Overcoming Limitations: Basic Training Story 4552

Military Police Basic Training, Summer of 2010. We were split-op teenagers, attending Basic in between Junior and Senior year of High School. There was this one Private with a face not even a mother could love. It looks like she actually might have tried to smother him at birth. For anonymity's sake, we'll call him PVT Derr.Derr was one of the first troops that caught all the Drills attention. The guy looked like a 17 year-old Shrek minus the green skin. Poorly spoken. He didn't carry himself well and was clumsy as all hell. He even managed to break his nose on the butt of his M4 (I don't know how) the first day on the range. I was the lucky kid who got to scrub the blood out of his IBA at the end of the cycle.

But worst of all, Derr had a twitch. This twitch caused him to "wink" uncontrollably from time to time. From NCO's to a full bird Colonel, I got to witness Derr wink at all of them and the smoking's that always followed. He never disappointed.Our DS knew it was a medical issue, but he never told anyone else that.Fast forward a whole year. I'm back in Missouri for MP School. As I'm standing in line outside a latrine, my DS from Basic approaches me."I recognize you, Pri! Tell me something...have ya seen Derr?""He's in the latrine, Drill Sergeant."He enters the latrine. All I could hear was "DERRRRRRRR!! LONG TIME, NO WINK, HUH?! Puuuush!"