hope you love her, cause you're stuck with her now

[MichelleLT]

I did get some good news though, not from my company commander though. The battalion ops sergeant, whom I've known for years, called to tell me I'm showing up in all the personnel databases as a captain! So, looks like I'll at least be getting a pay raise for this exercise in Florida!

[BeginningAgain]

Gotta love the military way of doing things - those are the parts I don't miss, although as an Army Civil Servant I still get to experience the frings side of it all. Well CAPT Michelle - has a nice ring to it. So you will need to change your DB name to MichelleCAPT

BA

[MichelleLT]

I've obviously just been lucky with most of my commanders then. This is the first time I've run into someone who is enough of an a$$ to actually say out loud that career is more important than soldier care.

My name was actually taken from my married initials, that was just a coincidence. Although it probably is time for a change anyways since I haven't had those initials in a while!

[AliSuddenly]

Hey Michelle...wow, I take my hat off to you... I wouldnt survive 5 minutes in the army, I HATE being told what to do What a huge shame about SIL's wedding.. can your first sergeant get him to change his decision?? Good job that guy is getting deployed !!!

[kat727]

I agree, I couldn't do it. I question everything because I want to know why. The military would hate me, they don't want you to know why...just do it!! How much longer are you in for?

kat

[MichelleLT]

Until I resign my commission. Being an officer is not like enlisting where it's for a set period of years.

I am a why person too. But when it comes to work and assignments, I just want to know when and where so I can get it done. When and where doesn't seem too much to ask.

But apparently it is. So I went two levels up and e-mailed the brigade directly asking for the operations order, packing list, and any other information they have on this exercise. My commander will probably be peeved that I went over his head, but he'll get over it. LOL

[mishka422]

Ok, so here is a REALLY dumb question....I know..you're shocked! LOL

I've only dealt with the military on the enlisted end. My cousin's husband was an officer but I didn't have to deal with any 'drama' in that case.

How is it that you are an officer and outrank them and they are NCO's and you have to follow their orders? I guess I've never seen a military organization that had an NCO as the commander.

Like I said, dumb question!!! LOL

[MichelleLT]

Well my company commander is a captain.

The NCO's that I'm dealing with in regards to this are full-time staff. So it's not so much that I have to follow their orders, it's more that they are following the orders of our boss the company commander, or even his boss the battalion commander (who is a lieutenant colonel). They are just the ones trying to get me orders and make travel arrangements.

It's a little different from active duty because most of us are just part-time, including the commander. The only full-time people we have are NCOs, but they are usually not the final decision-makers (that's still the commander), they are the planners, the trainers, and the facilitators.

One NCO got me into this mess by putting my name on the roster for this exercise, but he is going to be receiving a written counseling statement.

[mishka422]

Ahhh....gotcha!

Makes more sense to me now. My poor little brain was reeling trying to figure out how that worked out.

[jon2911]

I'm with everyone else on not being able to put up with the military. I've been hanging in Killeen/Ft. Hood a lot lately and don't know how they do it. Good job hanging in there Michelle, hope the exercise is going well.