Nothing to Lose

This Army business was never intended to be a career (why I am here is another posting), and the last couple of months haven't changed my mind. So, this is, for all practical purposes, the end of my military career. And I love it.

There're no promotions to suck up for. No supervisors to make feel smart. No career-defining evaluations coming my way. When my bosses here do stupid stuff, I let them know, respectfully, that I think they're doing stupid stuff. I, daily, give honest, brutal, and (I hope) constructive feedback to our trainers.

I've managed to make myself a huge pain. I make the leadership squirm. I say the things that my buddies and, regrettably, most of my senior officers wish they could say. When I feel that my time is wasted, I say so, and I suggest a way to not waste it next time. When a training event misses the mark, I let them know, and I recommend exactly how they can fix it. I'm probably the most notoriously insufferable smart-ass here. But that's ok. Because I'm usually insufferably right. This is kinda fun.