infantry AIT at Ft Polk, going to the overhead livefire night course. in the bleachers for our instructions, we were told "do NOT leave your position until your squad leader comes for you. they've already been shown where to place you". it gets darker, we're placed. overhead fire commences. about 20 mins later it ceases. no one ever comes to get me. i'm thinking "do i violate my last order?". after staring at the foxfire (a phosphorescent moss) for about ten mins, out in the distance, the lights come on in the bleacher area and i can faintly hear mail call being held. still, do i disobey my last order? is this a test?. soon the cattle trucks arrive, the lights go out, and i'm on my own.

i get up, find my way to Range Rd, get out my handkerchief, tie it around my penlight to create a globe of light and set off down the road. after some time, the CO's little red Datsun pickup comes down the road and the XO's with him. they pull over.

PV2 [X], why were you sleepin'? me: i wasn't sleeping sirs, i can tell you what time the lights turned on, mail call was held and the cattle trucks arrived.

them: get in the back of the truck. i did.

when we arrived back to the unit, the cattle trucks had come back and they were all going out to search for me. they were pissed, it's now about 2300. it's Friday night, and many had a weekend pass.

CO to me: see me in the orderly room after morning chow, i'm thinking about an ART 15. no pass for you.

no NJP, but i did spend the weekend doing chores. thanks unit leaders for failing to do a head count! i still remember that squad leaders name (altho' not the CO or XO).