One of my first actions as a Company Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) was to cancel all future field days. Except when we were deploying. OR, if anyone was caught living like a pig.
It took some convincing for the Company 1st Sgt and Company Commander, but they let me run with it. Here is why.
Field days are a legal haze-fest, all it does is destroy furniture and waste everyone’s time. Here was my theory. They are adults and we need to treat them that way. The young Marines were ecstatic and the NCOs and SNCOs were shocked.
After a couple of weeks, I would walk through the barracks at random times and check random rooms. One day the inevitable happened. I found a room that looked like crap. I told the CO and 1st Sgt they needed to go home. They did. Formation NOW. Get everyone down here, even the duties. Within about 20 minutes they had the Company Formed. I used words to this affect.
Okay Mother Fuckers, you want to play Fuck Fuck games? Here we go. Everyone, get up to the barracks now. Field day now. I will be back in 2 hours. They failed (before I even checked). Try it again. NCOs if you cannot handle this, you can clean your rooms and the rooms of the junior Marines. I failed them every two hours until about 3 am. I never had to tell them to clean their rooms again. And everyone lived happily ever after.
I liked to hear Animal Company Marines harassing the other Company’s every Thursday about field-day. The other Company GySgts were not happy with me. They, the Marines, also learned not to piss off the new Co GySgt.
Once I became the Company 1stSgt, GySgt Wonder brought back field days; I let him – he was the Company GySgt.
Animal 8 Out
image from Duckduckgo
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