I took basic training in the summer of 1988 at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. One time, during chow, there were 200 plus men getting their 5 minutes to eat. As I had my tray of food, looking for a spot to sit, I saw an empty spot at a table, but no chair.

At the Drill Sergeant's table, there were plenty of empty chairs. To this day, I have no idea what I was thinking. I thought I'd grab one of those chairs and take it over to the table so I could finish chow.

There were 10 Drill Sergeants sitting there eating their chow. I grabbed a chair, and instantly these 10 Drill Sergeants jumped up, their chairs go flying behind them.

I won't quote their exact words, but they were not pleased. One of the 10 was my drill instructor. He said 'This one's mine, I'll take care of him after chow'. This particular Drill Sergeant gave me a hard time every chance he could, so naturally I wasn't looking forward to what the next hour would bring.

After chow, he NEVER approached me. I'm not sure why. If I were to ever meet him again, or any of my Drill Sergeants, I'd buy them a beer!

They are some very dedicated soldiers!