Nonchalance
I can’t say I saw this with my own two eyes. But the story was related to me by one of the people involved shortly afterwards. From his reactions and demeanor, I believe it to be true.
It happened in Baghdad, on the Victory Base Complex.
A couple of US soldiers were attempting to locate a facility on the base complex. The facility was run by troops from one of our allies. It wasn’t particularly well marked (many if not most of the buildings in the complex weren’t well marked). And although one of the soldiers had been there before, it had been a while.
They though they’d found it, so they stopped and went inside the building. They were almost right – the building they were looking for was fairly close by.
Unfortunately, by mistake they’d wandered into the residence of an allied general.
The general was there, and asked them what they were doing. The soldiers apologized, and explained what they were looking for.
Turned out the general was a really decent guy. He wasn’t pissed; he knew where the facility they were looking for was, and told them.
However, our guys were visibly very nervous and rather embarrassed during the visit. And it wasn’t all due to their mistake, or the rank of the guy who’s quarters they’d accidentally crashed.
Apparently they’d caught the allied general coming out of the shower or getting dressed. He was wearing only a pair of sweatpants, and it was rather obvious that . . . how to put this . . . well, the general apparently had really been missing female companionship. Either that, or he was thoroughly turned-on by the sounds of small-arms fire from a nearby indoor firing range (one of our allies actually ran one of those on the base complex). (smile)
The general was perplexed at the soldiers’ embarrassment, until he happened to glance down.
Then he said, without any noticeable hesitation: “Oh. Please excuse the chubby.” And he continued the conversation without any hint of embarrassment.
The soldiers thanked the general, left, found the facility in question, and completed their mission. Needless to say, the soldiers also had one helluva good laugh about the whole situation.
Well after leaving the general’s quarters, of course. (smile)
Category: War Stories, Who knows
In late 90s three sailors on Hickam AFB, Hawaii accidently wandered onto the palatial residence of then 4 star Pacific Air Forces commander Gen Richard Myers…they thought it was the NCO club. A startled Gen Myers apparently didn’t get his dander up or summon base security. The General in his low key fashion drove the sailors to the enlisted club.
Me, I would have yelled “do you know who I am” or “get off my goddamn lawn you whippersnappers”
Ret. General Richard Myers was also CJCS from 2001-2005.
“Oh. Please excuse the chubby.” Chubby? What the hell is a chubby? – – – I’m Irish and have never seen one 🙂
LIRight: folks tell me there are now little blue pills that should fix that problem . . . . (smile)
Kabul’s Green Zone has lots of Generals. The one camp that I was at had 20 in very close proximity. I never had any problem with a General while I was there but I did have issues with some of their staff. In fact all my interactions were low key in nature with the actual General but when an O-4 thinks that they’re wearing stars tempers tended to ramp up.
An Irishman might have said, “please not to be bothered by me Jimmy, it has his own way of waking up in the morn, don’t you know.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
@ 4 Any relation to one of the few Frenchman that I can at east owe abit if thanks to?
Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau
@6 No. It was an objective during Desert Storm that we shared with the 6th French Light Armored Division. As Salman Airfield. It was obviously named for the aforementioned Marshal of France. When South Park twisted it’s meaning it seemed like an appropriate moniker.
@#4, Rochambeau, that wouldn’t happen to be Camp Eggers, would it? Every time we had to go there, I just about had to stay at “Present Arms” whenever I walked anywhere on that post. As far as “Salutaholics Central”, I thought Kandahar AF took the title for that!
@8 A Proud Infidel
That’s exactly correct. The last CG of NTMA instructed the camp to just salute 4 stars and above which simplified matters for everyone. It did; however, make things awkward at Bagram when tenants of Eggers would forget to salute an O-5. A correction towards the offending SM might result in a shrug.
In defense of the enlisted that served at Eggers, the greeting of the day was given often.
Prior to the 4-star rule, the senior NCO’s would often commiserate over the unfortunate General who just wanted to get some chow and had to keep saluting for a block or two. It was ridiculous.
@Rochambeau, it sounds like someone FINALLY had a sudden onset of common sense! I always preferred going to the outer FOBs where you didn’t even THINK about saluting, you just gave the appropriate greeting after making eye contact, I hated going to KAF, there were just TOO MANY Field Grade Ossifers wanting a sniper check there!
CONUS, 70’s. Had an assignment to be driver for a newly promoted Brigadier that had been an infantry C.O. in RVN. He got very PO’d when I saluted, telling me “Stop that damn saluting. Some little asshole might be hiding and wanting take a shot”. So, it was simply “Yes sir” “No sir” on everything. A couple of days later I asked why he’d be walking in full dress uniform if he was worried about a sniper. Said something about MP’s, assholes and take him to the damn O-Club. 🙂
@11,streetsweeper, was that during the days when they made a big deal about looking for the Ossifers’ license plates and saluting them? I’ve heard stories, that was when I was just a “yard ape”!
Proud Infidel: can’t speak to streetsweeper’s experience – but in the 70s at many locations military gate guards did indeed salute vehicles with officer decals regardless of who was in the vehicle. As a teen, a friend and I got saluted many times when we went on base at a nearby installation to use the PX or MWR facilities using his dad’s car (his dad was a retired officer).
We both though that was kinda stupid, but it was then-current policy. Back then, they often didn’t check IDs on entry and instead simply looked at the decal.
When I was stationed at Schofield Barracks in the 90s every couple of months we would have duty cycle where we would guard the gates. We had to salute all officer blue post decals. Thanks to the sun I have saluted multiple civilian workers green stickers.
70’s and not all vehicles were saluted, Hondo. Only the rank of SNCO (E8-9)we knew who those were on sight and (blue) officers including warrants. Driver and occupants were observed, day or night. Main gates had the dreaded big speed bumps and traffic crawled over them, in and out. There weren’t many tinted windows and if a vehicle did happen to have them, it was inspected and occupant ID’s verified.
@14 Twist
Oh I so miss those days
The “best duty” I had a Schofield was as a young SGT/E-5. I was put in charge of the dump for 2 weeks. The dump NCOIC during post cleanup.
I just sat, by myself, in the Guard Shack at the dump and checked loads for contraband material for 2 weeks when the units brought truckloads of stuff they had cleaned up to dump.
There I was..enjoying a smoke when a unit arrives with two 5-tons full of stuff. I had just lit up and laid the cigarette on the window sill as I went out to inspect the loads. Well the wind blew it off and under the guard shack and by the time I made it back the smoke was rolling and flames were burning. Two canteens of water did nothing to put it out. So I panicked and using my adrenalin charged retard strength picked the shack up and tossed it over on its side and stamped the flames out.
Obviously the 4 Soldiers in the trucks were wondering wtf was happening. Luckily they were there or I would have never got the shack turned back upright.
streetsweepeer: pretty much same where I grew up. Red or green sticker – no salute. Blue sticker – salute, regardless of who was in the vehicle when they waved it by. Generally no checking of IDs during the day unless the guard was bored as hell or going onto an area with enhanced security (e.g., airfield area). At night, if I recall correctly generally IDs were checked on entry.