The Fall
Published on April 19, 2004 By greywar In Personal Relationships
Deadly Charisma (Part 4)

Deadly Charisma (Part 4)

The Fall

(or)

Legends of the Fall II: On the Balcony with the Drunken Man-Ape. <–– Credit Pseudosoldier

 

     I was no longer fucked. After the successful ingratiation into SSG C’s inner circle via my ability to drive a semi-tractor; I knew I had set foot on the Golden Path and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t even end up as a sandworm to boot. SSG C deemd me worthy of enough of his time for me to relate my experience with not only our Guardrail collection system but several other systems as well like the U-2, EP-3, and ARL aircraft. He was mightily impressed by all of this self-important drivel as I learned he had only recently joined the Military Intelligence career field. For nearly 12 years he has been an Airborne Infantry soldier. I learned that while SSG C was a very proud and determined soldier he was also unafraid to seek out personnel for membership in his internal leadership cabal who could shore up any areas he felt he might be weaker in. Fortunately for me I fit the bill perfectly. Not only have I picked a few things here and there about intelligence, I was very willing to verbally beat down anyone outside the cabal who tried to use intelligence related arguments to attack SSG C’s own agendas.

     For those of you in a less testosterone-drenched working environment I feel I must take a moment to explain the importance of the verbal beat down in the modern Army. You see in years gone by the tried and true method of establishing dominance in a group of military men was to be physically intimidating and aggressive. This was simply the nature of military organizations since the dawn of time. If you did not have personal charisma or leadership ability you could make it up out of simple aggression. Even into the 1980’s physical violence was an common if “unofficial” method of straightening people out. Should a soldier challenge your leadership you would simply find the appropriate opportunity to give him a beating. Among all-male units this method was far more effective than you might think. Our pecking order obedience has a lot of evolutionary inertia behind it and the thin veneer of recent civilization is easily stripped away. 

     Since the early 1990’s this method fell completely out of favor. The Army was not only integrating women into formerly all-male units but also the individual soldiers were far more highly educated and aware of their own legal rights than they had been in the past. A new paradigm of hierarchy was required. Enter the new art of “shit-talking” of which I had become a master.

     Instead of a physical beating which would only land you in prison nowadays, the preferred method was to simply verbally denigrate someone into submission. This works especialy well if the main thrust of your beat-down is based in job-related items and not just new and invntive ways of calling the victim a homo-sexual (although the latter provides a nice finishing touch). The military intelligence community reveres this art form and so did SSG C. I immediately starting climbing my way up the units pecking order administering a beat down whenever my reputation required it or when SSG C needed a Mission poseur exposed as a twit. I excelled.

     The only real holdout against my determined assault came from an Arabic linguist named SGT Knuckles. He was a hulking brute of a soldier standing around 6’1” and tipping the scales at around 270lbs. If you took his BDU’s and wrung them out at the end of the day you would have enough straight testosterone to cure the world’s erectile dysfunction problem. While he was unable to mount a verbal counterattack he evidently decided to go another route by inviting me over to his house to drink. In certain military circles this is tantamount to throwing down the gauntlet and declaring that the invitee is obviously a pussy who can’t drink as much as the host can. I gleefully accepted the challenge.

 


Comments (Page 1)
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on Apr 19, 2004
Sorry for the couple of days off, I was not able to cram this one into just a one-page article especially since some of you expressed the desire for a bit more explanation. I hope the new format works outwell. I have switched to using Atlantis Open Mind Link and I really like it as an HTML formatter. The article looks better and the linking process seems more straightforward. Let me know what you think. Thanks.



on Apr 19, 2004
You should be a journlalist, baby.....or an author. Either one. I get the SGT Knuckles, arent you proud of me?
on Apr 19, 2004
You should be a journlalist, baby.....or an author. Either one. I get the SGT Knuckles, arent you proud of me?
on Apr 19, 2004
You should be a journlalist, baby.....or an author. Either one. I get the SGT Knuckles, arent you proud of me?
on Apr 19, 2004
Are you really describing yourself, greywar? I remember when someone called you "windbag," but that was when you were about three. I could understand most of your vocabulary at that stage in your life, but now... I desperately need a military lexicon, an unabridged dictionary, a full set of encyclopedias and phychology degree in understanding the male need to be macho. Have Mercy!
on Apr 19, 2004
I was hoping that this installment would actually address "The Fall," but it's more of a prelude. I think you're only building supsense for me, as anyone unfamiliar with what you're talking about won't get it until you come out and say it.
My SO is enjoying these, too. FWIW, the "SGT Knuckles" reference was lost there as well, but acknowledged once I explained. (You also garnered some laughs for the "In Loco Parentis" peice. Memories of DLI for my SO...)
on Apr 20, 2004
This is great... In reference to the part where you said "I was very willing to verbally beat down anyone outside the cabal who tried to use intelligence related arguments to attack SSG C’s own agendas." Boy is that ever true! I saw it alot, but never really thought of it in those terms. It was a quid pro quo sort of thing, I guess. Upon further thought, I suppose I sort of rode your coat-tails in that respect. Thanks, SGT Greywar! At least he knew that I was able to differentiate my own ass from my elbow 90% of the time.
on Apr 20, 2004
Ooooh look at me... no longer an anonymous user!
on Apr 20, 2004
All - Thanks for the comments, makes me feel better about this on. I had hoped to get to the Fall as well but I just couldn't make it in less than 2 pages. I am trying to hold these down to bite-size chunks but I knew this one had a bit of filler there to set it up. Still at least I have not fallen prey to Robert Jordan disease, he occasionally writes 500 page *books* that are all filler. Link

on Apr 20, 2004
Good to see you finally registered arquonzo, let us know if you actually start writing a bit yourself. And yes Grace I am definately more of a windbag now than I was at three. Just think of reading these as a sort of adjunct to the "increase your word power" sections of readers digest. Besides you were the one who taught me most of these words anyways.
on Apr 20, 2004
Grace - Not sure if you noticed the links I have placed in the words that are jargonistic or esoteric in nature. hopefully they will help.
on Apr 20, 2004
Thanks for the links, greywar. No, I never noticed them before. I will surely use them if it will add to the enjoyment I am getting from reading your blogs. This media is new to me. Glad you found it and are using it to express your verbosity so eloquently. I have gone to some links from other users and have enjoyed their input also. There are definitely words in your story that I never taught you...what does that oft-used f...word mean? LOL
on Apr 20, 2004
Jordan is a Hack
on Apr 22, 2004
There are definitely words in your story that I never taught you...what does that oft-used f...word mean? LOL


And now I am getting trolled by my own kith and kin?
on Oct 01, 2004
Nice Dune refs...

In certain military circles this is tantamount to throwing down the gauntlet and declaring that the invitee is obviously a pussy who can’t drink as much as the host can. I gleefully accepted the challenge.


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! "Ya'll can't get me drunk!!!" Sound familiar?
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