Cry Closet

This is a meme running on Facebook now.

It reminds me of a particular day...  Actually two days.

In OSUT.

The first time was in our camping trip field exercise.  We were hanging out in the tent and discussing things we'd heard about such exercises and I volunteered that the drill sergeants would sometimes toss CS grenades into the tent and the only way we'd avoid such a fate would be to tie up our drill to his cot.  I made this bold statement with our company commander in the doorway to the tent listening.

OOOOOPS!

With a laugh in his voice he reminded all of us (particularly me) that tying up our drill sergeant was a court martial type offense.  I was suitably subdued by this.

A bit later our senior drill sergeant came in and called me out and informed me that I would have the
"honor" of being the first 'cruit into the gas chamber on NBC confidence day.

The second day is the NBC gas chamber day.

I was, indeed, the first private into the chamber.  I did the required drill, opened my mask, cleared my mask, removed my mask, got exposed to CS for reals.

And I dropped my helmet liner.

I was in such a hurry to get the fuck out of the CS that I didn't notice until it was pointed out by a gleeful drill sergeant.

So, back into the CS I had to go to retrieve my helmet liner; without I might add, my mask.

I was supposed to walk around and air myself out and shout, "My eyes are open, my arms are flapping," what I managed was to barely not puke and squeak, "my arms are open, my eyes are flapping."