The closer we get to the end of Army life, the more often we are asked "why?" Al will have served for 8 years, and that's a long time to invest towards a career only to walk away. At the same time, no one should pursue a career that doesn't make them happy (at least in theory.)
The answer to the whys has always been the same: I signed up to defend my country, not be a babysitter. I want to mentor and be a leader, but I don't want to teach a grown man how to tie his shoes.
Obviously, he's exaggerating a little bit. But honestly, only by a very little bit.
For example, Al came home the other day - after a longer-than-normal day - frustrated. I asked him what happened and he proceeded to tell me that he had to counsel quite a few of his soldiers for "defacing government property." Now, the actual story is that one of the guys drew male genitalia on a vehicle in the motorpool, which subsequently washed off with little issue. Nevertheless, it was a minor act of vandalism that required punishment.
I personally think it's possible to go your entire life without drawing a penis on something, but, if you absolutely must, doesn't it make more sense to draw it on a post-it or something you can easily dispose of? And if you're trying to be "funny" or perpetuate an already existing office prank (as was the case here), then the even bigger issue is why a group of adult men think this is funny in the first place. But before I digress too far into the crevasses of the male psyche that makes up the "fart jokes" of the world, I'm led to a new question...
Is dealing with these minor infraction (while insensitive and juvenile, it is still minor) the best use of my husband's time?
Certainly part of his job is to counsel the younger soldiers through disciplinary issues in order to teach structure, discipline, and mutual respect. And it is certainly necessary to get through some of those problems in order to teach them how to do their actual jobs. (Those problems, by the way, my husband is more than happy to mentor them through.)
If incidents like this were rare and the majority of his time was spent doing tasks related to his MOS or his role as an NCO, things might be different. As it stands, stuff of this nature is relatively "normal" and consumes more time then it should. Which leaves Al feeling unmotivated and less than useful, not mention downright fed up.
Maybe it is integral to the Army mission that he handle the less significant matters. Maybe with the draw-down and decrease in military funding, this is going to be a bigger part of the day-to-day. If that's the case, however, then it might not be the right place for us.
Fart jokes and penis drawings aside, the Army is transitioning out of war time and into a garrison Army. We are starting to see a big shift in how the Army spends their limited resources and the military as a whole is in a huge holding pattern. That holding pattern is impacting many MOS's and altering their job descriptions and, ultimately, removing any flexibility or control over your own military career.
So, it seems we have reached the perfect time to walk away - the perfect time to find a new way to serve. One that suits Al better, utilizes his full potential, and provides him fulfillment he deeply deserves. Hopefully, one that doesn't involve male genitalia prominently displayed on his work vehicle.
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