Someone once asked me

dateline 0228Z 15 May 2013

                                      how I could cram so much into one hitch in the army and the answer is somewhat simple. Times and attitude.

When I enlisted between a third and a half of the people I went through basic training with were qualified for Special Olympics. The army was rife with drug and race problems and command was simply permitting all of this stuff to happen.

While for many it was a lousy time to serve, I looked around and decided that it was a pretty good time to serve if I wanted to get ahead because of a definite lack of competition.

I'm not being arrogant, I am telling the truth.

Before I even enlisted I knew I had no plan on making the service a career. I had other plans. I did, however realize that the army would be a place where I would have opportunities to do things I would never have anywhere else.

I could shoot machine guns, blow stuff up, travel to places, maybe fly around in helicopters and do all sorts of things.

I also knew that if I wanted to I could hang around a barracks feeling sorry for myself and shine shoes all day. It was my choice.

In short even before I went in I decided that I was going to do two things. I was going to do the best job I could to be a good soldier and I was going to find as many interesting things to do while I was in.

Looking back on it I'm glad I took advantage of my one hitch because I look back on it and have something to be proud of and have a lot of things I can look back on fondly.

One advantage I had is that I did not go in directly out of high school. I had a couple of years in the work force before I enlisted and that helped. I had a little more stability than most of the kids that had gone into the service straight out of high school.

I was also aware that because I was only going to do one term that I could afford to take a few chances here and there and in the long run it didn't matter if I got out the same rank I went in as. All that really mattered was getting out with a decent discharge.

Still, I did want to want to come out with as good of a record as I could.

I suppose that attitude can be considered dangerous. If it is, then I was dangerous.

Anytime something interesting came up like a school or some interesting detail I made a beeline to the First Sergeant's office and put in for it. After I was successful in a couple of small schools I wound up being the first person Top would come looking for. Success breeds success.

As a result of this I made E-5 in under two years.

When you are failrly competent you generally wind up getting a few plums out of the deal to overcome the $hit jobs.

Sure, there were lousy details and one of the first things I learned is that while the duds seem to get over, in the big picture the competents generally wind up better off.

Instead of sitting around griping I kept myself busy learning something. I didn't go and get ossified every chance I got and did what I could to reasonably put my best foot forward.

It wasn't easy at times because there were a lot of sad sacks that were not willing to improve themselves and resented those that did. Still, I was there for myself and not to please some lazy slug.

Look carefully at the person that resents you. Nine times out of ten he is resentful of your success.

I remember the E-5 selection board like it was yesterday. Everyone that faced it would tell the board that they planned on making a career of the army. I didn't.

I looked straight at the president of the board, a captain I didn't like very much. He was abusive to his people. I told him that I was getting out at the end of my enlistment and that the reason I was in front of the board is because I was there for my grandchildren. I wanted to be able to honestly tell them that when I was in the army I did the best job I possibly could. Being a sergeant in the United States Army would be something special to tell them about.

An hour after the board broke up the enlisted man on it, a rough old platoon sergeant, told me I had made it.

I got what I could out of it, did my best, kept my eyes open and pitched in and came out of it smelling like a rose. All in all it was a fun busy time of my life.




To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html