Monday, May 22, 2006

Major Confusion

If you've been reading this blog since I was writing about uniform issue at Fort Jackson, you'll know that I am wearing the Army uniform, called the ACU (Army Combat Uniform, I think) rather than the usual Navy uniform (DCU, for Desert Camouflage Utilities). The motivation, I think, was for my protection if I was out with an Army unit: I wouldn't stick out as being any different than they are. Well, other than the fact that a label on my chest says "U.S. Navy" instead of "U.S. Army" I do look the spitting image of a soldier, and regularly, several times a day, I'm being referred to as a Major (my equivalent rank in the Army). I've given up correcting people on it. After all, there are worse offenses. (Like not wearing your reflective belt after dark!) Things are starting to settle into a routine, and my afternoons/evenings seem to fly by while keeping me interested in learning new things, and employed by putting my analytical skills to work. I truly am enjoying my job, if not the location. And the chow really isn't half bad. I've discovered that there's a racquetball court over at the gym, and have decided playing chase-the-ball sounds like a lot more fun for a cardio workout than running laps on the track. We'll see if my skills have atrophied in the 8 years since I last played. Tomorrow will be an interesting day, for reasons I'll explain in tomorrow's posting. For now, it's off to call my son and congratulate him on surviving to age five. :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My son reported being called Capt. all the time at Ft. Jackson which for a Navy Lt. is quite a thrill. Of course if he answers to that when he's back with the Navy it could cause some problems.

Anonymous said...

AWW...I knew our boys were close in age! I think its great you have this blog for us to keep you close and in our prayers!

Anonymous said...

When I was a Lieutenant, working at a joint command, I broke the guys in my office of the habit of calling me Captain by pointing out that if I were a Captain, I'd be making a lot more money, so if they insisted on calling me Captain, they'd have to chip in to make up the pay difference. Now that I'm a Lieutenant Commander, when people call me Major, I tell them I'm a LCDR, which is almost just like a Major, only smarter and better looking.
Regards - BOB!!