Out of Touch

I was able to check in with one of my officers at my home unit today. It was a good opportunity to see how everyone is doing in general, what's new in our planning cycle, etc.

Between being deployed and being in a Guard unit with everyone dispersed around the world, it is surprisingly difficult to stay on top of everything. Deployment plans change. People who were talking about volunteering for a trip a few months ago have changed their minds. People get married. People, sadly, get divorced. People get new jobs or have trouble at work.

Plus, they have their military duties. Technically, that's the only part in which we have an official role to play. But between the fact that the unit is a family of sorts and the fact that everything can and does impact a troop's readiness, we find ourselves as leaders being guidance counselors, educational advisors, financial planners, and anything else in addition to our official roles.

It's an odd dynamic. You are never really off duty.

I think it's worth it. My unit has a proud legacy and it is a really great feeling when one of the guys we worked to train truly excels downrange. And, without fail, my guys have done great work.

Unfortunately, I've been relegated to staff purgatory on this trip, though most of my team, or at least the team I'm augmenting, is out kicking butt.

I am smarter in the ways of staff work and pushing paper. It's not fun, but like budgeting and logistics planning, is key to getting the mission accomplished.

I'm pretty convinced that the higher pay for officers is like the higher pay some data entry positions earn. After all of our fun running and gunning training, officers--even in SOF--end up doing mostly staff work and admin stuff as once they become mid-ranking Captains (or the Lieutenants for the Navy). I guess the pay is supposed to compensate for that.

Sure, there is the whole command responsibility thing too.