Hello All,
I would like to pose a hypothetical question to you. Let's say that you worked for a large company, and your position was middle management. You're good at your job, but in another department, similar to the one you currently run, your colleague has decided to move on to greener pastures, and you are due to replace him. His department is running pretty well, thanks to a time and resource intensive trial and error procedure.
Now, as you move into your new office, and begin the transition from old to new management, would you reorganize the number of bathrooms in the department? Their locations? Would you move everyone's desks around, when the current seating is working well for everyone? Would you change the number of garbage cans in the department, and rewrite the current garbage contracts? The water contracts? The cafeteria contract?
Would you allow this to interrupt the efficiency of the department that you're taking over just so that you can look at your boss 2 months down the line and say, "The last guy had things all screwed up, but I'm correcting the problems as quickly as they pop up."
Does any of this sound logical to you? Me neither, but remember that this question is purely hypothetical, and has no relation on the fact that the Army is taking over operations here at Camp Patriot. At all.
There's an ancient Chinese curse that says, "May you live in interesting times." It should be an interesting month or two, but what would I know, I'm just a sergeant.
I love you all,
Will
PS we're loading all our extra gear (see crap) into large cargo boxes just in case we get the word to leave… lets just hope that the new management doesn't decide that we're needed someplace north of here.
Ah Will for your sakes and ours I sure as heck hope you are moving on outta the sand dunes. I am awfully anxious to hear that you have a one way ticket back to CONUS. Even more eager to hear that you have arrived.
I do believe with the fans you have amassed, there could be quite a kazoo band hailing your return.
Re: The new heavies in camp. That seems to be the curse of Middle Mgmt. They have to justify their existence and therefore act out with attention seeking behavior. Much like the seemingly ignored middle children in a family.
However when it comes to turnovers and "smooth" transistions, there is a fine line between "rocking the boat" and "making one's mark."
Here's to the high hopes that y'all will be breaking your lease and will be up and out in short notice.
If not at least it keeps things interesting?
Chin up, shoulders back, chest out - never let them get the best of ya. And just for shits and giggles re-arrange the garbage cans and blame it on the "cleaning crew."
It's the little things...
Szaffie
Well there Will...methinks that whoever this is that you are referring to, is what you would call a "brown-noser!" My BF informs me (a marine) that there are an insane amount of those in the military, and they all seem to be over there. So...until you're outta there...you're simply going to have to put up with them...especially if they're higher ranking brown-nosers. I wish you well, and you are all in my prayers. They tell my BF that he'll be home by the end of sept...but who knows. I hope you ALL get home soon!!! Until that GLORIOUS day when you all come home...stay safe...and stay strong.
Oh...and tell Spc. J that the woman doesnt deserve him...no military girlfriend worth her salt would do that to her man. I never would!! Much love to you and yours!
-Mel- an avid follower
Posted by: Mel on July 26, 2003 01:29 AMHiya Will,
Glad to see the military hasn't changed much since my departure. You know the various branches have to have their pissing contests to "prove" their way of doing things are better than the others. Reminds me of the last time I was at NTC, they changed the bathroom situation too....and I walked in and went tinkle...and wondered what all the men were doing in the women's bathroom LOL
Just think, someday you will look back at all this and laugh (as you are counting up your royalties from your #1 best-seller book!)
Hopefuly, it won't be too much longer now that they have a rotation schedule in place. Take care of yourself and your soldiers & let them know we haven't forgotten them!!
Hi Will,
I stumbled on to your site a couple days ago while I was surfing for information on the situation there in Iraq. I was in the Army for 7 years and got out cause dual military is no joke. He doesn't get to contact me too often. The rotation schedule which puts 3rd ID coming home in Sept., but states 12 month rotations for others. I don't know where that puts you or my husband, but I sure hope everyone that's been there for 6 months or more comes home in Sept. or Oct.. I want to thank you for your stories which are very funny. It's nice to have something to laugh about sometimes, especially during these tough times. To everyone there take care and GOD BLESS!
Posted by: Wally on July 26, 2003 04:01 PMHi Will,
Hmmm....Been there, done that, saw the movie. I don't know for the life of me why people want to come along and change the most mundane, riduculous things just to "make their mark". As for brownosing, well, don't even get me started. The people who seem do do all these "changes" never bother to think how negatively it affects morale for the troops. Truly pathetic. You guys are in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully you'll hear some true word of when you get to come home, not more rumors. Hang in there, and stay safe.
Posted by: Dawn on July 26, 2003 08:41 PMWill,
Let's just pray that the new one in charge does not feel there is more things that need to be washed.. Like his back side.........
I love to read what you write and know how hard it must be to be way from the ones you love..... I don't know you and wait with such anticipation to see your updates....
Yours Truly
Amy
God Bless you!!!! P.S. I am so patriotic I would wrap J in a flag and just do him for the glory because of what happened to him and let her watch LOL LOL
Will -
I just came across the A Minute Longer for the first time - my guy arrived @ Camp Patriot a couple of weeks ago - he's with the Navy. Reading your comical posts help me to deal with him being there. I know he's with good people. God Bless you all - Life is good!
Keep on keepin' on!!!
Peace Out -
Nancy
Ah, that sounds so familiar that I don't know if I should laugh or cry. The company I work for was recently purchased by another because 'we love the way you do things, you're so progressive and we don't want to change a thing'. I guess they technically didn't lie because they aren't changing A thing, they are changing EVERYTHING and taking us backwards by five years. People are leaving as if this were the Titanic!
Gotta love the non-existant logic of management. Start thinking like a rock and it won't bother you so much. ;)
Stay safe and keep a smile on your face. It'll make everyone wonder what you're up to...
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy on July 28, 2003 08:51 AMWelcome to Corporate America, Military style. we just went thru a re-org where I work (the 4th in the 3 years that I have been here and the 5th office move in the same amount of time).
Hope you're back in the US of A soon.
Posted by: Theresa on July 28, 2003 03:04 PMAll I'm going to say on this, Will, is:
GOD BLESS AMERICA
oh yea....and one other thing: fortunately/unfortunately, that's one thing that makes the USA what she is, and that is freedom to think, act, BE.
Keeping this response short since none of my other ones ever are!
Hugs Will
Judi
Posted by: Judi on July 29, 2003 01:25 PMSounds like all typical middle mgmt to me! And of course... we know this is ONLY hypthetical...
Posted by: Catherine on July 30, 2003 10:52 AMREORG!!!!!
..... this has been the subject of several dilbert cartoons as REORG!!!!!! is the first thing which many engineering companies do when new management at any level comes in. i'd been working in a division of one of the larger automotive companies, as an example, and the team i was on had just gotten totally caught up, were cruising well, looking into other parts of our system for improvements we could make without complete or total upheaval, when manglement (spelling deliberate), screamed REORG!!!!!
when the dust settled, we'd somehow magically gone from caught up to having 103 engineering modification requests on our hands, each of which would easily take six weeks to assess, tackle and complete if we were given a chance to do 'an uptown job' on them.
of course, chaos ensued. screaming from people about getting the work done yesterday started (WHY WASN'T THERE SCREAMING AT THE PEOPLE WHO ORIGINALLY HAD THESE TASKS BEFORE??), tempers frayed, some players picked up their toys and went home (permanently) and then of course, because there was chaos and no longer enough people assigned to the tasks, manglement screamed for a head count reduction (cut jobs). does this make sense? hell, no. but it is management reaction to new conditions.
...... life goes on, but it's gotten a great deal more difficult in that company. and more job cuts start this week. oh joy, oh bliss.... i lost mine last year. in a company which sells a product or a service, this is short sighted, because unemployed people do not buy products or services....
The way to love anything is to realize it might be lost.
Posted by: Steil Jennifer on February 27, 2004 01:35 PM
Will is a pretty good writer and this is the collection of his writings. It'll be interesting to hear updates from a soldier's point of view, so I'll be posting them for all to read.
Take care Will