love and bacon

For the first time in my life, I had someone to spend Valentines with. Oh sure, it might be an overly commercial holiday and doesn't mean anything and blah blah blah...but whatever. This year, I had someone.

Then, I came to work and stepped into the quagmire that is my Dining Facility (D-Fac). You see, this gem of a leadership challenge has been without adequate officer supervision and run by an NCO who is not highly ranked enough or qualified enough to do his job. I am not saying he's not good enough, I'm saying he, like me, is trying to do a job over his head. In any case, having such a situation go without help for five months can not lead to anything good. Thus, everything...files, finances, schedules...everything, is off.

I cannot take over the D-fac in this condition and so, tonight, instead of going out, we are doing an inventory. Yes, I will be supervising and weighing all the meat that serves the soldiers of this Brigade. Romantic you ask? Not so much.

I am, however, learning some things about leadership that I should have learned long ago. For example, my college habit of organizing all my notes in one unmarked and untabbed binder does not make for good leadership. I have since bought further organizing capabilities. Also, it is true that telling a soldier what to do, not how to do it, is the best option, however, even as a second Lieutenant, when an action is taking place under your watch and you know (or feel) that it is being done incorrectly, it doesn't matter if it's someone with forty years of experience, if you are in a position to tell him/her what to do, make the correction and stick with it. It's a hard thing to accept, but it's the burden we carry as officers. Responsability and accountability are on my shoulders, so, the ultimate decision rests with me...even if it is in regards to something I am unqualified to do.

That being said (written?) Happy Valentines Day to everyone. I'm going to throw 500 lbs of bacon on a scale now...how romantic!