Thursday, November 08, 2007

Knotted knickers & throwing rank!

OK. My husband is a Chief. He is in the Navy and to me, it's a big deal. He didn't just take a test for promotion, or stand a board, he did both. And he had to do the initiation period, which was 6 weeks' worth of hard slog. I am proud of him and I lived through the misery that was Chief's Initiation with him, helping him when I could and supporting him as much as possible. It was emotionally trying, physically exhausting and... very rewarding. The pinning ceremony was one of the very few times that I drove the interstate. One of the other times was when I was in labor. So it ranks up there on my Big Deal-O-Meter.

So what has my knickers in a knot? A lady on a board I visit, in the military area of this board. She is irking me. What makes it worse is that she is a Navy wife as well. Sigh.

It started out innocently. The Navy ladies were talking about the Khaki Ball and one of the Army ladies asked what it was, and later, asked what a Chief was. Because Chiefs are unique to the Navy. So this lady comes and says that a Chief is an E7, which is basically the boss of E6 and below. Jaws dropped.

Yes, in payscale a Chief is an E7, and I suppose is also the boss of those under him. But what a simplistic and insulting answer. And I told her so. She objected to being told she was wrong and insinuated that I was throwing rank around.

Do what?

Well if she knows how to insult a Chief, why am I surprised when she insults a spouse? It is insulting to tell a Chief that they are an E7, and it's quite a slap to be accused of wearing your spouse's rank. Basically she is calling me a snob. She is accusing me of being "Navier-than-thou."

Ehhh, bite me. A bitch I may be. A snob, no.

A snob would be a past acquaintance of mine who, upon learning that her husband made Chief, decided she needed a new wardrobe. To quote her, she needed "Chief's wife's clothes." Really lady? I wasn't aware that your husband made Admiral. :eyeroll:

She was an uppity little thing and it galls me that I am being tarred with the same brush. I was simply illustrating to this lady that her answer was wrong, and all of a sudden I am a snob? She also said that her dad was a Chief and he wouldn't have batted an eyelash at being called an E7.

Well maybe her dad *was* simply an E7. Or maybe she is wrong about that, too.

Chiefs are special. Unique. The Navy is the only branch who has them. If they weren't special, they'd be in all branches. They act as a go-between for the enlistedmen and the officers. They act as mentors to the JO's. They are not promoted simply--it is a multi-step process and Chiefs are appointed by Congress. It is not a simple "you were an E6, now it's time for promotion, so you go to the next rung on the ladder: E7."

When this lady so cheaply defines a Chief, she minimizes the long road it takes to get there. She implies it is easily achievable, commonplace, and no big deal. I beg to differ. Becoming a Chief is an emotionally charged time for Selectees and their spouses.

Ok, so her dad was a Chief. Well I can tell you that my kids are not as affected as I am by my husband making Chief. Sure they're proud of their dad, but the enormity of the situation escapes them, and I am sure it escaped her, concerning her dad.

She just does *not* get it. Ehh, I will get off my blue and gold soapbox for now. Now I need a caricature of myself. Picture a hefty, angry woman with a large wedgie, throwing anchors to and fro. Bwahahahahahahaha!

1 comment:

HisWifeTheirMom said...

Yeah that would have my panties in a wad too. ...and with his carreer path now I hear it from the "other" side too.

and we know any real Chief gasps at being called an E-7...