A US Air Force C-141 was scheduled to leave Thule Air Base, Greenland at midnight. During the pilot’s preflight check, he discovers that the latrine holding tank is still full from the last flight.

So a message is sent to the base, and an airman who was off duty is called out to take care of it.

The young man finally gets to the airbase and makes his way to the aircraft, only to find that the latrine pump truck has been left outdoors and is frozen solid, so he must find another one in the hangar, which takes even more time.

He returns to the aircraft and is less than enthusiastic about what he has to do.

Nevertheless, he goes about the pumping job deliberately and carefully (and slowly) so as to not risk criticism later. As he’s leaving the plane, the pilot stops him and says, “Son, your attitude and performance has caused this flight to be late, and I’m going to personally see to it that you are not only reprimanded but also punished.”

Shivering in the cold, his task finished, he takes a deep breath, stands up tall and says, “Sir, with all due respect, I’m not your son; I’m an Airman in the United States Air Force. I’ve been in Thule, Greenland for 11 months without any leave, and reindeer are beginning to look pretty good to me. I have one stripe; it’s two-thirty in the morning, the temperature is 40 degrees below zero and my job here is to pump shit from your aircraft.

Now just exactly what form of punishment did you have in mind?”

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
aviator
aviator
13 years ago

great…well said..!!

kj
kj
13 years ago

Damn good this one

Iggy
Iggy
6 years ago

Penguins in the Arctic? Or Greenland? Good story. The aircraft is a C-1-141. But the birds!

JBR
JBR
6 years ago

Penguins don’t live in Greenland.