On a personal note....
....indulge me my friends.
For my granddaughter’s participation in JR ROTC for the marines positively intrigues, perhaps mesmerizes me.
First, she’s a very good participant but she tells me over and over that she doesn’t plan on signing up after graduation.
I think she’s not telling the truth.
She positively loves being in JR ROTC.
And for myself, I’ve learned about marines to my amusement.
First, I am getting better but I always say something like “well you say you’re not going in the army” and she gets mad of course, immediately inserts “MARINES”, sheesh you don’t want to say army instead of marines, my bad.
Friday night she calls me and tells me she is going to, I am not making this up, a “mess”. It was a dinner affair and Kaitlyn spoke to me Facetime and I watched her prepare.
She has hair down to the middle of the back but she is not allowed to wear it down in any way. She had to methodically grease and comb back her hair into a very tight bun.
Oh, and sleeves must be rolled up this time of year but you must roll the sleeves up BEFORE putting it on.
I don’t know why.
The “mess” was, of course, eating.
Marines change the name of everything.
Oh...and “covers”. That would be headgear. Kaitlyn’s telling me it’s a good thing she doesn’t need covers, that she left hers in her locker and I am scratching my head wondering what that is.
And I tell her the NCIS joke I heard where a marine sargent tells the recruits if they want an easy life, join the air force.
Kaitlyn laughed and said yeah, the air force, most of them never even been in a plane much less flew one.
She was so excited about that “mess” thing, she looked terrific....she does really seem to love those marines.
Marines?
Seriously?
And she can sing their anthem beautifully.
She got a 99% on her report card in JR ROTC.
But she’s failing Algebra.
She really loves this marine thing.
My mind reels.
In a good way, please understand.
I served 22 years in the US Air Force. I did not fly.
However, the aircraft cannot fly either, without all the work that goes on below them.
And a base can still be over run, shelled, bombed and mortared, because the enemy knows the flyers rely on the supporters on the ground.
People ask if I was in the military. I tell ‘em that I couldn’t hack it in the military, so I joined the Air Force...
Marines (and other forces) frowns on uneven sleeves when in the rear with the gear.