Chief

Chief was a Chief Warrant Officer that worked in JAG and for some reason, he really liked me.

No, I don't mean like that but on a professional level, he really liked me.  And in his eyes, I could do no wrong.  At least that's what everyone in JAG would say to me, "Well, in Chief's eyes, Sergeant Dodge can do no wrong."

I think he respected my work ethic and I think he thought I was smart.  And so, he kind of treated me like teacher's pet.

I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't hating it.  I worked on the first floor of our very large building and Chief was on the second floor.  I had an occasion to go upstairs maybe once or twice a day.  I probably needed to go up more often but our Legal Assistance office was crazy busy so it wasn't too often during the day I could even get away.

But those times I could get away I'd be upstairs and sometimes I'd chit-chat with the civilian secretaries.  Often times Chief would call me into his office and we'd chat --about Army stuff and legal stuff and Chief was nice to me and Chief treated me like --you know, I could do no wrong.

Until one day, I did wrong.

Computers were just coming onto the scene back in the 80's.  We used word processors and those old fashioned things --typewriters but the Army was investing in technology and so we were getting in new computers.  I mean, not like what you think a computer to be but for the 80's we were on the cutting edge of technology --complete with those monitors that took up your entire desk top.

JAG was getting issued computer stations for just about every person and Chief was in charge of signing for the equipment and assigning it to individuals, etc.  I walked upstairs one afternoon and there were monitors (HUGE ones) and computers everywhere.  Chief was in the process of unpacking them, recording serial numbers, etc.  So I walked into Chief's office, which was more like an office to an office --it was like a reception area to the Master Sergeant's office so the area was open.  It also had a doorway to this big open area where all of the civilian secretaries worked.  Back then we really didn't use cubicles but in today's work place, they probably would have been all cubicle spaces --but as it were, they were just desks in a wide open area.

I myself was an emotional walking time-bomb.  At this point, I was about 7 months pregnant, very large and very uh well ----as pregnant women can be --hormonal.  I was also dealing daily with my mother's illness, being alone, self-pity --all that kind of stuff.  So I was like a walking emotional hand grenade.

I'm very excited to see all of the new equipment.  I had been pounding out documents on a MANUAL typewriter for much too long -- I was excited at the possibility of having a real computer.  I walked through Chief's office, careful not to trip over boxes, monitors, cords, etc. and I was more focused on maneuvering my way through this mine field, especially treacherous for a pregnant woman such as myself to trip and fall, so I'm looking down at my feet (that probably were stinky but not emitting white powder) careful to watch where I was stepping and without looking up I said something very casual like, "Hey Chief!".  I did notice there was an odd silence and so I stopped in my tracks, looked up to see if Chief was paying attention.  He was so angry it wasn't just the expression on his face that told me so.  I mean, he almost had steam blowing out of his ears (like on the cartoons).  I had done or said absolutely nothing wrong or out of the ordinary and so I figured it must have been something that happened prior to me coming in.  I stood there, waiting and the longer I waited the more it became apparent I was going to be on the receiving end of that anger.