On Sep 16, 2014, at 2:44 PM, Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.) wrote:
In <[email protected]>, on 09/16/2014
at 08:46 AM, Ed Gould <[email protected]> said:
On Sep 16, 2014, at 6:05 AM, Elardus Engelbrecht wrote:
Ed Gould wrote:
The nightly production meeting was held and I had to get up and
explain WTF had happened and how I fixed it. There was a grizzled
old female first sergeant that didn't like my explanation as she
knew everything.
That old b*tch! Based on what did she made that statement?
Qualification? Experience? Under-the-table-friendship with some CE?
In the Army you weren't supposed to question (her) authority.
That depends on what you mean by authority. There is authority based
on rank and authority based on role. Watch what happens when a 2nd Lt.
pulls rank on a company clerk or first Sgt; the company commander will
politely[1] ask him to stop sabotaging the smooth operation of his
unit. A 1st sgt. that overrides a specialist in his area of expertise
better know everything, or she will be in a world of hurt the first
time that she gets it wrong.
I was a lowly spec 5 and she (rumor had it she had been reduced in a
rank a few times like all "lifers") was a E-7 (sergeant - sorry don't
remember her rank other than number.
My boss was a GS-12 which if I recall correctly was equal to a
lieutenant Colonel (or maybe a Major its been years) he trusted me to
get up at meetings and explain myself and defend my actions. He was
confident in me to the extent that he didn't show up in the meetings
anymore and expected me to defend (or accuse) people, procedures etc
that were either wrong or actions that I took and why.
His boss was a GS-15 and we never "talked". He expected that everyone
that worked for him knew their job.
How did she reach that rank without learning that?
I was on a first name basis of several officers. when no one else was
around we were friends but if anyone came around it was strictly
business, yes sir!
[1] FSVO.
--
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT
ISO position; see <http://patriot.net/~shmuel/resume/brief.html>
We don't care. We don't have to care, we're Congress.
(S877: The Shut up and Eat Your spam act of 2003)
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