Ouch. That hurt . . . I thought we'd connected, and maybe we had for a minute. I can't tell. I suppose I shouldn't try. Yes, that *does* go against the grain of my nature, but . . .
Ok, new subject. A couple days ago, I played wargames with Jimmy, Bryan and Bjorn, and another guy named Jeff whom I barely know, but he's in charge of "security" at WBC. I won the 1v1 I played against Bryan's orcish war machine . . .jeez. I'm pretty new to the game, so Bjorn helped by selecting my forces, picking a team suited to the particular challenges of facing a single monstrosity. Thank you, Bjorn, for the recruitment! He also played my S-3, and with his briefing on my units' capabilities, I felt pretty confident that I could handle the tactical side of command. Sho' 'nuff. Casualties were heavy, but as anticipated, and considering the punishment I inflicted was absolute, my losses were actually relatively moderate. How I love strategy and command! For a little while, there, I truly came alive.
Hey, I know it's just a game, but the thought and application in a game are just as real as in any other scenario. Analyzing terrain, picking avenues of approach/attack, analyzing the capabilities of the individual units under my command and how they relate to the opposing force (AKA "OPFOR"), trying to understand how the enemy thinks (ok, so it was pretty simple this time), determining precise tactics and then executing them and dealing with the beautiful, macabre dance of chaos in battle. The thing is, "Battle" as an entity believes against all persuasion that it leads the dance, and a commander has to dance in such a way as to allow Battle its room to improvise, while still directing the steps. I have a long ways to go, but in theory, I've got what it takes.
There's something about leading men (and women!) under one's command, especially in a tactical operation. My favorite part of basic training was being a squad leader, and having that direct relationship with a group of people it was MY job to train, inspect, discipline, set an example for, care for, defend, and direct. Soldiers from other people's squads came to me when they needed an ear or advice.
I'm a little funny about command. If someone else is nominally in charge, and doing what I believe is an acceptable job, I let them do it, and support where I can. It doesn't bother me *not* to be in charge, as it does certain types of people. (We call those people "power mad," "bossy," and other words starting with "b" when we're feeling crabby. Otherwise, we usually call them "Sir/Ma'am," or "Mr. President.") However, and this is a HUGE "however," if I don't believe those in charge are doing acceptably and I can do an appreciably better job, and no one else seems inclined, I'll stand up and lay everything on the line to accomplish what needs to be done.
Some of you understand the significance of "Bravo/Deviant." Bjorn had an excellent chance to witness that tonight, at Denny's. [shrug] It more than accomplished the task, made the point, greatly benefited us, AND managed to use (not abuse) the system against the offender. A hilarious example of this bravo/deviant aspect of my character also occurred during basic training, near the end, on our field training exercise (FTX.) If you ever want to hear the story of the Private E-1 who suggested his Airborne Ranger Drill Sergeant was insecure in his masculinity, and proceeded to hold a debate on the role of domestic aesthetics in the military and win, just ask. =P The poor guy would probably *still* get teased if he weren't in jail at the moment for beating up a soldier in the cycle before mine. So it wasn't the most *practical* application of combined cajones and deviance, but it sure filled the tank on emotional satisfaction!
[checks watch] Well, I've also proven beyond a doubt that I wouldn't know a reasonable bed time if it came autographed by the Pope. I doubt I'll go to bed just yet (see what I mean!! See!!) . . . I want to try implementing just ONE more feature on this page. Good night, everyone.