Best advice you've recieved about being an officer...

[Fly Navy]

Half the time when people want you to sign stuff in the hallway it is a rush job. either the paperwork is inaccurate and incomplete, or someone is trying to get away with something. Take it to your desk and pay attention to detail so you don't approve some guy's leave to go to his grandmother's 17th funeral this year.

Haha ok I understand now.

 

[rare21]

I think the quote Rare gave us has more to do with doing stupid things, no?

thats exactly how it was meant.

 

[Sabre170]

When I was Sergeant and attending Col Mashburns Award ceremony (He was PCSing to go to General school (http://www.usmc.mil/genbios2.nsf/biographies/CA2B4AF6085C6E918525680B00104FFD?opendocument) he made the comment that in the Military, there are two types of Officers. One always seeks authority, the other seeks responsibility. Both will make it to Capt and maybe even Major. But you will see the ones who usually make it to LtCol and above will be those who were not afraid to accept and seek the responsibility. They will by their positions of responsibility have the authority that comes along with the position.

He was a great man. He never looked down at his collar. Everyone else knew his rank and respected him for not abusing it.

 

[phrogpilot73]

He was a great man. He never looked down at his collar. Everyone else knew his rank and respected him for not abusing it.

That is the mark of a truly great officer. If you ever find yourself pulling rank, take a step back and make sure it's warranted (I only had to do it once, with a terminal Gunny who had no respect for ANY officer).

 

[USN99]

Sign of the times

The old skipper of VRC-40 used to give only two pieces of advice. The second of which was usually the more important of the two: "don't **** your troops." He meant that literally.

The above quote is universally true and probably qualifies as "wisdom".

Unfortunately, it is equally a sad, sad sign of our times. :icon_rage

When I was an Ensign, the quota for wisdom was filled pretty much by "Listen to/Ask the Chief".

It's still universally true. But that other quote is a pitiful sign of our present era. :icon_rage

 

[Brett327]

The above quote is universally true and probably qualifies as "wisdom".

Unfortunately, it is equally a sad, sad sign of our times. :icon_rage

When I was an Ensign, the quota for wisdom was filled pretty much by "Listen to/Ask the Chief".

It's still universally true. But that other quote is a pitiful sign of our present era. :icon_rage

Don't despair, shipmate. Even in today's Navy (at least in my experience), I don't think that kind of "indiscretion" is any more common today than a generation ago (to the extent that females were around then).

Brett

 

[USN99]

Back in the day ...

Some decades ago, my CONUS Wing got the call from CLF to fly to a foreign airfield (that had a big USN presence). When there, yep, when there, they were briefed that they were to fly back to CONUS with a VADM as a passenger. A few days after they returned, we learned that the above VADM (decorated Vietnam tacair guy) was being asked (told) to retire for indiscretions with the opposite sex and not entirely in private life (or in the safety of his own home). :icon_smil

Maybe the more things change .....

 

[TheBubba]

Here's one I got from a gunny a few years back:

If an enlisted Sailor/Marine says "Sir, everything perfect", the first words out of your mouth should be "Thats great. Now what's really going on?" Aforementioned gunny followed that up by telling me that perfection is an illusion invented to keep us officers happy...

Also, as an ensign... don't tell a master chief he's wrong unless you can back it up... bad juju

 

[A4sForever]

When I joined the Navy ... I was told "take care of your men and they will take care of you ..... " Those words never failed me nor will they fail you.

During the Ford and Carter years, I was told "get out of the Navy and go for the airlines .... " Those words did not fail me, either. :captain_1