Sunday, June 25, 2006

Small Pox

This last Thursday I received the Small Pox vaccine.
I have been avoiding it for the last 10 years and I feel I have been doing a good job at it.
Officially, Small Pox was eradicated from Earth September of 1979. But, someone kept some of it and it may be used against us in some sort of biological weapon some day. So to keep "us" in the clear "we" get vaccinated against it. The vaccine we get is not small pox, it something else that is in the same family. Yes, disease has families too.
I am at the point where my arm throbs with pain and itches like crazy. I talked to a few other people and I am not alone in this stage. The good part is I should be in the clear by the time I get back to the US.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Let me tell you about TPS Reports

Well, that title won't mean anything to you if you haven't seen Office Space. The last few days have been getting a little too asinine about paperwork. Here is the scenario:

I needed to open purchase 4 resistors. These resistors are special in which no part number is associated with them and I need to have them manufactured.
I got the quote, I received the open purchase requests from supply, and I have all the proper specification paperwork.
So I turn in the paperwork, and
They(supply) say: 'You need a justification. '

So I go back to my shop and write a justification and have my boss sign it. I return to supply and
They say: 'You have the wrong open purchase paperwork.'
I say: ' You gave me this paperwork.'
They say: ' It doesn't matter, you need the new and improved paperwork.'

So I go back to my shop and re-write the open purchase request and get it signed by my boss.
I return to supply, and
They say: 'You need to have the Division Officer to sign off on this and the Aviation Maintenance Officer sign off as well.'
I say: 'Both officers are fully aware of this including your officer, because the subject pertaining to this open purchase has been brought up every Wednesday for the last 2 months.'
They say:'You could be lying.'
I say:' I am not, let's ask your officer if he is aware of it and fore go this extra paperwork.'
They say: 'It doesn't matter we are not going to accept the paperwork without their signatures.'

So I go back to my shop and write up an endorsement page to add to my paperwork. I get it all signed off and I return to supply.

I turn in the paperwork and they don't even look at the justification or the extra signatures I just got. They took it to the "inbox" for their officer and told me to have a nice day.

All the paperwork, I recieved from supply, except the endorsement page which myself and another Marine created. This wasted 3 days of my life. This is why I have been pissed off lately. There is more bullshit paperwork I do, but this last scenario is a perfect example of wasting good time for something that didn't need to be that complicated.

Friday, June 02, 2006

This Year's Board

This year there is 18 allocations for Staff Sergeant in my MOS(Military Occupational Specialty). There is 12 Sergeants in the Above Zone (we were passed over at least once prior) which I am in. 23 Sergeants are in the Zone, I didn't bother with the Below Zone.
So I am looking at about a 50 - 50 shot this year, not very good, but I have done everything I can to make me look more outstanding than the rest of them.