Sleeping On Post

Submitted by: GySgt K.P.

It was late one night in a Parris Island squad bay. I was the Drill Instructor on duty and it was time for a regular check of the area. I was already dressed and ready for reveille, so walked out of the brightly lit DI hut and into the dark squad bay. My first “fire watch” recruit ran towards me from the opposite end of the bay. I could only see the dim light from his red lens “moonbeam” as it bounced up and down from the clip attached to his H-harness. When he was just outside of one arms distance, he snapped to attention and rapidly recited his memorized report. I waved a dismissing gesture with the back of one hand and turned to enter the head.

Inside the head, I expected a similar greeting from fire watch number 2. There was no sign of anyone. I walked through the partitioned areas of the head. Urinals, sinks, toilets, shower room…no recruit in sight. I even belted out a sarcastic tone from my sore throat, “Hello, fire watch.” Nothing.

Then I spotted him. Inside a small closet sized area where a washer and dryer were rumbling away, soothing the tired little recruit during his nap. The nasty piglet was curled up in the fetal position on top of the warm dryer, blind and deaf to the area around him that he was assigned to keep watch over. Unacceptable.

My reaction was immediate. Concerned for the proper operation of the dryer, I decided that the weight of the recruit was too heavy for it’s surface. So, in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures for Recruit Training, I corrected his position. I grabbed the recruit by the collar and the trouser cargo pocket. As I closed my grip on his utilities, I started my rant of verbal corrections. When the recruit woke, first his eyes popped open and then his mouth. He let out a murderous scream. I never heard a person yell in horror quite like that, except for maybe in a few 1980’s slasher films. I smartly yanked both my arms towards me. Like a cartoon, he seemed to remain suspended in mid air for just a moment before dropping to the deck. The startled recruit recovered himself to the position of attention and attempted to recite his report. I told him to shut his mouth, informed him that he would pay for his mistake, and walked away.

It was early in the training cycle and obvious that much of the platoon had many more lessons to learn. The napping recruit would be receiving several evenings of fire watch remediation…and maybe a couple visits to the quarterdeck.