Veterans - are dependants the worst?

[darin]

My office manages feedback from customers for services.

We have this gem today:

(im paraphrasing)

"I was in the commissary when I saw an employee I recognized from the Passport office. I approached them and politely asked about the status of my children's passports. Instead of answering my question they just gave me their business card and said 'Call me tomorrow at work because I'm off the clock, and i'm shopping so I cant answer your question!" I was so hurt by their rudeness over a simple question. I'm not leaving my name because I don't want you to get my husband in trouble just because I have a problem with someone who works in your office."


I'm tellin ya right now - If I'm approached off hours while shopping about some stuff I could Not POSSIBLY remember after doing hundreds and hundreds of things - and somebody complains because I went over-and above by saying "Lets talk tomorrow when I'm actually at work" - I would lose my shit.

[Elessar]

The woman was being very unreasonable. How could a person who deals with records and cases daily
possibly remember details of a specific case?

What else was he supposed to say? Be blunt and honest only to face a reprimand
in the office for being uncivil?

We used to get similar gruff when working as beach lifeguards on the beach at
the USCG Electronics Engineering Center just outside of Wildwood Crest NJ.
One incident that sticks in my mind was a day I whistled the same kid ashore
3 times for going out of bounds in an area of pretty nasty rip currents. The Third
time I beached him for 30 minutes. His mother came up to me and asked why.
I simply said that I have to watch all the people in the water and cannot concentrate
on 1, especially after moving him 3 times out of potential danger.

Her reply: "Well my husband is a pilot at the Air station and I will make sure he has
you fired. You are supposed to be watching my children."

I told her I was the head lifeguard for the weekend and the responsibility for her kids
was hers, not mine. "Let your husband complain to my boss, the Special Services Director.
His name is Eugene F. L***, USCG BMCM retired."

She packed up and left, and I never heard a word, but passed the incident to the BMCM (ret).
He laughed his butt off.

[Gunny]

My office manages feedback from customers for services.

We have this gem today:

(im paraphrasing)

"I was in the commissary when I saw an employee I recognized from the Passport office. I approached them and politely asked about the status of my children's passports. Instead of answering my question they just gave me their business card and said 'Call me tomorrow at work because I'm off the clock, and i'm shopping so I cant answer your question!" I was so hurt by their rudeness over a simple question. I'm not leaving my name because I don't want you to get my husband in trouble just because I have a problem with someone who works in your office."


I'm tellin ya right now - If I'm approached off hours while shopping about some stuff I could Not POSSIBLY remember after doing hundreds and hundreds of things - and somebody complains because I went over-and above by saying "Lets talk tomorrow when I'm actually at work" - I would lose my shit.

So what's the question? I don't understand how it pertains solely to "dependents". I've had active duty Marines act in EXACTLY the same or in some cases even worse manner. The military is a microcosm of our society, or so I have been told. "I-Me" is a societal issue. Everyone's so damned self-important, in THEIR monds how could you NOT remember exactly who they are?

"SSGT L-, remember me? Pvt Jones, Platoon 30xx You were my Senior". Let me guess ... the black Pvt Jones, right?

[Elessar]

One thing I loathed is where a married person of either gender presumed
to wear the rank or paygrade of their spouse.

We had an XO's wife like that. She would call on our emergency line (same as a 9-1-1)
and insist to be connected to the XO. Well, we were not a telephone switchboard. She did that
once during a rough case with potentially 4 people going in because the boat was sinking.

Oh yes, she knew his office number as well as his cell number.

[darin]

So what's the question? I don't understand how it pertains solely to "dependents". I've had active duty Marines act in EXACTLY the same or in some cases even worse manner. The military is a microcosm of our society, or so I have been told. "I-Me" is a societal issue. Everyone's so damned self-important, in THEIR monds how could you NOT remember exactly who they are?

"SSGT L-, remember me? Pvt Jones, Platoon 30xx You were my Senior". Let me guess ... the black Pvt Jones, right?

The question is: Are dependents the worst? Here's an example of an unreasonable dependent bugging someone off work hours, in a store, then using an online feedback system to tell people her feelings were hurt over HER being unreasonable, THEN not even putting her name on it to solve anything.

Dependents tend to be among the most self-entitled of folk. Not all. A lot.

[Gunny]

One thing I loathed is where a married person of either gender presumed
to wear the rank or paygrade of their spouse.

We had an XO's wife like that. She would call on our emergency line (same as a 9-1-1)
and insist to be connected to the XO. Well, we were not a telephone switchboard. She did that
once during a rough case with potentially 4 people going in because the boat was sinking.

Oh yes, she knew his office number as well as his cell number.

THAT was "welcome to base housing". Just a fact of life. The Chief Master Sergeant's wife was head of the biddy committee and down the rank structure it went. Had to be careful which kids you beat up too. I beat the snot out of the Base Commander's son in the base gym on Homestead AFB. Didn't matter that he started the shit. My father was "spoken to" at the insistence of the Commander's wife whose little dope-smoking, instigating angel could do no wrong.

I paid for that shit too.

In the Corps. the CO's wife is head of the biddy committee when Marines deploy, followed by the XO's, the SgtMaj's .. on down the line. Enlisted on active duty and have a Drs appt at the NRMC? Active duty takes priority EXCEPT when some retired Adm's or Gen's wife is concerned.

Just the way it goes. No less fair than some politicians' or police chiefs' wives in the civilian world. Rank DOES have its privileges, fair or no.

[Elessar]

Just the way it goes. No less fair than some politicians' or police chiefs' wives in the civilian world. Rank DOES have its privileges, fair or no.

Yeah, I know. There was very little that could be done about it except report
the behavior to your chain-of-command.

In the case of the XO's wife, I went to the OPS Boss (I actually worked for HIM, not
the E-7), and suggested that crap had to cease. He went 0-5 to 0-5, and it did stop.

[SassyLady]

I was a dependent for almost 20 years and I don't even know how to respond to this.

What % of dependents do you think represent these type of behaviors?

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I was a dependent for almost 20 years and I don't even know how to respond to this.

What % of dependents do you think represent these type of behaviors?

I'm thinking the same thing. My wife never called the Air Force for any reason, and if she had I'm quite sure she'd have been very respectful.

[CSM]

I believe that command climate has a lot to do with it. If the chain of command tolerates that kind of stuff from dependents, that is a failure in their leadership.

[Gunny]

The question is: Are dependents the worst? Here's an example of an unreasonable dependent bugging someone off work hours, in a store, then using an online feedback system to tell people her feelings were hurt over HER being unreasonable, THEN not even putting her name on it to solve anything.

Dependents tend to be among the most self-entitled of folk. Not all. A lot.

Miss this. My answer is no. Get a bunch of active duty Marines in your company who know their tour is over after the deployment. Or ANYTHING that pops up on the rumor mill radar. You've got Marines playing the "c'mon, homey, it's "me" " game, or 'i'm the Plt Cmder and need to know ..." , "The CO wants ..."

Hell, we slipped out of the Bravo Corridor in 29 Palms and went back to mainside and "relocated" all the ice at the Base Golf Course" because the exercise cmdr wanted ice Who doesn't in the Mojave in July?

I'd say it's a wash.

[Gunny]

I was a dependent for almost 20 years and I don't even know how to respond to this.

What % of dependents do you think represent these type of behaviors?

I'm a double-dipper. I was an Air Force brat for 18 before I joined the Corps.

[Gunny]

I'm thinking the same thing. My wife never called the Air Force for any reason, and if she had I'm quite sure she'd have been very respectful.

After my parents divorced, my mother wouldn't hesitate. If she thought she was shorted one nickel, she was on the phone.

I didn't agree with it then, and still don't. Should be something important instead of wasting people's time. At the same time, some clerk with his ass polishing a chair should try to answer the questions instead of blowing people off and they likely wouldn't have to go up the chain.