Adventures in Basic Training 5: The Voice in the Night (3691 hits)
Category: GeneralLabels: BasicTrainingAdventures
Rating: 1.99 on 58 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Jack11058 (View user info) at 2005-09-16 12:13:15 EDT
Chalk it up to days of little sleep whose waking hours were filled with stress. Chalk it up to being in a new and strange environment. Chalk it up to whatever you want.
One of the strangest incidents in my life occurred on the third day of basic training, during my first fireguard shift. It was a double shift, because I had responded "Drill Sergeant, absolutely, Drill Sergeant!" instead of "Drill Sergeant, yes, Drill Sergeant!" when asked a question. I was a mouthy bastard, apparently.
Fireguard is simple in basic. You put on your BDU's (cammies) and "battle rattle" [helmet (AKA Kevlar, brainbucket, K-Pot etc), LBE (load bearing equipment, which is a vest/belt combo for carrying grenades, maganizes, canteens, etc)] and your gas mask. Then you accomplish whatever cleaning detail you have been assigned. Then, if you have any time left, you sit at attention in a chair at the end of the hallway trying desperately to stay awake until your shift is over.
My double shift was from 11pm to 1 am, prime sleeping hours. I was able to get in 45 minutes of sleep before my shift started, and hoped to get 2 and a half solid hours when it was done. I had finished mopping the bathroom floor, and after almost passing out from the Pine-sol fumes, grabbed a seat in a rickety wooden chair at the end of the hall.
The hallway was lit only dimly by the emergency lights and I was exhausted, fighting sleep. If I was caught napping, I'd face far worse than a double shift. Nothing would make Pereda happier, that shovel-faced bastard.
Then I heard a whisper.
I started upright, eyes wide open. Silence.
Just my imagination, then.
Just as I was beginning to relax, I heard it again. A little louder. Sounded like a woman's voice coming from overhead.
I looked up at a pair of old speakers hanging from the ceiling overhead. They were part of the speaker system used by the drill sergeants to wake us up in the morning and call out instructions throughout the barracks.
I stood up and slipped off my K-pot, cupping a hand to my ear.
"Private," the voice said, just above a whisper, "get everyone outside right now."
The voice was definitely a woman's. Soft and smooth. But there was an edge to it also, some kind of strain, hinting on raspiness. She sounded out of breath.
"Outside, Private. Outside..."
The speaker gave a little hiss and I was again surrounded by silence.
Now it wasn't unheard of for the Drills to call the company outside for a little smoking session for some infraction or other, real or imagined. But they wouldn't be doing it in a whisper, would they? They'd be bellowing orders and the speakers would be crackling with feedback.
I trudged down the hall to where the other fireguard from our platoon sat. Smitty looked up as I approached, hastily hiding the letter to home he had been writing (forbidden on fireguard of course).
"What's up, Jack?"
I pointed to the speakers above his head.
"Dude, you hear one of the female Drills say anything?"
He looked at me quizzically. "Nah, man. I think Drill Sergeant Balistreri's on duty tonight anyways."
It wasn't Balistreri, that was for sure. His bullfroggy croak was a far cry from the silky, yet disturbed sounding voice I heard.
I thanked Smitty and meandered back to my spot and bided time until the end of my shift, starting at shadows. By the time I hit the rack, I convinced myself I had imagined the voice.
Until the next morning, when Balistreri woke us up with his trademark blaring of "Who Let the Dogs Out" over the PA system. That's right, a Gulf War vet with six confirmed kills enjoyed the Baja Men.
When I passed under the speakers under which I had spent the previous night's shift, no sound came out. The music was blaring only from the speakers at the end of the hall.
That morning after chow, I stood before Balistreri and asked permission to speak.
Once he had me down and doing pushups, permission was granted.
"Drill Sergeant, Private 11058 wishes to inform the Drill Sergeant that the PA speakers at the south end of the first floor hallway ceased functioning sometime after my fireguard shift last night...pant...Drill Sergeant," I gasped.
He looked down with jaundiced eyes. Maybe it was a long night for him too.
"What time did your shift end, Private?" he asked quietly as I continued to push.
"0100 hours, Drill Sergeant!"
"Private, the PA system in the barracks was installed in the early 80's. Those speakers haven't worked since before I've been assigned here. Do you think you heard something?" He suddenly seemed much less threatening than normal. I paused in my pushups. The last thing I needed was one of the Drills thinking I was crazy.
"Negative Drill Sergeant, must have been my imagination."
He looked down at me for a moment. "Recover," he barked suddenly.
I got to my feet and rejoined the platoon.
Three weeks later, during our field exercise, Drill Sergeant Turner was in a talkative mood as my squad and I recovered from our midnight manuevers. As we sat around a glowing chemlight wiping down our weapons, he told us a story.
His story centered around the first female Drill Sergeant ever assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, one Staff Sergeant Hall. She came on board in 1982 to much harrasment and derision by her male counterparts. After four months on the trail (as a Drill Sergeant), subjected to much pain and suffering by the male cadre around her, and unable to cope with one of the most stressful jobs in the Army, she hung herself.
From the PA speakers at the south end of the first floor hallway.
User Reviews
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2008-06-20 17:46:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by spyder882001 (user info) at 2008-04-26 23:42:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
damn dude my barracks in basic were haunted too
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2007-10-31 11:05:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Mike-Mc (user info) at 2007-10-31 05:16:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Superb .
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2007-07-23 15:17:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nasty.
___
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2005-10-03 02:55:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
it's hanged.
____
Not it's not.
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2007-06-30 05:11:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by lechuza (user info) at 2007-02-23 01:15:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by mikethescottish (user info) at 2007-02-23 00:54:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow.
True or not, that's some fucking phenomenal writing right there.
Submitted by Amontillado (user info) at 2007-02-23 00:38:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Progr3ss (user info) at 2007-02-23 00:14:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by particle_man58 (user info) at 2007-02-19 05:37:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-11-02 11:41:43 (#)
Ranking: 2
Good ol' Fort Lost in The Woods.
----------------------
Damn skippy, The land that God Forgot
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-11-02 11:41:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good ol' Fort Lost in The Woods.
Submitted by awesome_face (user info) at 2006-10-21 14:48:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Jesus cyst fucking butt buddies.
Submitted by BadSamaritan87 (user info) at 2006-06-10 16:58:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Fucking Comment.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-10-19 03:47:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
There are a solid four pages of +2 streaks with 30 or more reviews. That is stupid. I am weeding it all out by giving every one of them a +1; that way posts that have 1.99 with 200+ reviews gets best ever.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2005-10-03 02:55:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
it's hanged.
Submitted by FilthyAssistant (user info) at 2005-10-02 10:50:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ugh.
Submitted by Professional_Peon (user info) at 2005-09-29 15:12:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My house is haunted and the bitch hates me.
Maybe I should tell that story.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2005-09-29 11:52:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Ainkara (user info) at 2005-09-29 10:56:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh that's just creepy...
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-09-24 01:25:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Zoid, go be a prison guard.
Submitted by Zoidberg (user info) at 2005-09-24 01:05:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sorry man. Im bad about following through with my e-mails.
I was interviewing to get an LP job, just wanted to ask a question or two. Got the job but man is the pay ever shitty so off I go on another jobhunt.
Submitted by CoffeeAndSmokes (user info) at 2005-09-22 14:33:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
FUCk
Submitted by Mister (user info) at 2005-09-21 21:32:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
HOly fuck hell.
Submitted by AsshOly (user info) at 2005-09-20 02:22:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I want to rewrite my first post and make it comprehensible.
I love me a good ghost story. Every time I start to doubt I've ever really seen anything, somebody else tells me a good one. I need to start ghost hunting again.
Submitted by Phallic_Cymbals (user info) at 2005-09-19 23:16:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2005-09-19 22:46:54 (#)
Ranking: 2
I shouldn't have read this in the dark. Right before bed.
____________________
I started to read this last night, thought "fuck that!" and read it today.
I'm still scared.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2005-09-19 22:46:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I shouldn't have read this in the dark. Right before bed.
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2005-09-19 21:13:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ahumblefool (user info) at 2005-09-19 15:14:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Freaky stuff. This series is a good one, keep them coming
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2005-09-19 15:11:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Submitted by Spuds002 (user info) at 2005-09-19 13:55:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by RydinJ (user info) at 2005-09-16 22:18:46 (#)
Ranking: 2
Where did you go to basic, fuckin female drills, i wish i would have seen a single female during basic. But I cant complain i had a blast at Benning... more fun during basic than I am having in Iraq ill tell you that.
-_________________________________________________________________
no you dont ever want a female drill. they were meaner than the male drills. they had somthing to prove. they wanted everyone to know that just because they were a female they could still kick your ass six way from sunday. so they set out to do just that.
they were some mean motherfuckers. made our male drills look like a bunch of pansys really.
and now jack, keep[ the good stories coming. im glad i was in alpha 1/48 barrakas, not charlie.
Submitted by johnhutch (user info) at 2005-09-19 13:25:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love this stuff.
Submitted by miss_tila (user info) at 2005-09-19 13:13:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love a good ghost story. I hope this catches on and
everyone writes one.
Submitted by omnifica (user info) at 2005-09-19 07:40:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
aww man- now i won't be able to sleep tonight! great story, as always.
Submitted by Freakmagnet (user info) at 2005-09-17 17:27:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
All of these are freakin sweet.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-09-16 23:22:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Gah!
THAT GAVE ME THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES!!
Submitted by SullyThePirate (user info) at 2005-09-16 22:32:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
These never seem to run out of juice.
Submitted by RydinJ (user info) at 2005-09-16 22:18:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Where did you go to basic, fuckin female drills, i wish i would have seen a single female during basic. But I cant complain i had a blast at Benning... more fun during basic than I am having in Iraq ill tell you that.
Submitted by nrduncan (user info) at 2005-09-16 16:47:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-09-16 16:21:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
OMG TEH SPOOKIES!!!
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-09-16 15:58:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ajanssen (user info) at 2005-09-16 15:37:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-09-16 15:08:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
.
Submitted by GodChicken (user info) at 2005-09-16 15:04:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I came back just long enough to +2 you.
Submitted by Unabonger (user info) at 2005-09-16 14:06:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
nice. seems like someone was pulling your leg though.
Keep them coming, dude.
Submitted by Avals (user info) at 2005-09-16 13:36:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Okay, now that's just creepy.
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2005-09-16 13:11:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeep!
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-09-16 13:05:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
you should have had the platoon outside in full formation at 12:00am.
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2005-09-16 13:00:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yowzers!
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:51:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This gave me the willies.
Goose bumps on my arms.
Submitted by AlexorGM (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:43:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:38:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/4th25
Submitted by Mike00295 (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:34:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yikes
Submitted by hawkeynut (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:26:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is my favourite series on uber.
This was a creepy one. I never want to see the day when you run out of stories.
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:24:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Dude.
Made the hair on my neck stand up.
Submitted by Average_Dan (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:20:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn, I need to go back and read the rest of these!
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:18:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
....woah.
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2005-09-16 12:17:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment