high angle primers

303lithgow · Nov 11, 2012

When I was in the Army every new guy was sent on some crazy goose chase. Being artillery we would usually send them to the captain to get some "high angle primers" or a "breechlock key".

I'm sure we weren't the only ones to do this. What are your favorite tricks?

GringoPistolero · Nov 11, 2012

"Keys to the drop zone", "canopy lights" for night jumps...oh, and a "box of grid squares" so you won't get lost!

angel71rs · Nov 11, 2012

Electronic Warfare in the Corps. Our equipment had designations like USM-458, AN/ALR-50, etc.

So the newbs would get sent to the radar shop for an ASH receiver. The guy there would tell them they didn't have one available, would tell them to try the radio shop. Somebody would finally hand them an ash tray and send them back.

MartyB · Nov 11, 2012

When I was in the Navy, we would send the new guys after the mast crankto crank the mast down at night.

Hick · Nov 12, 2012

My brother tells about the Marines who sent a rookie all over the camp looking for a T.R. double-E. Each place was "out of them" and sent him to another place. Finally got him to the edge of camp and was pointed to the trees there . . .

Then in HS Voc Ag there was always the "board stretcher" for when you cut the board too short.

gasbag · Nov 12, 2012

Well, in the motor pool we had "chromed vapor locks" and once in a while we would need some new "muffler bearings".

303lithgow · Nov 12, 2012

gasbag said:
Well, in the motor pool we had "chromed vapor locks" and once in a while we would need some new "muffler bearings".

Make sure they change the air in the tires when they change the oil.

CdnInAz · Nov 12, 2012

Bucket of prop wash
Roll of flight line

bobmare · Nov 12, 2012

send new flight crew members to get a "Sky Hook".

James6591 · Nov 12, 2012

New guys must get it in all occupations.
Mechanic..... left hand screwdriver.

JustKev · Nov 12, 2012

We had several in the Marine Corps:

ID(numerical ten)T - ID10t
BA(numerical eleven hundred)NS - BA1100NS
E2 Alignment Tool - A hammer.

My all time favorite was at the electronics maintenance company where I was stationed we had a section that worked on PRK radios. Naturally they were prick radios. We'd send newbies in to the company office to get a Prick E-8. The 1stSgt would come flying out of the office, mad as hell, demanding who did it this time. He never could figure it out because every single person in the shop would be laughing so hard there would be tears in their eyes.

Hmebuildr · Nov 12, 2012

When ever we would put out to sea with the Navy it happened to be on the same ship most times the USS Austin.

After we had been out to sea for a few days we would send out the new troops to watch for the Mail Buoy with the understanding that if they missed it there would be no mail until the next one was dropped and there would be a whole bunch of pissed off Marines and Sailors. They never did find one

Sea Bats were another thing to watch for we had to keep them off the ship otherwise they would foul everything up

Back on shore we had a Col that was the Provost Marshall at Camp Lejeune When his driver would call out at station he would say 10-7 out of service building 3 or as it became 10-73 well a 10-73 was a mental subject and it described the Col to T

jaxrider14 · Nov 12, 2012

When I was going to college I drove a school bus for a part time job.
We used a t-shaped metal handle to open body side panels to check the engine.
Everyone called this handle gadget a wickerdicker, and sometimes we lost them.

The chief mechanic told our secretary to order a wickerdicker so she got on the phone to the Crown Coach parts department in Los Angeles and said "I need a wickerdicker".

When the parts clerk fiinally stopped laughing he said "I'm sure you do, ma'am, but we're all married men here".

GeorgiaWanderer85 · Nov 12, 2012

CdnInAz said:
Bucket of prop wash
Roll of flight line

Beat me to it

rogueleader · Nov 12, 2012

Aircraft Armament Tech here. We would send guys for stuff like:

Ball Bearing Checking Fixture, a barrel of prop wash, and one of the best, a "semen meter." One of the shops made one special for one of the guys we sent there to pick one up. They glued the ends of a flashlight together, put a couple of voltmeter leads on it, with a toggle switch cover. They put this in a metal box and labelled it. The airman we sent to get it couldn't understand why the guys in the shop were rolling on the floor. One of the other things we sent them for was a tube of anal grease.

andybothel · Nov 12, 2012

Not in the military, but newbies in the shop would be sent to go get aluminum magnets, pre-bucked rivets, etc.

phonejack · Nov 13, 2012

Sent the "new" guy to supply for a "wrench,adjustable,clutch for the A-4's.

303lithgow · Nov 13, 2012

andybothel said:
Not in the military, but newbies in the shop would be sent to go get aluminum magnets, pre-bucked rivets, etc.

I think all the military aluminum magnets were destroyed during the Clinton years.

Maximumbob54 · Nov 13, 2012

I remember being at aft lookout and had someone from combat tell me to be watching for CGU-11's to be flying over us at any time. That one took me a few minutes to work out in my head. I never fell for the BT punch from engineering, clear metal bowl cleaner, mail buoy lookout, and several more that escape me right now. The USN is thick with them.

backshot · Nov 14, 2012

As a machinist mate in the Navy we sent nebies after "halfround squares" to ck equipment & my favorite a "bucket of vaccum".
___________________________
AE-27 USS Butte

high angle primers

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