I used to work full time at a National Guard maintenance shop as a mechanic. The state Maint. Office hired a major full time. They wanted him to learn the workings from the ground up. He was assigned to our shop. The shop chief put him with me in my bay. I had him do the dirtiest, nasty jobs there was to do. He did just fine and was just a good old country boy. So after about 6 months he went to the state Maint. Office. This was in 2001. I retired in 06. About 2 months ago my wife and I were at a restaurant one Sunday afternoon. It was on a Sunday. In walked this Major that I had trained so many years ago except this time he was wearing 2 stars on his BDU’s. We had a good conversation and as he was leaving I told him if he ever needed a reccomendation tell them to call me.

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SSG Ret.
TN & TX ARNG 66-06

I learned a very important lesson while in the navy. I was standing by the hatch to the thrust block which is where the propeller shaft passes through the stern packing gland and is in the ocean. A 3 Star comes down the ladder and I yell "attention officer on deck) we exchanges salutes and he asks what space is this. #1 thrust block Sir. Standing by for inspection. He looks down the hatch and says carry on sailor. Aye Aye Sir. Now the other dummy sees him and gets everything right, except for "ready for inspection Sir. So the admiral and his entourage all squeeze through the hatch look around and said this place is a mess. He gets on the sound powered phones and tells the top watch he wants that space cleaned by the time the ship leaves. Needless to say Standing by is way better than ready for inspection. Frank

Read the post had the answer, and I live in this rathole.

In the case of CW4 Rex R. it was more a matter of vice than rank.

A while back, my Buddy Ron is assigned to fly F-5s with the Moroccan Air Force.
And told to go to the Pentagon and be briefed by the Moroccan Military Aid Program Director.
Wow! That sounds like a Very Important job.
So it takes Ron most of the day to find this Navy Commander who is in charge.
His desk is in a remote back corner of a larger office, under a stairwell.
Ron knows the Navy don’t salute indoors, but why pass up a chance to harass the Boat Boys?
So Ron snaps a Salute and says something like Reporting as Ordered Sir.
The Commander stands, avoids bumping his head and returns the salute.
In doing so he loses control of a huge continuous computer printout.
It starts shooting out the front toward Ron.
He yells Push that back in! Ron pushes with both hands and restacks it.
It is once again peaceful in the puzzle palace.
What can I do for you Major?

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

It's our vices that define us!

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Chief

Actually it's our dedication and hard work that define us. We will not let the perceptions of our vices over shadow our accomplishments or interfere with our mission. At least, that is always how I and my compatriots think about it.