Thoughts on Promotion...

[RBL_Vapor]

I had duty the other night when some clown got the hairbrained idea of sneaking in the XO's office after taps and plugging his laptop into her internet port.

I was standing in the Drill Instructor hut across deck when she came looking for me (she was also the Officer of the Day). She wanted to know if I, being duty and senior Marine on deck, had noticed that someone had gone in her office.
I said no. She was clearly aggrivated. I would have been too. It was a stupid thing to do. But it made me come to realize a lot since the promotion.

First of all is how people tend to act differently around you. Whether its to kiss up or to accuse of hypocrisy, people just don't treat you the same when you're higher rank. Not here anyway.

And you know. I haven't changed at all--As a person or what I expect out of everyone else. I still say the same things I said before. My attitude hasnt changed. At least thats what my friends say.

Second of all is how everyone expects more from you. Responsibility I guess. Territorially it makes sense but, last week I was just another Marine on deck. And I could roam and do anything I wanted without having to come back to everyone's problems.

To do the right thing essentially alienates me from the rest of my peers, when I'd rather just chill out with them. The others in charge tell me all the time to stop working with everyone else to get jobs done, because Im supposed to be in charge. But it just doesnt feel natural to be on the outside just cause I have a billet. I'm sure you all (who are older) have faced this one before. How does one walk the wire between being a boss and a buddy?

RBL_Vapor
Sean A. Layne
Lcpl,  USMC