Get Down and Push 'til I'm Tired!
My son, Benjamin and I were stationed at Fort Devens, MA, for about 3 years, where I was a desk Sgt. at USAISD, the Intelligence School detachment. (It's where they trained soldiers, sailors, Marines and Air Force personnel all the fine arts of Military Intelligence... I baby-sat said personnel.)
One day, as I was working at a remote top-secret site, (to get into some of these places, other than having a 'need to know', you had to have a clearance all the way up to Oh-My-God...) one of my MP buddies were watching my then 5 year old son at my on-post housing. I got a phone call from him, and he told me that Benjamin had been playing with matches and a hamper. I told him to come on down to where I was posted, and bring my son with him. This was a very serious trangression, as far as I was concerned, and felt I needed to nip it in the bud, ASAP. I don't believe in spanking, but I do believe in punishment. (I had already taught Ben how to do push-ups, as he did them with me and the squad sometimes when we did PT. ) I decided this next encounter with my son was potentially one of the most important significant emotional events this child would have in his lifetime. I had to prepare.
Thankfully all of this happened on a Saturday, and few people were working. Benjamin was brought into the building, right into the foyer, where I was waiting for him.
I had on startched BDUs, spit-shined boots so shiny you could see your face in them. My MP brassard, whistle, and web belt. My hat was put on low on my forehead, so you could barely see my eyes. On my web belt was my MP club, hand cuffs, radio...
And a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber pistol.
I told him to get down and push, until I was tired. He dropped. He pushed. I told him to recover, he stood at the position of parade rest, where I chewed him out up one side and down the other. Then I had him drop again. He was totally compliant.
Put yourself in Benjamins shoes. You're a little kid who's just got caught by another MP playing with matches. This is also the second time you were caught at it. You are brought to where your Mom is working, and Mom is mad.
And she's armed.
Ho, boy.
Benjamin pushed out 85 push-ups that day. I had three other witnesses that day. We all counted. He pressed out 45 the first time he dropped, and 40 the second time.
He never played with matches again.