Rants

This is the section where I tell it like it is, where all the bitches, gripes, complaints, grievances, protests, grumbles, moans (he he), objections, criticisms and plain old bullshit goes. Most of this page is me saying how stupid people and things are.

Ok, we're deployed. In the desert. Away from our friends and families. We're actually in one of the hottest places on earth, literally!! We are on a base that sometimes doesn't keep us busy for twelve hours straight. Or even eight hours for that matter. But I'll be damned if we're not suppose to work from the moment we get in to the moment "they" think we should leave depending on what we did that day/night. I love getting the third degree about my day/night just as much as the next guy (that sentence was dripping with sarcasm), but then get getting the quizzical looks about what you just told them. And these looks are not because they didn't understand. Give us some credit for God's sake! Here's how the jobs should go:

1. Upper management creates jobs.
2. Upper management hands out jobs to craft leads.
3. Craft leads designate who's on what job, then along with the craftsmen devise a plan (unless already received from upper management), round up a vehicle, tools, supplies.
4. Job gets completed by designated craftsmen.

Now, did you see anywhere in there that we need not just Upper management, but anyone, breathing down our necks to get the job done? No? That's because we know how to do our job and can actually do it without someone holding our hands. Keep an eye out for the ever popular "FRAGO" (I don't care if that's not how you spell that acronym)! And just because you walk into where-ever and see so-and-so sitting down don't automatically ASSuME that he/she isn't doing or hasn't done any work. I can't tell you how many times that's happened to myself. Breaks are nice to have ......I think. Sometimes I'm too afraid of getting "caught" taking a break to even enjoy it.

Ok, now on to some other stuff.

Some of these Army folk (and others) coming in from Iraq suck! They are very rude and think that everyone owes them something because of where they were. Well I guess then thank you......FOR DOING YOUR F-ING JOB!! I thank the guy behind the counter at Hardee's for making my burger too. Why? Because that's his f-ing job!!! That's what he's paid to do. Some of these jackasses coming from Iraq are doing the same thing that any one of us would do. Because why? That's our f-ing job!!!

Some of you really suck! I'm getting really tired of this whole day-shift night-shift "rivalry". All I hear is day-shift did or didn't do this, night-shift did or didn't do this. They're always in the break room, they never do anything, they're always on the computer, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc......... Shut the hell up! Do you people really not have anything better to do than bitch about that stuff?! Pathetic! Besides, there are much better things to bitch about than this stuff.

Can anyone give me a GOOD reason why we have to put our blouses on every time we set foot in a vehicle or even if we step outside for whatever? Obviously some people don't know how ludicrous it is for us to do that. I know "they" will say that it goes toward professionalism, but "they" are never outside or work long enough to know how stupid it is to keep harping on the subject. Oh and in case anyone forgot ........WE'RE IN THE DAMN DESERT!! Heaven forbid we actually try to be comfortable! An added note to this subject: Some people are getting a little ridiculous about hats also. If my f-ing hands are full I'm not going to take my hat off or put it on! That goes for smoking too. Having to put your blouse and hat on to step right outside the building to smoke is absurd!

Ok, time for PT. Not really PT itself, but the attitudes surrounding it. I've seen someone get bitched out for not putting in enough effort during PT. What the hell?! I've seen these same people that got bitched at in the gym busting their ass. I guess they're not putting in enough effort when "certain" people are there to witness them. The people doing the bitching however hasn't to my knowledge or anyone else's that I've talked to even set foot in the gym except for MANDATORY PT and sometimes not even then! (yes, everyone is ALWAYS watching). So who's not putting in enough effort?

I'm not seeing a whole lot of trust in the craft leads (or even lower) to do, uh, what's the word.......oh yeah, their job!!! Ever heard the terms "Too many chefs in the kitchen", or "Too many cooks spoil the soup"? Let the people in charge of their craft on whichever shift run their craft! How hard is that?! We have too many people (and not the right ones) planning these jobs without hardly ever consulting the crafts themselves. Let the crafts actually run their craft. I really didn't know this concept was that hard, this isn't how everything's run back in the states is it?

There are some here that think everyone's morale is great. Wrong! Leadership might ask some people (not myself or anyone that I've talked to, you know what happens when you ASSuME?), but what they don't understand is only a few people actually say how they feel to the higher ups. They're intimidated, or is it that sometimes "they" don't even care what we have to say. The morale of most people is not good and is just getting worse. Being away from family and friends sucks and is to be expected, but top that with micro managing, nit picking, shift rivalries, not enough sleep due to PT so early in the morning (or late at night depending) that roosters aren't even up, racking our brains trying to find something to do (when we're not actually doing something) so that when "certain" people see you they don't give you the third degree and scrutinize you for whatever reason!

Thieving bastards! There have been reports of missing items that I've heard from several people. Are you people stupid?! Believe it or not we're putting our lives into each others hands, but we can't trust each other with little things like personnel property. Try and take something of mine and see how fast you get bitch slapped! That's just before the pure pummeling you would receive as I jab with my left and follow through with a right hook to your jaw. As you recover from those precursors of pain a straight uppercut comes in followed by an elbow to your nose resulting in a broken blow hole and a concussion. Then while you're on the ground writhing in pain and confusion I'll get a few cheap shots straight to your gut with the front of my foot and finish you with the elbow of death!!! Scary, huh.......?!

Ok, we're working 6 days a week, with hours that vary more than Opra's weight, so one could guess that that could have an effect on people, right? Has anyone tried to make things better? I know we have sports day, but other than that what has anyone tried to do to make things better? Everyone is finally out of the bay, but it doesn't mean they are happy. Anyone ever thought of a periodic day off (that's not because of a holiday)? Giving a couple of people a day off here and there is not going to halt productivity, it might even help it.

Anyone every heard of Micro-Managing? Yes? Everybody who's been in the Military has heard of it, guaranteed! You might be asking yourself, why is this person bringing it up now? Hmmmm, I wonder...... If people would stop doing it I wouldn't have to bring it up now, would I?