Uh oh… when they start handing you Responsibility, look out. They very often do not hand you the power — or the pay — to go along with it.
Back when I was a WAC, female DI’s did NOT volunteer, did NOT get DI training, and did NOT get DI pay.
They had to make it up on their own — and they were resentful and pissed off. Which, of course, led to Freestyle Peon Harrassment.
I’ve started asking to be Paid Like A Man on any job. People think they can swap me bus tokens.
If you want to see a good training sergeant, see the deleted scenes in Dead Like Me. The girl looks like she’s being insulted and doubted, but that’s a good drill sergeant who understands his people. No, really, he is. And she’s gotten with the program and knows what he’s doing. It’s just a language to learn.
Stinz is learning to work the system. You can, you know.
Just remember, it’s all funny. No matter what. Or at least ridiculous. No matter how horrible, it WILL be ridiculous.
The Jew who pulled his pants down and mooned his jailers before he was shot knew that. He screwed up their heads for life.
You learn this really quickly in the military. A dimwit Lieutenant who is giving you a hard time with no witnesses — I mean, please — can be told, “Fuck you, sir,” and all he can do is fume, because EVERYBODY knows you are such a strac young troop and would never think of doing such a thing.
It’s related to “If I dood it, I det a whippin’.” That means, “I want to do it, so I’ll take some time in the slam or the kitchen or a temporary cut in pay.”
They’re out to make you mean and crusty and careless of your own hide, so they win anyway.
You can be “recycled” — kept back for another cycle of basic training. I’ve seen it done to the best troop in the platoon. She came of a military family, was fully prepared for basic training, and was confused and miserable over what she must have done wrong.
That’s when I recognized the arbitrary methods of military control. It wasn’t to punish her — it was to keep the rest of us in line with her example. We had a joke that our very flimsy black gloves were made of the skins of WACs who got recycled three times.
Not fair, sir? In the ARMY, sir?
One of the reasons I won’t vote for a long-time vet or prisoner; they never get over the twist and the battle fatigue. Don’t bring up Eisenhower as an example — the man was never in combat. Give him credit in recognizing combat was miserable for his men.
The New German Army in the 1930′s wasn’t allowed to vote, for so many reasons. I think that might be one of them.
Some of these moves from Stinz are based on old photos. You wouldn’t believe what a horse can do.
Those readers who know the series know this is the birth of an idea in Stinz.
A horse desperately trying may be where Sleipnir came from.
Lots of fast scribbles, here.
You’ll know how horse crazy a person can be when I tell you it’s cool to be having a conversation with a guy who’s been to the roundup for the German wild horses.
I love doing body language at attention.
Every horsie person I know knew a horse that would crawl under fences. One of them would crawl under them to get to the barbecue for the pork chops.
I believe ‘em. I’ve had a horse fall asleep under me at a canter. I think the aliens are already here, and wearing saddles.
At this point, Stinz has gotten some experience. Notice how much better his uniform sits on him, now.
They’d actually be wearing some form of simple fatigue for basic field training, but this was more fun to draw.
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