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So, if it was youAnd you were me - What would it be, if The Man told you that you were on the “short list.” Six months in Bahrain. Or - Twelve months in Baghdad (preceded by three months of sojer stuff in Georgia). It’s not as easy as it looks to choose between them. October 5th, 2006 | Category: Military
61 comments to So, if it was you |
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I have had friday communion with Neptunus Lex fo more than a year – and I would’nt miss it. So indulgence, allow me a thought. I have not spent time in the wet service – nor in the US military (but I did spend 12+ years in the service of a ‘furrin’ though NATO country. I have also been a physician for 30+ years (neurology). Thus having observed the quaint and strange customs of the species in and out of academia I think I may have learned a few things.
The transition from O-6 to above is more than the uniform change. It seems to be the transition from being the ‘doer’ to being the fellow who orders. The poor sop who has to make a decision of which he ‘implementers’ are but one of the elements. – i.e. the job becomes strategical rather than tactical. That transistion is the most difficult any ‘doer’ will ever make.
Sometimes back, Lex, you intimidated that you would not make flag rank. Well I am not so sure. For the first time ever the JCS is a marine, the supreme commander in Europe is a marine and the army chief a (formerly) retired secial ops. general. It sems to me that times they are achanging.
If I had to write a job description of a 21th century general officer, it would include a wide understanding of the human condition, a wicked sense of humor, a keen knowledgable mind, a fighting spirit with the necessary courage, professionalism and ‘I don’t have to do this, but I choose to do so – and if I don’t measure up to my own standards I will retire’
In short I believe (know) you have the qualities to make a good CNS – although you will never be satisfied with your own performance.
All of this is a long way to say, that you would do all of us a great favor to go to Baghdad. We all need people with imagination and brains (e.g. lt.gen. Petreaus) to help Iraq and all of us inthe snakepit, that is Iraq. It may just save your and my children from having to fight a global conflagration later. Just don’t expect the people you saved to thank you, let alone understand what you did. Such is the fate of those chosen. Some of us will know, and you will know.
That is enough in the final analysis.
Too may words – and I am not even episcopalian.
God speed
Hejde
Before I read the rest, or read Lex’ subsequent post, I just want to say AW1’s post #24 was excellent. Several people I know and I were asked by [whom-- our bosses] to move to positions/professions where we’d be most valuable in these “times of trouble” post 9/11/2001. While orders of magnitude less dangerous than Baghdad, we moved.
AW1’s comment as I said was excellent, including deference to Lex’ past service. But what of Lex’ home life? He has duty to spar (a light word) with his commitments to Biscuit, Kat and… that other kid (forget what he’s called), plus the strong one: Hobbit. I’ve never met these people either, but they represent to me a microcosm of USA/Western version of heroism, of a Great Generation in our own time. (It’s a representation– for all I know none of them exist.)
And in Lex’ (assumed) desire to meet his home life commitments, he and many like him may improve life in the USA just by being, say, a Wal-Mart greeter by day and good daddy/hubby by night.
Likewise, I might use my expertise to maintain water chemistry of a seaborne nuclear power plant as an aging MMCM, in the North Arabian Sea, or work where I do, and let the nineteen-year-old MM3 keep the plant cooking just so.
Analogy!
Sorry if I repeated someone else’s point. I will now resume reading at comment 25 and then Lex’ subsequent post.
Yours,
Having actually served in Bahrain, for the Army no less at a then DMA Storage and Analysis Facility, I can easily say Bahrain.
You can at least drink there, the Marine’s have the place wrapped up very tight, This time of year its not quite as hot as it was when I was there (In 1998 they set the world record for hottest place on Earth. Its been beaten since then but it was a balmy wonderful 160 Degree’s Farenheit. At Sea Level. Fun.)
There are some ruins not far on the North End of the Island, and a old village and fort/castle that was being renovated, roughly 16th century.
So 6 months there isn’t bad.
But thats just my appraisal.
To quote Jake Grafton…”It doesn’t work that way.They pay you twice a month and that’s that Callie.But it’s a Navy job,and Lord knows how it’ll turn out.I’d rather have a Navy job than be president of a bank.”
Good luck on your decision Cap’n.
Wow! Lex you need to start some kind of remedial reading section here. The choices were either/or………not pick a, b or c.
All this drop the letter talk is silly. If you were going to do that, you wouldn’t have presented the question. Bahrain is fine to check the box or party with some SWOs, but that’s not what you’re looking for, is it? If you are going to leave Sandy Eggo it’s got to be to accomplish something. So the answer, as you know, is Baghdad.
I wish I had some talent/skill that they needed over there. I have, however, led a largely useless life of debauchery and have naught to offer.
Unless there is an over-riding reason Not to go to Bahrain, I’d take Bahrain. I serviced the Embassy there for a couple of years and the base was undergoing a huge up-grade the whole time I was going back and forth. Additionally, I suspect you will be doing a lot of Iraq support from there – a fairly important job. Without a good support team the whole thing falls apart. Just a thought from a feather-merchant…
Besides, I suspect that Baghdad will still be there in six months.
Having been to Bahrain and Bagdad.
Its Bahrain, Hands down!
What more do you have to offer to your country? Will you really make that much of a difference over there? I asked myself that before I retired, when, despite the fact that I had two cervical disk surgeries with enough hardware in my neck to make me leary of scrapyards, they certified me fit for submarine duty (everything is waiverable, you know). But I knew I was burned out – all used up, and would be no good if I went back to sea even though I knew I would get promoted.
You’ve given them 20+ years as a combat pilot. You’ve given all for God and Country. Now they want to retrain you as a grunt. Why? Because it’s easier/cheaper than recruiting, that’s why. But, what I learned is that after 20 years, it’s time for you to look out for you. Don’t be swayed by the siren call of service one last time, because you’ll just get yourself into a rut of “one more times”. I’ve seen it so many times.
Drop your letter, and bring on the Congressional, if that’s what it takes, but now is the time to take care of yourself. Nobody cares who you were or what you did in the military on the outside, unless you work with a bunch of ex-military. And then it still doesn’t matter to anybody but them.
Lex:
Whether you go or don’t go, do so because it’s what YOU want to do. Once retirement hits, no matter how much you’ve done, the “I shoulda” man will be chattin’ with you. Only you can respond – not your family, friends, or well-wishers.
As to where: where do you think you can have the biggest impact?
For those who equate achieving flag rank with this decision, I say “non sequitur”. Last thing either location needs is a guy who is there to get promoted.
I say “go” but that’s easy for me because I never got to go and highly doubt I’ll get the chance.
Decisions…
I’ve wanted to write about this from the first day I read Lex’s original post and his many thoughtful commenters, but I both didn’t know what to say and feared treading elephant feet on a such tender ground. But reading Chapomatic finally kicked thi…
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