A listener writes “During the winter of 1993 I shipped off to Fort Leonardwood, MO for basic training and would eventually become a transportation expert in the National Guard. Fourteen months later I would then enlist into Active Duty after attempting a semester of college. I would find myself at Fort Knox, KY. About a year and a half while in my second unit the Brigade would move out towards western Kentucky, not far from Central City to conduct a month long field exercise. This is where I would witness one of these creatures.
Last one day a battle buddy and I headed for the showers which were located near the entrance of the training area. The building was located over a hundred yards from the staging area where all large vehicles were to park. A road ran from the gate in front of the building towards the staging area which then split off into two separate directions. In the fork of this intersection was located the ammo/ fuel point. The road the split off to the left separated the staging area and the fuel point. At the back end of the staging area was a row of conex containers. Behind these containers was a hill. Near the end of the containers and not too far from the fuel point was a street light. Now this row ran about a hundred yards which came to a deep raven. We parked our vehicle, a HEMMET (10 Ton cargo truck). I was a PFC (Private First Class) at the time and my battle buddy was a SPC (Specialist) so he told me to go take my shower first, which I did. When I finished and headed back it was starting to get dark. I climbed into the drivers side of the vehicle and waited for him to return. We were facing the shower building and how I was seated I was facing out the passenger window looking at the end of the containers near the street light. It didn’t light up a huge area but I could see part way up the hill and the end of the containers.
After a while I noticed “someone” come walking off the side of the hill. At first I didn’t think much about it believing someone was lost while doing night time land navigation. I watched for about five minutes till the figure walked behind the containers to never be seen again. As I continued to watch somethings started to make me question what I was looking at. They were tall and broad, wasn’t carrying a weapon of any type, and wasn’t wearing any battle raddle, especially a pro-mask (gas mask). Then I noticed that their pants weren’t bloused into boots. The figure had their head down, walking back and forth as if they were looking for something. Then they walked behind the containers where the top of their head reached the top of the container and really noticed how big this individual was.
I am 6’3″ and if I stand in side a conex with boots on, stand on my toes and reach up I can grab the top of the conex.
During this field exercise the majority would return to the rear for the weekend while each unit kept a small crew back to watch everything. Half way through the exercise my battle buddy and I was sent to the fuel/ ammo point. I took this time to walk over to where I saw the figure to see if any tracks could be seen. I found nothing which wasn’t a surprise for several reasons; it had rain by that time and the ground was so compacted that a HUMVEE would hardly leave a track there.
There was no interaction between the subject and myself. I haven’t had any other encounters either.”
Denise F
Interesting encounter. I wonder what it was looking for (if it was)?
Asheim
Thanks for sharing that encounter and thanks for your service! I was wondering about your thoughts about what you saw?
Mary D
I kind of wonder about the prevalence of these creatures on military reservations. You would think it would be too busy a place, with all the training activities, for them to stay secluded. I went to basic training around the time you did, but to Ft Jackson SC. This was back when male and female soldiers went to separate battalions (to limit the distractions, I guess, like that did any good) but passed each other in training occasionally. I remember the last field exercise of the cycle (and the year–it was mid-December) my platoon was playing OPFOR. It was the exercise where we would have to do the “Epic Ruckmarch Back to Garrison” so we were way out there. We were all female soldiers and three male drill instructors, and one night, I had the crap luck of getting the dreaded 12-2 guard shift. I was in a foul mood to begin with, being sleep deprived, and it was pitch black and cold AF. I hate to admit I actually cried a tiny bit, privately, after being woken up and crawling out of my hooch. The person that I was assigned guard duty with was the one soldier that truly annoyed me, as well, but happily, my friend got up to “go dig a cathole” and then decided to sit up with us because she could tell I needed a buddy at the moment. She was (and is–25 years later, we are still good friends) one of those people is perpetually cheerful. Like I said, it was bitter cold, so we walked around to keep our blood flowing. We walked up to the road from where our bivouac was, just within site of where the other soldiers were asleep in their hooches, and my friend said “Hey, look at that big guy low-crawling down the road!” I was like, “Well, he’s going away, so we’ll let him. Probably trying to perv on us girls. If he comes back, we’ll fire him up.” It was extremely dark out, so we lost sight of him quickly. (We were trying to determine if he was playing a role in our exercise or if he really was some male soldier sneaking around where he was not supposed to be.) It was just one of those things that make you go “hmmm.”
Sangha K
You are tough.. That’s for sure.
Ric M
I went to Ft Jackson too! I was with A-5-1….at the bottom of Tank Hill during the summer of 1986; very, very hot for this California boy!