Not Work Safe .

Just left West Point grad/ commisioning ceremonies. The only advice I offered to my son and his buddies/ classmates...

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This reminds me of when I was in the TACP pipeline on Hurlburt Field, roughly mid 2013. We were doing a log run at 0500, getting yelled at because a couple students had snuck out the weekend prior so we were paying the price. Anyways we stop in a mostly empty parking lot because one of the cadre recognized a chief he knew so they start chatting it up. So we get dropped and we’re doing log presses, passing the log back and forth during sit ups, all the while singing Jodie’s. After probably 10 minutes this first Lt comes out of a nearby building, walks up to all 40 or so of us and starts going full male Karen about how it’s too early to be this loud and we need to leave. The Chief tells him to go back inside as we will be done soon.

The Lt looks at him and says “where’s my salute, chief?”

Chief squares up to the Lt and says “Why don’t you climb these stripes and get it.”

Lt leaves in a hurry mumbling about curtesies. Never in my career have I been so hyped about being enlisted before, and the pt didn’t seem so miserable that day.
 
where’s my salute, chief?”
In reality, I never had any serious issues with young officers. I think the system mostly works. Most cadets are taught and understand the officer-NCO relationship, but sometimes just need some hands-on training. I always enjoyed the role the NCO has in developing a 2nd LT.
 
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