The Most Important Thing Rob Learned in 3 Years of Active Duty In the United States Army followed by 5 Years of Reserves

April 5, 2019

Believe it or not, The most important thing I learned during my 8 years in the United States Army was taught to me by my boss, SSG John (JC*) Compton who is from Los Angeles, when I was stationed in Berlin, Germany, and that is how to deal with other people. Let's say there are these two soldiers that are in the same squad like you and I are, we'll call them Bob and Jim. When they meet for the first time they shake hands and all is well and stays that way for several weeks. Then one day Jim shows up to work hung over, Bob gives Jim his usual morning greeting (unaware Jim is hung over) and Jim blows Bob off or makes some smart-ass remark. Bob, who is offended by this, then starts blowing Jim off and responding with smart-ass remarks. And the next thing you know, these two guys are at war with each other, messing with each other EVERY way imaginable, until the eventual fight breaks out... All because Jim showed up to work hung over and blew Bob off or made the wrong comment. Getting along with others is not something that happens by accident. It requires respect, sacrifice, and empathy. I'll add that laughter also helps. And yes, there was a LOT of in-fighting among the troops at that time, probably because of the pressure cooker the Army put us in...