Other than how to kill people…
That was the opening statement today when a few of us that flew together back in the 80’s got together for lunch.
We all kinda looked at the guy that made the statement, since he is a Washington Lobbyist now (and yes we made HIM buy)…
He laughed and said that was a statement made by one of his female co-workers who is a dyed in the wool DINK yuppie liberal.
At that point we all started laughing…
And comparing how we aren’t taught anything…
Of our group of pilots/NFOs, one is a 2-star Admiral, nine are consultants, one is a CEO of a large company, three are VPs or directors for major corporations (like Eastman Kodak), three are airline captains, two are lawyers (one heads up the Maritime Law group for a major NY firm), four are directors of major government programs (GS-15 or SES), a couple of others own small companies, one is an airport manager for a large airport in the SE. Oh yeah, and one is an English Professor at a large Midwestern college (don’t ask me why)…
On the enlisted side, one is a corporate pilot, flying Gulfstreams as the Captain, two are facilities managers, one for a major hospital in Florida, the other for a high rise in Houston; three are now managers with various defense contractors, one is an engineer for Southern Pacific (something he always wanted), one is an operations manager for FEDEX in Memphis, and one is a ‘beach bum’ (who also happens to have an any ocean/any tonnage master’s license and when he ‘works’ it’s for Maresk as a Captain)…
So, why are we succeeding? To put it simply, we came up with these things:
it’s the work ethic that was instilled in us by the military
the integrity/honesty we were taught
the leadership we’ve demonstrated over the years
Praise in public, counsel in private, give credit where due, and take blame for problems/issues
Never bring up a problem without offering a solution
and we’re all too damn dumb to not do the best job we can for the $$ we’re paid…
That was the opening statement today when a few of us that flew together back in the 80’s got together for lunch.
We all kinda looked at the guy that made the statement, since he is a Washington Lobbyist now (and yes we made HIM buy)…
He laughed and said that was a statement made by one of his female co-workers who is a dyed in the wool DINK yuppie liberal.
At that point we all started laughing…
And comparing how we aren’t taught anything…
Of our group of pilots/NFOs, one is a 2-star Admiral, nine are consultants, one is a CEO of a large company, three are VPs or directors for major corporations (like Eastman Kodak), three are airline captains, two are lawyers (one heads up the Maritime Law group for a major NY firm), four are directors of major government programs (GS-15 or SES), a couple of others own small companies, one is an airport manager for a large airport in the SE. Oh yeah, and one is an English Professor at a large Midwestern college (don’t ask me why)…
On the enlisted side, one is a corporate pilot, flying Gulfstreams as the Captain, two are facilities managers, one for a major hospital in Florida, the other for a high rise in Houston; three are now managers with various defense contractors, one is an engineer for Southern Pacific (something he always wanted), one is an operations manager for FEDEX in Memphis, and one is a ‘beach bum’ (who also happens to have an any ocean/any tonnage master’s license and when he ‘works’ it’s for Maresk as a Captain)…
So, why are we succeeding? To put it simply, we came up with these things:
it’s the work ethic that was instilled in us by the military
the integrity/honesty we were taught
the leadership we’ve demonstrated over the years
Praise in public, counsel in private, give credit where due, and take blame for problems/issues
Never bring up a problem without offering a solution
and we’re all too damn dumb to not do the best job we can for the $$ we’re paid…
She’s never worked in the IT industry, where we have tons of people who got their start in the Army signal corp or Air Force cyber units. And this country has a shortage of IT professionals, so the ones the military are turning out are filling much needed positions in private industry.
I have to admit the list that you had at the bottom of the post is pretty much what I came up with to finish the sentence ‘the military teaches…’.
Ever stop and think that 95% of the “Great Progressive Leaders” in the last 100 years NEVER had to get up at 0 Dark Thirty and face a Drill Instructor?
Except Jimmy Carter. And JFK and Harry Truman, both who’d probably be labeled a “Moderate Democrat” nowadays. And even Reagan tried to Fight, and still served with his Bad Eyes, even if it was making Training Movies, which probably saved a lot of lives.
But as for the rest, well I think we need to get away from all those “Scholars” like Wilson, Clinton and Obama, don’t you?
Ok, but it also teaches us to put ordnance on target…
I wished I’d learned to kill people.
I had to teach myself….
All I learned was how to fix stuff and manage people and projects.
The list at the bottom of the post was what my Mama & Daddy taught.
The military taught my brothers two things that meant more than anything else: self discipline and self-confidence. With those two things, and their training – both in and out of the service – there was nothing to keep them from their success.
What the military SHOULD have taught me was how to be a butt-kissing politician, so I could sit in a congressional seat and trade on insider information legally.
They only taught me how to work, so work is what I do.
I have but one thing to add to your roundtable’s list.
Sometimes knowing how to kill people IS useful…
Kill people, eh?
Something our liberals are too gutless to do, thus 9/11 and the fear of another one.
I’d rather have had my sheepdog skills sharpened and honed than status as just another sheep in the herd confirmed.
But then again, that’s the difference between liberals and conservatives.
–AOA
Amen, NFO. I picked up an EE while in the AF…taught by AF officers. Somehow, the USAF thought my BA, Psych was “technical” and sent me to school for eight months.
Amen, NFO. I picked up an EE while in the AF…taught by AF officers. Somehow, the USAF thought my BA, Psych was “technical” and sent me to school for eight months.
Even if that were true, that can be a very important skill.
It’s not. Being a Marine taught me a laundry list of things, some intentional, some not.
About two years ago, when we were rehabbing a building to use as a dojo, someone borrowed a full sized floor buffer with the abrasive and polisher pads. I never thought I’d use that skill again, but it was there when I needed it.
They can break things pretty well, too.
As a former Liberal leftwing pacifist I have to say, “So, what’s wrong with that?” The Liberal love of Progressive Eu-f*ing-genics and their diefication of “leadership” like Pol Pot and C’C’he Guevara should put paid to ANY of their actual *working* notions about pacifism or not-killing. ASsholes.
/rant – sorry. 🙁
Yep, we didn’t learn anything useful, except for how to lead people, manage unexpected situations, overcome challenges, and rise to the occasion. And I’m a property/facilities manager.
Andy- True!
MC- Thanks
Les- Yep… sigh…
LL- Yep, somehow the last sentence dropped and It said ‘Sometimes we actually had to do what we trained to do… Which was kill people…”
Ed- Agree…
Snigs- I can believe that knowing you.
Jess- That too! 🙂
Msgt- you don’t really mean that… 🙂
Tim- Yep dropped that last line, my bad!
AOA- Excellent point!
Crucis- Well it WAS the Air Force :-0
ASM- Oh THAT brings back memories… LOL
45- Yep,
DC- Concur with the rant! 🙂
Rev- Well said, and if I’d known you back then, I’d have added you to the list 🙂
I learned how to run a floor buffer when at 11Bravo basic at the Ft. Polk School for Wayward Boys. That skill has served me well on several occassions since 1976.
MAJ Mike