The Army is a good way of life, it is a few idiot people that mess it up. I always thought I should have spent 20 years in but only did four. (Injury, a recruiter told me not to try reenlisting.)
I was in the second of my AIT's (96D) at Fort Huachuca. My Platoon Sergeant made NCO of the year that year. I cannot remember his name but he was as top notch as top notch can get in my eyes.
I was dress right dress as far as soldiers went but I also was kind of a card. (Harmless but I like to have good clean fun as it seems you do.) I had good times in the Army at all my stops. At Fort Huachuca we had a couple weeks to go and we were off a certain day but had a GI party back at our barracks. A couple buddies and I were at the shopette about a half mile or so from the barracks across what I called the desert, sandy with a tuft of weeds every so often. I got a wild hair of some kind but I decided I was going to drink some MD 20/20 that I saw on the shelf. I can't remember if they were $.89 or $1.89 a bottle but I spent my last dough before pay day and bought two of them. My buddies bought but didn't drink. I popped the first one and chugged it way before we got to the barracks in what seemed to be 110 or 115 degree heat.. dry heat. I chugged the other one before we got to the barracks. MAN what a head rush I had while standing at ease in our room as the Platoon Sergeant came in. I know I must have been wobbling or something but I was buzzing like a bumble bee.
My Platoon Sergeant did the Sergeant Carter thing with Gomer and got nose to nose with me. ( I was at attention when he came in as the others followed my lead and snapped to.) He stated; "My last name, are you drunk?" I replied immediately, "Yes Sergeant!" (I never had an expression and was dead serious.) He paused a couple seconds and walked out of the room. After he left and cleared, my buddies were laughing to beat all laughs. I was scared sober. (I never heard about that episode again.) A week or so before that, we did our PT test and I was in the best shape of my life due to that Platoon Sergeant. Much respect to him. That was the only time I ever maxed a PT test and he gave me five seconds on the run at that by repeating 3:12 or 3:05 about five times. (Whatever the max was.)
If I have a glory moment other than my family in my life about a week after that MD 20/20 incident he had me in his office and told me straight up. "My last name, if I had a 100k like you, I could win any war!" That stuck with me to date and is how I try to carry myself now and I expect until the Lord calls me home.
That's what the Army did for me! I am thankful! (Thanks for letting me ramble. Not even drinking.)