What not to do....

LineInTheSand

USCGA 2006
10-Year Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
9,295
After four years at an academy you pin on those butter bars and you are a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Don't let that get to your head. Also, always remember, when you put something in an email, it WILL get around.

Below is an email chain that has made its way around the Navy, Coast Guard, and Army (and likely the Marine Corps and Air Force, although I did not see those email addresses in the "to" line). I've seen a few email chains that didn't "go around" that had less than desirable messages included.

It's meant to be read from the bottom up. I've remembered last names.






Gene (if I can call you that),

Pardon my french, but holy ****. That is a first in my book. I'm not sure whether to laugh, especially because her "professional" email address is princess_melanie1985 - I mean seriously.

If it's ok with you, I'm going to truncate the process here and have her sent elsewhere. I do believe that you guys would be able to do wonders for her etiquette skills and officer demeanor, however she is clearly operating here with a chip on her shoulder very unbecoming of an undesignated, non-prior, O-1 and I think the detailer has some other options she'd like to pursue for ENS XXXXXXXXXX. Please apologize to the Director for us having wasted his time and encumbering his schedule.

Thanks for looking into her case for me, though. I owe you.

V/R,

<redacted>

-----Original Message-----
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:02
To: <redacted>
Subject: FW: ENS XXXXXXXX / INTERVIEW

FYI J - read from the bottom.

Vrsp
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX

-----Original Message-----
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 8:52 AM
To: <princess_melanie1985@redacted>
Cc: <important folks>
Subject: RE: ENS XXXXXXX / INTERVIEW

Ensign XXXXXXXX, I am a 30 year retired CWO4 and know exactly what courtesy's you are due - however, I am a civilian now and consider myself as a people person, always have been. I like to try and make people feel comfortable. If you thought I was inappropriate, say it straight out. Don't beat around the bush.

From now on you can deal directly with the Director, he's a Navy 06. I've info'ed him on this email. In fact, I info'ed him on all my emails which you should have done in your responses. I've also info'ed my Boss, a Marine Colonel 06.


XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX

-----Original Message-----
From: <princess_melanie1985@redacted>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:57 AM
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: RE: ENS XXXXXXX / INTERVIEW

Mr. XXXXXXX,

I attempted to be subtle in my initial response to you but apparently you didn't catch the hint; from this point foward refer to me as ENS XXXXXXX. I've rendered you the proper professional courtesy in correspondence and will accept nothing less from you.

In regards to your previous email, dependent upon the time in the late afternoon it may work for me but please give me as narrow a day/time frame that I can expect to be called as possible. If the Director or myself are unable to meet today please let me know when the next possible day will be available. Thank you.

r/
ENS XXXXXXXXXXX

--- On Tue, 3/23/10, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wrote:

From: XXXXXXXXXX
Subject: RE: ENS XXXXXXX / INTERVIEW
To: <princess_melanie1985@redacted>
Cc: <important folks>
Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 1:16 PM


Thanks Melanie - the Director is at a Court Martial this week but may be available late in the day - would that work for you?

Vrsp
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX

-----Original Message-----
From: <princess_melanie1985@redacted>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 1:14 PM
To: XXXXXXXXX
Subject: ENS XXXXXXXX / INTERVIEW



Greetings Mr. XXXXXX

This message is in response to your initial email regarding establishing contact with your office to set up an interview. Any day for the remainder of this week is fine for me. I can be reached either via email (princess_melanie1985@redacted ) or by phone (813-xxx-xxxx).

r/
ENS XXXXXXXXX, USN
 
God Save The United States of America. Where are Chesty Puller, Douglas MaCarthur, George Patton, Chester Nimitz, Ethan Allen, James Faragut and Anthony McAuliffe when you need them?:yllol: Unfortunately they are all beyond helping us.
 
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God help us even more:yllol: Thank God for the Coast Guard who helps us even when we make some stupid mistakes.
 
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Hahaha...I've received an email I wasn't supposed to see (from a fellow CG officer)...difference was, I never forwarded it to 30 other people...just let it die.
 
It was a USNA grad too. :frown:

Are you sure on that one?

The fact that she is an "undesignated", non-prior" would to me mean she is likely an OCS grad, possibly ROTC. It would be rare for someone from ROTC or USNA to not have a branch already assigned by the time they are interviewing for a job.

Anyway, I got this in my email a couple weeks back. There have been a few "interesting" ones going around. There was one that was even better going around the aviation community that had so much exposure via forwarding it wasn't even funny.
 
That's according to a Navy guy I know she is.

Sent this one to a guy out in Alaska. He told me he received the same email from three different people and each email chain was different.
 
Dumb Questions:
Why didn't she use her official *navy.mil* email address?
Wouldn't that have been correct protocol?
 
Somewhat along the lines of what is addressed in this email, I had a classmate from VMI commission in the USMC who would insist that his fellow O1s refer to him as "Lt. XXX" while in uniform. I have no idea if this is a thing associated with the Marines (I doubt it); however, the individual in question had what I like to call "personality deficit disorder," so I really think it was just him being his usual charming self. I'll never forget something I was told in the USAF, which is that "honor among lieutenants is like virtue among whores." :biggrin:

Mind you, this refers to the rendering of courtesy honors such as salutes between O1s and O2s. It doesn't mean that there is no integrity in the lower ranks of the AF. It's pretty tounge-in-cheek, so my guess is that no explanation was needed.
 
LOL, I wonder how it was to be a new Midn at I day when she was Cadre?
:yllol:
 
Somewhat along the lines of what is addressed in this email, I had a classmate from VMI commission in the USMC who would insist that his fellow O1s refer to him as "Lt. XXX" while in uniform. I have no idea if this is a thing associated with the Marines (I doubt it); however, the individual in question had what I like to call "personality deficit disorder," so I really think it was just him being his usual charming self. I'll never forget something I was told in the USAF, which is that "honor among lieutenants is like virtue among whores." :biggrin:

Mind you, this refers to the rendering of courtesy honors such as salutes between O1s and O2s. It doesn't mean that there is no integrity in the lower ranks of the AF. It's pretty tounge-in-cheek, so my guess is that no explanation was needed.

Some people need the veil of titles to convey professionalism. Guys like that freak out when they get near special forces folks, since all of us--officers and NCOs alike--are on a first-name basis (except with the CO and Company Sergeant Major). Professionalism has very little to do with what title you use when you address someone.
 
"If the Director or myself are unable to meet today please let me know when the next possible day will be available. Thank you"

Maybe the ENS could show some professionalism and use proper grammar in a busineess email. I'm pretty sure most college graduates have learned subject verb agreement rules and the proper usage of reflexive pronouns. :scratch:
 
Somewhat along the lines of what is addressed in this email, I had a classmate from VMI commission in the USMC who would insist that his fellow O1s refer to him as "Lt. XXX" while in uniform. I have no idea if this is a thing associated with the Marines (I doubt it); however, the individual in question had what I like to call "personality deficit disorder," so I really think it was just him being his usual charming self. I'll never forget something I was told in the USAF, which is that "honor among lieutenants is like virtue among whores." :biggrin:

Mind you, this refers to the rendering of courtesy honors such as salutes between O1s and O2s. It doesn't mean that there is no integrity in the lower ranks of the AF. It's pretty tounge-in-cheek, so my guess is that no explanation was needed.

We used to use last names while on watch on the bridge "Mr. XXXX" even with classmates. Certainly didn't do that in the wardroom.
 
Dumb Questions:
Why didn't she use her official *navy.mil* email address?
Wouldn't that have been correct protocol?

Maybe she didn't have access at the time. Talked to an ONI guy today at dinner (first time I met the guy, he had also seen the email). He thought she might have been a flight school drop, as she was non-designated. She may not have had access to her @navy.mil email address.

During my last transfer I created a gmail account with my name, almost identical to my @uscg.mil address, that was meant to hold me over for work emails (and personal emails) until I was back on my .mil account.
 
We used to use last names while on watch on the bridge "Mr. XXXX" even with classmates. Certainly didn't do that in the wardroom.

Yeah, we'd use rank if we were doing a briefing or something official. Say I was certifying on the weapon system with a crew partner, I'd refer to him as "Lt. XXX." My example, however, was told to me by a VMI classmate (who was USAF) who was at specialty school with the uber-Marine in question. Mr. "Ooh Rah" would insist on being called by his rank even when not performing an official function (i.e. hanging out in the squadron area, etc.). That equates to being a toolbag.
 
:yllol:

File under "OOPS!" :shake:

Also, don't ***** about professionalism when your e-mail address calls you a princess. :yllol:
 
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