I had a grumpy old NCO experience today

[maple_leaf_eh]

All right, you thought you had a bad day, let me share with you how mine went. Part of my job is to email and phone units that want stuff. Most of the time I am happiest passing their requests straight to the people who do that work. From time to time, I need to phone someone to ask WTF? or huh? Today I had to question the order quantities.

A Sergeant Major confided that computers were not his strength, running up hill was. He freely admitted to being a dinosaur, but old dogs know where the bones are buried. For example, he carefully noted my name and number in his Roll-a-dex contacts list. When I asked if he really needed twice the normal quantity, he launched off about cadet officers. Civilians in uniform who don't listen to anything, expect the world and do things their own way even when the voice of experience says, 'Umm, not a good idea, Capt.'

Two hours later, similar question to another Sergeant Major who deals with Rangers. Civilians in uniform who don't listen to anything, ask for the most amazing things and expect it to happen imediately, lose kit without fear or shame, or fully believe the army is holding out on their group on purpose.

It is amazing that long service soldiers continue to get on with their jobs, despite the people they have to influence but who do know how things should be done.