Monday, July 12, 2004
Soldier Profiles - Jeff
Jeff is not a tanker; he’s a support guy attached from battalion and he’s proud of it. He started out in the Air Force, which he says is a much more civilized branch of service. This is because, as he says, the Air Force lives on bases and rewards intelligence, while the Army lives in the field and rewards aggression. He claims that while in the Air Force, his feet never left concrete and he spent every night at home. He says that people join the Air Force and the Navy, for an education and/ or a career, and people join the Army for a job. I think people also join the Army for advancement: the competition is not as tough and it’s so big there’s a lot of room between the bottom and the top of the pyramid. Yes, the Army has more squared away personnel than any other branch of the service, but measured as a percentage, it’s badly beaten. The Army travels heavy with a 13 to one ratio of support to personnel in the field. Of course, people join the Marines for one reason: to be a Marine. That makes them, by far, America’s premier fighting force, with the possible exceptions of the 82nd, 101st, and 10th Mountain.
When I told Jeff that I wanted to be in combat arms, he said, “Judge you aimed for the ground and you didn’t miss.” Jeff calls me “an educated man”, though I know I’m short on the former and I will likely never be the latter. He also likes to tease me and others about my job – always over inflating my economic status: “Judge could buy you!” When I suggested a swear jar as a cure for a newly acquired vice, he responded, “Judge, you’ll swear yourself right into a new Summer cottage.” A comment from a friend the other day, based on Jeff’s constant barrage: “It’s Wendell Colin Judge, everyone’s faaaavorite independently wealthy Soldier.”
Jeff claims he’s a liberal; and has been active in a few unions including holding the position of president and shop steward. But his views are rather eclectic:
“Asking the government to solve your problems causes collective suffering.”
When asked about the morality of something he responding, “It’s against the Bible and an abomination in the eyes of God.”
“You like to pick and choose, huh [Jeff]?”
“Don’t we all, Judge? Don’t we all?”
Referring to making change in the military he said, “Don’t yell at the machine; yell at the people running the machine.”
“The Moral Majority is so far to the right it squeaks, but when they get caught it’s, ‘Oh well, we’re all human.’”
On looking at other girls before marrying his wife: “I thought the grass was greener, but it turned out to be Astro turf.”
Jeff makes being here interesting and a lot of times, I think he’s the one who got the education.
Jeff is not a tanker; he’s a support guy attached from battalion and he’s proud of it. He started out in the Air Force, which he says is a much more civilized branch of service. This is because, as he says, the Air Force lives on bases and rewards intelligence, while the Army lives in the field and rewards aggression. He claims that while in the Air Force, his feet never left concrete and he spent every night at home. He says that people join the Air Force and the Navy, for an education and/ or a career, and people join the Army for a job. I think people also join the Army for advancement: the competition is not as tough and it’s so big there’s a lot of room between the bottom and the top of the pyramid. Yes, the Army has more squared away personnel than any other branch of the service, but measured as a percentage, it’s badly beaten. The Army travels heavy with a 13 to one ratio of support to personnel in the field. Of course, people join the Marines for one reason: to be a Marine. That makes them, by far, America’s premier fighting force, with the possible exceptions of the 82nd, 101st, and 10th Mountain.
When I told Jeff that I wanted to be in combat arms, he said, “Judge you aimed for the ground and you didn’t miss.” Jeff calls me “an educated man”, though I know I’m short on the former and I will likely never be the latter. He also likes to tease me and others about my job – always over inflating my economic status: “Judge could buy you!” When I suggested a swear jar as a cure for a newly acquired vice, he responded, “Judge, you’ll swear yourself right into a new Summer cottage.” A comment from a friend the other day, based on Jeff’s constant barrage: “It’s Wendell Colin Judge, everyone’s faaaavorite independently wealthy Soldier.”
Jeff claims he’s a liberal; and has been active in a few unions including holding the position of president and shop steward. But his views are rather eclectic:
“Asking the government to solve your problems causes collective suffering.”
When asked about the morality of something he responding, “It’s against the Bible and an abomination in the eyes of God.”
“You like to pick and choose, huh [Jeff]?”
“Don’t we all, Judge? Don’t we all?”
Referring to making change in the military he said, “Don’t yell at the machine; yell at the people running the machine.”
“The Moral Majority is so far to the right it squeaks, but when they get caught it’s, ‘Oh well, we’re all human.’”
On looking at other girls before marrying his wife: “I thought the grass was greener, but it turned out to be Astro turf.”
Jeff makes being here interesting and a lot of times, I think he’s the one who got the education.
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