Posted on Jan 27, 2016
What are your biggest "Lieutenant mistakes" that you made as a Lieutenant?
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So i was hoping this would be a fun thread for Officers of RallyPoint. We all made some big mistakes as Lieutenants (and maybe are still making them), and here is a place to share. Some of them probably felt like a big deal at the time, but maybe now you can laugh about them.
I'll start. I was an XO as a second lieutenant. My unit had 12 MK19 mounts for gun trucks, thing was, we didn't have MK19s. So my commander tasked me to turn them in. So, I did the paperwork, coordinated with DRMO, and turned them in (all without disposition orders). When we took the paperwork to PBO to post it, the PBO wanted to know why we turned in 33,000 dollars worth of MTOE equipment (not to us, CTA to us, but MTOE to other units in the BDE). It got pretty tense, and the commander and BDE 4 got involved. And eventually it settled down...
I'll start. I was an XO as a second lieutenant. My unit had 12 MK19 mounts for gun trucks, thing was, we didn't have MK19s. So my commander tasked me to turn them in. So, I did the paperwork, coordinated with DRMO, and turned them in (all without disposition orders). When we took the paperwork to PBO to post it, the PBO wanted to know why we turned in 33,000 dollars worth of MTOE equipment (not to us, CTA to us, but MTOE to other units in the BDE). It got pretty tense, and the commander and BDE 4 got involved. And eventually it settled down...
Officers
Humor
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 53
As a very junior and proud 2nd Lieutenant, I drove to the PX to get some gear. I couldn't find much parking, but luckily for me there was an empty parking spot right near the door. When I parked I saw a sign "General Officer", and thought "great, this is a parking spot for all officers", as in "any officer." So I parked my car (in uniform) walked in, did my shopping, and walked right back out to my car and left. Got some strange look but didn't think twice about it. Soon after that I learned that "General Officer" meant officers of the General rank (i.e. O-7 and above). I was mortified and paranoid about ever going back to that PX again.
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1LT William Clardy
Don't bet your stripes on that, SGT (Join to see).
Back when I first got assigned to the 101st (January of '79), for the first week I was able to consistently snag an empty parking spot right at the end of the parking lot closest to the barracks (and the battalion headquarters). Then one morning I came out to find my car blocked in with a note to see the sergeant major of 1/502 INF, whose HQ building just happened to be sitting right there, just across the sidewalk from my own battalion HQ. I soon learned that, underneath the packed snow and ice, my always-empty parking space was marked "CO 1/502 INF". The sergeant major was gentle enough in explaining this that my head was still firmly attached to my shoulders as I exited the building and began parking in another parking lot entirely...
Back when I first got assigned to the 101st (January of '79), for the first week I was able to consistently snag an empty parking spot right at the end of the parking lot closest to the barracks (and the battalion headquarters). Then one morning I came out to find my car blocked in with a note to see the sergeant major of 1/502 INF, whose HQ building just happened to be sitting right there, just across the sidewalk from my own battalion HQ. I soon learned that, underneath the packed snow and ice, my always-empty parking space was marked "CO 1/502 INF". The sergeant major was gentle enough in explaining this that my head was still firmly attached to my shoulders as I exited the building and began parking in another parking lot entirely...
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LCDR (Join to see)
I was a newly commissioned Navy Ensign. My parents live near Ft. Bragg, so we made a trip to the PX. I too parked in the General Officer parking not realizing it meant O-7 and above. My dad, a retired airforce MSgt, asked me if I was sure we could park there. I said, “Of course, I am a general officer.” No one said anything. They probably thought my dad was the General, which I guess would have made me his driver.
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Convincing our vehicle driver to let me drive :) Caption reads: Oct 1992 D/1-325 D-40 gets mired. Driver - 1LT Bergeron TC - SPC Lasher
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LTC (Join to see)
SFC Wesley Arnold, Jr - I started out as the Platoon Leader's driver(as a new Spec4) so no need for me to not know how to drive a too wide humvee. I drove one for free and we drove them alot in basic. I don't miss my co-driver being asked by me clear to the right? Clear! I would not want to own one no matter how much leather you put inside!
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SSG Robert Webster
And I was the Delta Company Supply Sergeant when MAJ Glenn Bergeron performed this particular act.
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As company XO at Camp Pendleton, ordered air support (helo extraction from the field) on the last day of the fiscal year. Company Commander on leave during the week in question. They didn't say "no!" at the air conference. But HMM didn't have money for fuel on the day in question (NEVER DO ANYTHING THAT COST LOTS OF MONEY LAST TWO WEEKS OF THE FISCAL YEAR) . Left the field with a raw 2ndLt in charge while I went to Battalion to sort things out. Tried Motor T, they didn't have the fuel either. Before it was all over, the division CG was yelling at the wing CG. Helos launched. The raw 2ndLt couldn't find the LZ. Weather closed in. The Company was stranded in the field as far as you can be (about 30 miles, have to go around impact area). End result: Battalion Commander pulled out his American express and fueled up three trucks at the MCX fuel station While standing in front of the Division CG, Wing CG, Regimental CO, and Battalion CO they asked what I learned from this. My first unfortunate response was to laugh (nervous laughter, but they didn't see it that way). That laugh was my biggest screw up as a 2ndLt. It was UGLY. Fortunately, none of those fine gentleman did any permanent damage to my career. Ran into the Division CG later after he had retired. He explained that the chain-of command all went to the club afterwards and had a good laugh at my expense.
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SGT Eliyahu Rooff
Years ago when I was with an armor company, we were in the field and had the POL truck come by to top off our fuel. The guy driving it was brand-new, just out of AIT, and my M113 was the first vehicle he'd ever fueled since training. First thing I asked him when he got out the fuel coupling was if he took Mastercard or Visa. His response was "I dunno how that works. Let me check. I think it's all on credit."
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