Orders are orders (Part 1, long)

[Rainman]

Another tale from my days in the U.S Army, this could qualify as either a sucky customer (sort of) or maybe cursing coworkers (Mods will decide I guess )

BG: While the motorpool where all my unit's vehicles were kept was SUPPOSED to have a guard detail in it all the time, it rarely did. Usually some incident would happen and then the higher ups would reinstate the guard, nothing would happen, company commanders would want their soldiers back and the guard would go away, then another incident. . . you get the idea.

Well back when I was Private First Class Rainman I was one of the lucky soldiers given the guard duty. There were 2 entrances with 1 guard each, 2 rovers (dudes walking a patrol) and an NCOIC (Non Commisioned Officer In Charge) I was one of the entrance guards. Guard duty is taken very seriously in the Army, and a guard's orders (called General Orders) supercede just about ANY other order he may be given. (Example: Someone who outranks me tells me to run off and go find someone for him, unless I hear that order from my NCOIC, I'm supposed to refuse)

So my orders here are to not let ANYONE, AND THEY MEAN ANYONE, to leave the motorpool in a military vehicle without first presenting a valid military ID, a valid military drivers liscense FOR the type of vehicle being taken, and finally, up to date dispatch paperwork for the vehicle. If one doesnt have all of these, he's not taking that vehicle anywhere.

Cue one full bird colonol and his driver. . . (note: full bird colonol is just one rank away from being a General, they are kind of important people and quite used to getting their way)

Well these two try to leave the motorpool, and I step out to ask for their documents, they dont have them. There is no dispatch at all, the driver doesnt have his military DL, and the colonol has no military ID! (every new soldier learns that to be without your ID = immediate beheading, I knew for a fact this officer knows better than to not have it) He starts telling me its all right, that he's just going out to inspect another company out on their pistol range and to let him through. I respectfully tell him I cannot do that, my orders are NO ONE leaves without proper documents. Colonol begins to get pissed, steps out of the humvee, orders me to stand before him at attention. I do this. He then tells me I WILL release that vehicle to him. I again inform him that to do so would be to go against my orders and that no I will not.

Things begin to heat up at this point. After maybe a few minutes of back and forth, and me repeating "Sir, I am sorry, but my orders are clear and the answer is NO" this guy just f**king loses it!

A private refusing a colonol!! Oh hell no!

Now I am being screamed at, lol. This colonol then decided to begin threatening me. He would report my "insubordination" to my entire chain of command! He would see to it I got an Article 15! (non-judicial punishment in the Army) or worse, maybe he would insure I was court martialed! (VERY judicial punishment in the Army) I would lose all my rank and he would make sure the Army docked my pay! blah blah blah, spit flying into face.

During this whole exchange I am thinking to myself "Sir, I do indeed know that you could theoretically do all of the above to me, but the fact is I have never seen you before in my life, and while you most likely are who you say you are, the point of having GUARDS is to control who comes in and who goes out by verifying identity. And while you MAY be able to make my life difficult, the mean, grizzled SOB Sergeant who is DIRECTLY in charge of me CAN MOST ASSUREDLY make my life VERY difficult for not following my guard orders. So tough f**king titties." Colonol gets back in the humvee and tells his driver to leave. So I then go stand in front of the humvee. Colonol orders his driver to go anyway and "that little bastard will move!" Thankfully the driver doesn't do this.

Colonol gets out again, literally red with rage. He tells his driver to go park the vehicle and meet him back at his office, as he had alot of calls to make about me

Stay Tuned for Part 2

[Tuxian]

I think an uppity Colonel is about to have his attitude handed right back to him. Good job on (literally) sticking to your guns. If an order is given, as it was, and a Colonel should KNOW about General Orders and how they take precedence, then I can't wait to hear how this overinflated windbag is about to make his own career far more difficult...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Orders are orders so why should it be....
The Colonel, he's acting so suckilyyyyyy......

[emax4]

I've never been in the armed forces (are there unarmed forces?), but at a young age I was told to respect those in authority. Was there a point where you could have simply said "I need your ID and you know this", or talk back and say, "Please, report me, and I will gladly tell your superiors that you did not have your military ID on you and were attempting to leave without it"? Or, is this part of part 2?

I can't wait to read more of your posts!

[morgana]

Irv, I've been remiss. I haven't told you lately that I love you!

Rainman, my ex was military. I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of this; should be fun.

[depechemodefan]

can't wait to hear more. Though I imgine the colonel will come back with his id, throw it at your feet, tell you, "are you satisfied!?!?!" then you (too bad you can't smile cheekily) tell him have a nice day.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Oooh, another curious epic tale?

[KMMCurly]

Has everyone around here suddenly developed a fetish for cliffhangers or something?

... Please continue to indulge it, you teases.

[Moosenogger]

I think the higher-ups will be VERY interested to know that their shit-bag colonel isn't carrying any form of I.D. and is trying to use his status to threaten/force a soldier to go against his General Orders.

Yeah, that'll play out well.

[BroSCFischer]

Hey, Rainman.

I'd beware the wrath of Jay 2K, but you should pray that Lupo doesn't get into this.

Apparently she wields a mean frying pan, and hates cliffhangers.

SC

[barainga]

He can make all the phone calls he likes.
1. I will guard everything within the limits of my post and not quit my post until properly relieved.
2. I will obey my special orders and perform all my duties in a military manner.
3. I will report violations of my special orders, emergencies, and anything not covered under my instructions to the commander of the relief.

4. (unofficial) I will walk my post from flank to flank and not take shit off any rank.

Its been a few years, but I still remember them.


Was in a similar situation as a roadblock during morning PT session.. got a kudos from my CSM after a major went to him about me not letting him drive through.

[Mytical]

While disobeying a direct order can be big trouble, all the full bird will end up doing is making a turkey out of himself. Your orders come from higher up then generals, so they are more important then his. Now that might not mean he can not make your life miserable..so document document document...but I sense the turkey ... I am sorry full bird, is about to be cooked.

[Lady_Pigeon]

I'll make enough for everyone!



And here's some refreshments...



Eagerly awaiting the next part!

[Rainman]

Part 2: Well ain't this a soup sandwich. . .

Adendum: Sorry if cliffhangers bug people I thought maybe it would be easier to read and get into if it was split up. On the other hand, I am a total ham and having people hang on my words is pleasing to me mwahahahahaa jk.

*note* for those that don't understand the military and its hierarcy, it isnt like a regular job. Those that served will agree with me when I say you can be COMPLETLY in the right over an issue with someone of higher rank and the fact that you are correct will mean very little, more likely nothing. You hope your chain of command has your back, but what IS like a regular job, they sometimes feed you to the sharks.

So with Colonol F**khead (henceforth he shall CF) now claiming he is essentially going to ruin my Army career (such as it was at that time) over me actually following orders, I was scared shitless. First thing I did was contact my NCOIC and told him what had just happened. The NCOIC told me (as I heard many other times in my Army career) that you can't get in trouble for following orders. Not really true but we'll lets that go for now. I then called my First Line Supervisor (SGT) and told him what had just happened. Over the rest of the morning, we also contacted the next 3 levels of people above me, up to my company commander. Everyone told me that I had done the right thing, but at the same time that this was going to get alot worse before it got better.

And then

Me and everyone in charge of me up to my Battalion level commander (boss's boss' boss's boss's boss!) got told we had to report to the RCO (Regimental Commanding Officer) time now. So we lickety split over to his office and who do we find? CF.

[B]*The following is all CF's rendition of what happened.[/
CF proceeds to inform my ENTIRE chain of command of my unprofessional, lazy, and rotton attitude and how he has never been shown such disrespect in his entire Army career. He informs them that when he pulled up to the guard post, he had to have his driver honk the humvee horn to WAKE ME UP!!

*(complete BS, sleeping on guard duty is literally one of the worst infractions a soldier can do, I mean they used to whip guys who did that! I would never have the balls, or lack of professional attitude to do it)

So then I supposedly stumbled out of the guard shack, in an illfitting and improperly worn and kept uniform. (My uniform was practically new, and it showed) Did not render a proper salute (yes I did) and then bungled my way through my guard post procedures. He said that when it did not appear to know what I was doing, he asked to speak to my NCOIC on my radio. I told him NCOIC was sleeping in his car and I didn't want to bother him (So now he is saying I threw NCOIC under the bus for something I KNOW he would never do) I dont remember everything (there was ALOT, I dont know how he came up with so many lies so quickly)

CF basically made me out to be the scum of the earth and the worst soldier ever to grace the U.S Army. He told my chain of command that he was reccommending a field grade article 15 to my RCO (basically I lose all rank, lose half my pay for x amount of months, restricted to post for 45 days, and extra duty for 45 days, extra duty is basically a 16 hour work day, 7 days a week. It's hell from what I have seen, never had to do it ) The whole time he never once even mentioned what he had tried to do, oh man my blood was boiling.

That was when my RCO turned to face me, and asked me all if this was true. My response and the final outcome will come in part 3 Many apologies but I'm unable to write anymore at the moment. Part 3 will be the last, I swear.

[Food Lady]

Ugh! I don't want to have to wait until tomorrow!