Do you have a favorite (non-political) example of incompetence being rewarded?

2016-07-14T11:59:31-04:00

Yes, I read the comics everyday. And, again, one has inspired a question. The really strange thing is that we must laugh at incompetence, especially when its rewarded, otherwise we'd all end up bat guano crazy. And yes, I precluded examples taken from politics. We need a break from that, don't we? So let me kick it off with the story of Wrong Way Corrigan. His tale may not seem funny to you, but he sure had the last laugh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Corrigan

Douglas Corrigan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Douglas Corrigan (January 22, 1907 – December 9, 1995) was an American aviator born in Galveston, Texas. He was nicknamed "Wrong Way" in 1938. After a transcontinental flight from Long Beach, California, to New York, he flew from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York, to Ireland, though his flight plan was filed to return to Long Beach. He claimed his unauthorized flight was due to a navigational error, caused by heavy cloud cover that...

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2016 12:03 PM

2016-07-14T12:03:55-04:00

Bonuses handed out to the VA criminals.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2016 12:05 PM

2016-07-14T12:05:37-04:00

Awards being "given" to less than talented leadership because they were PCS'ing or retiring.

Response by MSG Pat Colby made Jul 14 at 2016 12:17 PM

2016-07-14T12:17:11-04:00

Knew a guy that was relieved from a 4 month duty (working support for an NCO Academy), failed his SQT and APFT. Got promoted to SFC anyway.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 14 at 2016 12:21 PM

2016-07-14T12:21:19-04:00

Medals being given to people simply for doing their jobs, or being given medals simply for being present when something happened.

Response by Maj Ken Brown made Jul 14 at 2016 12:36 PM

2016-07-14T12:36:46-04:00

Bonuses paid to high-ranking bank executives following the start of the recession. Millions were going bankrupt and these yahoos were "under contract" to receive their bonuses despite the fact that their customers' life savings were laid waste.

Response by Sgt Christopher Wenzel made Jul 14 at 2016 12:41 PM

2016-07-14T12:41:29-04:00

We had a giant golden rattle we'd give to the Marine who was being the biggest b-tch in the office, if that counts

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jul 14 at 2016 12:58 PM

2016-07-14T12:58:06-04:00

I'll toss a vote in for the fruit salad mania with EOT awards, etc. The blatant system wide action that impacted my career was the Civil Engineer Corps got the hots for a warfare pin, any warfare pin. This was before the Seabee Combat Warfare pin. So if you were Year Group 76-77 and were AD for 10 years in the CEC, your promotion opportunity to O-4 was 13%. They purposely redesignated a number of Surface Warfare types to CEC and push buttoned their promotion. This group was not the brightest, didn't have engineering credentials for the most part, and no shore facilities, contracting, or Seabee experience. That's what got me tossed under DOPMA because I was assigned critical tours but didn't have FITREPS which compared me to a group. Turned out to be a career ender. Interesting thing, the AD loss was the Reserves gain as most of us picked up O-4 on the next cycle and did better than the rest at O-5/6. Turned out the AD loss ultimately was my gain doing 2 full retirements.

Response by SFC J Fullerton made Jul 14 at 2016 1:14 PM

2016-07-14T13:14:40-04:00

Every time the Cleveland Browns hire a coach, sign a free agent, and make a first round draft pick

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Jul 14 at 2016 1:49 PM

2016-07-14T13:49:24-04:00

Government and incompetence just seem to go together.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2016 7:59 PM

2016-07-14T19:59:48-04:00

You can always rely on Dilbert

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2016 4:09 PM

2016-07-15T16:09:48-04:00

Guy at my unit busts his head open while not wearing a hard hat in the motor pool.
Sent to Germany for AT and sent to BLC also. WOW

Response by SGT Mathew Husen made Jul 15 at 2016 8:59 PM

2016-07-15T20:59:08-04:00

One of my commands was relieved of command for incompetence then was put incharge of the CMOC just to be releived of that for incompetence. At the end of the deployment, he was awarded the bronze star.

Response by 1SG Bill Farmerie made Jul 16 at 2016 12:54 PM

2016-07-16T12:54:16-04:00

I was at NTC back in 86. There was an SSG who got an award for feeding his section in a timely manner. (which was part of his job). However, he did not feed them as another SSG fed them as his vehicle was broke down the whole time