What is the best practical military training you've had?

Plebe year at the USNA. During the two month plebe summer before academic year started, we spent time at a Marine Corp range across the Severn River from the Academy proper. I had a chance to qualify both expert rifle and expert pistol with Marine instructors. We qualified with the M-1 and the Colt 1911. Plus we fired M-1 Carbines, 30 cal Browning MG's, BAR's, the new M15 rifle, which became the M-14. After plebe summer, I experienced the hardest nine months of my life. Hazing back then wasn't the cakewalk it is today. Every plebe didn't have his congressman on speed dial. Although physical hazing wasn't permitted [HA], I spent ten days at Bethesda with a head injury after one incident.

I got stationed at a SpecWar command as the Maintenance Officer for one of my three shore duty stations in Mississippi the was a training school for foreign militaries. One of the classes that were taught there firearms maintenance. Somehow the armory fell under me, still haven't figured that one out. Anyway, there was only one Gunner's Mate at the command who kept up the armory and taught the classes. Being as we only had foreign students we had to have the firearms that their militaries used. We also had to carry the ammo for these firearms as the students went out and shot after tearing the various firearms to ensure everything worked the way it was supposed to.

So, every time we got new firearms in the GM and myself took it upon ourselves to go to the range and "test fire" every one of them. The XO called me into his office one day and questioned why we felt we needed to do this. Being as I was an LDO (went from enlisted straight to officer without having to go through OCS) I carefully explained to him that I could not in good conscience allow a student to fire a weapon that had not been thoroughly tested by myself and the GM. He questioned that, and we went back and forth for about 15 minutes until he finally conceded.

Needless to say, we shot a LOT when there wasn't much going on. I can't fathom how many thousands of rounds we went through in my short time there (less than two years) but we sure had a lot of fun!

AJBert: What a great gig you had going! Part of me would think, “hey, that’s on the tax payers dollar”, but it is quite alright when you think of how much $ was just given to gender studies in Pakistan, or how much tax money has been given to the BLM and other “special” interest groups.

Exactly, if you don't spend it, somebody else will. Sadly nobody treats tax payer money or company money like their own now days. I get kind of hot when a doctor or dentist (another of my greatest fears) get stalled when I ask how much something cost. Their response is usually you have insurance, you don't have to worry. Well that's exactly the reason insurance cost so much.

O.P. M. = Other peoples money.

Expect the unexpected and when the suck happens deal with it.

I was a Machinist Mate on Tin Cans, worked down in the Engine room, hotter than hell. The biggest thing I learned was ****. (Read the F**king Manual). I have had to figure out the solution to many problems in the real world where the manuals were my only asset.

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Originally Posted by kenemoore

I was a Machinist Mate on Tin Cans, worked down in the Engine room, hotter than hell. The biggest thing I learned was ****. (Read the F**king Manual). I have had to figure out the solution to many problems in the real world where the manuals were my only asset.

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Me too! Got 130 degrees down in “the hole” in the Persian Gulf. Was also a fire fighting team leader at GQ. Had heat exhaustion fighting a small bilge fire due to the temps and gear I had on.
I don’t think I woulda ever been a hot rodder/drag racer and amatuer ‘smith were it not what I learned from being an MM.

And your affinity for polishing guns to a high degree of shine came from swabbing the deck? :D

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Originally Posted by dao

And your affinity for polishing guns to a high degree of shine came from swabbing the deck? :D

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You’re not wrong! When I was the Leading Petty Officer, we got many awards for having the brightest floors on inspections. I was on the Admiral’s “flagship”, so I learned how to strip & wax those floors like nobody’s business. They were always gleaming. Lol! Realistically though, my dad was a carpenter/handyman. I worked by his side many times. He took pride in his work. He said to me many times that, “your name is on this job”, and “if you are going to do it, do it right, or don’t do it at all”. Sadly, I think those concepts are a thing of the past. At least for the majority.