- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
Service Before Self
From the time we are bumbling recruits, unformed berets, laces hanging out we often hear the term service before self. At all the training bases it is posted in the mess hall’s, lecture rooms and drill halls. To most it’s an over used phrase or motto, that reminds us of the career courses we have been on and the nauseating stuff we learn and never use again.
It’s something now that I’m at a combat unit I don’t really hear anymore. I recently left a very comfortable job at a training base, hours were very flexible and the nature of my job had me in a position where most nights I was at home with my family.
Service always took precedence, however the nature of the job it was very easy to put “SELF” as number one.
After preaching things to soldiers that I really didn’t believe myself at a school, I can honestly say I really had no time for catch phrases such as “Bold and swift“, “Chimo” or my all time favorite “The regimental family”. To me it didn’t seem to apply. Every grad parade I would listen to another fine officer welcome the young recruits to the CF “family” and only professionalism while in uniform prevented me from rolling my eye’s or fake vomiting. The words to me seemed empty, Didn’t apply.
After saying “yes, I wanna go back” at an informal meeting, less than 30 days or so I “made parole” as my friends said. I was on my way back to my unit. Posting leave went really quick. TMST turned into Christmas and Christmas has quickly turned into more training, and subsequently more time away from family.
Having become accustom to the school life, I was finding things hard to get use to. Menial taskings were the norm again for my rank, and received some less than desirable employment as most everyone else was trying to do the training I had done in the fall. The tasking pretty well is landing me away from home an extra 4 weeks (on top of the exercise) when all is said and done.
Bitter (adjective)
Definition: hostile
Acrimonious, alienated antagonistic,begrudging,caustic…….
So big deal right? What soldier doesn’t feel bitter?
Then it started to hit me. Why am I above this tasking? Why is my family more important than the other guy’s? Why should I show bitterness when I’m suppose to be an example (ha ha) for the young guys?
(jovial: Why am I on the fecal tasking again and Mcpl asshat isn’t?…oh right he has never asked himself the questions I just did)
(Another big question would be: Does everyone else ask themselves so many darn questions?)
I finally realized what was bothering me to the point of angry fit’s. It was my “why me?” attitude. I have never been like this ever! Then it hit me….I had become a school tool..
Skool Tool:
Definition: loser
excuse ridden, somehow wears the rank of a supreme allied commander, cant possibly do duty on the weekend,
In a mere 3 years I had become one. At the school everyone taught I was still pretty regimental. However as they say it’s not hard to be an eagle in a flock of ducks.
After a day off of self study I realized the most important basic I had forgotten, or really probably have never learned. Service before self. I am a soldier who wields a massive amount of firepower to reign down death onto our enemies. To protect the innocent. To defend the helpless. I had remembered misfire drill’s, BP, sequences, but had forgot service before self.
What is service before self to me?
It’s easy. The army asks and you do it. Unfortunately not everyone in our “family”(partly why I hate the term) uses this phrase. Hence why you keep getting nailed with the tasking. Imagine if everyone put the army first how much time for SELF some of us would have! It’s too easy sometimes to forget that we sacrifice so others do not have to. However those that always put self first is the reason you are never receiving your down time.
What is service before self to you? Do you practice it everyday? I know I have forgotten it at times, and the more I look around I think it’s something we can all look inward on. As not all of us are practicing the basic’s anymore.
From the time we are bumbling recruits, unformed berets, laces hanging out we often hear the term service before self. At all the training bases it is posted in the mess hall’s, lecture rooms and drill halls. To most it’s an over used phrase or motto, that reminds us of the career courses we have been on and the nauseating stuff we learn and never use again.
It’s something now that I’m at a combat unit I don’t really hear anymore. I recently left a very comfortable job at a training base, hours were very flexible and the nature of my job had me in a position where most nights I was at home with my family.
Service always took precedence, however the nature of the job it was very easy to put “SELF” as number one.
After preaching things to soldiers that I really didn’t believe myself at a school, I can honestly say I really had no time for catch phrases such as “Bold and swift“, “Chimo” or my all time favorite “The regimental family”. To me it didn’t seem to apply. Every grad parade I would listen to another fine officer welcome the young recruits to the CF “family” and only professionalism while in uniform prevented me from rolling my eye’s or fake vomiting. The words to me seemed empty, Didn’t apply.
After saying “yes, I wanna go back” at an informal meeting, less than 30 days or so I “made parole” as my friends said. I was on my way back to my unit. Posting leave went really quick. TMST turned into Christmas and Christmas has quickly turned into more training, and subsequently more time away from family.
Having become accustom to the school life, I was finding things hard to get use to. Menial taskings were the norm again for my rank, and received some less than desirable employment as most everyone else was trying to do the training I had done in the fall. The tasking pretty well is landing me away from home an extra 4 weeks (on top of the exercise) when all is said and done.
Bitter (adjective)
Definition: hostile
Acrimonious, alienated antagonistic,begrudging,caustic…….
So big deal right? What soldier doesn’t feel bitter?
Then it started to hit me. Why am I above this tasking? Why is my family more important than the other guy’s? Why should I show bitterness when I’m suppose to be an example (ha ha) for the young guys?
(jovial: Why am I on the fecal tasking again and Mcpl asshat isn’t?…oh right he has never asked himself the questions I just did)
(Another big question would be: Does everyone else ask themselves so many darn questions?)
I finally realized what was bothering me to the point of angry fit’s. It was my “why me?” attitude. I have never been like this ever! Then it hit me….I had become a school tool..
Skool Tool:
Definition: loser
excuse ridden, somehow wears the rank of a supreme allied commander, cant possibly do duty on the weekend,
In a mere 3 years I had become one. At the school everyone taught I was still pretty regimental. However as they say it’s not hard to be an eagle in a flock of ducks.
After a day off of self study I realized the most important basic I had forgotten, or really probably have never learned. Service before self. I am a soldier who wields a massive amount of firepower to reign down death onto our enemies. To protect the innocent. To defend the helpless. I had remembered misfire drill’s, BP, sequences, but had forgot service before self.
What is service before self to me?
It’s easy. The army asks and you do it. Unfortunately not everyone in our “family”(partly why I hate the term) uses this phrase. Hence why you keep getting nailed with the tasking. Imagine if everyone put the army first how much time for SELF some of us would have! It’s too easy sometimes to forget that we sacrifice so others do not have to. However those that always put self first is the reason you are never receiving your down time.
What is service before self to you? Do you practice it everyday? I know I have forgotten it at times, and the more I look around I think it’s something we can all look inward on. As not all of us are practicing the basic’s anymore.
