So.... deployment time. Here's what it entails, at least for us. I guess all branches do things differently.... heck all units do things differently. First come orders! They make the official really official. Makes sense huh. Then comes the paperwork. The soldiers have millions of paper to fill out every time they deploy. When I say millions I'm really not kidding. It's not an exact count cause hey have you ever counted to a million.... takes a long time!! But really they take several days to do all the red tape paperwork. Then comes the fun part. Verification. Except I think that the soldier think that we're bluffing when we say, we will be calling for verification. So there's a very beautiful and sweet woman, who works for the Battalion. It's her fabulous job to call all these people and make these verifications. Let me share some numbers with you just so you understand where she's coming from.... there are probably one thousand soldiers that she represents... close to anyway. Each soldier is required to fill out Next Of Kin information sheets. These are what we are trying to verify. Each soldier is required to have a Primary and a Secondary. They can have more, but no less. So this is at least two thousand people she is trying to call and verify the information! So she asks for help and I volunteer. Cause I'm nice like that!! haha. Anyway, so she give me a small stack. Let me tell you people!!! When the form says person must live within Colorado state boundaries, why oh why are we listing our long lost relative in Texas!!! Hello?? And when you list your mother as next of kin but list your home phone number here in Colorado as her number, when she lives in Pennsylvania, how are we supposed to contact her? HMMM HOW?? Then there are the people who list their neighbors as next of kin, and even better don't tell them. So when some crazy lady from Ft. Carson call to verify they are totally taken back that they have been listed as next of kin!! I shouldn't be the one breaking this news to them. ARGHHGHGHGH! It's crazy.
It has been my experience not just for this, but in general. That if a form, especially an official form, asks for information, it's good to list accurate information. Oh! and it's good to actually fill in the blanks! It has also been my experience that if there is policy about something, especially as important as a deployment, that there is good reason for that policy to exist. Now sometimes things are out dated or old fashioned, but I don't believe next of kin falls into this category. Is like the warning on preparation H. It tells you not to eat it. I don't' know what happens if you eat it, but I'm sure there's some fool out there that does! And that is why there is now a warning that says do not ingest orally!
I think these soldiers think they are invincible and that the ARMY doesn't need the info because nothing is going to happen to them. Well those people are usually the idiots who walk into bad situations without thinking, and get hurt. And then the whole brigade turns upside down because the next of kin can't be notified. Chaos ensues and a whole lot of bawling wives create a HUGE headache for the poor souls left behind to deal with all the Estrogen. So for the love of Pete!! Fill out the form. Do it correctly. Be accurate. Tell the people who need to know. Use some common sense!! I mean after all we do let you play with guns!
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