Month 8 Day 11

Notebook Entry
Stress down, Brigade Admin offericer left from 1/1/215, Garrison Support Unit S1, we don’t need stuff, quiet assent from sergeants regarding leave, Garrison support Unit counterintel, computer course, PowerPoint class, Admin new Tashkil, Teleconference

Journal Entry
It is amazing the amount of stress that we have not had to deal with since Capt Nowak and Maj Hesco are not around. Basically everyone does their jobs, and there are no problems. Capt Arthur occasionally gets a bit of a talking-to, but that is about it. It is remarkable what you are able to get accomplished and what your brain is able to do when you don’t have a bunch of external stress piled on top of you. This has further-confirmed in my mind that the typical Marine Corps tactic of screaming at people is pointless and nearsighted. Long-term the only way that you can get what you want out of your people is to align your goals with theirs, or vice versa.

I spoke to the Bde S1 [administration officer] we talked about a bunch of officers from 1/1/215 going UA [unauthorized absence]. He said ‘they’re not UA they just went on leave when they weren’t supposed to.’ Hmmm ok, well that is where the Unauthorized in unauthorized Absence comes from or the Absent without leave…you are supposed to be a colonel in Administration…Spoke to the GSU [Garrision Support Unit] S1, Bde [Brigade] S1 and the Bde S2 [Intelligence] about gear. I told them that if they didn’t do what I asked and try to fill out the MoD-14s [supply request form] that they shouldn’t ask me for stuff. Bde S2, GSU S1 both said that on 2nd thought they didn’t need stuff. The GSU S2, came in the day prior to the GSU S1 while I was teaching the class to them. He wanted to know when I was going to teach the class to him. I told him he could stay and learn, but his boyfriend spoke up and said that as long as the S1 was learning they could come ot them for help. He came to me with a jacked-up form yesterday and asked me to check it over. I told him it was screwed up and missing crucial information. He was upset because he had already had it signed by logistics and the commander. I’m like, dude. If you don’t come to class, don’t listen to me when I tell you to show it to me before signing, and press ahead anyway, then it’s probably going to be fucked up. HMMM I might know what I am talking about.

Spoke to the GSU S1 about leave, the officer said people would go UA if they only had 30 days per year. I told him a bunch of the soldiers didn’t go on leave but once every 15 months, this policy represents an improvement for them, only the officers will be pissed. From the back of the room both of the S1 sgts smiled so their chief couldn’t see and nodded their heads. Maybe something good will come of this.

Taught another class on ppt, homework wasn’t done, so I had to babysit them them as they did it.