Memoirs written in prose of Sergeant Robertson, Damon M. USMC while in Iraq | ...with frequent appearances of King Hammurabi.
If you are new to this journal, make sure to start reading in chronological order by scrolling down to the bottom of the oldest post in October 2004. Damon's letters from August 20th, 2004 - October 23rd, 2004 were all added to this blog on Oct. 23rd, 2004. All subsequent letters are posted in real time.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Re: Hammurabi, USMC - DMR
Dear Family and Friends: After yesterday's promotion cerimony, i took my rank off my own uniform and spent the rest of the day as a private, listening to the orders of the lance corporals. i even made one of them take me outside the barracks and "haze" me (he made me do pushups). I was so upset i wanted to throw my rifle through a wall... ANY wall. Almost no one stayed after the ceremony to congratulate the new corporal. Super Marine and I did. I don't know of anyone else. I think even before then he started to get the hint. Later, when all the Corporals had made the decision to have a joint talk with our newest member, I hunted him down. He saw my uniform, and whether or not his new rank made him more sensitive to my own or not, he asked: "where's your rank, corporal?" he looked dejected, discouraged, thwarted of any satisfaction. Interesting. We still hadn't said anything to him yet. "Is is because of me?" he asked. I looked him straight in the eye -- you who know me can surely remember how intense i get, especially when I'm frustrated, angry, and somehow still articulate. I fixed him with that glare. "Yes." "why?" "Because I'm part of a company in which thieves are not punished and S*birds get meritoriously promoted." [there are thieves, cought red handed in this company, who were not punished in any measureable extent under the UCMJ. One of them was a Staff Sgt, and rather than take him down, they "pardoned" everybody, even down to the Private First Class who did the same thing. The man i'm talking to was not one of the thieves.] "i'm not a S*bird," he said. desperation and frustration are leaking through in his tone of voice. "Prove it." "How?" I shove a finger straight into his new rank insignia. "Show me you understand how much that weighs. Do you understand that I had documented several instances of your insubordination, had offered that to the chain of command, and done everything I could to ensure that a Marine didn't get promoted before he was ready to? If they'd asked me, i wouldn't have submitted your name for this. I can think of at least three Marines who deserve this more than you do." He looked me straight in the eye. He took it like a man who was actually, finally, prepared to listen. "But that doesn't matter now," I said. "This matters," i point at his chevrons again. "Whether or not you're ready for this, you're there, and now your job just got harder than it was before." ... Later, *all* of the NCOs sat him down and gave him the skinny. we told him not to ever tolerate all the crap we'd let him get away with. we told him we wouldn't bother telling him this if we didn't think he wasn't worth salvaging. we reminded him that, even though he has our rank, we're still senior by time in grade and there *is* a pecking order. we told him to get our help if one of the lance corporals gives him attitude, that we'd help him square the situation away. before i left, i said one last thing. "even when you were a lance corporal, i witnessed you condescending your peers. You will NEVER do that ever again, especially now that you outrank them. You are now in charge of some outstanding men who have never given me a reason to doubt their character or abilities. I will warn you *one* time. Never lord your authority over them. I will not let you get away with it, nor will anyone else in this room." ... later i took the Lcpls aside and told them that, whatever their personal feelings were, they'd better for the sake of their own continued health and well being treat our new corporal with the respect his rank deserves. it's nothing less than what I expect from them, but all's the same, i know how unmotivating it can be to see inept marines get promotions when the hard working ones get overlooked. I told them i understand how they feel, and i do. I've been in their shoes TWICE myself, having been in the running for meritorious promotions that were not, in the end, decided with any reference to proficiency or conduct, but instead with defference to friendship/political ties. ... I know those marines. i didn't have to say what i did, but I wanted to make sure they kept the appropriate perspective. ... God. I try. And Jesus keeps telling me I have trouble surrendering. it's really damn hard when you care about something so much it makes you burn inside. ... love you all, :D
# posted by chevas @ 11:31 PM 