So back in the days of high school (8th grade - out of 9 total), i was probably around 15 or so.

We had to find a company and work as an intern for a week (we do this i think in 7th and 8th grade)

Naturally, with both my parents being prior army, and national guard, and with my liking for the army, i chose.... drum roll...

the army.

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So for 1 week, me and around 15 other people were there together to experience the army.

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Now the army does this every year, and this year i think it was a sgt, and 2 constables that were given charge of us and our experiences.

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Us kids, were having a grand time. Sure it was tough, as they tried to give us a small'ish experiences of being a recruit. So learning to walk in formation, exercise, running in boots and other fun things.

3 incidents still stand out to me this day.

I think it was taking place in february, we had snow and cold.

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So coming out of the cafeteria, i was having my hands in my pockets due to the cold, and this officer stops us and tells me to get my hands out of my pockets.

I look at him and tell him i was just looking for my gloves due to the cold.

And then he frosts over.

Looking sternly at me, and let me know "I am adressed SIR, never forget it" and walks off.
(in danish it's a bit different, basically we have an old fashioned way of talking directly to someone unknown, non familiar - De/Dem/Deres - "Det hedder DE/DEM og DERES, glem det ikke")
Yeah it works better in snobby danish...

anyways, that's my first run in with an officer.

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Now the next thing we were looking forward to, was getting to shoot blanks during a 2 day field exercise. Basically we were going to be setting up a BSO (Beredskabs Område) - with fighting positions in a circle and a place to sleep for the night.

but apparently the prior group they had had, someone went nuts during the night assault on our positions and charged the attacking enemy.

So we were given plastic guns. And told to shout bang bang, while the enemy (real soldiers) were firing loud blanks at us.

Yeah that was not fun at all in the cold. Us freezing and not being able to do anything really against our enemies.

On the plus side, i did get less sleep, due to cold sleeping bags, and some hot tea i spilled on my gloves that gave me a huge burn with the entire area between thumb and index finger bubbling up.

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But last, my favourite part of the story.

During this week, i was having the time of my life. And me being me, i was cracking jokes all the time.

The first day, we were told to never EVER lean against a wall. (this was in relation to room inspection.)

So one morning after room inspection me and a buddy were going back to our rooms for something he had forgotten.

As he was looking for it, i was standing in the doorway, holding a hand on each door frame and just hanging there (leaning on the one side of the door)

Suddenly our big bald sergeant appears behind me, like he had teleported in.

A loud "HARUMPH" goes out and i turn my head to see him.

Then he says to me "What have i told you about leaning against walls?"

to which i somehow quickly replies "But but sgt, if i let go of each side of this doorframe, it will collapse and leave my friend trapped inside the room"

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He just goes red in the head, and turns around and leaves.

I never heard anything about it from him or anyone else.

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But that's how i got the nickname "Joker"