[March 11, 2017] A short story on professional leadership from last week. I was sitting in the U.S. Marine Recruiting station speaking with a friend who is active in the Toys for Tots charity. Next to us was a young lady interested in joining the Marines; I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation she was having with a recruiter. She asked the Marine Gunnery Sergeant if she could get a 9 to 5 job as a uniformed U.S. Marine.
That comment caught my ear! As a college student she said that she was acquainted with the military because she had met a number of veterans and several professors had talked to her about joining up (the conversation between my friend and I stopped right there). I was impressed by the professionalism of the Marine Recruiter as he patiently answered each of her many questions and explained to her the responsibilities and values of those in uniformed service to the nation.
There was someone who snickered in the background; apparently I was not the only one listening in. There is some humor here, common inside the military. Like the movie Private Benjamin (1980) where the main character – a pampered and privileged “Jewish American princess” played by Goldie Hawn – is tricked into believing the Army will give her a private room, fancy clothes, and a sauna bath. Hawn’s character abruptly discovers reality and she has to work very hard for a living in the Army.
The young lady we were listening to at the Marine Recruiting station claimed to have been raised in Manhattan Upper East Side, had affluent parents, always got good grades, and stayed out of trouble. That was the good news. Fortunate for her, the U.S. military is looking to expand. The young lady said that she believed the military to be changing and they needed someone like her who could think “out of the box,” “see change and adapt,” and “be successful in all domains of combat.”
“There was no need for unnecessary hardships,” she claimed, “a person who could make the U.S. Marines better in combat, certainly earned their keep regardless of hours worked.” I’m thinking about this time that maybe she has a good point but that will not likely go very far with a traditional Marine Recruiter. And it doesn’t … but both keep their cool. It gets better.
Now the young lady wants a signed contract that she will get certain privileges; like having most weekends off and an 8-hour day with a fixed schedule. She would also insist on being a Captain immediately. With that she would provide a number of “political contacts” and her dad’s influence on getting a “budget increase” for the Marines. The look on the Marine’s face was priceless.
Of course, she did have some really good points. I actually have a lot of respect for someone so bold as to come out and ask for this. She didn’t get what she wanted but that’s okay. The U.S. Marines are looking to hire those who are aggressive and bold. Maybe in the future she’ll get a job with them.
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