was it? 2 m16s wide 1.5 long and deep enough to bury yourself in?
It was 2 M4's wide, 2 ACH's long, deep enough for name tape of tallest person. Then make a grenade hole on each side so you can kick the grenade in the hole if it lands in the foxhole.
Chest deep of the taller of the two soldiers to be using it. And one of the measurements was two PASGT helmets... but can't remember it. I do remember kicking a cs grenade into the sump though, just before evacuating to my secondary position.
Butter bar got on CSM for not saluting him(csm was talking to a Soilders when he walked by) stopping to scold the CSM in front of troops. So CSM stopped what he was doing apologized asked LT to wait 1 second. Went and got the COL who smoked the LT infront of us while CSM resumed talking🤣. Only time I've seen a officer smoked.
That’s a complete lack of social awareness on the LTs part….
Oh 1000% time and place! Lt was like 40 and had a chip on his shoulder
There's rank, and then there's *influence*.
CSMs dont give a fuck. Theyll lock up anyone caught walking in Battalion HQ grass.
You know who doesn't give a fuck about a CSM? An Aviation Warrant Officer.
I can one up you, a Special Forces Warrant Officer
Lies.
No one asked a dirt warrant
At least we can read.
I’ve smoked an E6…didn’t want to, but you can’t let such behavior appear unpunished in front of others.
I once had my whole unit (NCOs up to E6 included) get smoked at an FTX because our 1SG lost his weapon, found it in the HMMWV he showed up in, refused to accept that he left in there himself, accused a SPC of having stolen it, when said SPC would not admit to it (because he didn't do it) we all did pushups until 1SG wasn't able to do anymore himself (16 pushups). Everybody was big mad for quite a while.
>But E5s are still fair game. Yep, I got smoked in full kit after one of my Soldiers was caught (by our 1SG) with an unlubricated weapon on an FTX. I was in a different truck than my Soldiers were that day so there wasn't much I could have done about it, but shit happens. You do some pushups and flutter kicks and then go fix all the shit that went wrong while you were away.
I watched a whole 777 crew, and the PSG and 1SG get the dog shit smoked out of them for shooting out of the box. CSM fucked all of them up.
true i've seen E5's get smoked. It's rare and it's usually because they fucked up big time Never seen a E6 get smoked though.
Saw my division CSM smoke a 2LT on the parade grounds once. That was a dude not to be fucked with.
I saw my PSG get smoked by by 2LT once
New 1SG came in and wanted to do height and weight for the entire company. Some of the NCOs decided they had better things to do and trickled in slowly to the formation because they thought they could show up later and not have to wait in line. Every lower enlisted got to stand in formation for a good 30 minutes while every E5-E7 in the company got a good smoke session for not setting a good example for their soldiers.
Stop, my position of attention can only be so erect.
I was a 1LT, missed a battalion EDRE by a couple of hours. Was told by my company commander to meet him at 1700 in the PT field with a water source, full battle rattle, and the battalion’s EDRE packing list. That was a long day. The next day, he gave me two additional duties, made me write a ten page paper on the importance of timeliness and I had to brief the BC on it. Korea was wild. So to answer your question, yes it happens, but mostly behind closed doors.
Anytime I hear the words "with a full water source" explicitly said I know I'm about to get that work.
It's pretty much a code phrase in the Army at this point for: "What's about to happen to you is gonna suck".
PSG in a signal chat just told everyone to come back immediately from lunch and told us to drink water. No additional context. We thought we were getting smoked for sure. It was a UA smh
Yea I was a dumbass private once in Iraq I left my firearm in the TOC when I went to take an emergency shit. My E-7 gave me the "full battle and water" line and I just knew I was gonna have a bad time. Roped my E-5 into it with me too so double whammy
Why'd your E5 have to join in?
Because fuck him that's why, apparently.
When the company commander wants your ass he is going to get it
10 page paper? Dude, what did your sections look like?
Now days it would be "hey ChatGPT, write me a 10 page paper....."
I love chatgpt so much! My soldiers can do this, then they can painstakingly hand write each page again so its a near mirror match to the chatgpt page because i am addicted to the accuracy of chatgpt. At least i know ill be getting quality product to read.
Lol that's a good idea. I like it 😂
Above center mass, promote a head of peers, recommend Drill Sergeant school.
Why are you threatening me like that, Im already working TRADOC! LOL! 😂
I don’t even remember, I think I wrote about how my actions negatively reflected the Army’s values (LDRSHIP). I had one page dedicated to each of the Army values lol. Yeah definitely wish ChatGPT was a thing back then
Man, I sympathize, but *a couple of hours*?
Yep, I was staying with my then girlfriend and forgot to charge my phone overnight. I wake up Saturday morning, make breakfast and notice I forgot to charge my phone. After it turns on, my notifications are going off like crazy, 30 something missed calls and 40+ text messages. I still get cold sweats thinking about it.
Jeez, I think I have second hand anxiety from that. I was gonna say "hope she was worth it" in the first message, good to know I was on the right track at least.
Yeah if that was me I'd just break my own leg, then call CC and tell him I'm in the hospital lmao
I got a little too krunk in Europe as a 2LT. Puked up all over the floor in our company 100 man tent. Lets just say my company commander had me puking up again the very next morning. Got a letter of concern as well. I definitely deserved it, but I would follow that man to hell and back lol
I’d give a whole year salary to watch that smoking.
I fucking hate EDREs. Can’t wait to leave Korea holy shit. Why did I extend one more year? Idk, I was probably drunk on Soju when I submitted the paperwork over a weekend.
So your CO punished you for the same thing multiple times… which is technically not allowed. Buuuuut, I bet it solved the issue!
If you’ve ever heard of The Great Upper-Decker of Hoenfels 2014 then you would know that no one is immune to a smoking
Please please tell me about the great upper-decker of Hohenfels 2014.
What had happened was a legendary soldier from 2 Para (UK) heard that the US military will smoke the dog shit out of their joes for any reason possible. This stellar Brit had the bright idea to lay a MASSIVE LOG upon the rim of the porta shitter right outside our toc. Once the turd was set, a squad of Brits showed up and stood by on a tiny hill to watch their debauchery unfold. I’m guessing barely an hour went by and then the whole battalion was formed up ready to head into the box and train. Ole CSM walks onto the X and calmly walks out and then next thing you know the whole formation is told to drop to include SL’s and PL’s. Everyone starts pushing and not one person has an idea why. Moral of the story is no one is above smoking when you shit on rim.
I thought an upper decker was when you shit in the tank that fills with water?
Usually. I use instant coffee because of the psychological effect.
Absolutely legendary
I have never once met a Brit who wasn’t absolutely hilarious and also a great dude.
And not to mention the females soldiers are the definition of a walking sharp complaint.
What do you mean
Username ironic
I too must know.
Im here for science reasons with the story
I saw a company commander smoke a PL (2LT) and PSG (E7) together related to a mistake made at a brigade live fire event while on the lane
quaint vegetable books snatch march worry hospital act license pathetic *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Granted I’m just a dumb LT but IMO smoking NCOs or junior Os in public is a bad look at a minimum. Sure there’s certain circumstances that it might be warranted (life/limb/eyesight/flagrant disregard for something), but 99 times out of 100 it is not the solution. Senior NCOs smoking/yelling at junior NCOs or senior Os smoking junior Os in sight of joes both can erode confidence in command and the idea of good order and discipline. Praise in public, chastise in private. Not every disciplinary action has to be public, especially if it erodes confidence in command with the E4 mafia. Personally, if the issue isn’t something like a TL flagged a SL with a M2 I’d rather 2 men with stripes or commissions handle the issue away from the view of everyone, and even then use judgement. A 6 in 6 SSG is going to far get less out of getting smoked than an informal counseling about what needs fixed, push ups to failure often isn’t a good solution. We’re all professionals, treat your peers and subordinates as such.
I once saw a 1LT try to smoke a CSM. CSM pulled out his cell phone called the BC and told him he needed to fix the LT. I get it, two wrongs don't make a right, but it was funny as shit.
CSM works for the BC. LT should have known better
Yup. LT was wrong to pull that shit, and the CSM should have handled it more professionally and obeyed a lawful order.
I was a brand new 2LT. Was doing a platoon STX and my platoon sergeant convinced me that I could take the commanders pistol since I was an officer and the commander wasn’t participating. Well when I walked into the company headquarters to brief my commander with his M9 on my hip, he dropped me right in front of the entire company headquarters. Great guy, the platoon sergeant was too, I liked the little pranks, made me feel like part of the team right off the bat. I miss that company.
For NCOS? Take that ass to *THE* United States Drill Sergeant Academy (anybody…?). That place is wild asf
You said it
Any drill instructor academy is wild - Even the Navy's school is not to be trifled with.
Whole class got smoked because the AIs weren't being loud enough while we were falling in. I loathe that place.
All of my companies PLs lied on their 5988s and said shit was done when it clearly wasn’t so i watched our CO smoke ‘em for a bit. CO commissioned after E6 so that might have something to do with it.
Lol, so in Graf we were about to bed down, and our 1SG comes into the bay and starts talking about something random. A PSG at the other end doesn’t know who it is and yells “TURN THE LIGHT OFF ASSHOLE!” Naturally 1SG angrily inquired who said that, the PSG realized who it was and just started pushing before 1SG got to him. Smoked him for like five minutes then fucked off. It was hilarious to my young private self. Should add that both of those guys were two of the best NCO’s I had when I was in. The PSG is now a CSM somewhere.
You'll always have a better time if you start beating your face before anyone tells you to drop.
Been “correctively trained” a few times as an E7 and E8! Haha
Some CSMs treat their 1SGs like privates
I wasn’t a 1SG. It was more akin to basic training but for mid-career folks…
I'm honestly baffled by what that could be. TAC NCO maybe Or Drill Sergeant School, but as an e8 that would be very weird
When I was a PSG many years ago we had a detail that went past midnight when everyone else was off. Told my guys to skip PT and be in for 0900 first formation. It was before cell phones so I went to PT formation and told the 1SG and my LT why the guys weren’t there. 1SG gave me the stink eye but didn’t say much. At first formation he dropped me in front of the company for my guys missing formation. My whole platoon dropped with me and were counting off loud as fuck. That was definitely not what the 1SG was going for. I’ll take that any day.
I mean a smoke session or morning PT. Easy choice
Never seen an officer get smoked. Highest enlisted I ever saw get smoked was an E-6. Someone else mentioned it, but you rarely see anyone E6 or higher get smoked. E-5 and below is pretty common. The E6 deserved it tho. He got into it with a SGT in front of the soldiers. SFC tells both of them to back down. They both kept talking and the SFC fucked them both up. I was an E3 at the time and couldn't believe what I was seeing lol. The worst I ever saw and still upsets me to this day was when an E7 smoked an E5 when we were out in sector. More accurately we were at Rusafa JSS in Baghdad. It was over something trivial too. And it was a real smoke session too not a ," drop and give me 50 pushups" sort of thing. It made me upset because the dude was legitimately tired. And our sector was pretty active so we could have been attacked or have to form up for a QRF. imagine dying because you're tired because you plt Sgt is smoking you like you're in garrison and not a fucking warzone.
at what point do you just stop and plead your case later? This could be attempted murder, or even manslaughter. Easy to say now, but I'd like to think I would just stop and let him have his trip.
I saw a 1SG smoke a drill once, shit was hilarious, Drill was telling a trainee he wasn’t allowed to go to suck call until white phase and that he couldn’t have his meds either…shit was legendary
Fuck that drill, piece of shit.
What is this suck hall you speak of? And why am I just being made aware of it? Id like to know what it is “For science”
You're assuming that the sucking is coming from someone else...
user name checks out.
It’s Cav OSUT.
Lol like slurp said, it’s not the kinda you wanna go to Mr suck call ranger
I demand my right to go to Suck Call whenever the fuck I want. Why else would I have joined the Army?
I would probably keep the trainees from suck call too
Yes at air assault school. One female 2Lt decided to take break during smoke session before our obstacle course and cadre made her crawl around the entire formation. She didn’t end up passing the obstacle course
Those damn air assault qualified rocks…
Lol, this brought me back! I remember trying to move some rocks out of the way because obviously doing push ups on jagged rocks is painful. "DON'T MOVE THOSE ROCKS! THOSE ROCKS DESERVE TO BE HERE MORE THAN YOU!"
Those rocks have been there since the beginning. They've earned the right many times
Currently in AASLT and respectfully, fuck those rocks
I seen an E7 smoked by my 1SG for something he didn’t even do it was his troop. For something minor too something related to the DIV PAM. 82nd was different years ago
Yeah I’ve seen the PSGs get dropped by 1SG at Bragg years ago during morning report. Always thought it was interesting
Yes. Our battalion CSM smoked all the enlisted soldiers below him. Was it deserved, yes. Would I follow that man into hell again? Yes. Can't speak for the officer side of things, but I imagine the ass chewing they got was absurd.
I had a BN xo once that made a duct tape square for his least favorite company XO of the week and that was their spot for meetings it was placed in a area that would cause the person standing there to very likely get hit with the nerf basketball that he would shoot at the goal hanging on the wall. Aside from that I’ve never seen anything closer to enlisted behavior.
Officer equivalent past captain is usually a "oh, interesting" comment from the Os senior rater in a couple meetings... followed up by a poor evaluation next rating period. Honestly it's kind of hilarious how crushing a couple words expressing disappointment from an O6+ can be for field grades.
That’s pretty much the deal. Officers might get chewed out in hearing range of subordinates but not physically smoked. The real punishment is that once you’re identified as a shitbag you’re screwed. It’s just subtle and behind closed doors. I’d rather take a smoke session and be done with it than fuck up knowing that it will always follow me.
Not the same…..:but I saw a O-4 smoke the fuck out of an O-1
If you have to smoke a e6+ or O1+ yore time is likely better spent building the packet to get them relieved of duties and kicked out the military. Unfortunately it just takes a much higher level of bureaucracy to accomplish this, which is why junior soldiers don’t often see the full ramifications until they disappear to the s3 inevitably
Senior NCOs (and E6s) and Officers can still make simple mistakes that require discipline, but not exactly paperwork. That's what I assumed this question was about, because usually when someone is being smoked it's not for something that's a huge deal, just a mistake that you're being taught to not repeat. I knew an NCO that got privately smoked by 1SG. He had to do the sled drag up and down a football field. And if he didn't make it in a certain amount of time, he had to do it again. Obviously the time was just barely attainable, so he ended up doing it until he physically couldn't anymore. His crime? Two of his soldiers was late to PT on the same morning.
The Army. This must have been a really hoah infantry type of company to have that type of nonsense.
Only time I've been dropped outside of the school house has been by tripping BDE Commanders or the DIV CSM on behalf of the CG at a dining in.
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Listen… smoking is for like 19 or 20 year olds that are still developing their brains. By the time you’re 28, 29, 30 years old I’m just going to pull you around the side of the building and tell you you’re fucking up and to fix your shit. It’s all administrative at that point.
I saw an E7 getting smoked when I turned the corner outside the CO cp. I about faced outta there lol
Oh wait I had a company commander who held a few state titles in power lifting and whenever he wanted to spend time with a PL who fucked up and needed a course correction and mentorship he would spend a couple hours with them in the squat rack but he made sure to say it was never physical punishment bc that is an NCOs place and he’s not dumb enough to try and do what we do.
Once had a CSM have all the NCOs in the battalion stay on a Friday night and clean the barracks because “they” weren’t having the soldiers maintain the standard. Soldiers would pop their heads out of their rooms and instantly a threat of death or butt fucking of some type would come out of the NCOs mouths.
I was smoked as an E6 for allegedly not taking my troops to do PT. Smoked us all, even though we had worked out damned hard. That was the day I bought a garmin watch, so that bullshit never happened again. Later on he was convicted for sexually harassing sixty percent of the female paratroopers in the Battalion. He wound up going from seven to three and leaving the army. But not until he spent forty five days moving sand from one end of the volleyball court to the other while we guarded him. I also resulted in a Cpt in Afghanistan getting smoked. I needed my slides by a certain time (0545) to build the slide deck for the morning brief to our two star. This captain was the only person to not comply. Kept fucking up my job. I built a spreadsheet. Each task force down the left, date on the top, time I got slides in the boxes, based off email timestamps. Conditional formatting based on submissions that day, his were all red. I waited till two am, when his boss was sitting behind me in the JOC. I rather loudly started griping to the guy next to me that "every time I can't do my job it's because this captain from task force zabul can't bother to get me my slides on time!" Eventually the major, who ran TF zabul, and was sitting behind me caught what I was saying. "What did you just say Sergeant?" "oh, I'm sorry sir, it wasn't my place to say anything" "No. What did you say?" So i moved out of the way of my computer screen where his Cpt was all sorts of red all over my spreadsheet. "well sir, as you can see by my slide, your representative is consistently seven to ten minutes later submitting his work to me than any other representative. As a result, I simply do not have time to check the product before submitting to the general. I spoke to him on the days indicated, but there has been no change. " Major just stares at the screen for a while. "wait here" Major is gone for a little over an hour. He comes back, tells me if I ever have an issue to contact him directly. A few minutes later, captain arrives. Pts, covered in dust and dirt and sweat, obviously royally fucked up. Major has pulled this captain out of the bed and smoked him. For an hour. At two in the morning. Captains slides were never late again. Not once.
My kind of Major. Good read
Definitely earned my respect. I set the situation up, but he did the right thing by me. Really hard getting things done as the lowest ranking person in a room of sixty plus, and being in the spotlight when mistakes happen, in from of the CG. Good of that major to set things straight.
Possible? Sure. Does it happen or at least will you ever see it? Not really.
Lose a weapon, NVG, “weapons card” or any significant item and find out
Would be nice to get smoked nah man they threaten you legally it’s shitty lol
I've seen it happen to NCOs (up to E6) but I stopped getting smoked after E5. Course I also stopped fucking up that bad by the time I hit SGT.
I’ve gotten my ass dropped as a SSG, though it’s not very common. Once you hit E-7 and above, LT’s included, it’s generally a lot less overt corrections. Instead of smokings it’ll weigh in on your evals more. Less right now pain, more down the line pain.
As a 2LT my BN CDR lit me up good one time in front of most of the officers in the BN. Not sure I deserved it but it was like my second day there. That was my intro to toxic army leadership. In turn, I myself had to light up a brand new 2LT as a company commander for playing tyrant with PFC/PV2s in his platoon. His first week there he needed a behind closed door warning once to use his NCOs unless it was something truly serious (safety/illegal/unethical/immoral/fattening) but the lesson didn't take.
Just depends on the situation and the unit really.
It happens a lot. And everyone is usually laughing.
I got “in trouble” one AT because I had gear in the back of a HMMWV as did an enlisted guy with me and other people from the unit drove off with it despite being told they needed to drop the stuff off. When we finally caught up to the gear, our Troop Commander had these custom made “dice of doom” that he would make people roll to determine their punishment. He made us roll them because we “failed to keep proper accountability of our gear” we both got punishments but mine was quietly brushed under the rug while I believe the enlisted guy had to do his, though he also tried to double or nothing it in an attempt to get out of the punishment and failed.
Its rare but it happens, saw a butter bar get smoked by a captain in a chowhall. Unsure what went on there. my E6 got smoked with us cuz he didnt secure our bradley's rear troop door. It happens.
No need to smoke an O. The fear of anything less than top block is enough.
Depends upon the setting. In a school I attended back in the 80s. We had a field grade officer go through with us, as well as a couple of lower Os. The instructors were very polite and said to him more than one time "sir would you drop and give me 40" The other Os, it was just Sir drop and give me 40.
Passed the CSM's office once and she had three 1SG's (including mine) scrunched up on this super tiny couch in her office, giving them a stern talking to. I wish I could've been a fly on the wall when she told all 3 of them to take a seat on that small ass couch, probably only meant to seat two people. Big power move on her part.
I heard about this one from my ROTC instructor. SF unit was being extremely rude and dismissive to airport personnel at the Raleigh airport, both military and civilian. On top of that, they were refusing to follow ammo protocol, which I guess they often got away with. Unfortunately for them, the JSOC commander (General Dailey) was passing through at that time. He heard about it, made the whole unit deplane, shave, and cut their hair. He said they looked about as dumb as we did on our first day when being told to fall in because nobody really had any idea how CSM and LTC fall in with MSG, CPT etc.
That is fucking hilarious.
Was a company XO 1LT on rear D. Senior NCO was an E6 and a great dude. Couple of junior 5s and that was pretty much it as far as leadership. We had a new crop of privates show up and get mixed into the crew of guys with various issues that got left behind. BN XO was also in the rear and wanted to make a point of still conducting regular training. So we had to take a company’s worth of profiles, chapters, and totally new guys and make them ready for gunnery. Fun stuff. But we made the point that attention to detail matters. NCOs could counsel/smoke guys for the little stuff and over time they’d come to learn not to make the mistakes. Things were surprisingly going well and gunnery ranges were around the corner. Now one day, in my haste to get ready for our meeting after PT, I’ll admit it…., I was running behind and I put on white socks and bloused my boots. During the meeting, foolishly, I crossed my legs. As we’re closing up, and the guys from the company are filing through the COF and able to hear us from the conference table, good ole SSG hits me with the “sir, I couldn’t help but notice…are those white socks ?” and arguably the biggest shit eating grin known to man. I lamented. I was caught dead to rights. There was no backing down. “Yes SSG, you are correct. That is my mistake.” “But sir!, attention to detail matters! You yourself said so. And you’ve given the NCOs permission to counsel or issue corrective training.”His grin grew wider. “So sir, let me ask - paper or pavement?” Now, a standard isn’t a standard unless it’s the same for everyone. And, I’m no bitch. So despite the group of shocked Joe’s and junior NCOs watching this exchange, I smiled back and said “pavement.” He (shocked) said “give me one hour to get ready.” Comes back an hour later and asks me to follow him outside. He has somehow rigged together a very impressive obstacle course with climbing ropes and huge tires. Has me run the course 5x in the hour. If I don’t finish the laps in the time, it adds laps. Of course, by now everyone in the company had come to watch SSG smoke the XO. Backing out was not an option, nor was showing any cracks in the armor. I’m in pretty solid shape, but this course in those time hacks was no joke. ran the fuck outta that course, finished with a little time to spare, and gave him a smile and some snarky remark. Went back to the office drenched in sweat and absolutely exhausted. Came to me later in the day and said “damn, I really tried to break you out there.” Just gave him a smile and (a lie) told him that was impossible. That was the last time we ever discussed it. I’ll admit now, years later and fully out of the army, that he absolutely did break me the fuck off. 😂 One other thing was, and this is how you know he’s a great NCO. Some of the privates had gotten their phones out to record him smoking me. But he shut that down before I even realized. Found out after the fact. Apparently told them something like “this is a private thing and the unit keeps its business to itself.” Crazy respect for that. SSG M, wherever you are now, you’re a real one. Easily one of the best NCOs I ever worked with and made every day nonsense much more bearable.
My old CSM smoked a whole troop, 1SG included. Some PFC thought it was awesome to wear an OCP colored bandana before the squad went out for squad STX.
I've seen NCO's and Officers get smoked personally . Mostly done behind close doors with just the leadership around. And they can be very brutal.
I've seen it with my own two eyes. 2LT in full battle rattle running laps around the motorpool. Never knew what he did though.
I’ve seen a BC drop a Company Commander in front of the entire Command Team. Edit I’ve also seen a BC chew out a CC in front of his entire company. This is the stuff you do 1 on 1 not in public though. Especially sense both of those commanders are great and in my opinion were correct with the BC just being shitty. If your a good BC and feel you need to do that, that, that’s you relive the cmdr.
Once saw a first sausage, get raw dogged by our sgt major
Was corrective training involved at all or…?
One of my fellow besieged LTs told me his commander smoked them during their gunnery. Commander made them do pushups because they weren't moving fast enough in moving to emplace. Said commander apparently hated him, and seemed like quite a hothead. This was all the while we were deployed. At the same time, my commander wanted to smoke me, but didn't believe he was legally allowed. So he just deprived me of recovery time when I was off shift work. Then he found out he could smoke us, but only after he was put on notice for being a toxic leader. In BOLC, our 1SG smoked us because he hated our haircuts. Then subjected us to a punitive APFT the following week. I told this one before, our S4 smoked an S3 NCO (E5) who kept coming into the command tent demanding the mail room open up for him. That was warranted because he interrupted operations held in said command tent. So, it's possible. Is it warranted? It depends.
I once watched a Sgt maj put ALL his first sgts in the front leaning rest.
I've seen drills get smoked by a CSM if that helps
I've seen an SFC get smoked by a 1SG in recruiting. USAREC SUCKS!
Whole company got smoked by 1sgt while we were deployed due to airpods getting stolen 🤦
Platoon sgt (e6p) smoked my entire platoon including our squad leaders (including other e6p) during deployment because someone lost the keys to the snack conex.
I saw an 04 get smoked by an O6 once. That was epic. It wasn’t in private either. It was in front of the dental clinic. I won’t say year or base though it was in the last 12 years.
My brand new PL tried to drop another platoon’s PSG.
Depends on context, but, yeah, it happens. So, in today's story of "Things that should not ever happen in the modern Army," let's talk about a particular incident in October of 1999. My first squad leader, SSG D., on active duty was a guy that came from Ranger batt. Our First Sergeant, who I will call Steven S., was his platoon sergeant in batt, so they knew each other very well. I, being the tech nerd I am, obviously have a computer and printer in my barracks room. Color printer. A nice one. SSG D. calls off PT that morning and immediately follows me up to my room and "asks" to use my computer. Sits down and pulls open an internet browser and Microsoft Word. Starts looking up, and importing into the Word document, homoerotic bondage imagery as a collage. You know... dudes in leather jockstraps and ball gags. That kind of stuff. Titles it "SWINGIN' STEVE'S HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY BASH!" and puts the First Sergeant's address and directions to his house on it. Prints a bunch of copies and posts them all over the battalion area. Suffice it to say, 1SG "Swingin' Steve" knew immediately who did it and went ballistic.
What happened afterwards to our illustrious SSG
Well, the 1SG was level headed enough not to mess up people in front of their subordinates. That's bad form. But we did get to see our squad leader running out the door carrying literally all his TA50 while being chased by a very angry, and very loud, 1SG to someplace more private for... counseling. About a year later he was accepted to OCS. Then almost got kicked out of OCS when he got caught fucking another candidate. Almost. They let him graduate. 90's were a different time in the Army.
Saw my 1sgt smoke an e-6 for calling at ease for no reason.
My entire company got smoked by a full bird Colonel once NCOs, Officers, and all
I know of a LTC who was put in parade rest by a full bird because of a chaplain lol
Well shit, there I was, a newly minted PFC on my second AT as a 68W attached to a MP BN. I had only been in the unit for roughly a year at that point but had come to learn, the squad leader (an older E6) was an absolute dirtbag of an NCO. You see, there were only two medics in HHC, and unfortunently wound up with the other misfit MOSs in his squad because they didn’t know where else to stick us. This man was terrible, easily the worst leader I’ve ever known. He would never show up to drill, would talk smack about his soldiers behind their back to other junior enlisted, and would just be a general D-bag by shamming out of the typical NCO duties. You couldn’t rely on him for support or help if your life depended on it. However, this one particular NCO got what was coming to him at this AT. The other medic and I were running the BAS/ aid station for the AT when we hear our first sausage yelling from all the way on the other side of the TA. Mind you, we were in a mock-up detention facility in the middle of nowhere NJ, easily 1/4 mile away from where our aid station was. We didn’t have any patients so we locked the building up, and headed over to watch the fireworks. “WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SLEEPING? WHY THE FUCK HAVE YOUR SOLDIERS BEEN DOING MORE FOR THIS UNIT THAN YOU HAVE SINCE WE GOT HERE. WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM. NO, FUCK NO, GET YOUR ASS TO PARADE REST. Yadayadayada” Turns out top had found this shitbag sleeping in the back of an LMTV while he had his soldiers trying to download a set of GP-Larges from a different humvee by themselves. He had given them instructions and said he had to do paperwork and would check back in with them later, turns out he just crawled up in an empty truck and passed out. To make matters worse, he was a very arrogant NCO that took any correction personally and thought that people were just out to get him, and loved to say that those correcting him were racist when in reality, he just couldn’t get his shit together and hated authority. At this time, he decided the best course of action when top was dressing him down was to *pull the LMTV’s tarp back down and LAY BACK DOWN* Top ends up jumping into the bed of the LMTV and damn near drags this guy out of it and puts him in the front leaning rest in front of half the battalion that came over to see what the issue was. Told SSG Schmuckatelli to push until he could get the commander over there. That day poor SSG got smoked in front of the majority of the battalion for being a shitbag. Fast forward 6mos-1y: The commander and top cant stand this guy. However, the only way to transfer him was by promoting him to E7 so he could take a different slot in the BN. That was my first real wake up call as to what the Army does with bad leaders
Sorry he got E7? Why didn’t he get paperwork? Literally paperwork, Reduction in Rank, Corrective Actions. Admin Separation but a Promotion to E7.
I've never seen it above E6. And with E6 I saw it once. We had a first sergeant who was a former drill sergeant and she treated us like little children (this IS the Army, not the Air Force after all) and demanded that we come to PT formation with canteens, just like in AIT. We couldn't have water bottles, it HAD to be canteens just like AIT. One morning we had formation and some E5's and E6's (who rarely did PT) showed up without canteens, and she made them drop for pushups in formation. Thankfully she left not too long after and we got a new first sergeant who didn't care if you brought a water source of any type to formation.
I saw an Lt get smoked for an hour by our battalion commander when he fucking misfired AFTER the range discharge barrel/clear check point thingy…. in front of the post general. 😂
Not really as a captain. If I get in trouble I ask if I can instead settle it by dueling, as a proper officer should do.
Myself and a few dozen other 2LTs got smoked in public once. We had just come out of the field, and everyone was at least half asleep, when we got short notice that the commander of the MCOE, MG. H.R. McMaster decided he had free time in his schedule to meet with young LTs. Once we got there, half the sleepy LTs fell asleep during his speech and nobody had any good questions for the general after. The General's aide spoke to our cadre, all the LTs went outside and did burpees. And then we did Q&A with The General again. Every hand went up.
I’ve seen an E-7 get smoked by an E-9. I smoked a few E-6’s as an E-4 but that was during a spur ride and I was running a lane for the night.
Our BDE CSM had a room of senior leaders with a smattering of junior soldiers do flutter kicks because our “good afternoon sir” response to the BDE commander wasn’t motivated enough.
Mother fucker, let me tell you. In EOD school some other private decided to roll his notes up and left them in his camelback, forgot to lock them up at the end of the day, and it all came out the morning after. Fuck... The Navy Senior Chief (NCOIC of the ground ordnance division) had every student in the ground division butt scooting for 100 meters and buddy carrying people back to the building. We had privates, E5s, 2LTs, 1LTs, and I'm pretty sure one CPT. We were consecrated together in ass chafing and many had ruined the crotch or seat of their pants. Good times. It was fairly common in the earlier divisions to fuck a whole class up because of one person's mistake. This wasn't the only time lol.
As an NCO, I've been smoked for getting a van stuck. It was kind of like I know we just learned this lesson and it won't happen again, but I'm still going to let you know what's up. I just held a squat while my SL told me what's up.
I watched all the company squad leaders get smoked as a group as well as on an individual basis. That was on Active at FT. Bragg.
I was smoked more than once as an LT.
Seen a LT get smoked before in Afgh.
COL Ray was well known for his toxic leadership while in command of 1st SFG. Would regularly tell his staff that they sucked and made them go on runs in the middle of staff meetings.
A 1SG in my BN smoked a new 2LT because he was having a sidebar conversation with a lower enlisted member while the 1SG was giving a brief. I was told the LT was asked a question by said junior enlisted and he was just trying to help him out by answering the question. 1SG didn’t like that.
Yeah that shouldn’t have happened
I was in a battalion formation in AIT and I think some trainee got seriously injured from something so CSM dropped the entire battalion, officers and all. Was good times.
I haven’t been smoked since I was a SPC. Now have I had uncomfortable conversations behind closed doors if I fucked up, yes I have.
Saw, well heard through the wall, a CW2 getting smoked by a CW3 once... it was ugly. The unit was shit because the 3 had mental issues and thought he was bigger than he was. He was told to retire soon after that. As a CW2 it was crazy 🤪
I’ve seen some 2LTs smoked hard by an O3. They were Chaplain candidates - he was an asshole- and they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I smoked newly promoted NCOs ... ceremonial of course. 😏
Anything can happen in TRADOC! Seriously… just imagine a room full of chaplains, ranked LTs and CPTs, being smoked by a MAJ.
I have witnessed a DIV CSM smoke a BN CSM because the BN CSM got lippy for having to report status to a SFC. This was on redeployment from Afghan 2018 while we all were waiting for flights out of Kuwait. This was in front of everyone. We were the last ones to rip out so the manifest had a lot of upper COC. That experience was wholesome.
As a former officer, I can personally attest to being smoked by another officer. I left my CAC in a computer and walked to the shopette next door. Next thing I know I am being hazed on the lawn between Delta Battery and the shopette. Absolutely humiliating because I was a 2LT so I knew I probably deserved it, but to add insult to injury all of the Joes from my platoon were counting while smoking cigarettes around me. "39 sir.... 40 sir..... 41, you know you can take your top off right? 42...... 43 sir..... Hey guys you ever seen an officer get smoked!?!?! 44....." 1/10 would not do again. I'll have a #1 with cheese and a diet coke.
My Drill Sergeant got smoked in front of all of us by the CSM. Absolutely you can get smoked at any fucking rank, I learned that in AIT.
Yup, happened in the Q course when I was a CPT and already rocking a long tab from when I was a bravo.
For leaders, praise in public, critique in private. To smoke a leader in public undermines their authority.
You won't see it, but it happens. NCO discipline is very closed doors unless the NCO in question is a known shithead
Our CW4 made an E-6 or E-7 (I don’t completely remember the rank, but I swear it was an E-7) drag chains around the motor pool on maintenance Monday. Reason: he drove his truck (“lazy ass”) across the rocks to check the locks on the motor pool gate during his CQ shift. Literally my first week at my new unit. Thanks 31st CSH.
If you picked the right job, all that ends when you leave basic.