You’d probably think that the military is no place for malicious compliance, but this story from Reddit proves that you can do it anywhere!

Are y’all ready for a good one?

Read on and check out what happened!

Immediate cell phone prohibition while in uniform.

“While in the US Military, I was an E-4 – enlisted (Not officer). Enlisted ranks go to E-9.

I was going to meet up with a friend for lunch, but this briefing ran long with an E-9 (female) who was someone special, like the leader of our entire career group or something.

But these briefings are mandatory and so generic that you tune them out.

Probably the 3rd one in a quarter I’d been forced to suffer in silence through.

Ironically, this same female E-9 had come to my prior base and was “coined” by her.

Coining is a small token of gratitude, a “good job,” in the shape of a coin that you can show off to others — bragging rights.

This visit was different.

Because female E-9 had blathered on, I wanted to alert my friend via text that I’d be late.

It was so boring and the briefing kept getting extended for so long, I guess I practically had a conversation with said friend.

Uh oh…

Anyway, I caught the (negative) attention of my superiors.

The next day I got written up. In the reprimand, the letter stated, “effective immediately, you are no longer allowed to carry your mobile phone….”

Cue malicious compliance.

The moronic idiocy where the punishment far exceeded the crime led to me spending several taxpayer dollars writing an email outlining the issue with said order.

It went something like this: To: <my E-6 supervisor> I received my letter of reprimand stating that I was no longer allowed to have my phone with me while in uniform.

Unfortunately, my phone is sitting here with me at my desk. How am I to get my phone to my vehicle given these circumstances? Please advise.”

The E-6 shows up at my desk in a huff and says, “take your phone to your car and get back up here.”

You got it!

Aye aye!

I then had to go visit my immediate E-9 (male, different one than the speaker). Why? Not sure.

So it’s me (E-4), E-6, and male E-9. I explain the situation, but I’m allegedly a problem “child” for not listening to a person who wouldn’t be able to pick me out of a crowd the next day because I was informing a friend who could that I’d be late for lunch. Whatever.

Male E-9 asks me if he thinks he should call my parents and inform them of what I did.

I think this odd, but I guess some 18 year olds get really nervous at this threat and plead, “NO! PLEASE NO, E-9! Don’t do THAT!”

Me? I’m 30 by this point. And a college graduate to boot.

My response: “You’re going to do whatever it is you’re going to do,” very matter-of-factly. This notably annoys male E-9.

E-9, “What’s your parent’s number?”

Me: “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Don’t you call your parents?”

“Well, yes, but they moved recently and I just have their number stored in my phone.”

“Well, pull it out and look it up in your phone!”

Here we go again…

My gaze IMMEDIATELY shoots at E-6 who just as swiftly lets out a VERY audible sigh as he realizes my phone is in my car.

“Sir, I was ordered to no longer have my phone on me while in uniform,” I respond.

I’m told to go retrieve it from my car and provide my parent’s phone number to the E-9 for, Y’know, “safe keeping.”

A year passes, and I tell my dad the story (after I’ve separated).

He never got a call, but said that if he had, he would’ve asked whether the phone call was a joke, given that I was very much an adult by then.”

Reddit users shared their thoughts.

This reader shared their thoughts.

Another person spoke up.

This reader chimed in.

Another individual didn’t hold back.

Malicious compliance can be a whole lotta fun when it’s done the right way!

You’ve just gotta trust the process.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.