The most bizarre thing I recall being punished for getting wrong was painting rocks.

Was stationed in Tucson and we had little pebble rock areas outside many buildings, dorms and the like, instead of grass because back then grass was difficult and expensive to grow in the desert. So pebble rocks were everywhere, and as you irritated the First Shirt you might be rewarded with extra duty painting those rocks. They rotated from white to green to white to...

So I'm painting those rocks one Saturday evening and the Shirt comes by to see how I'm doing on his way to the bowling alley where he liked to drink. I thought I had done a fair job, was about done. I had raked those rocks and painted every damn one at least twice I thought. The Shirt raked and raked deeper, drug up a few rocks the wrong color finally, told me I would probably be through in about 4 hours judging from the progress I had made, he would see me on his way Home.

C'mon man, you know the Thing!

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