13 January 2008

Disgruntled Dispatch from the field

I got this a While ago from a disgruntled major at large. On a side note, the LDM website recently went over 10000 hits! Thanks to those who have loyally spread the news, even when I have not loyally posted.


So there I was, no s#%t, swear to god…

I just got finished with Iraq after being bounced around the Brigade Staff as the “designated firefighter” (most assuredly a job created for me by an XO that had no inclination to ensure that I had a stable rater or senior rater), and I gets a call from the voice of angelic wisdom himself…my branch manager. After command and Iraq, I made the call to go somewhere that would help ME; look out for number 1 and all that. Little did I know that I should have been looking out for “number 2”…and man did I step in it. So Metatron (the angelic voice of god) tells me that I have some options…most of which suck, but there is one that stands out and looks good. A flash went through my mind, “It looks like the enemy has withdraw, sir. The valley is clear of resistance…and LOOK, there’s a clearly delineated path that leads right through those cliffs. Let’s take that one!!” So, I walked right into the ambush. With a job that has family time (half the year TDY), and a great work environment (a basement in the “historic” old PX at Fort Leavenworth, with the snakes, centipedes, spiders and mice…and 6 other members of the LDM), what more could I ask for? Prepositioning for school maybe? That was the deal. “Do two years in purgatory,” said the all knowing voice of the HRC angels, “and you can go through the gates of ILE and on to your KD assignment!” Besides the 180 days of TDY and bosses that were sent here to be “euthanized”, the community of LDM’s here kept the morale to a level just above suicide watch. Then, 1.5 years into my 2 year purgatory, I realized that branch had sent me into a kill zone. With TRADOC hemorrhaging officers like the air-defense corps getting rid of tactical flexibility, they had made a deal with the golden cherubs at HRC to keep officers for three years, and there was no grandfather clause. So, as I look at another year in the basement, with the rest of my LDM brethren, I make my pledge to embrace the watchwords and stock my bottom right hand drawer with a little bit of hooch. And in the words of Metatron himself…”Wow, that really sucks. They are throwing you guys under the bus. I would really like to help, but I will be going to the Naval War College at that time…HA HA HA, I got mine, sucker!!” Ok…maybe it didn’t go like that, but that’s the way it came across.


LDM Acollyte #137

MAJ, XXX

Chief of Something or Other in a Basment

Somewhere on Ft Leavenworth serving 2-3 for Stupidity