Posted on Jun 21, 2021
What was almost a military career ender for you..... but wasn't?
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I'll take "Questions I won't be answering until after the retirement ceremony" for $1000 Alex.
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SP5 Terri Bastedo
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney - and I can't figure out why you use capitals in every word, but do I let that bother my editor's heart? Hell no.
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
SP5 Terri Bastedo - .......
My Use Of So Many Upper Case Letters Is Simple.
It REALLY Is....I Learned It In An Advertising Program
I Took While In Business, And It WORKS Too.
It's Purpose Is To Draw Attention To What I've Written...
How's It Working On You?
See what I mean? It really does work; but I've done it so long, it's become a BAD habit.....I've been trying to stop using it, but it's not all that easy to do....
My Use Of So Many Upper Case Letters Is Simple.
It REALLY Is....I Learned It In An Advertising Program
I Took While In Business, And It WORKS Too.
It's Purpose Is To Draw Attention To What I've Written...
How's It Working On You?
See what I mean? It really does work; but I've done it so long, it's become a BAD habit.....I've been trying to stop using it, but it's not all that easy to do....
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
SP5 Terri Bastedo - .... Although I agree with your statement, I'm not much of a "Bible Thumper". Our dad was an Atheist and he'd often say "I'm an Atheist; I swear to God I am"! That's actually true; but he was also, what's referred to as a "Functional Alcoholic" as well ...When we'd joke about that; We'd say; "I never even knew he drank, until I saw him sober one day".. There's something he did say about the Bible, and he read it quite a bit. He'd say "although I'm not a believer, I'll give you this, It's a great book on philosophy, it really is". And he actually meant it too.....
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
SP5 Terri Bastedo - ......
Perhaps forgiveness works well for many, maybe even most.
With me, it depends on the offence... I'm not what's referred to as a "Dove", and never have been either. When I lived with my brother in Panama, He was much more than "Well To Do", so he knew everyone of importance, including many he didn't care to have as "Close Friends", But those people took care of problems and we'd learn quite a bit just from conversations when they might be around. Example:
"It's as important to take your time, as it is to take care of business".
And I'm sure you'd also heard "Vengeance is best served cold"......and there's a good reason for it.... It separates the individuals for a long enough period of time, where the perpetrator is less apt to be considered as a suspect.
So, as for "Forgiveness"?...... I'm not so much for it. And sure as "L", not when it's a serious issue.....
Perhaps forgiveness works well for many, maybe even most.
With me, it depends on the offence... I'm not what's referred to as a "Dove", and never have been either. When I lived with my brother in Panama, He was much more than "Well To Do", so he knew everyone of importance, including many he didn't care to have as "Close Friends", But those people took care of problems and we'd learn quite a bit just from conversations when they might be around. Example:
"It's as important to take your time, as it is to take care of business".
And I'm sure you'd also heard "Vengeance is best served cold"......and there's a good reason for it.... It separates the individuals for a long enough period of time, where the perpetrator is less apt to be considered as a suspect.
So, as for "Forgiveness"?...... I'm not so much for it. And sure as "L", not when it's a serious issue.....
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So to understand this story, you have to understand that I've never had an issue with LBGTQ+ folk, so much so that I have issues with those who do.
It was the late 90s, and I was a SSG in Germany. I was in the DFAC at the time (no idea why, I was already living off post...maybe I was feeling too lazy to go out for lunch and didn't want to have to rush back from town).
There was some MAJ a couple of aisles over ranting and raving...guess he'd had an encounter with a gay soldier and hated it. It was the time of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. In any case, he was talking to a group of officers, and every other word out of his mouth was f***ing f****ts this and that. He was loud, and disturbing my lunch (and I was reading). I got mad, and hollered over "Hey Major! The next time you have a thought...let it go before it dies of loneliness!!!".
At that point you could have heard a pin drop in the entire DFAC. I continued. "The idiots in the assless chaps and the hairy chests in prom dresses at the Pride parades? They're the 5%, the outliers, and we straights have our weirdos too, so we have no room to talk. The only difference between 95% of gay people and us is the gender of the person they go home to at night"
You'd think that'd be the end of it, but this guy wasn't exactly the brightest bulb....he yelled back "Oh yeah, SSG Walker, if you like them f***ing f****ts so much, how do we know you're not one of them, huh?"
........and I could not stop myself.
I looked that Bama right in the eye and said "Sir, ask your wife".
25+ years later, and I have no earthly idea how I didn't get court martialed for that one.
It was the late 90s, and I was a SSG in Germany. I was in the DFAC at the time (no idea why, I was already living off post...maybe I was feeling too lazy to go out for lunch and didn't want to have to rush back from town).
There was some MAJ a couple of aisles over ranting and raving...guess he'd had an encounter with a gay soldier and hated it. It was the time of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. In any case, he was talking to a group of officers, and every other word out of his mouth was f***ing f****ts this and that. He was loud, and disturbing my lunch (and I was reading). I got mad, and hollered over "Hey Major! The next time you have a thought...let it go before it dies of loneliness!!!".
At that point you could have heard a pin drop in the entire DFAC. I continued. "The idiots in the assless chaps and the hairy chests in prom dresses at the Pride parades? They're the 5%, the outliers, and we straights have our weirdos too, so we have no room to talk. The only difference between 95% of gay people and us is the gender of the person they go home to at night"
You'd think that'd be the end of it, but this guy wasn't exactly the brightest bulb....he yelled back "Oh yeah, SSG Walker, if you like them f***ing f****ts so much, how do we know you're not one of them, huh?"
........and I could not stop myself.
I looked that Bama right in the eye and said "Sir, ask your wife".
25+ years later, and I have no earthly idea how I didn't get court martialed for that one.
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
Similar To What My Reply Is When I'm Called A "Mother Fuc*er"
I Tell'em:
~ "Keep You Mother Off The Streets & That'll Solve Both Our Problems". ~
I Tell'em:
~ "Keep You Mother Off The Streets & That'll Solve Both Our Problems". ~
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This is a long story so I'll keep it short and leave out any names/units/dates.
We're staying at a small airfield and have billets next door. We've never spent time in this place but we were told the bar scene was awesome. We were explicitly told no one can leave and no drinking. We wait until everyone is asleep, sneak out the windows and a group of us head out.
So we go to the bars. One dollar drinks, two dollar mixed well drinks, drunk college kids, etc. It's getting into the early hours of morning so it's time to head home. Things are fine until we get pulled over for speeding in a 15 pax van with about a half dozen junior enlisted. Somehow they let us go and miraculously slip back into our racks before first formation. Somehow no one found out and no one was UCMJ'ed. ;)
We're staying at a small airfield and have billets next door. We've never spent time in this place but we were told the bar scene was awesome. We were explicitly told no one can leave and no drinking. We wait until everyone is asleep, sneak out the windows and a group of us head out.
So we go to the bars. One dollar drinks, two dollar mixed well drinks, drunk college kids, etc. It's getting into the early hours of morning so it's time to head home. Things are fine until we get pulled over for speeding in a 15 pax van with about a half dozen junior enlisted. Somehow they let us go and miraculously slip back into our racks before first formation. Somehow no one found out and no one was UCMJ'ed. ;)
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CPT (Join to see)
My book has real names and dates and Fort Benning as the place where my situation occurred. You don't give someone a (according to multiple attornies) "facially deficient" direct order and try to get them removed from the US Army for not following that order (like jump up and not come down or, in my case, have no contact on or off duty with a person who lived three doors from me that I trained with each and every single day because that is how we were paired for training by TAC).
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