I Think It's Time

When the job becomes more difficult to accomplish because I don't have enough rank, it may be time to put in for a promotion. I'd been putting it off, feeling my way through the responsibilities I have now, trying to reassure myself that I'm competent...the Army has a way of exacerbating my already prodigious (excessive?) self-doubt. No really, I am a paragon of self-doubt. It may not seem like it in person on account of I rarely express my doubts unless asked directly. But I spend incredible amounts of time and energy reviewing my actions for error.

Anyways, the one thing that could really motivate me to this--my lowly position interfering with the accomplishment of my mission--has now come to pass. I mean really, would it be intolerable to use a specialist as a point of contact? Is the arrival of a single part really so critical that it must be supervised by a sergeant or officer?

Sigh.

Alternatively

Brigade could just use the whole GS thing to give themselves a way to task us out, while keeping our existing, non-functional relationship with the battalion exactly the same.

Dum de Dee Dum

It seems we may be getting out from under the thumb of our infantry gaggle soon. Brigade has apparently authorized our request to go general support. Which means that instead of having to cut our way through the variegated thickets of ego and regulation in the headquarters there, we might be getting taskings and reporting directly to the brigade. Probably be better, could be worse. Don't get me wrong, I love the guys on the ground. But their command doesn't seem to get it. We'll see if -their- command gets it.

Connections

I am reminded today of that wonderful TV show on public television. The exploration of the interrelations between inventions, historical events, and the unintended consequences of everyone's choices. Why? Most of the reconstruction funds us military types have access to nowadays come in the form of ICERP, since all the American cash is tied up with paying the Sons of Iraq. Not only is there less of it than there was on the last deployment, but it's more restricted, since we want to encourage the Iraqi government to do most of their own damn reconstruction.

Well, those funds just got cut to $10 million for the entire province. Now, that sounds like a lot, but it ain't. My CA sergeant's team, a single CA team, spent apparently upwards of $15 million last time they were here. Those funds were cut because the Iraqi government gets 90% of their money from oil revenues. With oil dropping like a rock (I hear gas back in the states is down around $2.25 again), all those projected dollars/dinars have gone poof. One of the primary causes of oil's decline is the global economic troubles we're facing. Why are we facing a global recession? Well for one thing, a bunch of wealthy twits with no long-term sense decided to run up the housing market to unsustainable levels, creating one of the most important preconditions for this crash.

That's right. A bunch of Wall Street and D.C. stuffed suits stabbed the slowly awakening corpse of the Iraqi nation/state...FROM THE PAST. What the hell?