Got bitched at by my team leader all day today.

It seemed like he was on my case all day. I was feeling a little grumpy too so I didn’t deal with it too well. Maybe that had something to do with it. I think the reason I was so grumpy today was because I didn’t get enough sleep last night. Lesson learned. Actually, I already know that if I don’t get enough sleep, I kind of act aggravated until I get some rest. I guess it could be considered stress.

It all started in the morning when I flagged a buddy. I didn’t mean to do it I just didn’t see him. He went right in front of me real quick and was past me before I knew it. A little while later T-Rex was backing up the Humvee when he came out with the remark, “Well, are you going to check the back to make sure no one is back there.” See, since I’m the gunner, I’m expected to make sure we don’t collide with other objects. A gunner has a good view of everything. I just happened to be sitting down when we were backing up. Well, my team leader was pissed off about it. I didn’t see a problem with it. If I was needed to clear an area all they have to do is ask. They expected me to know where they were going and what we were doing. So, afterwards my TL came over to me and said that I have to be alert up there. Heck I wasn’t worried about it. We were on the FOB. It was time for me to sit and relax. Mission Accomplished. We made it to our destination.  They just about want me to drive for them I guess.

This afternoon our PL got on our case because there was some trash in the Humvee. Again, I wasn’t too worried about it. For one, it’s our truck and I clean out the trash daily. Well, as goes in the Army, shit rolls downhill. The PL told T-Rex about the trash that was in the back seat where he was going to sit.  I explained to the PL that it was my trash. T-Rex usually keeps his trash up in his seat, the same with me when I’m sitting in the back of the Humvee. I told the PL that I would get it, no problem I thought. Well, the TL came to me again and said that he wanted all the trash out of there. No problem, I take out the trash daily. I just leave it in the back seat. What the heck else do they want me to do, throw it off to the side of the road? It’s not like this place has trash receptacles everywhere.

So again, I started to get a little frustrated. Damn, it’s just not my day and why do I feel like I’m constantly being picked on. I’m a Sergeant damn-it. This shit isn’t supposed to happen anymore. I thought I was supposed to be treated like a professional. Heck, for the most part, I try to act professional. I thought leadership was supposed to treat me as a professional. Not just a private or specialist. I’m an NCO and I deserve and demand respect.

Well, it didn’t end there. There was more. Next were my sappy plates. We had got issued new ones so when I changed them out I left my old ones in the truck. They had been there for a couple of days and I had planned on getting them out of there. Well, what do you know, here comes my TL again, “Whose sappy plates are these?” “Mine” I told him. “Why are they in the truck?” he said. I started thinking to myself what? What did he mean by that? He could’ve just told me, “SGT P., make sure your sappy plates get out of the truck tonight.” He never told me that it wasn’t ok to have the plates in there. What’s the problem if they were in there? Again, something else I didn’t see a problem with. If there was, all he had to do was tell me that he didn’t want the sappy plates in there. “I left them there.” I told him. Mistake. He was pissed. He thought it was a smart-ass remark. Why did I say that? Was it because I was grumpy? Damn! I didn’t mean to make it sound that bad. What should I have said? I was looking for a request and not a guess on my part on what he wanted me to do with them. Maybe I should’ve said, “I’ll have them out of there tonight.” That would’ve sounded better. Without him even telling me that he wanted them out. It’s time to play the anticipation game.