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Grunt officers get a bad wrap when they arrive to their first unit. Like any newbie, “Butter Bars” — military slang for 2nd Lieutenants — have to earn the respect of their men despite their rank.
Related: These legendary military officers were brilliant (and certainly crazy)
But it doesn’t stop there, there’s added pressure from the other officers higher in the chain. When Chase Millsap a veteran officer of both the Army and Marine Corps infantry got to his first unit, he received a warning call from the other Os.
“There wasn’t even like a welcome to the unit,” said Millsap. “It was like, ‘you are a liability, you are going to screw this up for the rest of us. If you think you have a question, don’t ask it.’ ”
It was a well timed warning and every new officer needs that grounding advice. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure coming out of the infantry officers course and these guys are ready to fight — “they are gung-ho,” according to Millsap.
In this episode of the Mandatory Fun podcast Tim and I ask Millsap everything we ever wanted to know about Grunt officers.
Here are 10 questions we asked:
- How do you get into the Naval Academy? How do you get your congressman to vouch for you?
- What are some popular tattoos with grunt officers? Do you guys also get moto tattoos?
- What kinds of nicknames do officers give each other?
- Do experienced officers mess with new officers? Do you haze each other? Spill the dirt.
- How did you know when you’ve earned the respect from the men you lead?
- Do officers make stupid purchases after deployment?
- What is it with officers and safety briefs?
- Do officers get extra attention from the enlisted troops at the base gate?
- Do officers rely on the intelligence of the Lance Corporal Underground — the E4 Mafia?
- What’s the Lieutenant Protection Association (LPA)? Is that like the officer version of the E4 Mafia?
Hosted by:
Tim Kirkpatrick: Navy veteran and Editorial Coordinator
- Twitter: @tkirk35
Orvelin Valle (AKA O.V.): Navy veteran and Podcast Producer
- Twitter/Instagram: @orvelinvalle
Guest:
Chase Millsap: Army and Marine Corps infantry veteran turned Director of Impact Strategy at We Are The Mighty
- Twitter/Instagram: @cmillsap05
Music licensing by Jingle Punks:
- Goal Line
- Heavy Drivers