Dealing with BS...

[Vixandra]

Warning: this is long.
I've not posted much the past week (or at least it feels this way to me) because of, you guessed it, Military BS.
I ask humbly for the advice or recommendations of people I know are bright and intelligent on this problem I'm facing.
The following is a copy that I wrote for my blog, which nicely sums up everything:

Tommorow I go to battle.
Yes, I shall take the feild of verbal combat and I shall either emerge victorious with leave or in defeat with at least a letter of counsling about respecting officers.
Before you trip, here's some back ground information.
Good little Airman that I am, I submitted my paperwork on the 3rd, like I'd been told to do. First week of October, appropriate since I want to go on leave on the 15th, right?
And so, I happily submit my paperwork stating that I wish to go on a permissive TDY that I'll pay for completely so I can get my EMD license and take some leave to see my family and friends. Sounds pretty reasonable so far. In comes the military bull shit. Turns out that we have a practice
exercise involving our EMEDS team (the people who deploy to set up feild hospitals and run them) running from the 15th to the 20th. They're tasking certain teams to go out and set up all the equipment, etc. I'm not on any of those teams and only two people from my duty section are. Because of this, I was told that my leave probably won't go through. Now this was on the 6th day where I'd work 5 out of the last 7, 12 hr shifts, was suffering a rather nasty cold and tired as hell.
To be told that there was little to no way I was going to get my leave was, for lack of better words, heart wrenching. I was angry and furious and sad and couldn't do a damn thing about it because I was the only tech on that day. So, I bottled my feelings and kept doing my job, providing the best patient care that I can for my patients, something I take pride in.
Add another twist to the emotional rollercoaster- my element enlisted chief came down from her haven on the OB unit to the MSU front desk and told me to be ready to go plead my case with my squadron Superintendant and Commander because they just might maybe let me go if I proved a good enough reason. Up go my spirits.
Then, when I finely get rid of all my same day surgury patients and have a few spare min. I go hunting for said superintendant and squadron commander. As you've probably figured out, neither of them were in thier offices and thier secretary was at a loss. So I vow to return later, when the commander was due back in his office. Turns out I missed him because he was showing a visiting commander around the hospital. Grrrr.... so I sigh and ask if I can set up an appointment to talk to either of them on the morrow. She says no and who walks in behind me- the sq. Commander. He asks what I'm up to and I reply "I'm here to get for TDY/Leave, Sir."
Looks at me and goes "that the packet?"
"Yes sir it is."
"leave it with my secretary, I'll take a look at it."
Turns out he hadnt' even SEEN the damn thing yet, all the "you can't go home" crap had been coming from my element commander, and the higher ranking enlisted people in the hospital. *screams*

And so here I am, angry because the delay in being granted this is going to cost me an additional $50 for the course, bringing the price to $345 instead of $295.
I know, its only $50 but still- I could have spend that on something else.
That's assuming the cockbites let me go. And, to add insult to injury, my SQ Commander is taking leave during this EMEDS Exercise! Hypocricy! An atrocity! Unfair!
So, armed with this information and the knowledge that I do deserve this and I won't be able to take this leave after we loose one of our troops this month to PCS and another in Jan. for the same reason, I'm going to do battle.
I shall fight to come home because lets face it, Vixi needs a break from this place.
Badly.
Before I scream at someone.
And tell them what idiots they are.
On that note, wish me luck or at least sanity.

I know that many of the great people here are prior service. How did you deal with this kind of BS, if you did, without getting in heaps of trouble?
I'm at my wit's end and so frustrated and angry because I can only beg to be put on leave, can't make them let me go.
I wish to sound as eloquent as I know I can, to get across that I need to take this course (for a myrid number of reasons) and that I need some time away from the damn hospital I work in before I snap.

Any helpful hints on dealing with this?
Other then the proverbial, imagine them naked. My commander- EWWW not a fun image.
Thanks in advance. *hugs*`

 

[Raeth]

I'm sorry that I can't really offer an helpful advice. I have become intimately familiar with military BS lately.... but none of it is really useful in your situation. That, and I don't know much about the Air Force...

All I can say is be persistant... but it sounds like you are beyond that point. You almost always have to step on some toes to get things done... but in many cases those people are just so full of shit that they wont do anything about it because they were in the wrong.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[AngelicAssassin]

First, the squadron commander sounds like a reasonable individual. One of his came to him and he responded.

Second, no one is irreplaceable.

Third, your reasoning for going supports your job, has to do with your job, and no commander in their right mind would deny a troop that opportunity.

Fourth, lose the attitude going into the meeting. Suck down the $50 hit like it means nothing in the overall pursuit of your goal. A commander likes a troop with a solution to a problem much more than one with nothing but a problem.

Fifth, PCS/ETS of another member has nothing to do with you. If you had been scheduled for military schooling, a smart commander and NCO chain of concern wouldn't give up the slot. A smart commander will figure out how to work short handed ... either in the field, or at the base.

Sixth, if successful, don't say a thing to your NCO chain other than the courtesy of letting them know of the commander's approval.

Seventh, celebrate when you're wheels up headed stateside. Pardon the Klingon, but revenge is a dish best served cold. If i'm not mistaken, Japan gets rather chilly this time of the year. It doesn't matter ... you won't be there ... http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-8/363868/2cool2.gif

 

[Vixandra]

Thanks Rae and AA.

Talked to my SQ Superintendant today and found out what had happened. Turns out that someone bypassed him and handed my paperwork to the Group SI instead of him, who shot it down and there was nothing my SQ SI could do about it. E7 always looses to E9.

But he did tell me to "find out I had a family reunion" planned and reslot my leave to catch another course running from the 7-10th. Not in an area that I'd like to go to really but I can deal with long as I'm home for Samhain. So I'll be taking regular leave which kind of sucks but I'll deal with it. I just want to go home and get away from here for a little while.

My command doesn't seem to care if I'm going home for a training I can justify taking with an OI. They do apparently care about a family reunion though (why is beyond me, apparently that's lifechanging where training is not.)
Oh well.
Paper work got submitted today so I'll have to see how things work out.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

Thanks Rae and AA.

Quite welcome.

... They do apparently care about a family reunion though (why is beyond me, apparently that's lifechanging where training is not.)

It's called the "kinder and gentler" military m'lady.

They still pushing the "single soldier/airman" issues hard?

i watched the USAREUR CofS sit a meeting with single soldiers in the mid 90s and a US Congressman delay his meeting with the CINC to glad hand and look sincerely interested. Granted, the same son of a bitch wanted us to stop sending troops to AFRC Garmisch and Berchtesgaden for free using MWR funds following the first trip to the sandbox.

i loved being an escort officer. Think minnow in a shark tank. All the big fish forget you're there and run their mouths. Needless to say, the asshole got hammered in his district in the following election.

 

[Vixandra]

Not sure how hard they're pushing the single troops stuff. I've been married since April '02 and came in July '01 so never really got a chance to see how the "real AF" treats single people.
From my single friends- they seem to get leave easier then I do some days. There's a gal that's in my flight, different element that got to go on leave during this EMEDS exercise. But her paper work didn't end up on the Group SI's desk.
Gal in question is single and lives in the Dorms on base. Not sure if that made a differance in her getting leave or not.

This may be the "kinder and gentler" AF but my Group Commander apparently hasn't heard it. Though in all honesty I can't growl over him- he's taken over a command that's gone to the proverbial dogs and wants to clean it up. Don't blame him at all for that. Our hospital needs some cleaning out of the BS (obviously).

Its very hard not to assume the rest of the AF hospitals run like this one does. At least I've got a great OIC/NCOIC pairing right now, which helps a lot.

 

[cellis]

Actually AA you made some points that would apply to any employer not just the USAF or the military... with your permission I would like to pass them on to a friend who is having an issue at work. I think they might give her a different view point.

 

[cellis]

Miss Kitty I am glad that things are going to work out okay for you...

 

[Vixandra]

Thanks Cellis.
Not sure its going to work out or not but I'm ready to go protest to my Group Commander if need be. Hopefully things won't get that far though.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

... with your permission I would like to pass them on to a friend who is having an issue at work. I think they might give her a different view point.

Feel free.

 

[snowy ciara]

Any news yet, Vixcandra?

 

[Vixandra]

Well, I resubmitted for leave running the 28th to the 18th so its now a waiting game.
I'm going to go talk to my Sq SI Monday to see where things stand- my supervisor already approved my leave in the computer system we use so thing are out of my unit's hands.

*sighs*
I love how recruiters boast about a month (30 days) of paid vacation a year but the reality is that its hard to use it.