A Military Story

 Around 15 years ago, I worked as a retired military guy....in contractor work.  

I worked in an office with five or six NCOs.  

One day....one of them got temp duty orders for the Balkans....six months.  He went over to the organizational deployment NCO, and Sergeant 'X' signed the supply paperwork to get issued around a dozen things for the deployment.  This was a cold-weather region, and part of this set-up involved a winter-parka.  Once issued out....it was supposed to be an item you kept (it wasn't going to be turned back in).

Then my associate left for the deployment.  

Well...about three months into this....some Major in the organization started up an audit, and the deployment NCO got called in....he'd signed off on this parka business several times, and the Major spoke up that this was not a required item (he had a Air Force listing) and then a bunch of crap started to develop.  

This NCO that I worked with?  He returned to find some investigation being carried out and this was going end up with paperwork that he'd asked for something that was not allowed.  

So this funny thing happened.

Among the things on the list that he was supposed to get....was long underwear.  But at the time, they didn't have his size (he was a fairly robust guy).  So it was on back-order (figure seven months minimum).  Phone call came from supply....it'd come.  

The NCO asked me if I had time to go over and pick this up.  Fine....I went over and like a hundred-thousand times in my career....I had a chat with people.  This time with the supply kid.

So the topic of allowances came up, and Airman 'Snuffy' pulls out the binder.  Operations such-and-such listed out...twenty-odd situations in Europe for deployments.  

Then he shows the message which talks to Command 'such-and-such' (not the Air Force).  If deployed for this area (the Balkans), under this mission....you get these items, and they are paid for by the special command created.  Yes, the parka was listed, along with five or six items that my guy hadn't asked for.  

I ask for a copy, and took the long underwear/message back to this guy.

He spends two minutes reading the message, and looks at me....all that wasted time doing legal defense and frustrated over treatment by the organization...gone.  

He scans the document and sends it up the chain.  He basically says....what he signed is now voided, and he wants a real correction.  He passes it to the deployment NCO....same deal for him as well.  The idiot Major who started all of this, listed as a courtesy copy.

To fix this....they had to throw out every single mention of the audit/investigation. Then they arranged for the deployment NCO to get Sergeant-of-the-Quarter, and three months later....my association was arranged to get Sergeant-of-the-Quarter (there was no competition allowed).  

There were various times in dealing with the military that I came to realize that you always had 10-to-20 percent of the leadership working against you.  Whether it was just incompetence or just stupid guidance....it didn't matter. You eventually learned to identify the traits....recognize the characters, and create resolutions to downsize their incompetence.