Army Training Sir!
Army infantry training unit reverses ‘bay tossing’ ban
The commander of an infantry One Station Unit Training brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia, directed drill sergeants to stop using “bay tossing” with trainees, but the move was quickly rescinded.
Jeff Schogol
It may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes you have to make a mess to teach Army trainees how to keep things clean.
The practice is known as “bay tossing,” in which drill sergeants can overturn trainees’ mattresses or bunks, empty the contents of their wall lockers on the floor, knock over garbage cans, or take some other actions to force trainees to clean up.
But one Army training unit at Fort Benning, Georgia, briefly prevented drill sergeants from tossing bays after things got out of hand and wall lockers were turned over and a desk was broken, a source with knowledge of the matter told Task & Purpose.
Two memos recently shared on social media indicate what happened. A July 31 memo from Col. Christopher J.C. Hallows, commander of the 197th Infantry Brigade, announced that bay tossing was “strictly prohibited.” The unit is currently tasked with training infantry soldiers as part of One Station Unit Training, which combines Basic Combat Training with Advanced Individual Training for several military occupational specialties.
“Drill sergeants will not ‘toss’ the bay to include flipping mattresses, knocking over wall lockers, touching and/or damaging Trainee personal items or equipment,” the memo says. “Drill sergeants will not use bay ‘tossing’ for any reason to include methods of corrective action.”
Incur the DI’s wrath at your peril! Seems the good Colonel forgot the concept of the All-Hands Ass Chewing that we’ve all enjoyed.
Category: Army, Good Idea Fairy
Assuming open bay barracks are still the norm, Where the hell does the desk come in to be broken?
It was for writing letters home to mommy.
Probably the Fire Watch desk. When I went through in ’01-’02, it was a small desk by the main door, when I was a Drill Sergeant myself in ’16-’18, it was a larger desk that was used for a lot of other things like weapons cleaning and, yes, writing letter home to mommy. 😁
According to my Drill Sergeant (1972) write home to Mommy… but not little Suzy Rottencrotch!
Fire watch desk? In ’87, you did your one-hour tour walking laps around the bay until it was time to wake your relief.
I had to walk around to stay awake!
RTC San Diego 1984…
We are out on the patio after dinner: shinning boonies, reading letters, smoking, enjoying some decompression time. Then, a ruckus on the second floor followed by some yelling followed by a mattress out the window. A few moments later, a couple of recruits from a different company scurry out to gather up said mattress. At the moment our Company Commander, BM1 Franklin says “See, I’m not that bad after all…”
It isn’t to force trainees to “clean up”. It is used to promote attention to details and making sure that when you leave your area it is in proper condition, because if it isn’t, someone may come by while you are gone and engage in fuckery. Therefore don’t leave your wall locker unlocked or a mop bucket out in the bay.
We had a former Marine who made bay tossing an art. When the Trainees were in the classroom early in the cycle, he’d sometimes disappear and turn his bay into a work of abstractionism. It’s amazing what one Drill Sergeant can do with a heavy metal soundtrack and a couple of hours. It’s even more amazing what 50 Trainees can do in 15 minutes. I wouldn’t usually toss a bay, per se. I did like to pull the mattresses off the bunks and wedge them into the rear entry point (no, not that one), where the Trainees came up. I’d have the entire door barricaded, then give them 30 seconds to be upstairs toeing the line. They never quite made the time hack, but they always managed to figure out a way in. I found two unsecured wall lockers in another platoon’s bay one day: a Private’s and a new Drill Sergeant’s. For some reason, the other DS’ didn’t lock their office doors and would sometimes even leave them open. So, when I discovered an unsecure office and a Week 2 Trainee’s unsecured locker, I transferred the Trainee’s wall locker display to the office wall locker. The Senior DS walked in a while later and thought his new Drill had laid his locker out, telling him that the displays were only for the Trainees and that Drill Sergeants weren’t expected to have an inspection-ready layout. The Trainee had “fun” having to enter the DS office to retrieve his stuff. He thought it had all been stolen while he was gone. Regardless, he learned his lesson (and the Senior DS started locking his door, though I had keys for all of the offices…). Some younger DS’ got creative with laundry and hygiene supplies, using detergents and body wash to scrawl messages on the floor. I never went that far and agreed with my CO when he shut that method down. It’s one thing to toss Army-issued uniforms and equipment, but it’s another to waste supplies that the Trainees spent their own money on. Besides, who wants the Privates to stink worse… Read more »
“bay tossing”
So, this is the modern version of the old “health and welfare inspection”.
It is way older than that. My dad used to do it when he was a Marine DI back in the mid 60s. He was a champ at fuk-fuk games but he didn’t bring most of it home. Just the mind games which were his forte. Ever have a one hour conversation about the word “dialogue”? Fascinating stuff I tell you.
Did he bounce a basketball off the back of your head while he told you that you were his favorite daughter?
The Great Santini… fantastic movie. One of Robert Duvall’s finest.
Ed, Ed…did you take Uniform ID courses from the Marine CSM? That’s a Gunny, (RIP) Drill Sergeant Marine, not a Drill Instructor Army.
Was waiting for this- it’s called artistic license.
Much like Phil Monkress and his SEAL Trident. At All Points Logistics, all employees are required to wear flair.
Not quite as famous but badass.
Vincent “Rocco” Vargas military photos – Search Images
coulda been worse, could have read “Stewart” and interpreted it as “Gordon”
Oh, how I remember with fondness coming back to our squad bay and finding that “Hurricane D.I.” had once more made it’s way through…
Bit off topic. Fox News has reported on an active shooter at Fort Stewart GA. Initial reports indicate it is in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Tean cantonment area. Casualties have been reported. The post is on lockdown.
Fort Stewart on lockdown amid active shooter in South Carolina | Fox News
The suspect has been apprehended. Several individuals were injured but no fatalities reported.
Now we play guess the race, creed, nationality game for a bit.
If I’m tracking what you’re saying, pay close attention, cause this story will disappear fast.
I have a feeling that the ban wasn’t enacted for being “too harsh” as much as it was an overreaction to the damaged desk. Even though the actual cost is likely a little drop in a big bucket, no officer wants to sign off on damaged equipment.
Parris Island was a breeze after growing up under the discipline of Poppa Stone, who, at the personal invitation from President Roosevelt on Poppa Stone’s 18th birthday was offered a position fighting the Japanese in the Philippines. The morning after signing the Parental Consent to allow Hack to enlist, Poppa Stone came into the squadbay/bedroom of the Stone Boys Platoon banging a metal trashcan with a baseball bat. No shit, he really did.
I remember the banging trash cans from basic; they were accompanied by the chorus “GET YOUR GOAT SMELLING ASSESS OUT OF MY BED”.
I also remember; “Huree-UP!…Huree-UP!…Yor tooo SLOW!…Yor tooo SLOW!…”
My favorite was “get your shit smelling pie holes and dick skinners into the head.”
Get up! Get outta bed! Get yer cold feet on my warm floor!!
Known as or was known as a White Tornado in the Air Force, never had one pulled on us. But our sister flight, their TI went apeshit with one after they bombed a Honor Flight inspection.
Severe enough that stuff was damaged and broken. Our TIs sent us down to their bay/dorm to help them clean up and get squared away.
We won the Honor Flight competition.
Mike
USAF Retired
Glad they got it right! Shouldn’t have happened to start with.
The bad part is according to the original ban, it was “abuse”. That means that I was abused in 1988. I was already dialing the VA!
C’mon army types (Dad, I know you are rolling in your grave) git yer shit straight.
Pussifying Soldiers one bay at a time.
Looks like Shark Attacks may be coming back too.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-hegseth-shark-attacks/?utm_term=Task%26Purpose_Today_08.07.25&utm_campaign=Task%20%26%20Purpose_TPToday_Actives_Dynamic&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email