Fresh out of boot camp and ITR, I was sent (1958) to Treasure Island electronics school. I had dropped out of high school, never having developed any study habits and I struggled in the classes. While my buddies got their first stripe as we all passed our first 6 months in the Corps, mine was held back. I was told I wouldn’t get it until I raised my grades, even though I had no blemishes on my record and was pretty much “squared away. In the meantime, other guys failed the course and were given their stripe before being released to their next duty station.Even when I graduated from T.I. and was sent to MCRD for the next level, they held it over my head. I had 11 months in grade if privacy is a grade when I reported to the base. When I checked in a WM E4 corporal, looked at my orders, saw how long I’d been in, and told me that “If I do well” I’d get that stripe. By then I was thoroughly pissed about the situation – all my buddies had long since been gaining time-in-grade toward E3. “I told her the Corps could take that stripe and put it up to its collective ass.” Kind of shocked her.Anyhow, one morning, as I approached 14 months in the Corps, at the first class of the day, they went through the morning bulletins and casually announced the I.G. would be coming to MCRD the next week and that any requests to see him must go through channels (meaning the instructors, school commander on up the ladder). He continued with the bulletins until his assistant brought it to his attention that I had my hand up. Kind of irritated, he said, “What do you want, Barber?”
I said “I request permission to speak to the I.G.” He jumped up off the edge of the desk he was sitting on (I think he spilled a little coffee) and said “What the f–k for?!!!” I said, “It’s personal.”He tried to get it out of me for a few minutes then gave up. The regulation is pretty clear that every Marine, down to the lowest rank – and I couldn’t go any lower – had the right to request to see the I.G. and didn’t have to disclose the reason. However, by the end of the day, every instructor knew to try to find out why I wanted to see the I.G., and I had been approached by several junior NCOs and asked, “buddy to buddy” what was behind my request.”The next day, before morning formation, I was told to report to the Top Sergeant. I figured that was a good place to start. When he told me to sit down and tell him what my problem was so he could bring it to an end I laid it out for him. I was in his office for about 2 minutes. At the following Monday morning formation, I got my stripe. Funny what an Inspector General can accomplish without even knowing it.A couple of weeks later I failed the course, received a supply MOS and transferred to Battalion Supply, on 3/5. A few months later I was promoted to L/Cpl after setting an unbeatable (100%) record at the Supply school in Okinawa.
9 comments on “PULLING RANK”
PHILL STILES
MYSELF AND THREE OTHER E4″S TOOK THE RADIOMEN’S E5 TEST. WHILE WAITING FOR THE RESULTS I HAD A RUN-IN WITH
OUR E6, WHO ALWAYS GOT REAL NERVOUS AT SEA AWAY FROM HIS WIFE. HE JUMPED THE GUN AND ACCUSED ME OF SOMETHING
I DIDN’T DO AND ORDERED ME TO CLEAN THE PASSAGEWAY IN FRONT OF THE RADIO SHACK. I REPLIED IT WAS NOT MY JOB TO
CLEAN IT BUT TO SUPERVISE ITS CLEANING, WHEREUPON HE SAID I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN ANYBODY UP BUT I AM GOING TO WRITE YOU UP. I COUNTERED AND GOT THE OTHER THREE E4’S TO COSIGN WHEN I WROTE HIM UP FOR CUSSING ME AND GIVING ME AN ILLEGAL
ORDER. THEY SENT ME UP THE LADDER TO OUR LTJG, OUR COMMANDER, EACH ASKING ME TO DROP IT AND I REFUSED, THE XO, A
COMMANDER, WHO WANTED TO THROW ME OUT WITH A DISHONORABLE AND FINALLY TO OUR 4 STRIPE CAPTAIN FOR A CAPTAIN’S
MAST.I WAS TOLD MY WITNESSES WOULD NOT BE PRESENT, THEN THE CAPTAIN WENT ON(HE HATED SAILORS CUSSING), HE TOLD
MY E6, WHO HAD TAKEN THE TEST FOR E7 THAT HE WOULD NEVER SEE THAT GRADE AS LONG AS HE WAS UNDER THE CAPTAIN’S
COMMAND AND TOLD ME MY E5 RESULTS, OF WHICH I PASSED WOULD BE HELD UP FOR 3 MONTHS(I WOULD BE OUT BEFORE THEN)
AND THAT WAS THAT AND I SHOULD HAVE MADE E5 BUT DID NOT!
Joseph Harty rather use my grandpa nickname "LoloJoe"
March 17, 2023 – 1:31 am
My only experience of any novelty is at 17 after basic and ATC medical training in Greenville, AFB Mississippi went on leave, returning on orders to SAC Offutt AFB the morning of November 22, 1963. Being a 6 generation IrishAmerican my world changed forever, then the Air Force put me in a position where a NATO “Belfast English Sargent wearing an Irish Military Uniform” tried to pull rank on me, repeatedly, then put his hand on my shoulder and I sucker punched him. Obviously was brought up on charges under UCMJ. As my statement confirmed my act, when told an apology would get a mere slap on the wrist I refused on the grounds a British subject wearing an Irish uniform was not valid, but was an international fraudulent insult to Ireland. That even a member of the USAF, a Irish descendent all the way back to the state of Massachusetts 48th IrishAmerican Regiment that seized the city of New Orleans and the armed island in the Mississippi river the same week Grant took Vicksburg did not have to obey an illegal order. That the legitimacy of the confederates to us then is the same, illegitimate status as this bloke and refuses to respect it. It obviously shortened my tour – fine and lost time in grade. Joined to be a flight cargo crew member, so would have a real modern career, but was ordered to medical school. At 76 still hold the folks I worked with, served with in a special place, wish I could have retired in 22 years as a young sergeant and gone straight to a commercial airline with union wages and medical benefits:)
Janis Gabbart
I was WAC 1974 to 1978. Airborne Rigger! There weren’t very many of us then. I was the only female Rigger at Ft Lewis, WA. First military female to jump into Alaska and Panama. First female to jump with the Underwater Demolition Team at Coronado.
Louis Velez
Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
Eric
SFMF!🇺🇸💪👏💯
Joseph Proffitt
What a way to pull rank without actually having the rank to pull LOL
JOHNNY STOGLIN
I HAD A SIMPLER PROBLEM I WAS HAVING PROBLEM TRYING TO MAKE RANK IN THE AIR FORCE I KEPT MISSING THE RANK OF E-6 BY 1.5 WHICH I THINK WAS CRAZY BECAUSE I FOUND OUT MY SUPERVISOR KEPT WRITING BAD REPORTS ABOUT WHAT I WAS DOING THEN WHEN IT GOES UP THE LADDER THEY DONT CARE JUST SIGN OFF ON THE REPORT,AND SO I TOOK THE TEST FOR E-6,AND FEW WEEKS LATER RECEIVE ORDERS FOR DISCHARGE DUE TO MY DISABIALITY.I NEVER RECEIVE ANY WORD WHETHER I MADE THAT RANK WHICH COULD HAVE IMPROVE THE MONTLY COMPENSATION.THIS WAS IN MARCH 1989 I TRIED FINDING OUT,BUT QUICK AFTER NO ANSWER FROM MY SUPERVISOR OR THE UNIT I WAS IN TESTING CENTER THIS I FEEL WAS WRONG. SSGT. JOHNNY STOGLIN.
SPC.Jack Kramer
Thank you for sharing this with us, have a great day soldier.
Joseph Harty rather use my grandpa nickname "LoloJoe"
My only experience of any novelty is at 17 after basic and ATC medical training in Greenville, AFB Mississippi went on leave, returning on orders to SAC Offutt AFB the morning of November 22, 1963. Being 6 generation IrishAmerican my world changed forever, then the Air Force put me in a position where a NATO “Belfast English Sargent wearing a Irish Military Uniform” tried to pull
rank on me, repeatedly, then put his hand on my shoulder and I sucker punched him. Obviously was brought up on charges under UMCJ. As my statement confirmed my act, when told an apology would get a mere slap on the wrist I refused on the grounds a British subject wearing an Irish uniform was not valid, but was an international fraudulent insult to Ireland. That even a member of the USAF, a Irish descendent all the way back to the state of Massachusetts 48th IrishAmerican Regiment that seized the city of New Orleans and the armed island in the Mississippi river the same week Grant took Vicksburg did not have to obey an illegal order. That the legitimacy of the confederates to us then is the same, illegitimate status as this bloke and refuse to respect it. It obviously shortened my tour – fined and lost time in grade. Joined to be a flight cargo crew member, so would have a real modern career, but was ordered to medical school. At 76 still hold the folks I worked with, served with in a special place, wish I could have retired in 22 years as a young sargent and gone straight to a commercial airlines with union wages and medical benefits:)