A better bed

[major bill]

Many soldiers who enlisted in the 1960s still had the wonderful experience of sleeping in bunk beds in the barracks. I was lucky to sleep in an 8 man room with single beds in basic, but the barracks in AIT were bunk beds. I however I got to rented off base housing during AIT. What did Civil War era soldiers sleep in at their barracks?

Many European nations had switched from wooden bunk beds to iron single beds. By the start of the Civil War the US Army was thinking of switching from the traditional wooden bunk beds to more modern medal bunk beds. In 1855 after inspecting European medal beds and American designs, the Army ordered 2,000 iron bunks, but still wanted bunk beds used. The new beds coat $10 each. Starting in 1858 the Army began buying some Pattern 1858 John's Bunks but progress was slow. It was not until 1870 that the U.S. Army in earnest went to single beds ended using "the relics of barbarism" and replaced the old wooden bunk beds with single high iron bunks.

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

I was a part of what you would consider the 'new military' and am still haunted by steel bunk beds in 60 man bays for IET, and in AIT the same exact bunk beds in 12 man rooms.

Student leadership, E-3's & E-4's got first dibs at 2 and 4 man rooms with single bunks.

PLDC was a mix of 4 bunk beds to a room, or 8 single bunks.

BNCOC, ANCOC, and other troop schools were much more ritzy.... Due to the troop surges the on-post TDY lodging was ALWAYS overflowing and therefore we would get set up off post in 4-5 star hotels. Most of us had a full kitchen setup and california king sized beds in our hotel rooms.

Just stop at the Class 6 on the way off post and you were set for the evening...



The established Texas forts featured a healthy assortment of timber constructed trough beds and puddled iron bedframes - And all appeared in the ACW, the Indian Wars, and through the Mexican Expedition.

 

[major bill]

At officer basic I was forced to stay in a motel for 4 months. The motel housed a 2 week long collage cheerleading competition for the local collage. 200 cheerleaders. You had to take a 12 pack to the pool every night just to have a couple for yourself. I went for getting 100 percent on every test to a solid 95 percent. It was a difficult two weeks but I some how managed to soldier on.

 

[Spunk Puppy]

We had bunks beds in AF BMT. Not comfortable, people would fart all the time.

When you have <5 minutes to eat as many calories as you possibly can, some wicked farts can result.