What?!?

Sometimes, I just don’t understand people. Actually, a lot of time I don’t understand people. And I learned something today that disturbed me and validated my confusion.

I don’t know much about the Navy. I actually think I could tell you everything I know in under a minute. It’s not that I don’t care to know, well, I guess I really don’t care to know. I have a hard enough time with Army stuff. But there is one big difference I have found. When I come through the Naval Air Station gate they salute me and in the Army they never did. I must say, I love the Army for not doing it. It makes me feel uncomfortable and weird.

Every morning, I call dispatch and request a fund escort so I can go around to the safes and retrieve the money. I have gotten to know the police that escort me around and they are all very nice. They probably think I am a pain because I ask them a lot of questions. Well, the other today I asked about the whole saluting thing. Here is how the conversation went:

Me: “Why are they saluting me? I don’t like it.”

Police: “They are saluting the sticker.”

Me: “I’m sorry…WHAT?!”

Police: “They are saluting your sticker.”

Now, for those of you not in the military let me explain the way the stickers work. In order to enter into a military base you must have a Dept. of Defense sticker. It shows you registered your car and are not a threat (I don’t know how they figure that but oh well). Enlisted get a red sticker with the base name and officers get a blue sticker on their car. All of our vehicles have a blue sticker.

I proceeded to tell my friend how dumb I thought that was and he explained the situation. Apparently, some officer’s wife complained one day that her car wasn’t being saluted so there was an e-mail sent around the fix the problem. And the gate guards were instructed to start saluting all officer vehicles.

Does anyone else think this is one of the most egotistical/moronic things you have ever heard? I don’t know who this lady was but apparently she thinks she is much more important than she is.
Aaron is in the military, I am not. I am a military wife but that is it. I didn’t put in all the man hours and hard work that went into becoming an officer. I haven’t put up with all the stress and responsibility that comes with being a leader. I haven’t earned the right or the respect that comes with being saluted.

I have come across a lot of great military wives! A LOT! But I have also come across quite a few who wear their husbands rank like their own. I have seen them strut around and talk down to those lower in rank. I am NOT one of these people and I never want to be one of these people. I think sometimes people get crazy when it comes to rank. But one thing I do know is that saluting wives is not right. OK, I know they said they were saluting the sticker but it seemed to me this lady wanted to be saluted herself. Don't you think?

I don’t want to be saluted….ever. I find it a little disrespectful to the soldiers who have earned that right. I don’t know what is wrong with people. I find it hard to swallow that someone could be that selfish. Aaron has his career and I will support him until the day he dies. And I have mine and I know he supports me. He would never walk into my cube and demand something just because I am the central cashier (I know how dumb that sounds but you get my point!).

I guess, I will chalk this experience up to one more thing that I don’t understand about people.