Humor in Uniform
Author unknown
Author unknown
DURING BASIC TRAINING at Fort Dix, N.J., we were warned by our first sergeant that each recruit was responsible for the alertness of the soldier on either side of him during lectures. When the man on my right was caught napping, I was ordered to dig a garbage pit during the night.
That evening as I was digging, my entire squad appeared, carrying shovels. The hole grew larger. Then a cigarette lighter flared, and I saw the first sergeant's grim visage in the flickering light. "Well, gentlemen?" he asked.
One brave soul stepped forward and said that, since the infraction was not my fault alone, the punishment should be shared.
We braced for a tirade, but instead the sergeant replied, "You have learned an important lesson today: teamwork. The Army cannot function properly without it. Return those shovels and get some sleep. Dismissed!"
That evening as I was digging, my entire squad appeared, carrying shovels. The hole grew larger. Then a cigarette lighter flared, and I saw the first sergeant's grim visage in the flickering light. "Well, gentlemen?" he asked.
One brave soul stepped forward and said that, since the infraction was not my fault alone, the punishment should be shared.
We braced for a tirade, but instead the sergeant replied, "You have learned an important lesson today: teamwork. The Army cannot function properly without it. Return those shovels and get some sleep. Dismissed!"
