They used to harass the new kids coming into the helicopter avionics shop, young PFCs or LCPLs. Hazing, you know, but with an underlying lesson, teaching them a little along the way. The would tell them to head over to the warehouse and pick up five hundred yards of flightline, and a hundred gallons of rotor wash and don't come back without it. The supply folks would be in on it, and when the new meat would arrive.
They would explain the manuals.
look stuff up here.
They would explain the ibm drop cards. (This was a while ago... )
fill this out with the part numbers, and drop it in this box, then go away.
and then leave them to suffer.
All fun and games, till they pulled it on the wrong kid. Sharp as a tack, and dogged determination.
HE actually found ... and ordered ... both.
Five HUNDRED yards of line, flight, marking. That glass embedded reflective yellow tape you stick onto the flight line then heat to mark taxiways, parking areas, and the like. Oh yeah... who knew it was actually listed in the supply catalogs.
That stuff was priced per foot.
He also located wash, rotor blade, 55 gallon drum. A special formula for washing composite helicopter blades on attack aircraft. He ordered two drums. Yup... that wasn't cheap either... but don't come back without it...
... he did what he was told.
Luckily... a sharp supply chief called to see if the avionics chief had lost his mind.