Unfiltered Story #67318

When I was a trainee awaiting course, we TACs had nothing to do so we took turns on duty in the office, manning the phones, making copies, etc. This led to a lot of people thinking we were the office dogsbodies, and while we had to take it from the officers and warrant officers and civilian instructors, we weren’t supposed to do jack for the trainees (whether fellow cadets or officers on course) unless it was specified within the job scope or they were absolutely unable, but we tried to help out where we could.

One day I was paired with one of the guys who’d been there a lot longer than I had. At the end of the day, we were packing up; he had his gear all stowed and had just done the final walkabout to lock the doors and shut down the a/c before we left. The phone rang and I picked up. I gave the usual, “[Unit] Office, Officer Cadet [Name], how may I help you?”

I was the only female in the unit at that point. I’ve got a lower voice than most women, but I’m still quite unmistakably female on the phone. A brusque male voice nevertheless asks, “[colleague’s name]?”

I say, “No sir, this is Officer Cadet [Name]. [Colleague] is busy locking up. May I help you?”

Again, abruptly, “Call [colleague].”

I assume it’s one of those higher up in the ranks who are used to obeisance, and as a lowly cadet I say, “Yes sir,” and call for my buddy. He comes over and asks who it is; usually callers give at least a rank and name, if not unit, if they’re unknown to us, but I can but shrug and hand over the phone.

As he talks, I get about the rest of the business of closing down. By the time he’s done I am too, so I ask him what’s up.

As it turned out, it was a 2LT currently on course, who thought he was some big shot. His father had been a general and he himself had just gotten his commission and impressive as he thought himself he’d left his cell phone at the base medical centre and wanted one of us TACs to go and get it for him. The medical centre was clear on the other side of the base and would’ve been at least a half hour walk there and back, not including time taken getting through security protocol. I sure as hell wasn’t going to do it. I asked my buddy if he was, since he rode a motorcycle and could make the trip in a quarter of the time. The look he gave me was priceless, “Hell NO. I’ll tell him I checked and couldn’t find it to keep him happy, but are you kidding me?”

Besides the fact that it was out of our job scope (I would’ve done it for my buddies, as I had nothing to do but stare at the ceiling in my bunk after hours), this guy was just such an ass. I only knew him by reputation at that point, but later when I met him for real I was hard pressed not to throw in his face the fact that his dad might’ve been a general but mine was the lowly captain who’d taught his how to fly. I’ve since left the military but from what I hear he’s not much better.