A Price to Pay 24 March at 9:39PM

Today started out well enough.  Went to rounds and then to the gym.  Somewhere around 1100 my morning calm was shattered.  I can’t talk about the details, of course.  Even idiots deserve their privacy.  But what I can say is that all is takes is one reckless idiot to ruin a perfectly good day.

I had four sessions with the squadron last week to be sure that everyone could attend one.  I laid out my expectations.  I told them what I liked and what I didn’t like.  I told them what I would not punish (a mistake) and what I would always punish (a crime).  Less than a week later, I have someone violate the most basic of all deployed orders.  It’s called General Order Number One (GO1) and it covers a whole host of things.  No gambling, pornography, taking souvenirs, going into mosques.  No alcohol, no going into the quarters of the opposite sex.  No keeping animals as mascots or pets.  No leaving your weapon unattended.  The list is long, but they all make sense.  Everyone is briefed when they get here.  Some of the rules might be a surprise when someone gets here, and might not make sense right away (no mascots?!), but when you think about it, they make perfect sense (yeah- RABIES!). 

When someone violates GO1, they put not only themselves at risk, but they put others at risk.  It could cause an international incident and jeopardize peace.  If a person is drunk, they can’t defend themselves and they cause other people to have to defend them.  If they hang out in each other’s rooms and someone gets pregnant (which about 120 women every year DO!), they get sent home and their unit has to replace them.

I was unbelievably clear that there will be no tolerance for not maintaining standards and that everyone needed to watch out for everyone else.  So how, less than a week later, does a person go and FLAGRANTLY violate GO1, within the presence of at least two other people who should have stopped it, and at least one who facilitated it?  This person’s career will be ruined.  They will probably not get promoted.  They will go home in shame.  They may to have to stay here longer to see it all through, depending on how long it would take.  What a waste. 

For the life of me, I will never understand what gets into people sometimes.  This is one of the reasons I try so hard to help my kids understand how important it is to do the right thing.   You can’t just make up your own rules and there are consequences when rules are violated.  Sometimes devastating consequences.  This wore me out today.  But if I don’t take a stand on this one, then someone else may do worse and someone could get hurt or killed.  Now I know why they used to just shoot people back in the day.  Not that this person warrants shooting, mind you, but harsh punishment certainly serves as a warning to the rest of the troops.   The sacrifice of one may lead to the saving of many.  At least that’s what helps me sleep at night.

Afterward- 3 May 2010-

                The officer in question had to stay here 3 extra weeks while we got this worked out.  Turns out on of my junior officers was also involved.  Along with two enlisted members from across base and one enlisted member from the hospital not in my squadron.  My more senior officer got an Article 15- a Reprimand and suspension of half a month pay for two months.  The junior officer got a Reprimand and the promotion that was due this fall will be delayed by 6 months.  That one will be able to recover since they are otherwise an excellent clinician and officer, but had some very bad judgment.  It’s now a month after all the disciplinary stuff when I first got here (5 in three weeks!)  Had one more unattended weapon since then, but overall, the drama is down considerably- even the surgeons are behaving!