Laststop
Experienced
- Jul 9, 2019
- 243
When I was a kid of 18 I joined the military. On our first day there we saw a kid being carried to the aid station in what looked like an attempted CTB, but I don't know for sure to this day. We had one in our group however, an attempted one. We had lanai areas on every floor of our barracks that were open to our assembly area on the ground floor...and major mistake, given the stress we were under. One guy from my unit was going to jump, and the instructors grabbed him in time. We all witness it. The next day we were in a classroom, and the senior instructor came in without a word, grabbed a guy, then another, and walked with them behind my view, then a hand tapped me on my shoulder, and he was behind me. He made the second guy sit back down, and took me. Without a word he took us to his office. We both stood before his desk. I'm freaking out, because I have no idea why I'm there. He looked at my name on my uniform, and said, "<not saying name or rank for security/privacy> you see this <not giving rank, was E-1 anyway> standing next to you? I'm going to talk with him for a few minutes. If he moves, I want you to kick his ass, do you understand?" It turned out it was the guy who was going to jump. They had left him in the unit, and I had forgot about it, as so much happens during those first few days, and I didn't look at him close when we got pulled into the office.
The senior instructor told him he was being discharged, and would be gone in a day or so. Turned out, because I'm very big, he chose me as security. The second guy was his first choice til he saw me. When he was done he told the guy to go back to his seat in class. He looked at me, and said, "<my rank and name>, you see this man here? I want you to walk him back to his seat. If he doesn't I want you to kick his ass. If he runs, I want you to chase him down no matter how far you have to, then kick his ass, and bring what's left of him back to his seat. Do you understand?" When we got out I begged the guy not to run. You'd think the guy would have been in a hospital bed, being treated, and under professional watch? Maybe he would now, this was a long time ago. I did another suicide watch when I got to my station. We just stayed with the guy all the time until they got him to wherever he was going. I think they just kicked you out back then?
The senior instructor told him he was being discharged, and would be gone in a day or so. Turned out, because I'm very big, he chose me as security. The second guy was his first choice til he saw me. When he was done he told the guy to go back to his seat in class. He looked at me, and said, "<my rank and name>, you see this man here? I want you to walk him back to his seat. If he doesn't I want you to kick his ass. If he runs, I want you to chase him down no matter how far you have to, then kick his ass, and bring what's left of him back to his seat. Do you understand?" When we got out I begged the guy not to run. You'd think the guy would have been in a hospital bed, being treated, and under professional watch? Maybe he would now, this was a long time ago. I did another suicide watch when I got to my station. We just stayed with the guy all the time until they got him to wherever he was going. I think they just kicked you out back then?
