Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for April 22, 2010

Thankfully, her boss is VERY patient.

I’m not in trouble with the BOSS. I mean He does have a sense of humor, doesn’t He? I mean, look at the platypus. Ha ha ha. Just kidding Boss. Great idea that platypus. No BOSS, I’ve never spent eternity in a burning lake before. Ha ha. Why do you ask?

Wha? What does this have to do with Bruce Springsteen?

Captain Cluetard didn’t read the file…

The Captain may not have that information. Usually it isn’t available to just anyone, Chaplains and medical people yes, and only if they need access. Even in the military there are privacy rules & regs.

shouldn’t the Top be there as a mediator?

And I can’t believe that after one tour, she’s still a spec-4. People usually get an automatic promotion after a tour.

As it stands now, it all looks fairly innocent (with the obvious exception of Mel’s former CO…) - Seabrook got word she’s stressed and thought a desk job would make life easier for her. Of course, if he knew her background story, he would know that that’s exactly NOT what she needs.

My guess is that fixing helicopters is therapeutic for her, but she should get some help beyond that.

Considering how her nerves are all on edge (did you see her eyes yesterday? - shades of Boopsie back when she was channeling some ancient mummy…) I’d be a bit worried about her walking around with her sidearm, though…

@Potrzebie - just curious - how do you know Mel’s a spec-4?

Even if he had access to it, which he probably doesn’t, there’s no reason for the captain to have been snooping around in a SPEC 4’s personal files. The system is working as it should.

As to all of us being in trouble with “the Boss”… who knows? From a chaplain’s perspective, it’s the appropriate attitude to take.

The Chaplain’s Boss also has a kid. MOS - 21W

Awwwww. Mel needs to know there are good guys out there!

zev.farkas - CO called her “specialist” when he called her in to let her know he was taking her off the flight line.

what the Chaplain says next will require exquisite tact and discernment. wow. what a task.

HA! I told you so! Y’all went right to the bad place and I told you so!

Hey that felt good. I could never do that with the wife.

rac0308 -

thanks, but i (not a veteran, just a trivia hound…) thought there were also higher specialist ranks - like spec-5 and spec-6.

It sounds to me like Mel’s CO is trying to be a nice guy. It might have helped had he explained his reasons for the reassignment. Of course, he may have been concerned about blowback on Mel’s team lead. Still, it would have given Melissa a little better feeling had she known her CO was concerned about her well-being and not her body.

but, before the chaplin can talk to Mel, Mel completely loses it and frags the captains office with an ‘accidental’ firing of an air to ground missile from one of the ‘copters she was working on. oh, well. these things happen in combat zones

What a surprise. I wish he would have explained that to Mel instead of being so (what we can now see ) nonchalant.

good comments Tex., zev

Was G.T. messing with our minds or were we messing with our minds?

There used to be Spec 5, 6 and so on. Those ranks were eliminated some time ago.

If you were going reassign a soldier because they were stressed, it is likely you would not tell them that is the reason.

Soldier are stubbornly proud and don’t like to take assignments that are “soft”.

He should be more concerned that his enormous chin doesn’t get stuck in the next door he walks through.

Bradwilliams:

I see what you mean. Nothing is as easy as it seems.

Now that things are clear(er) I hope that chaplain and Seabrook can ease Mel’s misapprehension.

I, by the way, see that Crow is on my menu for tonight.

Okay, seems like the Cap has Melissa’s best interests at heart.

On a side note, in that last panel his chin is just out of control.

Why is the Captain’s chin growing?

I’m not sure. I was already thinking that this was all innocent, but now I’m thinking that he just gave too much information. Almost as if he is defending himself. Is he feeling guilty?

Funny… She didn’t seem stressed when she was repairing the USO Chopper.

zev.farkas Specialist is between PVT and CPL and is an E4 Rate. Hence Spec4 If you’re interested, here’s a listing: http://www.us-army-info.com/pages/ranks.html

I don’t know if the captain has Mel’s best interests at heart as much as he’s concerned that a helicopter mechanic whose team leader took the trouble to point out as being extremely stressed might be an unnessiary risk for the safety of his team.

If Mel is so stressed where her team leader is noticing and reporting it, perhaps she shouldn’t be fixing choppers at the moment, or at least until the chaplain can get her some perspective.

FriscoLou – go back and reread my post yesterday. I think you got it backwards. “Daughter of Diggitt” is a gender and sexualities activist, thanks – I have been a rape counselor and am now studying for the ministry.

bradwilliams, that’s what I was thinking all along too. It didn’t seem worth mentioning though because of all the disputes that would arise. And you never know, the story could take another unexpected twist.

Re Specialist ranks. Specialist ranks in pay grades E-5 through E-9 were authorized at one time and were referred to as Spec #. As I recall E-8 and E-9 were never used, only E-5 through E-7. I never saw an Spec 7, but I did see one soldier (a musician) who was a Spec 6. I was a Spec 5, but that rank was retired in 1985.

Specialists were just that - specialists. Technical experts in some field. Sergeants (NCOs) held command positions as well as being proficient in one or more specialties.

Enlisted pay grades E-4 through E-6 are generally considered junior NCO ranks and E-7 through E-9 senior NCO ranks. This may be why I never saw a Spec 7. By the time a soldier earned an E-7 position he was promoted to SFC.

Today, since there is only one Specialist rank, they are referred to only as “Specialist,” not “Spec 4.”

It might or might not make sense for our troops to be there, but the goal is for them to protect us. This cartoon shows one more thing they may have to go thru - mental or spiritual agony. We ought to be that much more grateful for them

OOOOoooo! Susan, are you talking about GW’s mentor?

As to the Specialist rank, it is not supposed to be a commanding rank while a Corporal (same pay grade) is. In other words a Corporal can lead and order men while a Specialist can’t. This is in theory only.

Is the Captain’s name Leno?

Good thing Mel’s counselor isn’t the rasseler. “Embrace the Suck!”

I’m with ya Brad, you’re just saying what every red blood feels.

It tickles me to see how defensive the Feminist Forum Basijis are, trying to justify the unjustifiable, in attempt at face saving, and it ain’t workin’. So far only one gets it. Help your sisters.

Diggitt your post was incoherent the first time I read it. It didn’t get smarter overnight. The term “Son of Diggett is a reference to a hypothetical child, not you. Study harder.

You got a point jtpozenel, that Trudeau is a shifty feller, I don’t trust him. Every time you think something is one way, along comes a bitter pill to swallow. I’d really like to keep the momentum of this vindication buzz going.

Trudeau must be using a wide angle/tilt shift special effects frame for the jaw.

zev.farkas said, about 9 hours ago

rac0308 -

thanks, but i (not a veteran, just a trivia hound…) thought there were also higher specialist ranks - like spec-5 and spec-6.

Those ranks were laterally promoted to hard stripes by 1980.

As I recall he was pretty short with her when he was giving her the new assignment and showed a definite lack of understanding that there might be something wrong. Now he’s concerned about her welfare – Hmmm?!?

Coyoty said, 2 days ago

I think Seabrook’s thoughts earlier about setting an example to the men by not oggling Mel indicates he’s not gay. Maybe also that he intends to remain professional with Mel and not take advantage of her.

diggett:

Your post of yesterday WAS coherent. AND SMART!!!

Understanding it just requires some intelligence and respect.

As I see it you are imagining. albertonencioni in his(?) communal setting and his(?) likely failure to meet its minimal needs.

I don’t think there is anything wrong about the various posts not getting it “right.” G. T.’s inconclusive clues led us in all sorts of directions. The resultant dialogue helped us think and rethink a complex issue. We are smarter for having made our various errors.

Stop yelling! alfracto there’s a disconnect with intelligence and respect, and your third paragraph.

Coyoty said, 2 days ago

I think Seabrook’s thoughts earlier about setting an example to the men by not oggling Mel indicates he’s not gay. Maybe also that he intends to remain professional with Mel and not take advantage of her.

Some posters seem to think this is the same captain who was refraining from ogling the ladies a few months ago. Check the hair and especially the chin; it’s a different guy.

http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2010/02/11/

gimmick, Coyoty - not only is it a different guy, but the person Mel is refering to as “Command” in your link seems to be much older and wearing a colonel’s rank insignia. I assume that’s her brigade commander.

I am a bit confused about Seabrook though. For awhile I thought he was an operations officer, but now he seems to be talking like the company commander. It might be my ignorance of command/staff structure in an aviation unit.

This lady is one gooooooood chaplain.