Is your job important?

Here's a crazy one - my son was born dead. Still not sure what happened, but he died just before birth. After being resuscitated he was placed on a technique called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and it saved his life. Turns out, that technique is funded by and developed through MRMC where I work. Still one of the projects I help to manage.

My job is Oxygen Thief. I'm damn good at it. ;o)

My jobs have always been important and if I wasn't making a difference, I would hope someone would have told me.

I believe that any job that I do in the Marine Corps is important. I keep that perspective no matter how much it may suck, but as long as I believe the job Im doing is for the greater good, the better I will do my job and this will push me to be better.

Do not call any work menial until you have watched a proud person do it.
~~~~~Robert Brault

I dunno....let me put this in some perspective. Onboard ship my job would have been important - ship no go without engines. But....who do you want talking to the public discussing the Navy's latest events to the world? That stinky, nasty smelling, snarlly, dirty coverall wearing, cuss you out in seven different languages and never repeat himself, pissed off EN1? "Why yes, Mr CNN, let me tell you what I think of the CNO's latest statement regarding the missile that missed it's target - but let me ask you this? Do you even have a F&*(ing clue what kind of science goes into that missile shot? Or did you just get fed that question cuz you're too stupid to think on your own?"

Or would you rather see that sharply dressed, smiling ENS who has the background on the topics to be discussed, the approved spin on the less popular points and the skill to defuse a stupid question and yet get our (the Navy's) message out? (Most of us military types would probably go with EN1, but the public might not take EN1 so well.......but I digress)

Each of us has a role that helps our service achieve our assigned mission. If the task/role/job was not important, most likely there wouldn't be an official position aka MTOE. There are unique skillsets for each role. What you have to do is make that position YOURS. Own it. Live it.

I think all of my jobs have been important. There have definitely been tasks that have been extremely unimportant, but those are leader-centric (certain slide shows by x deadline, etc). I'm currently the Chief of Training for 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, TX. Although the position is not on an official document, it is a vital function to an Army Division during Garrison operations. The key function that I perform is coordination of training to allow the maximum use of available facilities and efficient use of resources for a very large and diverse training population. I enable unit Operations Officers by providing the information and updated status of training requirements, resources, facilities, etc that allows them to plan their training.

All my jobs were important but most of my career has been search and rescue and leading young Coast Guardsman