I am not quite out of the country, but I am almost to the airport---one army base closer. The specialist (that is, low ranking nobody) was not going to let us on the bus to the airport since we don't fly out until tomorrow, then the officer of the group (a Chief 3, you don't fuck with Chiefs) raised all sorts of hell, completely embarassing the formerly hot-shot lieutenant in charge in front of everyone waiting for the bus.
After a while it degenerated to a school yard yelling match:
"So you want to go on the bus, Chief?" the LT yelled snottily.
"Why do you think we're talking, numbnuts!" says the Chief, more in command of the situation than the LT realized.
"Fine [rolling eyes], go on the bus!" he replied, exasperated.
"That's what I am going to do."
And so we went. The specialist in charge of the sign in roster was speechless.
Sounded like a usenet troll war.
Re:Things must have changed a bit...
brian_d_foy on 2003-11-27T12:31:57
"Chiefs" in the Army are warrent officer 2 and above. They are commissioned officers and we just call them "chief" or "mister". They are not at all like the non-com Chiefs from the other services. They are specialist in a single job and that's all they do. For instance, a lot of helicopter pilots are warrent officers. They do not fit in the command structure, but they still get all the benefits and respect of their education and training.Re:Things must have changed a bit...
phillup on 2003-11-28T22:05:58
Thanks.
Major brain fizzle... forgot all about the Army having Warrant Officers as a way of letting people fly without requiring a degree in basket weaving from a college. At one time I knew they were Chiefs... but, I'm more than twice as old now.
Minor poke at the Air Force's policy of not letting a person fly if they don't have a college degree. Doesn't matter what in... but apparently you aren't qualified to fly an airplane without the extra four years of partying.;-)
P.S. I was in the Air Force for eight years... after serving in the Army National Guard for two years (then going active to the AF). So, I get to pick on the fly boys a little. (And don't mind if others do...)
At least the Air Force makes the people getting the bigger pay checks do more of the fighting. Instead of the other way around.
