What did the Military make me drink?

I enlisted in the US Air Force in 2001 shortly after September 11th. I passed all my medical tests as well as a urinalysis before being sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to begin basic training. The night before I left I smoked some bud, thinking that I was in the clear having already passed my drug tests. After a few days in training, our flight had to go provide urinalysis's. Then after 2 1/2 weeks of hellish training, I was booted from the military for having THC in my urine. A blessing in disguise.

Anyways, I remember before eating every meal, we had to drink 3 eight ounce glasses of multicolored chalky drink. I wonder if anyone on here has experienced that, and if so, have you any information on what we were drinking?

the chalky drink usually is barium - used for xrays, so i couldn't imagine them serving that at meals though.

i was in the service as well, and we never had to drink anything other than water or "bug juice" (kool-aid)

what did it taste like?
anyone know how "salt peter" is administered?

it was fruity, like kool aid or gatorade

chalky? could it have been fluoride, or some derivative of it?

maybe concentrated?

like Stalin gave to his prisoners to keep them from rising up and escaping?? so he could cut his guard force down by 75%?

reply to post by ReagrahamLincool


It was in basic training, right?

Could it have been a protein drink to keep you from keeling over after they had y'all running all over the place all day long? Did they fix it and give it to you or did you choose it? Any side effects??

Originally posted by skeptic1
reply to post by ReagrahamLincool

 

It was in basic training, right?

Could it have been a protein drink to keep you from keeling over after they had y'all running all over the place all day long? Did they fix it and give it to you or did you choose it? Any side effects??

protein drinks make a lot of sense. they've got them dialed in now pretty well.
interested to see if it was mandatory or not.

Protein shake.

2 1/2 weeks of AF training was brutal for you?

WOW

It came out of a soda fountain machine at the end of the chow line. We were required to fill 3 glasses, each meal. Right when we sat down we would chug all three glasses and then we were allowed to eat. If you didn't chug your drinks, drill sargs would come over and yell at you in your face until you chugged. Yellow, orange, green, and red. And they were solid colors, like if you mixed a glass of tang with way too much tang powder.

reply to post by jd140


I'm sure 4 months sucks too. What, were you loving it after your first 3 nights of sleep deprivation right off the bus?

WOW

I entered USAF enlistment in 1981, and we basic training kids -never- drank anything like what you described, at Lackland. It's been 28 years, and I can still remember that time and those people, like it was recent. However, I do know that the military had established a lot of new strange requirements for the troops, starting with (and there-after) the Gulf War, and --especially-- likely, after 9-11-01.

reply to post by ReagrahamLincool


Did you notice any side effects of it?

That's why I say protein drink. I work with Marines and when Parris Island was evacuated for a hurricane a few years back, all the recruits that were evacuated here had those protein drinks before and/or with their meals to keep them upright during the days of training.

Kind of resembled what you are describing.

reply to post by ReagrahamLincool



First off, I'm Army and yes the first week was actually fun. Sure I might have only had a few hours of sleep, but who hasn't done that on a weekend party blitz?

I understand though, the AF can be very brutal.

reply to post by skeptic1


Nope, no real side effects I can recall.

I did it back in 1990, and it was water then. Three glasses before every meal. Just like you said. I was told it was only water, but the funny thing is I never had Mr. Happy wake up before me the entire time. Not chub number one for 12 weeks or whatever it was. Coinciedence? I think not. But it was a breeze after you realize all they are gona do is yell at you. It actually became a bit fun. I would go pull door guard for a new flight and see the fear in the newbies eyes. (being a two week veteran) One kid went into the shower with his cowboy boots on. THen he came out with them on sloshing water all over the bay. The TI had a ball with him. I caught myself laughing a bit as the TI was in rare form. Memories. I was more worried about the anthrax shot before going to the desert. WHat was it? The world may never know.

maybe if you never smoked the bud in the first place they would not make you drink it? just a thought.

Sorry, I don't believe you. Good try though. I went through basic training, but I know that we were only given WATER. It was a pain to have to drink the 3 glasses, but I did it.
Now, if you had completed basic and gone on to have a career, we could maybe discuss the strange pills we were given on our way to Desert Shield, all the shots we had to have and my subsequent miscarriage the following year.

Originally posted by network dude
I did it back in 1990, and it was water then. Three glasses before every meal. Just like you said. I was told it was only water, but the funny thing is I never had Mr. Happy wake up before me the entire time. Not chub number one for 12 weeks or whatever it was. Coinciedence? I think not. But it was a breeze after you realize all they are gona do is yell at you. It actually became a bit fun. I would go pull door guard for a new flight and see the fear in the newbies eyes. (being a two week veteran) One kid went into the shower with his cowboy boots on. THen he came out with them on sloshing water all over the bay. The TI had a ball with him. I caught myself laughing a bit as the TI was in rare form. Memories. I was more worried about the anthrax shot before going to the desert. WHat was it? The world may never know.

that's the absolute truth. there was NO morning wood what so ever in boot camp.
that was strange i thought.

reply to post by calmbutwary


A "career", I have one, and thankfully it never required me to take a strange pill like yours did. I would maybe see a doctor or a therapist and work on whatever side effects it appears you may be suffering from. The earths medicine saved me from that gestapo lifestyle. Thank goodness.

The earth's medicine seems to be working for ya. Thankfully you were booted out before you got yourself or somebody else killed because you were high on the job.

reply to post by calmbutwary


yeah, or myself for questioning orders to bomb the hell out of 1 million iraqis.