R&R for military folks is always a bit of a hot-button issue. Both Shannon and Sarah, two Army wives, have posted about it this weekend. The consensus is this is a situation where RHIP is not the right thing to do. I agree. Neither is it a case where the lowest ranking soldier should have priority. Leadership requires decisions, and sometimes the junior soldier has less reason to go than a senior one. Judgement.
The situation made me think a bit about my own career in the Air Force. I had some good role models. I also ran into a few losers. It is like the Jimmy Buffett lyrics,
“Read dozens of books
about heroes and crooks,
and I learned much from both of their styles.”
I think I did a pretty good job of things. My bosses certainly thought so. It’s harder to say about my troops. Some did, some didn’t. But selfish folks don’t survive in the military except in rare circumstances.
I was in Kuwait last spring working with a National Guard unit. The guys were restricted to post except when they served as shooters on a convoy. Any vehicle going out had to have two shooters. Their officers (a group of four) went out on an irregular basis, and had even been tagged by MPs downtown at an eating establishment. Don’t think word of that didn’t get around quickly.
We needed some piece-parts, and none were available through supply. Someone needed to drive up to Kuwait City to find them. You guessed it. Our four illustrious “leaders” took on that chore themselves.
Now, I’m an old NCO and Aircraft Maintenance Officer. I was pissed. We had soldiers, Guardsmen, who hadn’t seen anything but tents, sand, and the mess hall for five months. Camp Arifjan isn’t a hell-hole, but when you are a captive audience, a break will do wonders. So, I confronted one of the officers and suggested they take a couple of the guys out next time they went. “I’ve heard that shit before! When we go out, it isn’t for a pleasure ride! We go out for a reason!”
Hmmmm, I thought to myself. Asshole. He just doesn’t realize I was an asshole long before he got out of diapers. So I gave him a bit of Captain seasoned with NCO. Once I had his attention, I managed to explain things in terms of “appearance”, because it was obvious he couldn’t deal with reality. We didn’t speak the rest of the time I was there, but a few soldiers did get out afterwards. They still always shared the ride with two officers.
That mentality is around. Soldiers are simply tools in some folks’ minds. That’s how many politicians view them. That’s how they were treated during the ’90s. But it is unconscionable for any leader in uniform to ever feel that way. Every general started out as a butter-bar. Every sergeant major began his career as a private. The military doesn’t collect resumes to fill its leadership positions. It looks at who is available in the ranks to move up into a vacancy. Those folks must always remind themselves of where they came from. Nothing will destroy morale quicker than those of higher rank playing the RHIP card. Yes, it’s there to be used. It just can’t be used as a trump.