6 Times Enlisted Troops Can Rip on Officers and Get Away With It (Maybe) - Under the Radar

I was a Young medic. E4 in Germany I was on the first train going to a training Area in Denmark with the 2nd Armor Division. The Doctor and the PA were on the last Train that left. So when we got to where we were going the Infantry BN Commander informed me I was the Ranking Medical Authority. Me an E4. I got a kid with a hot appendix. The Squad Leader, and Platoon SGT thought he just had a really Bad Stomach Ache. I looked at the Company Commander and I said; " He has to go to a Hospital now the closest one. Danish we don't have time to waste." Next thing I know Heaven and Earth moved. Anything I needed to get the soldier to the Hospital I got. Driver Got it, fastest vehicle available Got it Call a head to the hospital to let them know I got it. The kid made it went into surgery before it ruptured.
I also had a kid that was really sick. All he needed was someone to make sure he took his meds, walk him to the Latrine, check on him. When I went to see him, No one was looking out for him. They were to busy with the "exercise". So I told him you are coming with me. I took him to the Clinic where the Senior Medical Officer was a Danish Army M.D. Our Doctor and PA still hadn't arrived. About a half an hour I got a call from the Brigade Commander to go to is office. I reported in and he said; "Doc" what happen? I told him no one from the soldiers company was taking care of him so I took him to the clinic and signed him over to the Danish M.D. Next in comes the Company Commander, First Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant and Squad Leader. The Brigade Commander looked at me and said I can't do anything to him. "Doc" is the Senior Medical Authority here right now. I can't and I will not touch him. But I want to know why wasn't this soldier being looked after. Little did I know that by signing over the soldier to the Danish Doctor. The Danish sent the U.S. Army a Bill for his care at that time around $100 a day and the Danes kept the soldier in the Clinic for five days. When I told our Doctor when he got there what I did. He said you did what you needed to do period.

I served a four year enlistment in the marine corps and made E-4. I don't recall any occasion of an enlisted man upbraiding an officer. I had a very satisfying experience when our battalion was preparing to return to Camp Pendleton from Okinawa. I worked in battalion supply and it was a controlled chaos to get an accurate inventory to turn over to the incoming battalion. The adjutants office called and asked for our Lt, not here...Ssgt, not here...admin chief, not here...warehouse chief, not here...who in the hells in charge down there? I answered, I guess I am. I was told to report to the Bn conference room, the XO wants a status report from every RO. Of course there were only officers and senior NCOs. I was nervous but not scared. I gathered what information I thought to be important and when it was my turn, I was brief and concise, yes and no answers. Towards the end of the meeting, my Lt comes in and begins to offer his status report. This is the satisfying part, our Bn XO said, "that's not necessary Lt, Cpl White has advised me on your situation and I'm satisfied with his report". I walked out of Bn HQ about 3 feet off the ground.

As a junior Staff Sergeant, I was assigned TAD to the MAG 11 armory because there were no other SNCO's available to lead and supervise all of those young 2111's. My senior armorer was a corporal, about to pick up his third stripe. A squadron CO (LtCol) was trying to force him to accept his pistol uncleaned. The corporal tactfully told the colonel that the regulations prohibited him from doing so. While the colonel yelled non judicial threats, I calmly told the colonel that the incident would be reported to my captain, and eventually to the wing CG. I then said that I was certain that the general would appreciate the colonel's cooperation, and that his own Marines would appreciate his example. He was VERY pissed off, turned on his heel and began cleaning his weapon, like everyone else.