Pogey Bait - Midnight Buffet. By Earl Mundy, Class 2-68

 The Pogey Bait Run as we knew it during TOCS was a highly organized clandestine operation that involved detail planning, precise timing, stealth, a knack for knowing when the Tactical Officers would be out of the barracks for a few minutes and when they were gone for the night, and of course luck. Luck can never be underestimated in the success of any military operation, and the Pogey Bait Run was no exception. Choosing the right night to have a “run” was perhaps the most important element of all.

During the study period on a designated Pogey Bait Run night, appointed individuals in each platoon made the rounds of the cubicles and obtained orders from participating candidates as well as the money to pay for the “bait”. Order was by “kit”. A kit included one cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake. There was no flexibility since uniformity and simplicity were essential in minimizing our exposure to some snooping Tactical Officer. As far as Pogey Bait Runs were concerned there would be only one time to be caught and we knew it. So, the longer we could elude detection the better and of course the more “bait” we would get to consume! Actually, eating the bait was just a small part of the satisfaction we got from a successful Pogey Bait Run. The knowledge that we had outsmarted the Tactical Officers, executed a complex multi-phased operation and pulled off a forbidden activity without detection was really the best aspect of the run.

Once the orders and money were collected the money was hidden and the order was turned over to a designated candidate who was involved in cleaning the cadre’s offices on that particular night. Following the study period there was a time for work details to clean the barracks and latrines as well as the cadre offices. Usually, the cadre would be gone for the night or if any were still around they would leave their offices so the work could be accomplished. During the cleaning of the cadre offices a phone call would be made to the McDonald’s closest to Ft. Eustis. There was someone at McDonalds who had the appropriate sticker to get their car onto the post. The order would be placed, and the delivery time established. The McDonald’s people knew delivery timing was critical.

Once lights were out and everyone was in their bunks often a Tactical Officer made a walk-through. Then we were alone for the night. So, at the appointed time a detail would be dispatched from the barracks with the money to meet the McDonald’s deliveryman. This was probably the most vulnerable part of the operation. A quick exchange of the Pogey Bait and the money took place. Few if any words were spoken and the bait was hustled into the barracks and to the latrine, which became the distribution center. Since lights were authorized in the latrine all night long no suspicious lights would be observed from outside the barracks and yet we could see to pass out the much sought after “bait”.

Candidates took their Pogey Bait to their cubicles and consumed it. Then all paper, straws, cups, napkins etc. were brought to the latrine and placed back in the original bags in which the “bait” had been delivered. The final aspect was for the trash detail to deposit the trash in a dumpster not in our company area, and of course to go undetected.

All in all I believe we made 22 or 23 runs before we were caught. But that is another story.