Dust Pods

This is a true story... I swear!

Dust Pods

(A true story)

By Robert A. Daniel

When I was stationed in Fulda Germany I was housed in a four man room with Spec-4 Jeff Smith, Pvt. James Branham, and Spec-4 Jerry Windom. One morning we were getting ready to head to work in the motor pool. To make sure that our room passed inspection we swept the floor every day. Our room was laid out where Branham and Window had the corners by the door and Smith and I had the corners by the windows. Our wall lockers divided the room so when you walked in you saw Branham’s and Windoms side was separated from Smith’s and mine. Each of us would sweep our area and move the dust to the middle of the room then to the door. That morning Windom was sweeping his area and had a question.

“Hey guys I want to know something. We sweep these floors everyday and everyday there is more dust on the floor. Why is that?” Windom asked.

Smith responded first. “You don’t know why we have dust?”

“No. I don’t.”

“It’s because of the dust pods.” Smith replied.

“What’s a dust pod?” Windom asked.

I was thinking the same thing.

“Look up.”

We all looked up. Wondering where Smith was going with this.

“You see those bumps?” referring to the acoustic popcorn on the ceiling.

“Yeah?”

“Those are dust pods.”

“Why do we have them up there?”

“Well you see the Army commanders wanted to make sure we are cleaning our rooms so they had the German engineers invent the dustpod.”

“I don’t get it.” Windom said.

“Well, you see up above the ceiling there is a thick layer of dust that filters down into the dust pods. When the pod sense vibration say from us walking around in the room then they put out a small puff of dust that falls down to the floor and we have to sweep up the dust. If we don’t then the first Sargent can see we didn’t sweep that day and get to chew our butts.”

“Wow I never knew that.”

Thank god we were about to leave because I was about to crack up laughing. Windom grabbed the trash bag and headed down stairs. Branham and I hung back with Smith.

“You do know he believed you right?” I said.

“Yes I do.” Smith said with a grin.

We forgot about it for a while until we had a general show up to check out the motor pool and talk to us mechanics. He met us in our office and gave us a peptalk. Afterward he went around asking each of us what we liked or disliked about the base and our jobs. Well most of us said we wanted more time off and less hours. That is until he got to Windom.

“So Specialist Windom what do you think about this place?” the general asked.

“Well sir. I like this place all right and work ain’t to bad but I have a question.”

“Go ahead son ask away!”

“Why did they put dust pods on the ceiling in our rooms?”

Smith and I decided to duck out the door almost falling over in laugher. We went out to the tool truck and laughed some more. After a few minutes Sargent Burg walked out to the truck to find us. He was trying not to laugh. He looked at me then to Smith.

“Okay which one of you characters told Windom that there was dust pods on the ceiling?”

“That would be me Sargent Berg.” Smith said with a grin.

“Well you two should have stuck around to hear Windom tell the General what the hell a dust pod was! The General couldn’t decide whether to laugh or chew someone’s a*s. He finally had to tell Windom that you guys had pulled a good one on him. He did say that was the best line of bull he’s heard in a long time an had a good laugh over it.”

So the next time you look at the ceiling think about Windom and his dust pods.