03 May 2011

Do you have a problem with Authority?

From the retired Soldier and Cop side: I started going to a writing class one night a week. Since I graduated from high skool and kollege so long ago, I had forgotted a lot of the stuff needed to write good fiction. You see for the last 30 plus years I had to write “just the facts”. The class I’m in is rather different, it’s for Vets and it’s free. A local group sponsored the thing, so I felt the price was right and seeing how I rite, it could help.
Nice doggy.  USMC working dog at Camp Gannon, Iraq- CI Roller Dude pet him

I’m one of the younger vets. Most of the others are Nam vets. One guy was a grunt Army commander in Nam and when I talked to him before class, I asked why he got out after 14 years. He said: “I had a problem with authority.”

I was thinking what he said over during class. Remember, I first joined the regular Army after high school and only did a few years before I got out. I stayed out for 13 years, then joined the Army National Guard. Why did I get out and stay out for so long? At first I thought I had a problem with Authority. But after I carefully thought it over I came up with:

It’s not a problem with Authority; it’s a problem with stupid.

So I stayed in trying to beat down stupid shit. I won some battles and lost some…others I’ll call it a tie. But one thing I noticed, the troops we’re getting in before I got out seem to be a lot smarter. I just hope they stay that way as they get promoted and don’t go for the lobotomy.

In police work I had an easy way to lead: "As long as nobody get hurt, we all go home at the end of the shift, no citizen's complaints and the department doesn't get sued, we're OK."

7 comments:

Coffeypot said...

I've always said the it was my mouth that kept me from doing my 20. But after reading your post...I think stupid had a lot to do with it, too. Me - Not them!

SAM said...

Cool dog dude. You adopted it or what?

Anonymous said...

1. Troops are better. No doubt.
2. Had a problem with authority too -even when I were one.
3. Chatted yesterday with an Army SSGT. Eight years in and 40 months in Iraq.
4. On orders to an unaffiliated unit (not 1st Cav) at Fort Hood with that unit slated for AF in 10 months.
5. Guy isn't 30 and he's seen a lot more than I did -and I've seen a few things.
6. Anyway, he's either a typical, outstanding NCO -or knows exactly the buttons to push to make me think so.
7. Told him a couple stories about the "good old" days. Warned him he probably would think I was full of it.
8. At one point, he interrupted me to say that I would have gone to Leavenworth, if I had really done that (Lock and loading on company supply sgt).
9. Told him that, yes, HE would have been jailed for doing that, but things were different back in the "good old" days.
10. We are the product of our experiences.
11. His Army, with excellent personnel, decent equipment and good doctrine is a different organization -a far better one than my Army of 40 years ago.
12. Listened to a sound track of 506th troops in a couple of firefights in AF.( Think firefight might be archaic?)
13. Sounded a lot like the conversations I remember -except these guys sound more matter of fact. I remember being scared.
14. As for the writing -you are straight from the shoulder. Please don't let your instructor change that.
V/R JWest

CI-Roller Dude said...

CP,
I was very stupid many times...and it took me awhile to learn to shut up.
SAM, that was a Marine working dog. Only the handler was supposed to be able to get her to do anything, but I have a way with dogs. This one could sniff out explosives very well.

Julie D said...

Only if authority isn't cute.

I kid, I kid.

Wrexie said...

I think that working dog broke a few rules for you ;)

How'd you do that?

CI-Roller Dude said...

Wrexie,
woof, woof woof woof woof!!!