You're Making Me Do WHAT??

If you can believe it, the Army suddenly had the craziest idea...

"Ha," you're thinking, "the people who thought up Military Intelligence and Tactical Nuclear Weapons have a crazy idea? No way!"

But it's true.

Apparently, TPTB decided that the best use of SSG Felten would be to make him a recruiter. A DA Select, involuntarily detailed recruiter.

I told them that I couldn't sell a space heater to an Eskimo, but that landed on deaf ears.

So, yours truly will be putting his life on hold (again), going to Fort Jackson, SC for about 6 weeks, then moving to California. Probably the armpit known as L.A.

That's as wrong as two boys kissing in the back of church. But there it is.

So. What to do? Options:

1. Come up lame during the PT test. That will be held on the first day and will land me back at my desk within a week or two.
2. Develop Turretts Syndrome or a bad stutter (my apologies to anyone with either...but if you've got it, flaunt it).
3. Suck it up and do my duty.

Although 1 and 2 are appealing, would I be able to look at myself in the mirror at the end of each day? I doubt it. I consider recruiting a necessary evil. I know people (including Felton) who were stuck with this assignment. It is not what one would consider a "plumb gig". It absolutely blows. The most unappreciated job in the military. The hours suck, you work weekends, and your wife and children become people you pass on your way out the door. That's why the Army has to make you do it. Everyone on Active Duty at some time or another gets stuck with what we call a hardship tour. Recruiting, Drill Sergeant, a tour on the Korean DMZ. They all suck. They are all necessary. Someone has to do them. If everyone said "No way, not me", things simply wouldn't get done and the Army would grind to a halt.

Man. I feel like I got punched in the gut.

Ah well. Could be worse. I could be going back to Iraq. For a third time.