Noob tricks/pranks

[Standard]

Chem-lite batteries and lefthanded smoke benders, not the righthanded ones since the wind is out of the west obviously.

[Bob C]

When I was an adult Scout leader, one of the pranks was to send a first time camper out to find a left handed smoke shifter. So I drew up a design with a set of instructions and handed it out whenever the question was asked. It was a kick to turn the joke back on the perpetrator.

Brian

I was going to mention that one. Must be a worldwide Boy Scouts standard.

[Drillagent]

As a mechanized infantryman we used to send the cherries down to the motor pool with a ball pean hammer and a piece of chalk and tell them to knock on the armor of the Bradley fighting vehicles and mark the soft spots. There are no soft spots in armor, but one day this kid found five. Imagine the platoon sergeant's words when he came asking us why his vehicles had all these white X's all over them. Then there's the chemlight batteries, the Bradley exhaust sample taken by holding a trash bag over the exhaust port, the 25mm cannon blank adapter (no such animal) and of course asking the new butter bar (lieutenant) to check the air pressure in the road wheels. (They're solid rubber)

[Highland Logan]

We used to get the new gunners to get the BFA for the howitzer. There was always the popular box of frequencies kept at the CP. But the best was when we sent a driver all the back out to the ASA (Ammo dump, about 13 clicks from camp) to get the blank fuse setter before we fired the Canada Day salute.... ah good times!

Frank

[emolas]

When aboard ship, someone would invariably be posted to keep a look out for the Mail Buoy.

One of my favorites, along with having someone keep an eye out for the equator or date line.

Again in the Marines, we used radios that had the designation PRC and some number depending on the model. PRC-77's were common, but sometimes we needed a "special" radio so we'd send the FNG to ask the Gunny where the PRC-E7 was. "Hey Gunny, where's the PRC (prick) E7?" (E7 being a Gunnery Sergeants enlisted grade). Most were smart of enough to catch that one, but you got a few.

Along these same lines, the part numbers for batteries started with BA-xxxx so we would send them to finds some BA1100Ns for a PRC-E7.

Although not technically FNG hazing, as passenger helicopter flight crew, we had fun "grunt baiting". Things like having your passengers work a hydraulic hand pump or the plane will crash (and telling the pilot to drop altitude when they pause in pumping) or passing a Jack Daniels bottle full of tea back and forth from pilot to copilot while flying in a meandering pattern. Opening a panel in flight and having a whole bunch of nuts and bolts fall out was usually a crowd pleaser.

We used to get the new gunners to get the BFA for the howitzer. Frank

That's hilarious!

[ardchoille]

Opening a panel in flight and having a whole bunch of nuts and bolts fall out was usually a crowd pleaser.

I bet no one fell asleep on that flight.

[SteveB]

Carefully placed by the wing door, an "in case of emergency BREAK GLASS" box half full of rivets, and a rivet gun hanging beside it on a chain labeled "Wing fastening tool"..

[OFCJAX]

Oh man, I forgot about the "mail bouy" one!

As far as the Jack being passed around, the grunts I served with woulda asked for a swig!

[Mr. bone]

First radio station I was at, we had a guy from Seattle come to work for us. Told him that he'd better get to the local tire dealership and get his air changed. The difference in altitude between Seattle and the low mountains of North Idaho would have his tires shredded before he could blink. We called the tire place after he left and when he got there they made a big production out of putting his car on the hoise and filing the tires with "proper Idaho air" As I recall, he left shortly after that...

[Amoskeag]

As a kid I worked in a clam shack and the cook sent me down cellar to get some peanut oil. The shack was on pilings over the harbor. I knew that but went looking for the trap door.

Ive been sent to get wood stretchers, a bottle of steam conditioner, a ten inch metric wrench. I really like the ten yards of stern sheet and I will definitely have our new guy call DES and ask for ID10T form. (of course there is always the danger that some bureaucrat up there will actually go look for one)
I love pranks. Unfortunately some of the work we have to do in the wastewater field sound like pranks but there not!
Bob