Sunday, March 14, 2004
Star Trek
Remember that episode in TOS in which CPT Kirk, Spock, Bones and a few guys in red shirts beam down to a planet where two civilizations battle each other with computers instead of bombs and if there are “casualties” on either side, said casualties report to the disintegration booth (or whatever it was called), so that the societies did not have to suffer through the miseries of war. Kirk, and the viewing audience, thought this insane. Perhaps Kirk and Gene Rodenberry have not been exposed to war.
Middle Management Initiative
Word comes down that the advance party needs to be ready at 0500, therefore wake up will be at 0300. Some platoons immediately adjust that to 0400. Some squad leaders in platoons that don’t adjust, make the decision themselves to set a time of 0300/0400 whatever is needed to be ready at 0500. That is leadership: taking care of your people. My squad awoke at 0300, and though I wasn’t part of the advance party, we had a bunch of tired soldiers who ended up waiting until 0600 for the busses to arrive.
Same thing on PT (physical; word came down that we were to do PT at 1330 in the midday sun and heat. Our platoon was the only one in the recreation area out of 10,000 soldiers, but at least we didn’t have to wait for a court. That mistake wasn’t repeated again.
Remember that episode in TOS in which CPT Kirk, Spock, Bones and a few guys in red shirts beam down to a planet where two civilizations battle each other with computers instead of bombs and if there are “casualties” on either side, said casualties report to the disintegration booth (or whatever it was called), so that the societies did not have to suffer through the miseries of war. Kirk, and the viewing audience, thought this insane. Perhaps Kirk and Gene Rodenberry have not been exposed to war.
Middle Management Initiative
Word comes down that the advance party needs to be ready at 0500, therefore wake up will be at 0300. Some platoons immediately adjust that to 0400. Some squad leaders in platoons that don’t adjust, make the decision themselves to set a time of 0300/0400 whatever is needed to be ready at 0500. That is leadership: taking care of your people. My squad awoke at 0300, and though I wasn’t part of the advance party, we had a bunch of tired soldiers who ended up waiting until 0600 for the busses to arrive.
Same thing on PT (physical; word came down that we were to do PT at 1330 in the midday sun and heat. Our platoon was the only one in the recreation area out of 10,000 soldiers, but at least we didn’t have to wait for a court. That mistake wasn’t repeated again.
