Inappropriate Obligation

14th Oct 2018, 4:52 PM

Inappropriate Obligation
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BUMBLEBEE on 14th Oct 2018, 4:52 PM

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How he responds to such a request will say a lot about the old man... for good or bad.



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Chippewa Ghost on 14th Oct 2018, 7:39 PM

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How is it inappropriate for a trusted (and proven!) senior enlisted to recommend a course of action to his CO?

Assuming, of course, no questionable ethical calls at the incident given as the example.

BUMBLEBEE on 14th Oct 2018, 8:51 PM

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The heartburn here is that the old man already gave the order, so the debate should be over... but LaCroy is taking advantage of a personal debt to get that order belayed. Kind of an unhealthy precedent to set.

Gerald Ney on 16th Oct 2018, 12:43 AM

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... except that the CO will set another bad precedent once her men find out that her getting the tanks up doesn't matter one bit if he lets his original order stand. That shows he has zero confidence in her ability to function as platoon leader. He might as well relieve her of command.

BUMBLEBEE on 16th Oct 2018, 4:25 PM

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That’s true. He has no confidence in her, and will relieve her given the slightest pretext. He just doesn’t want that pretext to be dead soldiers (probably expects it to be incompetence or fraternization or any of the other bugbears the old guard - including my past life self - has conjured up to rationalize keeping females out of leadership positions in combat arms). He told her as much when she reported to him. He sees her as little more than a political appointee, due to her fame/notoriety from using the courts to force admittance into hitherto male only places. He imagines progressive politicians smoothing the way for her, ensuring success where (in his mind) it was not earned.

He doesn’t want her and is only accepting her because he “follows orders.” Her first mistake and she’s relieved. He’s probably not factoring in the maintenance success, because he sees it as offset by the fact that she had no right to allocate those parts to her own platoon.

In his defense, there are a number of forces that are shaping his thinking. He recently led Bravo Tanks through a major engagement that changed the course of the war, but took casualties - one of whom is the popular lieutenant she’s replacing. Basher is having a huge problem with that, and maybe the captain isn’t doing much better. Then there’s the question of her legitimacy, given how she got there. And finally she’s about the same age as his own daughter, who he remembers as a child completely without agency because he was away at war while she grew up. He wouldn’t view his daughter as a competent platoon leader, and would also be disproportionately worried about her getting killed. He’s probably transferring some of that onto Newcom.

I like to think that he’s better than this and will come to his senses, but to be honest, I’m so far behind, I’ve scrapped the script and I’m winging it from now on...

Edit - just realized the captain is wearing his headgear indoors... oops

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