Same here brother! I was stationed in West Berlin 66-69. Had some WW2 guys for senior officers and NCO’S. The absolute best people humanity has to offer!
We also had an infantry First Sergeant who did 3 tours in Nam. He came up to me before our ARTEP began, saying "LT, I don't know squat about Air Defense Artillery."
I asked him, "you know how to set up a CP, don't you?" Then I laughed and said, "that's all you need to worry about. I'll handle the ADA part of it (I was acting XO and Maintenance Officer for that ARTEP).
It turned into a real cluster foxtrot the second day, when the BC gave a Vulcan platoon incorrect coordinates, and the Platoon Leader took it verbatim...obviously a 2nd LT...lol.
When I got back from making my rounds, the First Sergeant was sitting on a tree stump, head in his hands. He told me, "it's all over". I said, "talk to me Top, what's going on."
We pulled it out (barely) the third and final day. I really got on the platoon leaders the second night, telling them in no uncertain terms what their soldiers would do the next day, i.e. put on a dog and pony show. I had led 3 of the 4 platoons through their ARTEPS when I was a platoon leader, so I knew the drill.
What I didn't know was the Team Chief was standing outside our CP, and heard everything I said. When I encountered him shortly after our meeting, I thought, "oh crap." Instead, he smiled at me and said, "that was beautiful, LT."