One pet peeve

Hurry up and wait

 

The food.

Tube steak, green liver, rubber chicken legs, etc...

 

The fact that some feel, indicated by their use of authority, that their brass/stripes make them into mini-god.

 

Generals - all of them. They cost too much and are consistent failures.

 

Their failure to take care of sick and dying Veterans.

 

That those in charge won't let them WIN.

 

Military Police know that all to well... One morning when I was on the main gate a woman came driving up... She said well Marine aren't you going to salute me and wave me through?... First of all mam I can't salute because you have no officers sticker displayed that I can see and since you are not authorized to be here you must obtain a pass... So turn your car around and go to the office and get one... She wouldn't budge... She said if you call my husband he will verify me... I told her mam we don't do that here... But I was being patient and there were no cars behind her.

She kept contesting everything I said and I even took a complete walk around her car thinking maybe she attached the sticker where it wasn't suppose to be... It wasn't there!... I was beginning to lose my cool... So I told her would you please just go to the office where I told you to go and get a pass, like I asked or just turn around and go home... As soon as I said that, she said giggling, silly me its been in my purse all along... I thought to myself... DUH... She then opened her purse, took the officers sticker out and said to me, in a glaring tone... So Marine aren't you going to salute me?... So I clicked my heels together and popped a salute and said so all could hear... GOOD MORNING STICKER SIR!... And she glared back at me as she drove on and I never told her where she could put her sticker... Brother Glen

 

Pride can get you into ALL kind of trouble, some just embarrassing, some in real hot water!!

 

"Perception is reality" is just another way of saying that military loves to gossip about other service members behind their backs. In a "Zero Defect" environment where you are not allowed to make mistakes, it is common practice to find the one person who is not around to defend themselves and throw them under the bus. If you are the unlucky individual, you are guilty until proven innocent and you have the burden of proof. Which is why you ALWAYS SAVE YOUR EMAILS!

 

As a Captain in the Marine Corps, I can tell you that Captain wives are the worst. My wife would never do such a thing because she is not that kind of person. But I know many other Captain's wives who will.

 

Oh! I got another one. How about being thrown into a collateral duty with zero turnover and then being responsible for all the garbage that your predecessor dumped on you right before an inspection?

 

Captain... First of all I should have clarified my story... I was twenty at the time and this was with the Marine Barracks in Long Beach, California in 1968... We were Military Police on a Naval Base... I doubt that the encounter I had was with a Marine Corp wife... Seeing we were the only presence there... I'm not saying that all Navy wives are that bad either and test your mettle, only this one did... The only other problem I had was when I slipped up, walking and forgot to salute an officer who wore Captain Bars... She never let me forget that one!... I have no idea what I was not thinking... WOW!!!... Did she read me the riot act because I forgot too... I believe she quoted the whole U.C.M.J...YES MAM!... Brother Glen

 

Now I know I might be showing my age, but I remember when I was a PFC in Pensacola in 2004. I was walking past two teenage girls who appeared to be no more than 16. They were standing next to a fancy new BMW Z3 convertible and when I walked by they mockingly said, "Well, aren't you going to salute us?" I looked at them suspiciously and asked them if they were officers. To which they replied, "No, but our daddy is a Navy Captain." I just shook my head and began walking away when a Gunny started shouting at me with full knife hands because I didn't salute the sticker. You know, the whole "salute all officers, colors, and standards not cased" thing. So I saluted the sticker followed by a one finger salute to the girls before I walked away. For the record, I was 18 at the time and not very mature and I do not condone giving anyone the "one finger salute". LOL.

 

I have a bunch of those stories.

 

I think the food has gotten much better since you have been in. Actually, I think the food is actually pretty good in most chow halls now.

 

Between me, you and the Captain, we could write a book... Brother Glen

 

Great, its about time.