"Yes, Sergeant Major!"

[andpuff]

Back when I was just beginning to research the first Valor book, VALOR'S CHOICE, I'd intended to use the Royal Marines as the basis for my military -- given that Canada doesn't have a Marine Corps.  It didn't take long, however, to realize that, as far as research material goes, the United States Marine Corps provides a much greater depth of

Comments

[maiac]

That email from the Staff Sergeant must have made your whole year.

I'm glad to know someone with such impeccable credentials as Sgt. Maj. Micheal Barrett is telling the troops the way it's going to be.

[damedini]

This

[keristor]

They're actually going through with the repeal of DADT? Yay! I hadn't heard anything recently. I very much like the Sergeant Major's attitude as well (I remember when the Royal Navy had the fuss about letting women serve on ships, with similar prejudices and stupid 'reasons' why they couldn't).

And yes, that comment from the serving noncom says all that's necessary.

(In the UK we don't hear much about the Royal Marines. No TV series about them, not many books, unlike the US Marines. I don't know why...)

[andpuff]

I was in our Navy just before it allowed women to serve on ships. During a Navy Day celebration, I drew the short straw and was sat at the Admiral's table for lunch. (I have no idea which admiral. An admiral...he was visiting the base and wanted to eat with the widest variety of personnel possible.) During a discussion about our absence of nuclear weapons, he said, "During a nuclear war it is the job of the Canadian Navy to go to sea to save the technology." And I said, "You're going to have a little trouble rebuilding without women, sir." I honestly have no memory of what his response was but the Lt. sitting next to me nearly spat her lunch across the table.

[keristor]

It's a good thing I wasn't eating or I would have done as well! Oh dear, he really thought that the idea was to take the technology (but not women) 'safely' out of the way? That's an ... interesting ... purpose for a navy. I can just see it as a post-apocalyptic novel, all the men come back with their 'saved' technology and realise that they forgot something really simple about survival of the species -- the women.

I think you should have been promoted -- to, say, a rank above him...

[nephir]

Excellent! just excellent. Brought tears to my eyes and made me smile all at the same time.

[e_moon60]

Amen and hallelujah...Sgt.Maj. Barrett is the best kind of Old Corps.

And yeah--no comma. (Comma? We don't need no steenkin' commas in command responses!!)

[braider]

*grin* Excellent on both counts, the comment to you and the comments of the SM.