"I just got arrested!"

My first experience on a military base was a bit less than graceful.

I had gone from security, to working at a police station, to working at an FBI building, to give you a little history. I love law enforcement and miss my old jobs terribly. I had NEVER been arrested before in my life and only had one speeding ticket, back when I was 18.

I went to Georgia to meet James and spend some time with him. I got there the end of October (like the 29th). On the 31st, we decided to go on base (James lived off base, so it was to be my first time going) and hang out with some of his friends. I met a few people and was having a good time. All of the women were going to take the kids trick-or-treating and asked if I wanted to go. I said 'sure'! The boys went paint balling and then came back to his friend's house and played video games.

After trick-or-treating in one neighborhood, we decided to drive around base and go to the 'Officer housing area'. The first mistake of the night.

There were like 5 adults and I don't know how many kids. There were kids riding around on trailer beds and stuff in the one main neighborhood we were at. So we thought it would be ok if we ALL piled into J's truck. Second mistake of the night. There were kids in the bed of the truck, un-belted. Third mistake of the night. (hind sight is 20/20)

Now, the speed limit was like 5 miles an hour on base, other people were doing it, and there were sooo many people out, you had to go slow to be safe anyway.

We pull into the officer's housing area and there's no one around. I thought it was weird. Before I knew it, we were lost in a sea of cookie-cutter houses. I see some guys in uniform walking on the side of the road. I say 'We'll ask these guys where to go' and begin to pull over. The other girls start shouting 'Nooooooo.' But it was too late. The guys had seen me and were flagging me over with a green flashlight (seriously?? who carries a green flashlight?!). I pull up to them and they come up the driver's side window. I'm sure you can guess where this is headed.... it's two SF's (Security Forces). They ask for my license and what to know what I'm doing. I explain we're just trying to take the kids trick-or-treating. I get yelled at about not having the kids buckled, ect. Then they ask who my sponsor is (if you aren't a military member or dependant of said military member, you must be escorted on base and accompanied at all times by a military member or dependant). NONE of the women in the vehicle will say that they 'sponsor' me and are allowing me to be on base!! Bunch of bitches. So I say 'I guess he's bask at her house' (pointing to one of the women that's with me). They take my license and tell me to go home and get him. All of the women and children were forced to get out and stand on the side of the road.


All alone, and new on base, I try to make my way back to said girl's house, PRAYING the guys were back from paintball. They were. I walk into the house and find James on a couch. I announce
"You need to come with me right now. I've been arrested by SF and everyone else is in custody."

James says: "NO WAY!!"

See, as a sponsor you are responsible for allll of the actions of the person with you. If they get in trouble, your commander can hear about you can get in trouble to include letters of counseling, reprimand, ect. in your file, loosing a stripe/pay grade... it's nothing to be messed with. None of the women wanted their husbands to get in trouble so they refused to say they were my sponsor. They were just as guilty, if not more so, as me. THEY knew the rules of base, I didn't. I should have assumed the same rules applied on base (actually there's more) than off base.

James comes with me back out there. He talks to the police and I wait patiently in the truck. Needless to say, I was very embarrassed. I had JUST met this guy and here, I'm about to get him in MAJOR trouble with his job. DOH!!

Turns out, the police were pissed at the women! They couldn't believe they were sooo selfish as to 'disown' me (when I didn't know any better) and through me to the wolves, just to try to cover their own asses. So they let me and James go and gave all the other women tickets! PER CHILD! LOL So if they had 2 kids, they got 2 tickets.

James later admitted (like years later), that had he gotten into trouble, it probably would have been the end of us and he would have taken me to the air port 2 weeks later, happy to see me leave.

So, lesson learned: Don't be selfish to try to CYA, it wont always work. Oh, and don't let people ride in the bed of your truck. It's just as illegal on base as it is off!!