The Last Fire Drill

By George Zasadil

It was the summer (rainy season) of 1968. Company "A" had just gotten a new Commanding Officer. I was on "A" trick, sharing a two-man room on the second floor with Bill Atwell. We were working Eves on the next to last day of the cycle. That night, after work, knowing we only had just one to go before our 48-hour break, we did what came natural; partied and got drunk.
At the ungodly hour of 0645 the Company fire alarm went off. I, as well as others, thought that this must be the real thing. In the past we had always been warned of upcoming Fire Drills.
Grabbing what we could to cover ourselves, we headed for safety in the street in front of the barracks. I wish I had a picture of this. Guys in sheets, in blankets, in under shorts, and in towels.
The alarms and noise in the street had also awakened the dependants living in the billets across the street from A Company. As we gathered, they gathered, waiting for the Fire Trucks to arrive. Out of the building comes the CO. He sarcastically congratulates us on our ability to vacate premises in orderly fashion. Boos and hisses followed. Most of "A" Trick drops cover, walking naked-back to the barracks and bed. The dependants living across the street were appalled at sight of troops au natural and complained to the Post Commander. From that day until the day I left in October, we didn't have another fire drill.

After word from Mike "maddog" Doran:

The First Sgt couldn't disguise his utter contempt for the whole scene. For both the new CO and us! He just stood there shaking his head "no no no". He had to stop three times to get the company together as stragglers kept stumbling down the stairs and out the door...most with the same words on their lips "what the fuck?" until they would look over and see Top and the new CO. When the CO started to speak-the last straggler came down and got the evil eye from the CO and got a big chuckle from us! Being rather dark the CO was running around trying to find out who was heckling him, all to no avail! The new CO was a fresh out of OCS. A 2nd Lt. who had been an E-5 or E-6 in the Regular Army. I think he had delusions of whipping us ASA wienies into shape with some good old-fashioned real Army discipline and drills.
His next and final mistake was to "volunteer" the company to do first echelon maintenance on the trucks at the motor pool. I was on duty so missed the fun. He marched everyone off duty to the motor pool where they proceeded to sabotage the vehicles to the point that none of them were serviceable when they marched out. Now he had made another enemy, the Motor Pool OIC was not amused, and reportedly made some personal threats of violence to the new CO if he ever brought us over there again. That was the Rookie Company Commanders last attempt to put the "Army" back in the ASA! I think he spent the rest of his tour in the Officers Club