General Mattis

[ramairthree]

As a former NCO that became on Officer,
I was occasionally on main post or TDY with my Sergeant Major.

Over several years, on about a dozen occasions I spotted a Sergeant Major, or other service E9 walking on grass.
He would start to chuckle, as he knew I was about to call them out for walking on the grass, usually to the amusement of several witnesses.

The NCO with me would struggle and tell them I was an NCO before he was.

[Coal Dragger]

There is some justice in the universe then.

[Coal Dragger]

Or being the corpsman, and he doesn't know what to call us: "petty officer...uh, corpseman (yes, pronounced "corpseman")....uh, Doc....front and center..."

Life in the corps is wonderful in the field, but utter despair in garrison. Fortunately as a corpsman, I could always make myself scarce and get away from the head shed.

But like Dist. Expert 26, I have had a couple absolutely stellar, incredible platoon sergeants and company sergeants, and my favorite platoon commander was a mustang and about as laid back but professional as you could get.

Edited to add, as a corpsman, I had a lot of leeway. Hands in my pockets, longer hair, whatever. They held little power over me.

.... my people at BAS need me.

https://terminallance.com/2017/06/02...-476-corpsman/

[Averageman]

All of which filters back to the 1st. Sgt who is then expected and obligated to deal with it, usually after getting his ass eaten by Sgt.Maj or some other higher authority.

Making it impossible to leave work at work. Inevitably the anger builds to constant rage.

You described the last three years of my Military career perfectly.
I had GERD so bad from the constant rage that I kept a bottle of Malox in my desk and in my truck. I drank so much of that stuff I could have pooped chalk by my retirement date.

[sundance435]

Tells stories about being a sniper for recon = probably didn’t serve, didn’t deploy, or was a POG. Tells stories about almost passing out while jerking off in a 140F porta-shitter, or drawing dicks on every possible surface = legit Marine.

This is the funniest thing I've read all week. I did not serve, but a close friend was a jarhead for 5 years - his stories are in line with the latter.

[chuckman]

Agree on the motard stories usually being total BS artists. Tells stories about being a sniper for recon = probably didn’t serve, didn’t deploy, or was a POG. Tells stories about almost passing out while jerking off in a 140F porta-shitter, or drawing dicks on every possible surface = legit Marine.

After AD when I was a reservist, I was a paramedic. I was at a station we shared with the FD, and this FF said he was a Marine Reservist, was Recon. That piqued my curiosity, so we chatted. He went his way, I went mine.

The next month at drill weekend, I show up for morning formation, and there he was. Turns out, he WAS a Marine Reservist....before he had moved to NC from Maryland, in the Marine Reserve his MOS was cook.

I didn't say squat to him and just let him go his merry way, but he knew that I knew.

Edited to add, we went on a couple ATs together, he was a real hoot and a lot of fun. Just wish people didn't do that to pump themselves up. Being a Marine (or in any branch was enough).

[ABNAK]

Wrong info, sorry.