Here are some of the
practical jokes we used to play on
Navy Newbies, or those
bald poorly tanned folks from
boot camp.
Ships
- If someone tells you to report for the Mail Buoy Watch at the bow of the ship, it's a joke. Believe it or not, they don't dump loads of US Mail in the middle of the ocean for ships to find.
- If someone needs you to get a heavy HT punch from the ship machine shop, don't. Some of the folks who work in the machine shop are Hull Technicians, or HTs. They will gladly give you a heavy HT punch - right in the arm.
- If someone tells you to stand watch on the stern of the ship and report if you see any (spelled phonetically) "See Gee You Elevens", or CGU-11's, that too is a joke. They're telling you to watch for Sea Gulls (Sea-g-u-ll).
Aircraft
- If someone tells you to go get 15 radar contacts to repair a connector, it's a joke. A radar contact is a target on a radar screen.
- If someone tells you to get 200 yards of flight line, it's a joke. A flight line is where they park the aircraft.
- Don't fall for the 50-gallons of Prop Wash either. Prop wash is the air pushed back from a propeller or helicopter rotor. There actually used to be a real soap solution called that, but it's no longer used.
- If someone sends you to supply to get one large "ID-Ten-Tango", they're sending you to get one big ID-10-T, or Idiot.
There are a few more, and I'm sure there's ones for other services, but these are the most common ones used in the Navy.