Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Good thing I enjoy my own company

I have spent the last few days investigating various improprieties and writing up the required reports. Soldiers do get in trouble, and it seems that the National Guard soldiers easily get caught in the new standards of active duty.

For example, on active duty there are strict prohibitions against adultery and against different ranks having relationships, especially between officers and enlisted soldiers. In the Guard, however, these rules are relaxed. A male might know a female from work, or school, or wherever, and that contact may lead to romance. Once drill weekend rolls around, if one of them is an officer and the other isn’t the relationship could get them into trouble. So, there’s an exception for such situations for Guardsmen. Unfortunately, we are all on active duty now but some soldiers haven’t figured that out yet.

Often I have to look into whether leadership has followed the proper process when it disciplines soldiers. Again, on active duty we have many more disciplinary powers than in the Guard. Both management and labor need to adjust, and that adjustment period can lead to mistakes. Leaders particularly don’t like me poking into their business. The single most uttered phrase when I show up at a leader’s door is “uh oh”. I also hear “Now what?” frequently. I eat most of my meals alone.

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